: foundry indices : reviews : sounds : : : news : pictures : words : : : the foundry : foundryshop : REVIEWS from the Electroambient Space Newsletter written by Phil Derby Electroambient Space site Saul Stokes "Vast" (Foundry, 2006) 7 tracks, 61.50 mins The unique synth sounds of Saul Stokes return on Vast. Stokes continues to grow and evolve as a musician; while his unique brand of quirky ambience is here as usual, his once abstract sound paintings have coalesced over the past couple of albums into more structured compositions. Whether you favor this or not will be evident from the opening moments of "Chrome Garden." It is stellar trademark Stokes, with just a bit more to hang its hat on. Although stark piano-like chords arenıt a lot to base a melody on, for Saul it is as close to mainstream pop as you are likely to get. This opening track is simultaneously catchy and adventurous. In a way, I guess thatıs really not unfamiliar territory, as classics like "Downtown Inaka" on Zo Pilots will attest. And yet, there is a definite progression in Stokes' style, a willingness to soften the edges on what was sometimes cold and mechanical (though in a stylish and interesting way, mind you). "Lighthaus" features almost jazzy electric keys, with surprisingly soft percussion. Abstracts bleeps and buzzes appear toward the end. More subdued and delicate tracks include "Far Away, Further" and "Bursts and Blooms," the latter having a cool lounge sensibility to it. "Spy Cinema" is the longest and perhaps most delicate piece, filled with subtle layers of atmosphere and just the right amount of grit folded in. Rhythm, nearly absent at first, takes center stage midway through, marking out the pace slowly and deliberately. A peculiar synth takes on the melody at the end, with familiar Stokes musical phrasing and timbre. "Gliders" finishes with another perfect example of how Saul mixes accessibility and experimentalism into his inimitable niche in the realm of electronic music. İ 2006 Phil Derby / Electroambient Space