KEN MARTIN SFM CDs ARE OUT OF PRINT.

CONSISTENTLY DELIVERING Electronic Music Vibrations

Originally RELEASED 9/10/05

KEN MARTIN - Synthesizers, Guitar, Programming and Production

A FANTASTIC RECORDING in the Berlin School Groove

ORIGINALLY RELEASED 6/30/05

KEN MARTIN - Synthesizers, Guitar, Programming and Production

A RELEASE from the UKs own, Ken Martin.

ORIGINALLY RELEASED 3/1/05

KEN MARTIN - Synthesizers, Guitar, Programming and Production

FANTASTIC BERLIN SCHOOL STYLE RECORDING!

RELEASED 10/4/04

KEN MARTIN - Synthesizers, Guitar, Programming and Production

An excellent release from one of the UK's prize electronic music composers.

RELEASED 3/18/03

KEN MARTIN - Synthesizers, Guitar, Programming and Production

Recording in the United Kingdom since the 1970s, Ken's direct influence of the Berlin School is displayed without flaw.

RELEASED 11/15/02 KEN MARTIN probably comes the closest to sounding like Klaus Schulze of any musical artist I have heard. That is not suppose to be good or bad, just to give you an idea of his truly Berlin School sound. You are missing out on an incredible electronic musician if you haven't checked out Ken Martin...This CD is not to be missed!

KEN MARTIN - Synthesizers, Guitar, Programming and Production

REVIEWS

KEN MARTIN - "Berlin Impressions Vol. 1 & 2"
(Space for Music, sfmKM1058, CD, 2003)

Ever since Ken released the highly successful 'Berlin Impressions Vol 3' I have been asked if I could get volumes 1 and 2. Well now the answer is yes! They have been packages together in this two CD set with a similar style of artwork to the album already released. Solar winds and cosmic shimmers gently float from the speakers as 'Welcome to the Kosmos' gets underway.

Tranquil pads rise and fall in this wonderful montage of classic 70's inspired sounds. In the fifth minute things become even deeper and darker, ghostly spectres flying above the brooding backing. This lasts for about three minutes before the mood lightens again with the introduction of ethereal pads which take us close to the end. Hardly surprisingly given its title 'The Stars and Beyond' keeps us in deep space. A gorgeous celestial organ sound, similar to something from 'Zeit' took me to a blissed out heaven. Twelve minutes of cosmic perfection. A similar theme is continued over into 'Galactic Chaos', the organ sound has departed but we get loads of electronic twitters, solar flare type effects and bright metallic drones. A faint sequence can be heard in the background but doesn't develop or intrude on the peaceful float. The sound palate this time is much more that or early seventies Schulze.

'Aurora' introduces gentle floating melodies over a dark bass drone. It's simply gorgeous but still as spaced out as the rest of the album. It reminded me a little of some of the more atmospheric early Neuronium. We finish the first disc with 'Presence'. Sounds hang in the air over a sparse backing of stellar winds. A little melody is added with just a hint of melancholy.

It's pretty much more of the same for the second disc. 'LFO's and UFO's' uses bubbling effects, twitters and metallic drones. In the fourth minute a delicate crystalline lead comes in gently floating over the top. It really hits the spot. 'V2' begins in a more haunted region of space, the sounds are rather breezy coming directly at you rather than caressing the mind as on the previous number. In the fourth minute pads are added with a wordless vocal type effect, the underlying drones again reminded me of some of Klaus Schulze's early albums. Little runs of notes fizz from through the air at the beginning of 'Prismatic Reflections'. These are mixed with swirling drones conjuring up rather colourful psychedelic images in the mind. It is a well titled piece. Things change markedly in the last couple of minutes however as it now seems that the rainbow colours have been banished, deep drones throbbing as if clouds are gathering for a storm.

We return to more cosmic twitters and solar flares for the beginning of 'The Berlin Thing' Bright drones form a base over which slow but triumphant organ sounding melodic pads form and become the main feature. 'Chromatic Movements' is very slow and relaxing but also spiritual. Music for a cosmic cathedral I suppose! 'Scence' is even more chilled using yet more windy pads but with a faint undulating bass line low in the mix finishing this double CD set off in a similar mood to how we started. -(DL-Synth Music Direct)