Outland 1 by Pete Namlook & Bill Laswell

The journey commences with deep, rumbling drones, setting the stage for this sixty-two-minute epic. These reverberations evoke imagery of an unearthly creature from the abyss or an extraterrestrial being. It encapsulates an exceptionally high-caliber, dark ambient musical portrait. Each shadowy corner seems to hold an element of the unknown, instilling a sense of imminent discovery. Around the ninth minute, subtle vocal effects with a faint metallic quality enrich the sonic landscape, infusing a slightly brighter aspect. Ghostly wails emerge at the fifteen-minute mark, intensifying the eerie atmosphere. Approaching the eighteenth minute, the introduction of additional details occurs at a deliberate, unhurried pace. It feels as if we are venturing into a subtly distinct space where the ambience remains dark, yet feels more sparse and marginally less foreboding. Every sound is meticulously placed, allowing ample room for its full impact. By the twenty-second minute, a noticeable ebb and flow in the underlying pads is observed, followed shortly after by the emergence of the first discernible notes, loops, or sequences. These elements create a wondrous, swirling effect, prompting a kaleidoscope of psychedelic images within the mind—truly an otherworldly experience. Light up the incense and start a mesmerizing light display; these cosmic drones intensify. Approaching the fortieth minute, the composition returns to floating upon a sea of deep pads. The mournful sound of a cello, reminiscent of Wolfgang Tiepold's style on Schulze albums, takes center stage. This blends with heavily processed vocal effects, as the pads delve deeper into a more cosmic realm. The departure of the cello is felt prematurely, yet the thick, remaining sounds remain profoundly impressive. Around the forty-eighth minute, the processed 'vocal' pads make a robust resurgence, akin to spectral entities haunting the listener's space with increasing intensity for the subsequent eight minutes. Then, a return to the darkest, far-flung reaches of the cosmos occurs during the final six minutes, accompanied by the sound of alien breath seemingly just over one's shoulder.

Two heavyweights in the music business collaborating on a series of high quality space ambient music. Highly addictive...