AETOPUS

Memories of the Elder

12 Ton Productions (2002)

review by Bill Binkelman

I'm more than a little impressed with this debut effort from electronic keyboardist Bryan Tewell Hughes, recording as Aetopus. It ranks alongside other "out of the blue" releases like David Friedman's Moonrise or Michael Walthius's Dreaming in Stereo. Hughes unleashes twelve superb tracks on Memories of the Elder, swinging from the uptempo energizing opener, "The Running Path" (with rapidly cascading synth piano, keyboard textures, synth pan-pipes and other electronic effects) to more ambient-like and somber tunes, such as "Still Ruin" (anchored by slowly sequenced beats and Geodesium-like [circa Anasazi] synth-piano and keyboard elements).

Truly, I can't think of an apt comparisons to Hughes's release. He is adroit and comfortable across a variety of subgenres, for example the tribal flavors of the moody "Campfire Spirit Horizon" (which mixes together Crown Invisible's lush synths and Open Canvas's exotic hand percussion). Percussion on some tracks is ably, if not inspiredly, handled by Michael Bjuk on an assortment of instruments. I have played a variety of tunes from this album on my radio show, attesting to how "accessible" this music is, yet no trace of new age syrup nor overly slick pop-ism exists on this remarkable debut recording.

Every song offers a new gem which sparkles through repeated playings (which I availed myself of, by the way, to the tune of about ten playings before writing this review). The sheer variety of musical styles on Memories of the Elder keeps the album fresh, exciting, and allows for a gradual unfolding of the mysteries inherent in tracks like "Elder" (harpsichord married to booming lower register synths and spacy keyboards on the periphery), "Grand Microscopic" (a slow tempo cut played out on plucked string synths with an undercurrent of dark drones, enhanced with female spoken word vocals - by Melissa Macapulay), and "Day Glide" (which flirts with classic Berlin-school EM sounds and retro-analog synth textures in a fluid tone-poem that straddles both light and dark shadings).

Owing to their being over an hour of music here, all of it well-executed and encompassing an assortment of subgenres and styles, a comprehensive review would require another thousand words - at least. Suffice it to say that Memories of the Elder explores darker territory than most modern day electronic keyboard music, but seldom, if ever, wanders over into floating ambient terrain or noir-ish scariness. However, the album also has firm roots in various electronic music subgenres, including Berlin, "active" spacemusic, and the heydays of the Narada Mystique sub-label. What makes the work of Aetopus/Hughes so remarkable is how fresh all this sounds. There is no trace of faux sentimentality and no attempt to play it safe on this CD. While it's nothing if not accessible, it's also an exciting and different take on keyboard music that I never grew tired of, even when I played it back-to-back. I can't offer a stronger endorsement than that.