Never a dull moment when a new CD from Foreign Spaces arrives. Characterised by inconsistency, their previous offerings have when it all "came together" presented some of the most sublime and infectious EM to be found anywhere. Witness the incredible closing 5 minutes of 'Dark Star Part 1', a piece I still revisit with anticipation and awe. So now we have 'Phaeton', and though only 3 letters away from TD's classic album this is nothing like that style, in fact one of the characteristics of FS is that they sound like no other band on the scene today. The opener 'Phaeton I - Planet' typifies their unique style, with gripping sequences adorned with overtly melodic lines which dominate the mix. After an extensive 7 minute rhythmic section the track takes a breather with a pleasing ambient pastiche. Hit the 10 mark and the track then presents its full repertoire of melodic sequencing and a beautiful lead line picked out on their trademark searing synth vox. It mutates, ebbs and flows for the remainder of the piece presenting different angles on the same theme. It's the 4th time I've heard this piece, and true to form suddenly this has clicked - it's yet again another FS "classic moment" with the most infectious melodies. 'Blue Stream' glides in on a wave of classic sequencing then another impressive theme starts up which makes all the right statements. The piece is punctuated by those slightly quirky falling note interludes, which again are so characteristic, before again setting off on its soaring flight. If I could make any criticism it's that I'd like FS to let the track flow slightly more. Such is their enthusiasm to cram in the variation and entertainment it can be a little counter- productive at times, but even so by any benchmark this is a fine piece. 'Moonless' consists of a syncopating sequence and a relatively understated main theme, while 'Silver Glider' opens with massed synth chords before yet another superbly constructed theme hits home. This is quality. 'Phaeton II - Lifeforms', the longest piece at 21:19, follows and its size and position make it very much the pivotal track of the album. Ambient resonance and effects introduce the section before crashing percussives really get the ears flapping. The complexity of construction is fascinating as theme upon theme emerges only to be usurped by another. At 3 mins a more rhythmic section takes over and listen out for the detailed inflexion of the sequence notes, very clever and it really keeps you wondering what's going to spring out of the mix next. Again the only comment I'd make is that, initially, the stop/start nature does take some getting used to but familiarity makes it sit more comfortably. Fade at 6 minutes (yes, were only at 6 mins - what the next 15 mins bring God only knows!) to a more sedated section which eventually morphs into weird effects, then an arpeggiating sequence breaks through and swings from speaker to speaker. And amazingly it just gets better and better, with the closing themes a melodic delight. 'Spheric Architecture' features the most sublime motif to open and close the piece, sandwiching a meandering theme which has its own merits. The whole piece is underpinned by a choppy yet delicate sequence which briefly breaks through from time to time. 'Artificial Encounter' adopts a more laid back stance, with the ubiquitous flutey synth accompanied by more fine cameo synth roles. 'White Sunset' is a beautiful atmospheric piece, and just listen to the wonderful textures which FS create here. Instantly recognisable and immensely pleasing, this (the shortest piece at 3.44) is much more than the obligatory "space filler". Finally we are presented with the third part of the title track, subtitled 'Utopia'. Harpsichord sequencing gives it a slightly formal air, but the strong melody and fleeting drum beat offsets this with more contemporary leanings. A strong finish. You already get the idea that this is a fine album - it's probably the most consistent FS outing to date. Fans of their melodically rhythmic and very individual style will find that it has been worth the wait. (GG) Graham Getty, June 2000

Foreign Spaces first came into existence, back in 1979, after Georg Riter came across a an old synthesiser during a rehearsal session and became fascinated by the possibilities of such an instrument. He quickly decided to form his own band and began playing his own style of electronic music with a variety of friends until, in 1994, he formed a stable writing partnership with Christian Feher. Together they released three albums; 'UFO Breakfast' (1995), 'Being Creature' (1996) and 'Dark Star' (1997). A further member, Lothar Lubitz, joined the duo in 1999 - just in time for this album, the band's fourth, 'Phaeton'. The music here is largely sequencer based, using a wide variety of different models of keyboard, while the resulting sound is both complex and at the same time restful. Although the band are sometimes compared to Tangerine Dream, I find that Foreign Spaces exhibit a style that is very much of their own making and, interestingly, they have managed to bring a distinctly progressive edge to the electronic field, which really puts them in a class of their own. At a time when there are many bands climbing onto the electronic bandwagon, Foreign Spaces work hard to ensure that quality not quantity is a major goal. This goes a long way towards explaining why there has been a three year gap between 'Phaeton' and their previous release. Having written enough material to fill two CD's, they have endeavoured to hone the music down to more manageable proportions and, with judicious and careful editing of what was to be included, they have certainly managed to produce a top quality product. Science fiction has proven to be a frequent source of inspiration in this arena, and this album is no exception. While each of the band's previous albums has had an underlying story, this project has proved the most ambitious to date looking, as it does, at different aspects of an as yet 'undiscovered' tenth planet in our own solar system. The very nature of this album means that I am not going to attempt to tackle the tracks individually as it would be very hard to meaningfully describe each one in turn. The main body of the album is taken up with the tracks 'Phaeton I' and 'Phaeton II' (which run for 17'39" and 21'19" respectively). The overall feel of these tracks is strong and majestic and, while there is a tendency in both of them to use repetitive themes to provide the underlying heartbeat, the foreground sound is constantly moving and evolving, keeping the overall feel of the music fresh and bright. This constant change and development keeps the listener constantly on guard for whatever may be coming next. The remaining tracks however are far more than simple bridging pieces and are rich in detail and also full of atmosphere. There is rich variety to be found within them, sometimes the music comes across as being heavily symphonic, while at other times the band show themselves to be masters of space rock or at producing simple ambient pieces. In terms of the pace of the tracks we witness further evidence of variety as we constantly thread our way through upbeat fast moving sections to slow dreamy sequences that have an almost narcotic quality. All in all this is a fine album for anyone who has ever enjoyed listening to keyboard based instrumental music and, for those who have never really given electronic music a chance before, let me say that this could prove to be an excellent point at which to dive in and test the water. This album really does run through a whole range of styles and with the combination of strong playing and superb production is well worth checking out. Simon, 28th January 2001

This is the fourth Foreign Spaces release but their first on Invisible Shadows. Once again the band, consisting of Georg Reiter, Lothar Lubitz and Christian Feher, have a heavily sequencer-based style which, by hint of some impressive production work, manages to sound quite epic with just a hint of mystery creeping in, as if what we perceive as real were looked at through a distorting mirror, tipping reality off it's axis, a feeling that is further emphasised by the excellent sci-fi style cover artwork. All of which means that their is a very definate individual slant to the band's music, something that is obvious on the 17 minute opener 'Phaeton I - Planet' which also boasts an unusual psychedelic / symphonic feel, thanks to some complex and ever changing leadlines and regimented percussion that appear throughout. The shorter tracks, such as 'Blue Stream' and 'Silver Glider' reprise this style, albeit in a more structured, less freestyle manner. 'Moonless' and 'White Sunset' demonstrate that the band are also capable of producing cosmic rnusic as good as anybody, both being a rich tapestry of lush but serene sounds. While this album manages to stay very much in the established European styles, Foreign Space do have a recognisable style and hopefully their association with Thorsten Kuhn's rising label will help raise their profile accordingly Carl Jenkinson, 2000

This album begins with a symphonic and well orchestrated long track: Phaeton I - Planet. This track has a big sound universe with nice sequencers and fantastic stereo surround effects. The other eight tracks on this CD are all quite melodic and have the same beautiful and big universe as the first track. For people who use to listen to Vangelis, Mike Oldfield or similar music it would be a "must have" CD. Some of the tracks reminds me a little bit of the symphonic rock of Marillion, Emerson,Lake + Palmer and Pink Floyd. But it is all managed in a quite personal style. Foreign Spaces have developed a very original music style through the years in the field of synth music. Some of the tracks are in the ambient style but it never becomes techno as the band´s music never will become commercial style. Foreign Spaces will not get in compromise with style and music. They use a freestyle which contains different styles in the electronic music but not techno and trance. Rey, May 2001