Manual’s Ascend ( Morr Music, its been heralded as a shoe-gazing influenced IDM album. >? Angry Robot gave it a good review.

Jonas Munk, Danish (a former heavy-rocker by some accounts) has released a collection of dreamy soundscapes using ambient synths, + fx-laden guitars, that evoke long summery evenings listening to BOC, the Cocteau Twins +, err, Slowdive. The tropical beach sunset artwork strongly echoes Fennesz’s Endless Summer. I’ve fallen heavily for the final track Keeps Coming Back but elsewhere I swing between enjoyment and reserve, and can’t quite surrender to it. Perhaps its all bit too tasteful, too introspective and ethereal (this is also how I found the shoegazers first time round) . Any opinions?

-- test (test@test.com), May 31, 2002

Answers

Manual’s Ascend ( Morr Music )has been heralded as a shoe-gazing influenced IDM album. ? Angry Robot gave it a good review.

Jonas Munk, Danish (a former heavy-rocker by some accounts) has released a collection of dreamy soundscapes using ambient synths, + fx-laden guitars, that evoke long summery evenings listening to BOC, the Cocteau Twins +, err, Slowdive. The tropical beach sunset artwork strongly echoes Fennesz’s Endless Summer. I’ve fallen heavily for the final track Keeps Coming Back but elsewhere I swing between enjoyment and reserve, and can’t quite surrender to it. Perhaps its all bit too tasteful, too introspective and ethereal (this is also how I found the shoegazers first time round) . Any opinions?

-- test (test@test.com), May 31, 2002.