Robert Carty: Darklight

A brief synopsis: This release exhibits yet again a very strong contender in the ambient/ space music genre. Carty has achieved another step up into "space/cosmic" effects overall as compared to his earlier Deep Spirit work.

"Gravitation," 6:03, is excellent space music with a multitude of effects and an immensely powerful low-end underlying the whole piece. That sense of a huge interstellar craft cruising infinite vistas of star-field is felt. Whisper effects are eerie and effective. The Serrie sensitivities and stylings come through but again Carty is intriguingly more exotic. Alien voices seem to surround listener, hypnotic chants of sensuousness wisdom.

"Submerged," 5:50, has voices trail off into string synths that add a full sound weight over drone matrix. Some bass effects were powerful enough in their shiftings to bring visions of another world's continental shelf sloughing away beneath you. Great stuff here. A liltingly haunting melodic and harmonic sense too! Uplifting one's feeling of awe – the unseen majesties unfolding, revealed at last.

"Dark Glow," 8:27, opens an alien aquatic world scheme with behemoth bubblings, like upwelling magma. Mournful solo synth rises. Feel a wandering, floating mood, observing great dark forms beneath you as the stars rotate above. Eventually synth diminishes to near silence, a buzzing sound heralds next track . . . superb!

"Organic Elemental," 9:50, I heard a distinct Wendy Carlos, Sonic Seasonings, "Summer" all over this piece with snippets of Roach et al's Desert Solitaire. Very minimalistic, subdued dronings, subtle groanings, insecta and rattlesnake are here with a gestalt of heated voids. More synths augment the track with a moodiness of stilled air, heavy weights of fatigue, devastation and isolation, ruin and stark emptiness – infernal distances, unending, relentless nothingness. Strong work Robert!

"Window," 5:34, offers that signature Loren Nerell maximum, metallic gong synth and that David Parsons Himalaya ritualistic essence. Mood is carefree and relaxed however, with an alpha-wave state-of-mind. Vangelis-restful lead synth colorings used nicely. Fade into next track . . .

"Sensory Link," 6:24, has synth embellishings drift over from previous track. Open feeling mood, slow-moving, bell-toned, sparse synths stroll by. Carty uses a subtle stringsy-synth voice and synth-flute, breathy "blow-over" textures with mid-range echoes added to the mix. Very restful overall. Transition to space music with an echo-laden, synth cascade, like some odd chittering airborne things flit nearby. Fade into . . .

"Darkness To Light," 17:00, ahh yes, an extended space-music excursion. This is very Serrie or think of T. Dream in a non-sequenced, ultra-expansive "break" for that classic "zoning out" and "blank stares" fugue. Bring me my Mandala mama. Seriously folks, this is highly meditative and mood-melting piece. Flowing, formless, floating, and a fitting finale! This is an "isolation tank trip" goodie.

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