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Artist: Anthony Baskey Reviews:
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On this, his third release in the continuing Harmony Through Conflict series of albums, electronic keyboard artist Anthony Baskey once again weaves delicate and melodic soundscapes filled with a sense of romance and good cheer. Less spacemusic-ish or EM-like than The Venus Project (and much less so than his debut recording, The Elysium Project), The Hermes Project will appeal to fans of Jonn Serrie's later works such as Midsummer Century or Ixlandia or the work of more classic "new age music" artists, such as Robert Haig Coxon, or melodic relaxation music performers like Kevin Kendle. Some songs even cross over into quasi-ambient territory, drawing vague comparison to the less dynamic and softer work of an artist like John Flomer (circa Night in the Vapor Jungle). In the end, though, Anthony once again proves to be solidly an original. The comparisons above are more for the benefit of those listeners who always ask "Who does he sound like?" The album begins with the delicate and ethereal number, "verjure," which blends crystal clear bell tones, lush synth choruses, and a metronome-like synth bass line. The bells sometimes strike their notes in an arrhythmic pattern, nicely counterpointing the syncopation from the underlying soft rhythms. The choruses and spacy synth effects that cruise underneath the main melody bring a flowing quality to the song that is quite lovely. The next song, "hermes," begins with the sound of wind which is joined by muted piano-like notes. Floating chords enter the song very slowly. Spacy synth effects, nicely subdued in the background, add an extra dimension to the song. Soon, one of Anthony's trademark instrumental sounds, which he shares with the now-AWOL musician Mark Sloniker, carries the lead melody. It sounds like a lilting synth flute but with a slight reverb or sustain that is singularly distinctive. A gentle slow tempo emerges with soft cymbals and some other percussion effects. Not really jazzy, but not really new agey either, the song is like cosmic lounge music, in the best possible sense. Anthony has always prided himself on superb engineering, and The Hermes Project is no exception. The first time I listened to this disc on headphones was a revelation. While I liked it when heard on loudspeakers, the nuances, delicious mix, and intricate arrangements that were revealed on headphones make for an especially delightful experience. So, I recommend dedicated listening to this disc before you pass final judgment on it. If you play it too softly on loudspeakers and with too much background noise distraction, you won't hear what's there under the surface. "enlightenment" approaches the cyber-lounge jazz feel of some of Richard Bone's work as the more ethereal synth choruses give way to vibes and a smoky swaying sound, courtesy of vibes, shakers, piano and even what sounds like a touch of Hammond organ(!). The next cut, "mystical space," is much closer to "romantic" spacemusic, with soft washes of keyboards, delicate piano, bells and tones, all coalescing into an expression of warmth and a sense of soft drifting. Muted rhythms do not deter from the overall feel, although be advised that this song, as with all songs here, do not feature spacemusic in the same dark or even emotionally neutral vein as some other artists do. Anthony has his mind set on providing an uplifting and affirming listening experience. While some songs may be a little too close to mainstream adult contemporary or stray over into the more overt new age music landscape for jaded or cynical ears, I enjoyed The Hermes Project just as much as The Venus Project. I don't know if I'm naturally predisposed to enjoying the more accessible side of electronic music as much as I do the more esoteric or minimalist albums, but I find I like listening to both types and I do so with equal enjoyment. I'm aware that a lot of people seem to prefer one or the other, though. So I can't recommend this excellent recording to people who, for example, only enjoy artists like Jeff Pearce or James Johnson. But, if you like Liquid Mind or Kevin Kendle and other artists who seldom venture anywhere with minor tonalities or noir-ish leanings, the music of Anthony Baskey deserves serious consideration. Songs like the gently sensuous "my special treasure" (featuring great vibe work) or the album-closing "morning dance," which has a playful gentle rhythm amidst twinkling bell synths and whooshing synths and subtle yet funky/jazzy bass beats, are great songs when you are seeking a warm and friendly melodic musical escape. I've been an Anthony Baskey fan since his first release and The Hermes Project increases my appreciation for his sense of melody, rhythm, and especially his keen sense of layering his keyboards to extract maximum enjoyment from the diverse musical elements. While is unabashedly romantic (some might even say too much so), I think we need albums that make us smile and celebrate the positive side of life, just as much as we do the darker offerings. When it comes to the former, few artists can approach the proficiency or talent of Anthony Baskey.
Relative newcomer Anthony Baskey has delivered the sophomore follow-up to his highly-praised debut, The Elysium Project. Titled The Venus Project (another recording in Anthony's Harmony Through Conflict Series), the title is indicative of the music - lush, romantic, sometimes dramatic, and very often lovely. The music draws favorable comparisons to recent work from Jonn Serrie (such as Midsummer Century, Tingri, and Ixlandia), although Anthony's more ambient approach leaves almost all traces of Serrie's neo-jazz behind. Some songs bring more traditional spacemusic comparisons to mind, as well (see below). The album opens with the excellent "Nightflight I," a slow tempo cruiser with superb use of rhythmic elements among the Mark-Sloniker like keyboards and counterpointed by underlying synth washes. This is followed by "Venus" which, obviously, is overtly romantic. The song carries hints of both space music and new age music, with twinkling bell-like synths, synth strings, and flowing melody lines that whisper of sensuousness while also evoking a sense of deep beauty. Synth oboe is used judiciously to lend the song an air of grace. "Three Wishes" is a more structured piece, employing opening wooden flute/pan pipe synths in an ethereal manner to balance out the Richard Bone-like bossa nova rhythms that come into play. Synth vibes and bell tones dance over an undercurrent of hushed synth choruses. Maybe the best way to describe this is new age samba music, which may sound corny but in Anthony's hands it works remarkably well. The song delighted me with its sense of fun mixed with the ethereal side of things. "Solo Flight" is much more ambient than the other cuts so far - lush washes of synths sweep over the landscape below and an occasional whoosh effect adds an element of classic space music to the mix. This song should definitely remind many of you of Serrie, Meg Bowles, Telomere or other deep space pilots. "Whispers of Love" is soft and romantic, using a combination of harp, synth oboe, washes, and bell-like tones to create a neo-classical/new age lullaby-like song. Some later cuts mine more serene territory similar to Liquid Mind ("Costa D'Azure") but as he did with his first album, Anthony always finds a way to put his indelible signature on each song. Once again he achieves this by subtly (and with great success) blending apparently disparate elements together seamlessly (e.g., in the abovementioned "Costa D'Azure" he mixes those lush Liquid Mind-ish strings with a delicate Mediterranean flavor via a plucked balalaika, and later adds muted low tempo swish-cymbal rhythms as well). Some fans of his previous CD may find the music on The Venus Project either too new agey or too "pretty," but given the theme of the recording (as evidenced by song titles like "Love Continuum") one would hardly expect much darkness on this album. Personally, I think this follow-up is excellent. Trademark touches abound throughout the recording, but the new direction for Anthony (emphasizing lush and romantic melodies and a sense of beauty) marks him as an artist who doesn't want to repeat himself. Hear, hear! The Venus Project shimmers romantically with delicate beauty and grace. While the some of the album's songs have more structure than most ambient recordings, there are enough varied elements that fans of ambient, space and new age music should all find a lot here to enjoy. The engineering on the disc is excellent and overall I think Anthony has shown he is going to be (if he is not already) a force to be reckoned with in this industry. As with his debut, I highly recommend The Venus Project as an example of diverse and very well-executed melodic electronic music. Strongly recommended, in addition, to those seeking romantic music that never stoops to schmaltz or syrup.
The Elysium Project, from keyboardist Anthony Baskey, is one of the more subtly diverse electronic music CDs I've heard in a while. What's equally startling is how good Anthony is at all the different synth approaches he tackles. The album is meticulously recorded and engineered, which only adds to the appeal of the music. While technically a 1998 release, this should land solidly on my best of 1999 list! The CD contains many moments of peaceful beauty and exquisite melodic synth music. The album opens with "Renewal (Sonny)" with synth pan pipes, lush washes and gentle rhythms, soon joined by a lilting melody line carried by a synth flute. It's a very pretty start to the trip. This is followed by an even more serene floating piece, "Elysium." Parts of this remind me of Danna and Clement's song, "To the Land Beneath the Sea." This is another great piece with patient Serrie-like washes counterpointed by an oboe-like tone (the Danna and Clement sound). "Veneration," starts out as a floating ambient song with harp-like synth notes and gentle washes, eventually mixing in a fast tempo Euro-style EM sequencer line as well. The juxtaposition works quite well&emdash;the calm with the frenetic. "East Meets West" is dark in tone and uses synth vibes and synth koto to create an intoxicating world fusion piece. "Heathersett" should remind Jonn Serrie fans of his recent work on releases like Midsummer Century with its lush romanticism (again graced by that synth oboe). "Journey to Mecca" has tribal textures, courtesy of excellent synth percussion, sounding more than a little like Steve Roach, from his Soma/Strata days, albeit with a more overt world fusion sound thrown in. Trying to accurately describe this release is difficult because Anthony effectively mixes so many influences together and yet adds more than enough to call this disc solidly his own. I mentioned the artists that I was reminded of in order to identify the music on The Elysium Project, but in no way is this copycat music. Instead, think of Anthony as being influenced by some of the best in the business and using their inspiration as a departure point. Most of the time, The Elysium Project is quiet and calm in nature and many songs could qualify as warm melodic space music. However, as I stated earlier, there is subtle but distinct variety herein. Every cut on this CD is a winner to my ears. A most impressive debut! All I can add to that is, "More, more!" (this review was originally published in Wind and Wire, the magazine) |