Antimatter Review on GutsOfDarkness

This is a brandnew review of "Antimatter" on "Guts Of Darkness" webzine written by Sylvain Lupari.

I would like to share the english version here:

"When Bernd Kistenmacher took up with its synths in 2009 he undertook a trilogy cycle that he will call the Trilogy of the Universe. Celestial Movements being an ode for stars and Beyond The Deep a reflection on the Genesis, Antimatter loops the loop with as music theme the reproduction of Big Bang in laboratory and by the fact the foundations of our existence. These 3 albums of Bernd Kistenmacher are bound by a symphonic and electronic fusion where the German synthesist redefines the borders of EM by composing a superb electronic symphony. There where Berlin School has as root only its minimalism approach and its creative synth solos, while the melody and its ethereal layers of mist which cover the beginnings feed the greed of the monstrous orchestrations and its perpetual crescendo. Composed in 1 long piece segmented in 12 segments, Antimatter begins as it ends; with a fine musical source of energy which is going to captivate our interest for the 75 delicious minutes to come.

Alternative waves, a little as oblong electronic beeps, roll such as waves on nothingness’ back. They amass dusts of antimatters and they sculpture the orchestral beginnings of "Rising" which arises from the emptiness of "Preparations" to waltz weakly in the abysses of the cosmos. There where glaucous reverberations flirt with sumptuous momentums of violin of which the curt hits of bows introduce "Caverns of Knowledge". Slowly Antimatter confronts its melodies with the torments of its structures. If the cellos’ riffs from "Caverns of Knowledge" are hard and hatched, the melodic synth breezes, the fragile chords to tones of guitars and the crowd of violins of silk which sing beneath the repetitive knocks of the stubborn cellos testifies of this nuance and this balance between the fragility of both extremes. After a small "Injection" of colourful electronic tones and crisscrossed orchestrations, "Acceleration" begins the first sequenced rhythms of Antimatter. Twinkling and hopping sequences are hooking to the deaf pulsations which amplify their tones under the guise of threatening synth strata. The rhythm binds itself to the strings of cellos ploughed with strength, multiplying tenfold the fury of "Acceleration" which becomes pierced by violined orchestrations while sequences strum very discreetly a tempo which decreases its intensity to let piano notes roam in a brief meditative passage. But the strokes of the bows see to their rhythmic structure. Tearing the oniric approach, they hammer the quixotic strings with passion scarpering the plains of imagination in a surprising crescendo of passion and emotion where the breaths of horns oversize the melodious philharmonic structure of "Acceleration" which ends its orchestral ride in a sumptuous cinematographic finale. This is some great musical art here! The romantic piano of Kistenmacher returns haunting our emotions with the very beautiful "Filling the Emptiness" and its hesitating notes which stroll in a melancholic ethereal mist. A fine melody emerges from it, rocking both our dreams and transporting our feelings but also raising a guiding harmonious line which overflows on the 2^nd portion of Antimatter.
With its deaf pulsations which resound around tinkled sequences and the harmonic vestiges of "Filling the Emptiness", "They Call it Soup!" espouses the same introductory line as "Acceleration". The sleeping rhythm wakes up little by little to burst with violent orchestral jolts, freeing splendid synth solos which overhang a stubborn rhythm. Piano notes are unfurling on this hatched minimalism approach, pounded by a set of sequenced keys which beat on the same pace, while superb synth solos with more philharmonic tones surround this rhythm which fades little by little in the forgetting before being completely lost in the laboratories of LHC (Large Hadron Collider). "On The Shoulders of ATLAS" is the jewel of Antimatter. Uncertain notes of a melancholic piano trace the introduction. They draw a beautiful melody which resounds in our ears and which clears itself a road up to the soul as the violins and the cellos are supporting its fragility. The strokes of the bows which follow and this kind of tremolos which get free of it crush the listening and paralyze our judgment so much it is beautiful. And suddenly, we toggle in the depths of our feelings with this propensity that Kistenmacher has to juxtapose his orchestral ornaments and these discreet vocalizes in an immense emotional painting where everything becomes confused and nothing else affects the reason. And "On The Shoulders of ATLAS" to progress in a wonderful crescendo, allying this cinematographic approach and this influence of Kistenmacher for Vangelis which encircles Antimatter and which cements all of its beauty. "What’s the Matter?" pulls us in the mazes of the antimatter with synth layers which enlace and merge in a slow waltz without movement. A fine pulsation pierces the silence of immobilism. Its flow adds quite another dimension to "What’s the Matter?" which becomes as musical as mysterious with synth waves which coo of tones as spectral as shrill, before being lost in the curt and violent hatching of the fanciful cellos of "It Doesn' t Matter", whose increasing rhythm is rocked into suave synth solos. And it’s from this evolutionary rhythm that arises "Large Hadron Collider". A rhythm molded in the brisk and brief orchestrations, accompanied by notes of piano and over towered by synth solos and where sequences alternate subtly their strikings and draw a nervous rhythmic which go astray in the ethereal mists and romantic notes of piano, displaying the perpetual duality of the rhythms, the ambiances and the melodies which surround Antimatter. "Where Is Higgs?" concludes Antimatter with a solitary melody played on an electric piano with tones which sound vaguely like a harpsichord. Bernd Kistenmacher reigns in as a solitary master over his trilogy’s finale where nothing gets lost or builds up itself but where everything is of beauty and everything ends like that begun.
Superb! Antimatter is a wonderful album which listens to it as we read a tale or a book of poetry. Throughout its discovery we go deep into the imaginary of Bernd Kistenmacher and its feelings. It’s a powerful album which merges marvellously the electronic and philharmonic approaches as well as the poetic and harmonic aspects. If that would be Vangelis who would have composed Antimatter one would shout to the genius and would vote this album the Rite of Spring. Then, let us make as. Antimatter is a master-piece of contemporary music and it's about time that we recognize the genius of Kistenmacher which has no equal to write music."

Sylvain Lupari

gutsofdarkness.com & synth&sequences.com

Please read the frech version "here".

Let It Out! - New review

"Synth & Sequences" - website from Sylvain Lupari, has published a brandnew review about "Let It Out!". You can read it here:

"Let it Out! Let yourself go and let off steam out! This is what one might conclude at the listening of this awesome music piece that Bernd Kistenmacher wrote for the famous EM festival; Ricochet Gathering 2010 promoted by Ricochet Dream Records’ own Vic Rek. For the German synthesist it was an opportunity to take stock of and build the bridge between his Berlin School influences and his current EM tangent which is more symphonic. And it's true that Bernd Kistenmacher has totally give vent to his feelings... if not went entirely running riot! He did Let it Out!

The whole thing starts with a movable synth line coming out of cosmos and stars to glide lovingly among waves that come and go in a soft and delicious musical maelstrom. Waves of synth that are intertwining and amassing over a multitude of synthesized waves, of which some stand out and throw short melodic fragments whereas huge symphonic drum rolls suddenly appear. They are the signal to launch a swarm of symphonic stratums where synth layers sharpen their metaphoric bows to draw curt and quick stationary orchestral élans. And there go violin mellotrons which are dandling with fury on rolls of symphonic percussions whereas lines of synth all so symphonic fly over this soft ferocity coming of the hits of quixotic bows on a structure becoming more and more dense and heavy. We are at the 7^th minute point and the atmosphere is explosive with this furious orchestration which continues to tumble down under warm mellotron strings and Greco-Roman choirs which add a depth already filled at high volume. Toward the 9^th minute the rhythm is crashing on the orchestral cliff, freeing piano notes which hesitate to make themselves heard and which are quick snapped by a hatched sequential movement. It’s a jerky movement which crashes into as scissors of a psychotic barber whereas that the piano finally develops its harmony under a sparkling dam of sequences and waving synth lines. The rhythm drumming, Kistenmacher dresses Let it Out! of all his musical assets. This time it’s acoustic guitars notes’ turn to join in to make a sweet melody with the piano’s, under a sky streaked by shrill lines of synth. And the whole thing is reforming abruptly in a heavy and dense orchestration where a Berlin School is flooding of marvellous dense and intense orchestral stratums whereas the symphonic approach is moulding to superb exhilarating sequences. A sequence is isolating towards the eighteen minute. It divides up the rhythm to pound alone a movement which zigzags beneath sinuous reverberations. Let it Out! undertakes then a pure Berlin School turn with a powerful hypnotic sequence which hammers a ghostly tempo flied over by streaks and discreet solos of synth while, demonic, keyboard keys ramble and knock with fury to scattered in a totally wild rhythm.

Let it Out! continues his furious rhythmic élan on a sequence which by moments is splitting to finally move at high speed such a nervous and frenzied TGV on a very nice bass line which waves in length undulations. The more this long music piece of Kistenmacher evolves and the more he impresses by his wealth in the choice of virtual instruments and by the addition of all his musical layers that weighs down Let it Out! of a fascinating musicality a bit mad and crazy but constantly poetic. That’s all a lesson of EM that Bernd Kistenmacher is serving to us with this epic track which pursues its unbridled crusade while piano notes return haunting Let it Out! with striking percussions hits. Memotron stratums return and are even more symphonic. They wrap this wild rhythm of a tight melodious influence where lines, layers and stratums of synth are uniting to unify their breaths in a wonderful celestial clarion which sings and charms under frenzied hits of percussions, breathless sequences and this line of bass which supports this rhythm of a surprising cohesion with its thick cooing undulations. And quietly this infernal rhythmic train enters its station. It slows down its pace, letting drag the dust of its clarions, piano notes and sequences to only make hearing an acoustic guitar that sings beneath the jolts of still alive rhythms and breaths of a synth to hybrid layers, between the symphonic and Berlin School there where choirs breath in under mellotron stratums and hits of philharmonic big drums.

There are no doubts in my head, Let it Out! will be a piece of anthology in contemporary EM. We attend at a real tour de force where Kistenmacher is a real musical whirlwind. Throughout this heavy sequential and symphonic maelstrom, Bernd Kistenmacher maintains a fascinating melodious approach which is the soul of this long hypnotic musical piece where every stage brings its melodious freshness and the poetry so unique to the musical universe of the German synthesist. It is a pure masterpiece which is available in downloadable format on MellowJet site. I think it’s useless to specify that it is a must have. As far as I’m concerned it’s the best EM album in 2011 so far.

Sylvain Lupari

gutsofdarkness.com & synth&sequences.com "

More reviews can be also read on "Guts Of Darkness" website.

"Let It Out" is available as download only at the "webshop" of "MellowJet Records".

New reviews

"Hi folks,

holidays are over and it is time to return to business now.

First, I would like to give you information about some new reviews from Sylvain Lupari and
Matt Howarth.

Matt was so kind to review "Celestial Movements" as well as some older releases for his "Sonic Curiosity" website. Please find his comments "here".

Also Sylvain Lupari wrote something about "Beyond The Deep". The french version is again online at "Guts Of Darkness" website. Please find it "here".

The english version is not yet online. So if you like it to read before: please!

"Beyond the Deep is a worldwide call on behalf of Bernd Kistenmacher so that the man stops ignoring this vast world under our feet and respecting it, because if the nature should take revenge, it would come probably from there. Dramatic? Disturbing? Hmm … Yes, quite as the musical structures of Beyond the Deep, 17^th opus of German synthesizer who goes of superb orchestral surges to renew our forgotten passion for Vangelis works.

Moreover it is what jumps to ears on Ouverture’s opening; big aquatic waves which roll beneath the skiff of a hydraulic galleon and gulls cackles that are dying in the singings of abyssal depths. A strange sea and world contrast where synth strikes remind dramatic approaches of the Spanish conquering galleys that eyed New World coasts. Deeply moving, the synth is magnificent and spits symphonic breaths which bend on percussions, such these old sailboats leaning on the strength of slaves rowers pushed by drums striking. The resemblance is stunning, but superbly musicale with a so sensitive dexterity that we imagine ourselves on these shuttles of the despair, escaping to scurvy and arrows of those future converts. The world and the sea! Two indestructible links that Kistenmacher displays and fills out with all the complexity of its electronic equipments, shaping thus a work as unique as the message carrier. A splendid refrain escapes from this stream strength, giving a second breath to Ouverture which becomes suddenly as harmonious as he could be dramatic. A synth which frees its melodious bits among rolling percussions such a conquering procession through seas. Seas to fine twinkling arpeggios which float around a splendid Mellotron aura, showing all the sensitivity of a Kistenmacher which weaves its orchestral arrangements with so much knowledge and panache as Vangelis or John Williams.

Shouts of terns above a rough sea, Tsunami’s intro rumbles with power and worry pouring under the dark side of waves and voices of sirens trapped in strange plasma to suspended chords. A soft Mellotron appears from it, flirting with a piano to chords as much hesitant as nostalgic and soaking in a halieutic romance. There where the melody gets lost in the infinity, in the gust of notes which float around a suave Mellotron, while embracing a chaotic structure which takes its surge with a heavy piano galloping on a choppy sea. A crazy race where the rhythm can’t be explain, but lives with doggedness by notes of a wild piano which dance feverishly in the mists of a heavy Mellotron, as the shaping of an immense wave of Tsunami which will crash with roar. The music of Kistenmacher lives and tells magnificently well on this oceanic ode where the progress of the sound structures binds itself with the imagination of its author. After the storm, it is the calm with melodious Clayoquot Sound where acoustic guitar and fluty Mellotron sing the serenity on a structure very near the roots of the progressive folk music. In progression, Kistenmacher adds to it beautiful strata of a very symphonic synth which wraps arpeggios to twinkling radiance and this wonderful melancholic Mellotron.

Lost City is another superb title where the duality of rhythms and harmonies is in constant ebullience on very beautiful orchestral arrangements. The intro flows as a river of Vietnamese cantons with a Mellotron to Pan Flute which espouses arpeggios weaved in the silk. A soft harmonious trickle which flows in a hybrid cosmos where planet Earth is catching up to the stars. At around the 3^rd minute chords wriggle beneath strikes of jerky Mellotron string bows and drum rolls, reflecting Geoff Downes' complex orchestral universes. Lost City will constantly be torn pulled between the melodious sweetness and dramatic approaches dense orchestrations, under a discreet synth among of which spasmodic chords and symphonic strata invade little by little this universe where the rhythm gets win with bows strikes and anarchic percussions before sinking into the quietude of a which meets up its introduction. A great track that worth Beyond the Deep purchase. A little as his title indicates it In the Black Smokers Bar offers a jazzy structure. A structure of night club with a beautiful and languishing line of bass and a synth to aphrodisiac breaths that is out of tune from Beyond the Deep’s ambiance and which recalls Jarre cosmic rumbas on his first works. Who will Save the World? takes again the Mellotron orchestrations with tender violins which tear a soft intimate atmosphere where a beautiful flute floats in a hazy mystic. Magnetic, singing exercises to weakened tremolos go with this symphonic walk that adds to its nobility with harpsichord notes which furrow a cosmic synth. Another great music piece, with a not less beautiful refrain, that hooks the ear with its beautiful orchestrations.

Beyond the Deep is a wonderful musical jewel. Far from create conventional EM, Bernd Kistenmacher rather chose a very symphonic approach with its last opus, relegating the sequential movements, the cosmic approaches and ethereal ambiances in background, putting all its emotions in a great classical-electronic work worthy of the best Vangelis attempts. And there I would establish a link with 1492 and Alexander that I still am far from the final product. No! Kistenmacher goes further in the exploration of its equipment by redrawing their potentials with creativity that equals the one of great composers. I know that I will shock many eyes, and ears, but Kistenmacher indeed exceeded its mentor (Klaus Schulze) by signing his last works of a musical audacity that even Vangelis refused to penetrate. A very beautiful work! Very beautiful music which has nothing to do with EM such as Berlin School so much accustomed us." Sylvain Lupari

More infos are following soon....

New Interview

Some weeks ago I had a long talk with Sylvain Lupari, who writes for "Planet Origo" and "Guts Of Darkness" webzines.

Both interviews are now online. You can find the english version at "Planet Origo" "here"

and the french version at "Guts Of Darkness" "here".

 Enjoy