1. The Induction of Gilbert Abbott [5:56]
2. Unawakened [3:04]
3. Calenture [5:35]
4. The Letheon Men [4:59]
5. Peripheral Nerve [4:58]
6. The Incubus Wave [4:50]
7. Lucidity Soul [3:31]
8. Plateau to Level 30 [6:15]
9. Silverwake [5:23]
10. Society X [4:33]
11. The Shadowing Wall [5:39]

Recorded 02/99 - 04/99 at Quirkworks Lab A Greenville, Rhode Island, USA Richard Bone is a musical enigma. One minute he is doing bossa nova music, the next minute he is doing dark ambient music like an earlier release, "The Spectral Ships." This time around, he finds himself again exploring ambient terrain, but the mood on "Etherdome" is more reflective and surprisingly beautiful. I wouldn't normally expect to use the word restraint in describing the majority of Bone's work, but fans of Harold Budd and early Eno should find this a welcome addition to their collection. On "Calenture," soft piano and plucked bass are laid delicately on a bed of swirling sound pools. The atmosphere is cool and calm. Softer still is "The Letheon Men," which borders precariously close to new age without quite stepping over the edge, thanks to a healthy dose of ambience washing over the pretty lead lines. A little more abstract, but still quite peaceful, is "Peripheral Nerve."
Bone's influences from other musical arenas creep in, but only occasionally. "The Incubus Wave" includes some slightly jazzy electric piano chords, but throughout "Etherdome" the music is firmly rooted in ambient territory. In fact, the music here may result in the coining a new term, "light ambient," to add to the burgeoning flood of subgenres in contemporary instrumental music. This is a perfect album for late night listening, right before bed. The CD becomes progressively quieter and more soothing with each subsequent piece, though the energy does pick up slightly on "The Shadowing Wall," which has a delicate pulsing beat set against some nice solo piano. Sit back, relax, and enjoy.

2000. Phil Derby Visions come unbidden as consciousness drifts away....
It's not often that a musician shows the ability, let alone the inclination, to cover a musical ground as broad as that encompassed by Richard Bone's body of work. From his early electronic pop music, to more recent forays into mamba, vintage jazz, Bossa Nova, Bone has displayed energy and wit in his more upbeat work, and a remarkable restraint and sensitivity in his more austere, minimal works.
Into this latter category falls his most recent work, Ether Dome. Inspired by a visit to the operating rotunda (actually called the "Ether Dome," at Massachussetts General Hospital) where ether was first introduced to the medical community over 150 years ago, the music is meant to reflect moodsthat occur as consciousness slips away. Not quite as dark as its predecessor The Spectral Ships, and incorporating a definite musicality and respect for melody, nonetheless Ether Dome relies heavily on atmosphere forits effect.

Mike Griffin On the Ether Dome CD Richard Bone presents us with 11 tracks meant to nourish and calm the listener. Without a doubt the most uplifting of all the Hypnos label releases, Etherdome is at once beautific, elegant and simple yet thankfully absent of the typical new age grandeur and posturing.
The knowledgable listener will no doubt notice the influences of EM greats Hans-Joachim Roedelius, Brian Eno and Cluster as well as Bone's skill in producing an album of character, sensitivity and charm.

Chuck van Zyl / STAR'S END