Search - Jonn Serrie :: Planetary

Way out there...

Neil Thompson | Birkenhead, Wirral United Kingdom | 08/07/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"In general terms, ambient music tends to fall into two distinct categories: "hip" ambient, composed by the likes of Pete Namlook, Terre Thaemlitz, Bill Laswell and the like and then the not so hip; Jarre, TD(these days)and others whose music tends to appeal to an older age group. Serrie is lumped in there as someone for the 30/40 something crystal-type new-agers and I think this lack of respect from today's ambient music fans stems from a rather poor piece of imagemaking on behalf of Miramar. The packaging for Serrie's albums are dated in the extreme and the "friendly maestro" photos on the back do no justice. HOWEVER; the music is absolutely top-notch.I'm continually in search of drifting atmospherics (early TD is my music of preference) and while I was initially put off Serrie for all the above reasons, once I heard his music I was hooked.The music here isn't as dark as say, "Rubycon" or "Phaedra" nor as minimalist as Laswell's "Web", but if you took those two albums, threw in a healthy dose of Vangelis, you'll get an idea of what I'm talking about.There are no surprises here. "Mystery Road" is a beauiful piece, drifting spacially through the mind, gently falling into the brassy intro to "Dawn Trader"... from there the track names cease to matter and the silence between them is barely noticeable. I like albums that flow from piece to piece and Serrie does it beautifully.It may seem like old hippy space music (and it is)! but it stands the test of time never becoming twee or trite, but retains minor key mystery throughout."

Music ahead of its time

bobbydeville | 09/15/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Do yourself a favor and look at the DATES of which these scores were made. You will be surprised as to how old this music is - yet it still is awesome planetarium music. Don't listen to the nay-sayer who complains that they don't feel like they are in 'outerspace.' It's only music for pete's sake."

Space Master

bobbydeville | Boiling Springs, Pa. United States | 04/11/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This cd delivers you to the edge of the universe and back! Finally I found true ET music! I play this cd at night and drift off to sleep. Very soothing. I'm one of those intense people who has a hard time unwinding and getting to sleep. This cd is definately worth adding to your collection.I can't wait to order some of john's Serrie's other cd's!"