early reflections is an inspiring introduction into the expanding ambient world of liam skogland (aka (val)liam).
ambient music has always played a humble role in the electronic music scene. high levels of gratitude and respect are given to those producers that have the creativity and patience to evolve a genre plagued with periodicity. skogland is quickly on his way to becoming one of those artists.
begin your adventure with "orange horizon". picture an enchanting sunrise over a calm and secluded lake, on a warm august morning. lush, balmy pads play a familiar role throughout the entire release, creating a strong foundation for new layers of sound to tickle the senses.
the uplifting naturistic moods in "avalon" give the listener an effortless enjoyable experience that carries well into the next few tracks. compelling elements of acoustic + ibanez guitar, heard in "wonder" and "distance", act as a refreshing alternative to the atmospheric leads presented in most of the compositions.
"early reflections", the ep's title track, delivers and sets itself apart from the rest. treat yourself to pulsating kicks and deep synthetic progressions as (val)liam concludes his journey in hypnotic fasion. celebrate dewtone's 6th release, a modest example of yet another young canadian artist breaking out of his musical shell.
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Reviewer:electrocelt - - March 9, 2008 Subject: a hidden gem im glad to see that there have been a lot more downloads since the last review, as this release is most certainly a hidden gem of ambient music.
Reviewer:bright daylight - - June 6, 2007 Subject: Sublime I find it criminal that (at this writing) there has been 400+ downloads of this sublime recording and I am the first to write a review. I hope I can do it justice.
This is the finest recording I have come across on archive.org, to date. It has classic ambient components, all well done and executed to perfection, as well as inspired solo voicings. Subtle is the byword on this recording. The mix is great, the sound is great, all of the elements form a balance I have rarely heard. There are moments that (val)liam is about to drift toward a new age homage but he pushes the impulse away and ends up creating beautiful, dreamy music.