Search - John Rose, Tony Gerber, Chris Blazen :: Spacecraft

The Sound of Silence in Deep Space

Paul Allaer | Cincinnati | 05/02/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"From the opening moments of the first track Planit Orbit, Spacecraft takes you onto a flight in deep space, giving you a flavor of the sounds of silence found there. Not much melody here, just mood explorations with synthesizers of all kinds. Think Tangerine Dream around Phaedra and Zeit. The key track is Zero, One: a 22 minute "quiet blowout" of their deep space sound. This album is the perfect setup for what would come next for Spacecraft, namely the Hummel CD (see review there)."

Spacecraft Journeys Timespace and Tickles Your Mind

Michael H. I. Borger | Nappanee, Indiana | 02/15/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Spacecraft album is a worthy addition to your space music collection. There is expansive sound, interesting ideas, mind-blowing passages, and truly environmental compositions. The result of this work is music that is equally foreground in the sense of grabbing your attention and keeping it and backgraound in the sense of running in the environment as you work without distracting you.



As the title implies, the album reminds you of what you imagine it is like being out in space, traveling to some distant destination across the galaxies. The sound is expansive to the point of really taking you there, but it is also peaceful and leads the listener to a positive, restful place that rewards participation in this sonic happening. There is a lot of aural layering here, the kind of sonic composition that really rewards repeated listening.



The music is unique, but there are some influences that come to mind. The spontaneous ever composing and performing and never standing still style of Steve Roach is present. The expansive sound and playing with the silence that is characteristic of Mychael Danna also comes into play. Make no mistake, though - this is not a deriviative exercise but an album of truly original music that stands on its own and then some.



Tony Gerber's synthesizers and superior production work combine with Chris Balzen's Koto and the synthesizers of John Rose and Diane Timmons to make a seamless whole that is greater than the parts. The artists weave their electronic sounds like master loom workers, spinning a tapestry of sound that is wonderful to behold. THere is a lot to take in, and a lot to appreciate.



If you like the kind of music that really takes you out there, Spacecraft is for you. It is equally satisfying to listen to this album in a focused way and to play it in the background as a pleasant stimulus to peace and tranquility. This is great stuff and space music buffs will love it!"