LAST UPDATED:
8 June 2008

Alien Artifakts
Page 2/3


The CD is broken down into 25 sections, which vary in length from 1 to 11 tracks each, most of course just have a track or two of samples to them. In many cases though one feels that because the source material is so abstract that any tight organisation of the samples is quite difficult. The samples within each section are listed alphabetically, though as the sounds and the names in the main bear no resemblance this is of little importance.

I'm quite sure that users will get most out of the collection if they treat the collection as a big palette of sounds. For example I couldn't find any particular difference between samples in the sections Atmoscapes, Soundtrakz, Themes or Save the Environment. Perhaps there is some pattern but isn't obvious as it is with many sample CD's.

High So Lows (2 tracks), the CD kicks off with a few gentle machine like rhythms, wild horn like riffs and junk Japanese like bells, before drifting off into a noise like shears of sounds interspersed with distorted vocal like effects over the top, and that's just the first two tracks....start off as you mean to continue ! We're quickly onto Machines (2), vaguely machine like sounds, more synth engine than actual engine based.

Ominuss (2) (not my spellings !) as you might expect is dark synth textures that would work well in a "suspense" or "mystery" type setting, several very good samples here. Atmoscapes (5) is the first of the really long samples, throughout the samples are quite long, but here we have some at over a minute mark. All manner of slowly evolving soundscapes of synth and ambient type sounds. Dark, sinister and alien, to weird sub sonic burblings and echoes. Some very good examples of creating an atmosphere here.

Soundtraks (2) again is long samples evolve and mutate through their duration, perhaps about as musical as the collection gets, there are some vaguely instrumental sounds mixed in here, though effected well beyond their normal use. Themes (4) carries this motif on, longer samples, that evolve and move through their duration, quite complex in places, the first track contains some excellent examples, walls of sound the move and shimmer as they evolve, though some of the "Twinke" samples are the first examples of real sonic madness that are real speaker busters, sonic meanderings with some nasty buzz synth like effects in places.!

Swirlers (2) wizz around the stereo spectrum, more so than other samples perhaps, though the whole collection does make very effective use of the stereo effects, hard panned sounds that evolve and move around the sound stage. Escapers (1) feature some vaguely siren sounding effects, heavily effected to beat little resemblance to their original source I am sure, clouded with burbles and washes of sound. Save the Environment (2) are sounds that bear the faintest similarity to rain, earth quakes, nature etc, though totally synthetic and effected. More nice "soundscape" type samples here, probably my favourite section.

Riffers (2) contains short riffs of sounds and a few chime shimmers, while Basses (2), give some bass substitutes, some vocal in origin, others the usual abstract digital synth sounding effects. Slices (1) contain some unusually spartan washes of sounds and effects and Inspire (1) contains some almost musical little rhythms/riffs.

Clodhoppers (2) are more rhythmic samples, arpeggio type effects with industrial type percussive effects mixed with a few synthetic elements, very good. The shortest section is Alley (1) just three short spot effects. Nature (1) gives us some synthetic burblings and shimmers, whist Pads (2) gives a kind of similar effects but in a more robust manner, perhaps the only part of the collection that could be played in chords, though very odd ones at that. Scuba (2) carries on the burbling theme with some bubbling sounds and mysterious sorts of aquatic sounding tones, some excellent examples as well.

Ri Them Loops (5) contain fairly simple in structure rhythm loops, though many of the sounds are synth in origin rather than percussive in nature, with a few vocal effects mixed in for good measure. Rythems (4) is similar, perhaps contain even more synthetic elements and even less structure towards a normal loop. Many of both of these sections would be ideal for layering with more traditional loop elements, many of them being quite light in sound compared to the walls of sound in some sections, producing original and usual loops for sure.

Suite F1(1), if you can imagine an alien orchestra then this is what it might sound like, very good synthetic orchestral type arrangement. Decrescendoes (1) as you might expect a few fade out effects.

The last three sections Huumans (2), Voice (11) & Voicebeat (6) contain voice like effects distorted and processed to varying degrees, some are spoken words that one can place quite clearly, others are distorted and mixed with other elements beyond any form of recognition. Certainly a mixed bag that you might use as pad like effects or loop elements, down to real weirdness I couldn't possibly think of a use for !

The overall impression one gets is of a very well crafted original collection of sounds, sounding very digital in nature, lots of "Crystal" and "Glass" like synth sounds and none of the typical analogue synth effects. There is a good balance to the sounds, a lot of complexity and depth in places, and quite simple structures in others, quite light sounding "top layers" to dense walls of sound.

Summary & Overall...


 
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