review by Paul Simpson on AllMusic.
During the '90s, French electronic outfit Lightwave worked with Hector Zazou several times, and former Tangerine Dream member Paul Haslinger
joined the group. Cités Analogues, however, was one of Lightwave's
early cassette releases, recorded soon after their core lineup of Christoph Harbonnier and Christian Wittman
was established. Recorded and mixed live in the studio, then produced
and edited soon afterward, the effort was made using modular
synthesizers, Roland sequencers, and digital effects. Subsequent
Lightwave efforts ventured into neo-classical territory, and with some
of them appearing on Hearts of Space sublabel Fathom, they might've been
found in the new age section at record stores. This recording is a bit
too dark, cold, and collage-like to fit in such a category. The bustling
sounds of a crowded airport are heard near the beginning of the album,
segueing into radio airwave noises and trickling analog synths. "Le
Parvis" establishes a sinister groove, with sneaking electronic drums
and synth playing approximating wild flute trills. Another passage of
sampled crowd noise segues into "Agora," an extended, ambient reflection
that feels like an escape from society in order to seek a tranquil,
meditative space. Following a few brief pieces consisting of uneasy,
haunted textures and more found sounds, "Cités Analogues" makes greater
use of the duo's sequencers and drum machines, recalling Tangerine Dream's
rhythmic side while foreshadowing the type of cerebral ambient techno
that would be much more common five years later, and adding a bit of
analog crunch. Lightwave would go on to do bigger, more ambitious, and
more accomplished things, but Cités Analogues is a set of promising
early steps containing some innovative moments which sound slightly
ahead of their time.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/cit%C3%A9s-analogues-mw0004412360
No comments:
Post a Comment