Description
- LaunchPad [6:46]
![MP3 soundclip of LaunchPad [3:00]](/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/m3u.gif)
- Apollo 7 [4:23]
- Staging [5:23]
- Apollo 8 [6:56]
- Orbit [8:23]
- Apollo 9 [6:16]
- Docking [6:56]
- Apollo 11 [5:46]
- EarthRise [4:33]
- Apollo 13 [5:19]
- ReEntry [5:00]
- SplashDown [4:57]
Dedicated to the Apollo missions and the flight to the moon
Hypnagogue –
Synth.NL‘s well-honed mastery of classic analog/Berlin music gets anextra dose of theme on his 2011 release, ‘Apollo‘. This rocket-fueledjoyride whooshes through a dozen sequencer-based scenarios, abetted bysoundbites taken from Mission Control recordings. Michel van Osenbruggenneatly captures the feel of our early jaunts into space, from the rushof takeoff to the grace of zero-G to the expectation of splashdown. Manyof the tracks here are powered by deep, rich bass lines, a solid andfunky bedrock that perfectly supports his higher-end flights. This is atits best in the patient movement of Docking.” The bass tiptoes alonglike the subtle and deliberate manipulations of the docking craft. Atthe same time
Paul Rijkens / The Netherlands –
Dutchman Michel van Osenbruggen is a big fan of Jean Michel Jarre which he calls his all-time hero. The influences of the French grandmaster can be heard well in Michels (whats in a name) music. For his conceptual ideas, Michel draws upon many items. For Apollo he was inspired by the Apollo Moon missions, undertaken by NASA during the 60s and 70s of the previous century. On his website http://www.synth.nl a film, made by Michel himself, can be seen about the project.
The music from Michel is very imaging, like telling a story in music but without using words. On Apollo he tells the amazing journeys of the Apollo missions. The albums launches with Launchpad in which we hear historical spoken words. A great analog (sounding) solo is played here. Michel cleverly mixes the music of his great hero Jarre with that of other electronic musicians. In Staging can be heard that he works together with his fellow-Dutchman Ron Boots and in Orbit and Earthrise the grandeur of Vangelis is very present. But Jarre comes by every now and then, for instance in Apollo 9 (just listen to some of the rhythms that a reminiscent of the ones in Oxygene). The big rhythms from Michel earlier albums are used in Apollo 11 as well as Reentry. It all comes to an impressive epilogue in Splashdown.
What Michel does on his albums is a great thing, mixing wonderful and rather easy accessible electronic music with intriguing concepts. This is the perfect combination.
2011. Paul Rijkens / The Netherlands