http://www.soniccuriosity.com/sc079.htm
This 2002 release offers 48 minutes of unearthly soundscapes.
From this CD's initial moments, it is evident that this music offers more than just comfortable ambience, employing a sense of drama that immediately grips the listener with its stately harmonics and urgent temperament. Delicate percussives and sultry basslines accompany the dreamy electronics, producing lush yet unobtrusive tuneage that is tantalizing and vibrant.
While maintaining a sedate foundation, this music fuses a trace of funk with contemporary electronics, transcending ambience with subtle majesty and cosmological flair that goes far beyond simple hypnotic structure. Even when the pieces languish in an interstellar calm, there is a hint of liveliness that sneakily infects the listener with more than they bargained for. The astral voyage afforded by Galactic Anthems is an experience laced with rewarding surprises.
Adams' compositional acumen harnesses minimal sounds, bestowing greatness on the simplest chords. The music unfurls without haste, demonstrating assiduous attention to detail. This tendency results in soundscapes that deliver heavenly melodies laced with rarefied rhythms. The sonic flow is regal and appealing, exhibiting a refreshing creativity that is destined to go places.
There are even instances of unreserved power and zest, like when the track "Tortured Souls" explodes with ominous yet enticing vitality.
The only downside of this music lies in the all-too-brief duration of these tracks, any of which could stand on their own if elongated to delightfully momentous proportions.
Review by Matt Howarth