HR187 - Maz Mitrenke - Earthworks - C46 — 1990
SIDE ONE:
Firewatcher War Graves Be Home Soon Eclipse |
SIDE TWO:
An Ancient Rite The Passenger Waiting for Yesterday |
Review by Jerry Kranitz
Hot on the heels of his Dreamscapes album (HR186) is Maz Mitrenke’s Earthworks. I love the space orchestral and Berlin school brand of electronica that characterized Dreamscapes. And while Earthworks serves up more of that it has considerably more variety across its seven tracks.
The ethnic percussion and flute on opening track ‘Firewatcher’ surprised me. I love the rhythmic groove and meditative, beautifully melodic vibe. ‘War Graves’ returns to the space orchestral style heard on Dreamscapes but goes further into overtly symphonic territory. And it further highlights Mitrenke’s compositional skills and soundtrack potential. The beautifully serene ‘Be Home Soon’ struck me as Vangelis channeling Shadowfax. ‘Eclipse’ is bursting with symphonic majesty that gives Vangelis a serious run for his money. The guitar added to Mitrenke’s arsenal of instrumentation makes its presence known here too. ‘An Ancient Rite’ is like a deeper space reprise of ‘Firewatcher’. I like the Berlin school inspired syncopation on ‘The Passenger’. And ‘Waiting for Yesterday’ wraps up the set with the most rocking guitar track I’ve heard from Mitrenke yet, though it eventually melts into a spacey dreamland finale.
Note that Maz is still currently active with his Maz Mitrenko Band (different last name spelling but it’s him).
Hot on the heels of his Dreamscapes album (HR186) is Maz Mitrenke’s Earthworks. I love the space orchestral and Berlin school brand of electronica that characterized Dreamscapes. And while Earthworks serves up more of that it has considerably more variety across its seven tracks.
The ethnic percussion and flute on opening track ‘Firewatcher’ surprised me. I love the rhythmic groove and meditative, beautifully melodic vibe. ‘War Graves’ returns to the space orchestral style heard on Dreamscapes but goes further into overtly symphonic territory. And it further highlights Mitrenke’s compositional skills and soundtrack potential. The beautifully serene ‘Be Home Soon’ struck me as Vangelis channeling Shadowfax. ‘Eclipse’ is bursting with symphonic majesty that gives Vangelis a serious run for his money. The guitar added to Mitrenke’s arsenal of instrumentation makes its presence known here too. ‘An Ancient Rite’ is like a deeper space reprise of ‘Firewatcher’. I like the Berlin school inspired syncopation on ‘The Passenger’. And ‘Waiting for Yesterday’ wraps up the set with the most rocking guitar track I’ve heard from Mitrenke yet, though it eventually melts into a spacey dreamland finale.
Note that Maz is still currently active with his Maz Mitrenko Band (different last name spelling but it’s him).