Signal to Noise

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Total Tracks: 3   Total Length: 53:59

eMusic Review

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Rod Smith

eMusic Contributor

04.22.11
Robert Henke, Signal to Noise
2004 | Label: Imbalance Computer Music / Iris

Best known as co-developer of the popular Ableton Live software — and for the minimal techno he creates as half of Monolake — Robert Henke has been visiting experimentica's shores at least since 1993's Piercing Music. Signal to Noise continues his experiments in artificial life, albeit at a far more listenable pitch than ever before. Most New Age enthusiasts could embrace its luminous drones, along with rockers, jazz fans, classicists, and lovers of less adventurous electronic music.

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simply the best

Lukeso

I think this is the best ambient-drone album Iīve ever listened to. layer after layer Robert Henke (check out MOnolake) delivers astonishing range of sound. you will not be dissapointed! trip to other dimension - thatīs how I imagine sound of oneīs brain while on DMT

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decent but not amazing

solidgreysky

i love robert henke's music, in general. every once in a while though, i'm a little disappointed. this album is one of those. it's good in it's own right, but just not as good as his other material.

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Great Signals

phoenSND

I like monolake music. But this side (his ambient side)to me is much more to listen to. Don't get me wrong mininal techno by him is really good. But his ambient stuff seems to be even more so amazing. Perhaps I deeply enjoy ambient music but this really delivers.

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Breathtaking

Gumdrop

Most noise/drone albums tend to come across as rather self indulgent and anal, but this effort rises high above the soup and commands the most stunning views and vistas. Although it obviously works as pure background music, a session relaxing on the bed with a set of headphones is time well spent. But listening to this album through headphones seems almost wrong. Signal to Noise demands spacial reverb - it's music for architects that design on a vast scale.

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Good brain music

AmberV

This works well as a backdrop for a session of hard thinking, and equally well as something to kick back to and lose yourself in. A nice set of drones. If you like these, you should check out some of Maryanne Amacher's work. Daniel Menche's "October Larynx," and Coil's "Time Machines."

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Stunning!!

Mazmus

Absolutely without doubt the most worthwhile downloads so far. Simply stunning..., Studies for Thunder is superb and on pretty much constant playback at the moment. Was hoping to find a massive back catalogue to take advantage of...., sadly not. Ho-hum. Download this, you won't regret it!

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Effing Fantastic

Guts

I have to make an update to my review. Simply put this is possibly one of the finest ambient/drone albums ever produced. The level of complexity and depth explored here, combined with the technical mastery, causes me to consider this release to be as groundbreaking and bar-setting as Eno's Ambient 1. I know I return to it on a daily basis.

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Speechless

CupeVampe

This is one of the first ambient/experimental/electonic records I have ever listened to. I am speechless in front of such majesty... i love this record. i won't probably listen to it many times (its quite demanding and you need time) but it's a psychedelic ride on the surface of unknown planets.

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Roach Motel

BeckoningChasm

The first two tracks are very similar to Steve Roach's long, atmospheric drones. If you enjoy Roach's work, you'll enjoy these as well. Henke's work is a bit more monochromatic but it's easy to lose yourself in thought as you listen. The last track is strange, it seems to be an electronic recreation of a lightning storm, complete with raindops, interrupted by bursts of fragmented static as lightning strikes. Interesting.

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