ambient / experimental
In the late eighties and early nineties, I was one of those typical metal teens. Ripped jeans, bandshirts, long greasy hair to cover all my pimples... My parents were not very happy with that but I didn't really care. That's the thing with puberty, you just don't care. Personally, I just wanted to rock and I did. I rocked hard.
But then a compilation named 'Mind The Gap' came into my possession and changed pretty much everything. This music was different. Like metal intros but longer. I became fascinated with ambient and experimental music, thanks to acts like O Yuki Conjugate, Horizon 222 and Rapoon.
My first self-made ambient mixtape was literally a cassette with tracks by the aforementioned acts plus intros from rock and metal albums. It was called 'Satan, Roald Dahl and Me'. I have no idea where that title came from but I still have the tape, even though I haven't played it in fifteen years or so. Winamp does a better job at that. Back then, I spent my evenings listening to the tape, being amazed by the atmospheres and the soundscapes. Only a few years later I started discovering the pioneers like Brian Eno, Laraaji, Vidna Obmana and Harold Budd.
So perhaps it's correct to say that Rapoon has been one of those people whose work eventually led to both Misantronics and Merchants Of Air. Today, this new collection of keepsakes and oddities from 2008 to 2011 reached me and I just had to check it out. The 2CD collection contains no less than 17 tracks, with the lengthy and dreamy 'One Last Breath' as ideal opener. You can find some mixes and (live-) cooperations with Mark Spybey and Cisfinitum. The closing track, 'For Kurt' appears to be a remix Rapoon made for Roedelius.
The compilation is well varied with flashes of ambient, noise, classical music and experimental soundscaping constantly creating new atmospheres and sounds. I can't say that all the tracks are equally brilliant as I definitely prefer the soothing sounds over the weird experimentalism but Rapoon fans can easily trust this album to be a welcome addition to their ever expanding collection. There are multiple highlights and surprises to be found. So obviously, I recommend this album to all Rapoon fans and to all fans of the odd and unusual.
Serge
But then a compilation named 'Mind The Gap' came into my possession and changed pretty much everything. This music was different. Like metal intros but longer. I became fascinated with ambient and experimental music, thanks to acts like O Yuki Conjugate, Horizon 222 and Rapoon.
My first self-made ambient mixtape was literally a cassette with tracks by the aforementioned acts plus intros from rock and metal albums. It was called 'Satan, Roald Dahl and Me'. I have no idea where that title came from but I still have the tape, even though I haven't played it in fifteen years or so. Winamp does a better job at that. Back then, I spent my evenings listening to the tape, being amazed by the atmospheres and the soundscapes. Only a few years later I started discovering the pioneers like Brian Eno, Laraaji, Vidna Obmana and Harold Budd.
So perhaps it's correct to say that Rapoon has been one of those people whose work eventually led to both Misantronics and Merchants Of Air. Today, this new collection of keepsakes and oddities from 2008 to 2011 reached me and I just had to check it out. The 2CD collection contains no less than 17 tracks, with the lengthy and dreamy 'One Last Breath' as ideal opener. You can find some mixes and (live-) cooperations with Mark Spybey and Cisfinitum. The closing track, 'For Kurt' appears to be a remix Rapoon made for Roedelius.
The compilation is well varied with flashes of ambient, noise, classical music and experimental soundscaping constantly creating new atmospheres and sounds. I can't say that all the tracks are equally brilliant as I definitely prefer the soothing sounds over the weird experimentalism but Rapoon fans can easily trust this album to be a welcome addition to their ever expanding collection. There are multiple highlights and surprises to be found. So obviously, I recommend this album to all Rapoon fans and to all fans of the odd and unusual.
Serge
