Jochem Paap – Vrs-Mbnt-Pcs 9598 I

Minimal ambient pieces, each one a winner. A REALLY odd release for Fax, which tends to deal in rhythmic "ambient techno" (I hate that term, yet here i am using it for shorthand....yikes!!). This CD consists of slow, reverbarent-heavy minimalist pieces..where brief melodic motifs are added and over time cumulate into sublime ecstasy. Comparisons for easy reference? Gas..Wolfgang Voight..(less the beat)....a rawer Aphex Twin on his 'Selected Ambient works II'. But the last track (Mbnt-Plngis) is on its own, oddly unique, minimalist yet fresh...plaintive but compelling motif that is lost in its own swarms of reverb that oddly recalls the more echo-y work of Harold Budd. Can this be a bad thing? NO!!!!!!!

"Vrs-Mbnt-Pcs" = "Various-Ambient-Pieces"

its all about mood with this one.If you listen to much with your head or your ears and think about it to muchyou may not get it but its the mood , vibe and the depth thats unique and pulls you in.I havent heard much music thats got this particular emotion.For me this is one of the classic ambient works of the last 30 years.

for me one of the ultimate fax releases , really f . . .moody and a minimalism thats really spot on.This kind of music is rare.

The comparison to Aphex Twin's second installment of "Selected Ambient Works" is not without any merit. These ambient pieces, which mainly just wander around, without any given goal, start or ending point, will either grab you by the time Un-Klkkn is over, or you'll just dismiss the album as presumptuous rubbish. While I have nothing but major respect for Jochem Paap, this one, despite its scarsity, is a mixed bag.
First of all, if you're looking for lengthy tracks to mesemrize you, hypnotize you with their infinte depth and apparently random structure, then you should shift focus on the second installment of the series. This one, for starters, has more tracks, shorter in duration, which means that at times your contemplative, deeply immerged state of mind will be interrupted by a sudden change of style/sound. Take Trpp-Bll, my favorite ambient piece of them all displayed on these two albums, which is an incredibly deep, eerie and really endless piece with infinite directions and possibilites one could take listening to it - I could keep on getting lost for days in its humming, thick bass line, but once it's over, the dull drones Trmml-Dx kick in, and the magic is all over.
My favorite tracks are Spk, with its emphasized repetitve synth swoop, which does wonders when listened to loud on a pair of high quality headphones. Then comes, Dtnd-Jn, a highly introspective and melancholic composition, with soft piano touches, and a piercing bass line gently breaking in every once in a while. The already mentioned Trmml-Dx should be a calling card in Speedy J's ambient sets, if he ever played them - a remarkable piece of work.
As for the rest, bottom line is that you'll consider this a stone cold classic if you enjoy dark, aimless, dream like ambient music, which is deprived of any percussion, samples or superflous sound effects. This is ambient at its purest. The soundtrack to silence in your dark bed room.
It may not be as memorable and effective as the second installment, but I just cannot imagine anyone infatuated with SAW2 not giving this a dozen spins. If dreamy, cosmic ambience is your thing, and if you dislike the use of vocals, birds, waterfalls and what-not in the genre, I cannot stress out just how much are you missing out on. If you ever wanted to know what it feels like waking up in the dark, without the ability to detect where you are - this is it!
It's not my favorite work by Jochem, far from it, but if you are familiar with his production output, then you know that the 1995-1998 period was an era when he broke many boundries and flirted with more styles than one could remember.

A brilliant ambient release that would sit nicely next to Aphex's SAW 2 or a couple of the more atmospheric tracks on Autechre's Amber. Long, beatless pieces that range from blissed out warmth to darker, eerier passages. Highly recommended, along with its companion work Vrs-Mbnt-Pcs 9598 II.