Major Epic Symphonic Synth Music CD Alert! – Stock # 1162600)
This is a DDD CD – no, not the old term used for a fully digital discs (although it probably is) – This time it stands for Dream-like – Dynamic – Dazzling!!! This is an album of music based on mankind’s fascination for Greek myth and legend – The ancient pantheon of Gods, so prepare yourself for an amazing musical trip through the historical centuries with one of the UK’s forefathers of symphonic synth music, Clifford White.
We recently re-discovered Clifford White, one of our earliest new artist successes, with a long awaited follow up to an 80’s/early 90’s best seller at CDS Towers called ‘Ascension’, and that led me to listen to some of his other more recent work, and boy, am I glad I did, because I have also discovered a real gem for everyone into the symphonic / rhythmic side of synth music!!!
Think…Gandalf, David Wright, Nick Magnus, David Arkenstone, Vangelis, Robert Fox and a bit of The Enid, and you are in the right area for the music on ‘Gods Of Olympus’.
On this album Clifford White comes over as a musician made from that same artist musical mould, with some of the finest examples of dynamic synth orchestrations I have encountered in some time.
The album opens with a track that reminded me of the opening sequence music to ‘StarTrek Voyager’ with that fantastic, epic brassy synth sound and a melody line that brings hair up on the back of the neck.
All that follows is a mixture of stunning panoramic themes, dazzling melodies and rhythmic forces that will thrill and delight big time. There’s a hypnotic quality to the way Clifford blends his rhythms and melodic layers, building the sequences layer-upon-layer to create glorious themes with majestic finales that will leave you open-mouthed in amazement if you are a symphonic synth music fan!
Like music created for an epic movie, the music on ‘Gods Of Olympus’ can be ethereal, heavenly and dream-like at one end of the spectrum, and breathtaking in its dynamic scope and visionary qualities at the other.
Its melodic powers are vast and uplifting (tracks 1 and 13 are perfect examples) as pure waves of real melody weave through each track in a flowing, graceful manner that is both absorbing and thought provoking, but above all, exciting. The rhythms are beautifully interlinked – subtle on some tracks and more prolific on others, with some captivating world rhythms and voice backdrops making occasional appearances. The album closes on a massive high on the final two tracks – I found myself ecstatically flowing off into the music as ‘Poseidon’ reached high upon majestic high, then on ‘Zeus’, there’s a fantastic flowing rhythm fest that will delight both modern-day Tangerine Dream and Vangelis fans.
This is a classy album that I cannot recommend highly enough if, like me, you are heavily into the symphonic side of synth instrumental music – It offers you over72 minutes of premium grade synth music for a fantastic price.
I’m so glad we have re-discovered the magical music of Clifford White – He’s a symphonic synth music master, and I think there’s even more to come.
June 16th, 2010 | By Dave Shoesmith, CD Services