Seattle's Steve Peters has been writing and recording electro-acoustic for some 25 years now, and his latest release on Palace of Lights Occasional Music is a collection of tracks either written specifically for other projects or simply never used, going back as far as 1984. Using a variety of acoustic and electronic instruments, Peters and some musical guests have created a wide and varied tapestry of sounds here that at times proves to be quite alluring. From the soothing Asian melodies of "Planctus", the haunting electronic sounding accordion attack of "Ancestral Memory", the jazzy atmosphere of "Courtship Rituals" (complete with some great, smoky sax lines), or the chilling melancholia of the epic 13 minute piece "Unchained", there's plenty to sink your teeth into here. The artist uses quite a bit of natural sounds throughout these tracks, which adds a real organic element not always found in many releases of this nature. However, it's the yearning sounds of an electric guitar on the closer "Two Rivers" which provides the CD's most poignant moments and reminds us all what minimalism is really all about.
Track Listing
1. Paris, once
2. Ancestral Memory
3. Planctus
4. Courtship Rituals
5-6. Suspended Sentence / Auto de Fé
7. Unchained
8. Circular Lullaby
9. Two Rivers
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