: foundry indices : reviews : sounds : : : news : pictures : words : : : the foundry : hypnos REVIEWS Various Artists "sub.terra" (The Foundry, 2003) 6 tracks, 61.02 mins written by Phil Derby Posted in Electroambient Space ezine 12/2004 Never a label to shy away from the daring and experimental, The Foundry presents sub.terra, an ambient work composed exclusively, at least initially, with sound sources originating from the trumpet. Not that this should be altogether surprising. Successful film composer Mark Isham has done trumpet ambient, and Tom Heasley has created remarkable ambient compositions with tuba. In an added twist along the lines of Djam Karet¹s Collaborator CD, John Koch-Northrup a.k.a. Interstitial sent his source material to the other artists represented here, giving them carte blanche to do whatever they willed with his original work. The source track opens the proceedings setting a subtle, moody tone. Vir Unis adds touches of static and a plodding background beat on "Burning Champa," followed by a churning underpinning that lends a cool, unexpected groove to things. In contrast, vidnaObmana appears to have slowed down the original source music in "Ceremonial," which would be right at home on The Surreal Sanctuary or one of his other melancholic works. Also unmistakable is the sound of Saul Stokes on "Lisboa," with unique distortions, bleeps, and punchy beats the order of the day. M.Bentley is next with "From thereŠ," the longest of the alternative versions, stark and yet beautiful. The disc closes with a mélange of the four reinterpretations, incongruously named "Solitude." Dark atmospherics at the beginning and ending are sandwiched around Vir Unis' more energetic stylings in the middle, concluding with John's wailing trumpet as sub.terra fades to black. review © 2004 Phil Derby / Electroambient Space.