Hemisphere Ronski

This work by Hemisphere is a beautiful space odyssey based on the use of synthesizers, ideal to let imagination soar through unearthly worlds. A general trait of the album is the fact that the music happens to be very intense, vital, as if reflecting strong emotions. The 11 pieces included in this release have a melodic cosmic style with some Atmospheric Pop touches. The latter are basically in the rhythms. The melodies present a certain romantic character, with slight symphonic traits. Perhaps the most remarkable theme is "Night of the Living Machine", in which the melodic grandeur of Hemisphere is strongly present.

10th album for an incredible deep ambient-electronic trip by Ralf Knappe-Heinbockel and Thorsten Reinhardt. Their music is so various and intense, warm and rich of atmosphere, that the listener is among different realities of sounds and effects… Passages so dark and slow, for then to show a track full of rhythm and magic. Their imaginations goes ahead from "Point One" to "Point Fourteen", giving deep vibrations in the air, and continues even when music is finished. In all these tracks Hemisphere show their different faces. An album really great, all to discover till the last note. Composed between 1995 and 2001, it was recorded in 2002.

By combining elements from Ambient, Atmospheric Pop, Synth-Pop, Techno and Trance, Hemisphere create compositions where the melodies of a sensual, romantic hue, not lacking in mystery, have an important role. The emotional air of the music is emphasized by the warm textures of the synthesizers. The rhythms, of a rather slow nature, yet often powerful, complex and with an important percussive component, complement the basic approach of this album.

For this album Ralf Knappe-Heinbockel heads for more darker territory. "Intruders" presents a more darker side of his Hemisphere's music, for which Ron Boots constructed some nice soundeffects and enviRONmentals to connect most of the tracks with eachother. An album which will do late at night.

Throughout the years, there have been a number of tribute albums dedicated to the music of Rush, each has put an interesting spin on the band's extensive catalog of music. Over the past year, the Brazilian rock project Fleesh, formed by Gabby Vessoni and Celo Oliveira, have been releasing several Rush cover songs on YouTube, including their moving version of The Pass. Spirited by the overwhelming positive reception of their Rush covers, the band has just announced the release of "The Next Hemisphere". This is one of those rare attempt that succeeds amazingly in covering some of the most difficult yet moving Rush songs, approaching the material with great respect, preserving certain passages and licks very close to the originals, but adding their own perspective on others.

The tracks on this album were created by Peter Namlook and Steve Stoll and are very much in the atmospheric, ambient, minimalist mould consisting of music which builds carefully with sonic ingredients added slowly and meticulously to the mix. Take the eponymous title track for instance, which takes over eighteen minutes to reach its conclusion, Namlook and Stoll begin with an oscillating bass sequence and gradually draft in various pulses and rhythmic textures which echo, fade and die and are then reborn in subtly different forms with different emphasis given to key rhythms or pulses, with some vaguely unsettling effects added for good measure.