Plaza Mayor Company Ltd release the second album from Maximilien Mathevon's Ambient Soundspaces series. This is an electronic LP that reflects the sounds of imagined places. The end result is a subjective collection of themes which will conjure up different imagery in each listener's mind...

When I reviewed Maximilien Mathevon's Ambient Soundspaces: Volume 1, I wasn't won over immediately, as I was with the majority of his compositions. It was a slow burner that just got better the more I invested time with it. It could be because I knew what I was getting myself into this time - I knew what to expect - but I found Volume 2 to be more accessible. Right from the start I found myself enjoying each track but for very different reasons. Whether it was the fact that a beat reminded me of a place, a film score or, as was the case on 'Ambient Soundspaces 13', an entire movie genre (classic Hollywood Westerns), each track instantly transported me elsewhere. And that's the power behind Mathevon's work here.

'Ambient Soundspaces 11' conjured up images of Vangelis's work on Blade Runner... in fact, Vangelis popped into my head a few times when listening to this. It wasn't just the electronic sound, but his whole spirit seemed to be dipping in and out very briefly on quite a few of the tracks.

This is a rewarding electronic album that delivers 8 (36 min, 20 sec) diverse and engaging tracks.

8

Darren Rea