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There is a lot of great "techno-ambient" out there.
While many ambient purists prefer the sonic incense
to the presence of automated drum beats and,
admittedly in much of the genre, the clanging of
electronic junk, there are still some high
quality projects out there.
   I have recently rearranged the order of artists
in this section to better reflect the latest wave
of technoambience. Most sections start with the
original artists and move forward in time, i am
reorganizing this section to be current in front
and detail original artists at the end. 



MAKYO is so much fun, I never get tired of it.
Electro-raga. Like Sheila Chandra in a dance-
oriented techno-ambient space. Real juicy.
"Sringara" is a great album. I'm gonna get
anything by Makyo, though."Yakshini" is hot. 
A very social music environment. You really
need to check out the entire Dakini Records
discography -- supercool.
They better have Makyo in heaven...

Go to Makyo info  

SIMON POSFORD has come to my attention as a major
force in PsyTrance. He has recorded under a variety
of artist names including Shpongle and Hallucinogen.
While, i believe, Posford IS Hallucinogen,
the other projects appear to be collaborations.
It has been brought to my attention that Ott is,
apparently, Posford's "best friend."
Hallucinogen is techno, but with a difference, due
to superb production and dense layer of elements.
I originally discovered Posford through the 
TechnoDub Hallucinogen album, "In Dub," which is
dub remixes of previous Hallucinogen material
by Ott. It is a marvelous treat for both Dub and
Electronica fans, as is what i consider to be
its' sibling Ott release, "Blumenkraft." I was
also extremely impressed by the second
Hallucinogen release, "The Lone Deranger." This
are just awesomely creative works of dance
electronica! I also just acquired Shpongle's
second release, "Tales of the Inexpressible,"
which didn't immediately afford me the kind of
enjoyment of the others, perhaps due to being
softer and more acoustic somehow, but i like it
and am giving it some listens to grow on me. A
new Hallucinogen release, "Nothing Lasts," is
on the near future horizon!

Bio on Simon Posford @ Shpongle.com

ENTHEOGENIC is Piers Oak-Rhind and Helmut Glavar,
cybervisionaries extraordinaire! Taking their
clues from the Plant Ally, their music tells
the story of the plant who dreamed it was a
human dreaming it was the Divine who was
dreaming a plant. something like that. this
music is like owning a series of 8 minute
dream journeys. The debut, "Entheogenic," disc
is a mind-bending psychesonic extravanganza that
becomes more fully realized and spiritual in the
recent, "Spontaneous Illumination," which i
wholeheartedly recommend as a great psytrance
technoambient "psyambient" release.

Check Out Entheogenic Website!

ISHQ is an intriguing excursion into modern
technoambience. This is extreme chillout
music nonpareil. It is as if Makyo completely
relaxed and kicked back all the way! The two
disc set, "Orchid," released at the beginning
of 2002 by Dakini, is predominantly languid
and dripping with sonic nectar. Each disc
starts with a sophisticated midtempo electro
beat which rapidly melts into mellifluous
meldings of mellow transic atmospheres.
The website is inscrutable, yet beautiful.
Try to find Jachin-Boaz. The recent "Magic
Square of the Sun" is one of the best techno-
ambient releases since the Millenium!!

Go To Ishq website

ADHAM SHAIKH started out as an electronica
artist quite nearly in the Klaus Schulze vein
with releases like "Realignment" that is really
only for serious electronic aficionadoes. He
then released the intriquing "Journey To The
Sun" which has some excellent space music on it
and also, well, "bits;" some of which work and
some don't. His collaborative disc, "Drift," had
a few nifty pieces but was somewhat forgettable.
THEN, Shaikh went technoambient and has two
staggeringly impressive releases, "Essence" and
"Fusion" which catapult him immediately to the
top of the asian massive game.


TJ REHMI is another great "Asian Underground"
artist who has created some extremely pleasant
chill out somewhat like Makyo that also has
intellectual appeal. Most downtempo but
occasionally soaring into tabla frenzies,
his discs are intriguing from beginning to
end. His 2004 release, "The Warm Chill," is
very entertaining and beautiful, featuring
acoustic guitar that he processes into
loops and curliques that I'D never thought
were possible. His earlier work, "Invisible
Rain" is compelling throughout.

Go To TJ Rehmi website

SANJIVA is some truly amazing meditational trance
synthesis in the German electro style. "Radiance"
and "Initiation" both move the Tangerine Dream or
Kraftwerk repeating sequencer riff paradigm into
a new high consciousness level.
"The Journey," is a near perfect downtempo techno 
light-oriented album.
I can also now excitedly recommend the older, but
entirely worthy recording, "Music From The Land
Of Osho," which shows Sanjiva's Deuter influence
in the early days. (Lovers of Deuter should enjoy
"Sun And Moon") and ALSO! the 2001 release,
"Transparent," which continues the fine techno-
trance tradition!
   Sanjiva is getting ever more difficult to
acquire, so do it now or don't.

Sanjiva@Groove Unlimited

Sanjiva@Epitonic

ALPHA WAVE MOVEMENT, also releasing recordings as
Open Canvas, is very beautiful, relaxing techno-
ambient. The first disc, "Transcendence," is a
very positive vibe. "Edge of Infinity" and
"Concept of Motion" and "Drifted Into Deeper
Lands" are somewhat darker, with
a stronger Tangerine Dream influence. His work
as Open Canvas has an Arabic/Nomadic atmosphere.
Check out AWM's recent collaboration with
overtone singer, Jim Cole: "Bislama" has deep
beauty and more Light than recent works.
I can strongly recommend "Cosmology" as a 
wonderful journey through space.

Go to Alpha Wave Movement info

GLOBAL COMMUNICATION has a really boss production
value. Big and Clean. Their first disc, self-titled,
is gorgeous. Again, the Tangerine Dream influence
is way evident at times, but how beautiful it is!
"Pentamorous Metamorphosis" is more Ravish, but
fun and savory.

Go to Global Communication info

HEAVENLY MUSIC CORPORATION was a man named Kim 
Cascone who was the mind behind Silent Records.
The first HMC disc is reviewed at the site the
button takes you to. It is lush, baby. I also
consider it a classic of the genre. The 2nd
and 3rd releases, "Consciousness 3" and 
"Lunar Phase" are beautiful also, with rock
beats more prominent. Cascone is still actively
releasing recordings which are experimental
noise basically and NOT like HMC.

Go to some Heavenly Music Corporation info
 

MYSTICAL SUN has some very impressive stuff.
"After Materia Cloudland" is an inventive
and playful romp which successfully takes
the technoambient "chill" sound into true
Electronic Space. The older disc, "Primordial
Atmospheres," is dense and dark, with an
extended delta-brainwave-range piece that
has knocked me out on many an occasion.
Both albums have interesting native american
motifs subtly underlaid with flute.

Go To Mystical Sun website


AMBIENT TEMPLE OF IMAGINATION (ATOI)
is the brainchild of a man named Richard Sun,
who i had the pleasure of having several
interesting conversations with in the early
90s (revolving around our mutual admiration
of Bill Nelson's "Chance Encounters In The
Garden Of Light" -- an album which has
greatly influenced Sun's work.) We both worked
the Interzone rave in Santa Cruz, many years
ago. Since then, Richard has moved on to
develop a technoambient project that hovers
somewhere between Nelson's ambient work and
chaos magick, but with a strong "Native
American" current. I bought the first ATOI
disc when it came out and enjoyed its
mystopolitical leanings. 
i just found this site where you can hear ATOI
for yourself.

Ambient Temple Of Imagination website

ATOI homesite


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