Anthony Manning – Chromium Nebulae

Absolute masterpiece.

For this series of pieces the Roland R8 drum machine was joined by a first-generation Novation Bass Station, an old Yamaha DX7, and a cheap effects unit. A borrowed Yamaha QX7 took care of sequencing requirements.

Extensive use was again made of reams and reams of graph paper, as this sequencer offers only a tiny lcd screen for editing purposes. Raw melodies were improvised real-time into the QX7, and the recorded values drawn onto graph paper scrolls, to enable better visualisation of melody flow, to aid with writing companion phrases, and to map out the structures. Several pieces feature live takes of keyboard improvisations recorded over a base structure of looped sequences.

The pieces were recorded onto a cassette-based Tascam 8-track and mastered at Irdial's studio onto an ex-BBC half inch tape deck.

Superb album full of interesting textures and sound design - an Irdial classic. Manning's debut album Islets in Pink Polypropylene has had a vinyl remaster and is due to be reissued on the label Mental Groove Records in the coming weeks. Let's hope this one receives a similar treatment!

Back in 1996 I visited a Merzbow Performance in Vienna during a trip. Before they started we sit in the cafe of this club and they played this album. I was fascinated by these sound and asked what it is. I bought my copy next day in an alternative record store.
It is not ambient, not noise, not "industrial", but it is noisy and athmospheric. It´s still fascinating me. A little bit lowfi.

I got this in 2003 and I still dont think there is any release that I have heard that is more mesmorizing than this. Its ambient and experimental and its rich in tones and meloncholly. It may be one of the most underappreciated ambient albums in all of the 90s. Almost each song morphs out a wonderful idm melody out of the experimentalism. A few are almost like a muted autechre in B1. I cant say enough good things about this album. Its a lifetime of listening
I cant say enough good things about this.

This will be the Analogy LP from 1972 of the ambient collectors world.