Album Notes

www.rainbow-serpent.de

With the long awaited album “Stranger”, the German duo Gerd Wienekamp and Frank Specht has delivered an outstanding album of contemporary and vibrant electronic music which I’m sure will be welcomed by a large audience. For the musicians, making “Stranger” also proved to be new and difficult, as they decided to add a human voice to their music. For the latter, the German, classically trained female singer Isgaard was invited to join in. She added her lovely vocals on eight of the tracks. It made these pieces more song-oriented while also adding another dimension and space to Rainbow Serpent’s captivating music. Despite the long and complex way they all had to go, the outcome of “Stranger” breaths a beautiful cinematic and atmospheric sense, offering some catchy sequencer movements (e.g. "Gateway”, “Memory Leaves”) combined with varied rhythms and interlocking, attractive and warm sound pads. Sometimes, the music comes close to Jarre (as e.g. on “Beyond New Worlds” and “Memory Leaves”), but the musical expertise and signature of the Rainbow Serpent duo nicely rules all the way on this spacious, detailed sounding and very well produced 66-minute album. Fans of Schiller should check it out as well, and not only for the fine and smooth sounding title song.
“Stranger” is highly recommended. 4 out of 5 stars!
Bert Strolenberg / www.sonicimmersion.org