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Grey Area "Penumbra"

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Music reviews

Chill out/ambient reviews

Author: Per Kristian Slagsvold

Publishing date: 22.01.2003 17:18

Australian Grey Area is out with a third album, this time on Plusquam Records in Germany. Grey Area is now only Alex Salter.

Grey Area "Penumbra" Plusquam Records 2002 (PQ036)

1. Sambre
2. Semantics
3. Slowly
4. Routine (Grey Edit)
5. Penumbra
6. Modular Drift
7. Hiver
8. Immacule Eight
9. Long Distance
10. Pure & Sample
11. At Last

The first two Grey Area releases on Psy-Harmonics Records was very peculiar and strange. Now he makes more pleasant chill out, with a lot more electronic sounds than earlier. Grey Area has performed live on various festivals in Europe the last couple of years, like Sola Luna and Samothraki Dance Festival at the chill out stage. Grey Area has released a few tracks on Spirit Zone compilations like Global Psychedelic Trance and Global Psychedelic Chill Out.

The first track is a down tempo easy listening track. Chilled with jazzy piano vibes. Not very psychedelic, but relaxing. Track 2 has more rhythms, still going slow and relaxing. A very nice melody comes in, and the track varies a lot. Pretty nice one. Track 3 (Slowly) has probably some of you heard before. It was first released on cd2 on Global Psychedelic Trance 8 (Spirit Zone 2002). A groovy track, with a little vocal, floating melody and down tempo rhythms. Track 4 (Routine) is also released before, except here you get another version (Grey Edit). You can find the track in a global edit on Global Psychedelic Chill Out 2, released on Spirit Zone 2001. A beautiful relaxing track. A very jazzy feeling with floating sounds and a few melodies.

Track 5 (Penumbra) is a masterpiece. It was first released on Global Psychedelic Chill Out 3 (Spirit Zone 2002). Very nice chill out, which reminds me of summer at the beach. Track 6 is the most jazzy track so far. Like the old days, Grey Area stick to some jazzy vibes in between. Track 7 sounds more like some old ambient released on Warp Records. Relaxing electronic ambient. Track 8 goes back to jazzy vibes with down tempo rhythms. Easy listening for the cafes out there. Track 9 is more experimental. Again more like old ambient. Track 10 is a very romantic track. Some really chilled rhythms, sounds and melody. Very nice. The last track on this album goes totally chill out. Mostly very floating sounds, getting you totally relaxed. Nice finish on the album.

This album is pretty nice all the way through. But if you are looking for some very fresh sounding new ambient or very psychedelic ambient, this might not be your choice. Relaxing chill out for café life.
PK

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