Peter Benisch - Soundtrack Saga

There's something comfortingly indulgent about Peter Benisch's Soundtrack Saga that instantly reminds one of the paths that Brian Eno may have taken upon his first ambient excursions. Textured loops meld with reserved drumbeats for a danceable, down-tempo combination that works equally as well on the dancefloor as it would in a living room. Though mostly electronic, Soundtrack Saga is not electronic for its own sake but rather it comes about quite organically. None of the tracks seem forced, as each takes its own different path, and with beautiful results. The production is thick and dense, illustrating Benisch's attention to detail and his penchant for decadence. Reminiscent of the instrumental portion of Slowdive's Souvlaki, Soundtrack Saga does its part to sound like a film score, yet still seems tailored for intense listening — ambient that begs to be up front. Sometimes spy film, sometimes film poem, Benisch plays with time and space and rhythm so calculatedly that all sense of these elements begins to wither away until all sounds become one and each track leaks its way into the next, culminating in an incredible aural experience.

Very accessible ambient that will please right away, especially since Peter Benisch is not afraid to use melody, and - most important -manages to get away with it. Cover lets you suspect chilly artic but, oh no, you’ll find brilliant orchestral manoeuvres in the hart, velvet in slow motion, a soundtrack for dramatic romance. This is beauty.