Oöphoi - Static Soundscapes: Three Lights At The End Of The World (Hic Sunt Leones, 1996)

1 Floating Through The Gates Of Time 8:03
2 Space Forest Part 1: Distant Monastery 19:30
3 Cave Ritual 11:23
4 The Chamber Of Dreams 4:22
5 Space Forest Part 2 (30:28)
Three Lights At The End Of The World
Infinite Skies / The Final Passage

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Nebula - The Path Of White Clouds (Stella Maris, 2003)

1 The Quest 4:00
2 Ascension 10:36
3 Devotion 13:25
4 The Living Mandala 9:15
5 Enlightenment 16:20
6 The Path Of White Clouds 11:16

Nebula's first album, Genesis was one of my favorite releases of 2002--an extremely evocative musical travelogue through the creation of the universe from a spiritual perspective. Now, Nebula return with The Path of White Clouds and a larger line-up that reads like a European Ambient Super-group: featuring Oöphoi, Klaus Wiese, Tau Ceti (whose recent collaboration with Oöphoi, Subterrania, is well worth hunting down), Mathias Grassow, Mauro Malgrande, Lorenzo Pierobon, and others. The sound is exactly what one might expect from these artists, though this release abandons the deep space textures and tones in favor of spaces located within the psyche.

The Path of White Clouds begins with "The Quest" which sounds very similar to the material found on Genesis--deep, resonant drones which have the feeling of ascending higher and higher as one listens (rather like some of Michael Stearns work on the Serge synth). This is the briefest track on the CD (at four minutes), and it's clear we are coming from the depth of the nascent universe to a more personal, inner universe. The Buddhist ritual has begun, perhaps, and the higher pitched sounds of singing bowls are ushering us into a quiet trance. The quest is fulfilled quite quickly, indeed, because "Ascension" is achieved almost immediately. Fans of Oöphoi's The Spirals of Time will find much familiar here as lulling synth drones are accompanied by strange whispering winds and ghostly ambiences. Subtle harmonic chant (easily mistaken for synth) is then layered atop the breathy winds, and an extremely evocative trip is begun. The chanting is excellent, progressive and yet still extremely ambient--it's a fine compliment to Oöphoi's psychedelic tonal wash, which sounds like a dramatically dark David Parsons. Next is "Devotion" which opens with sustained gonging (that reaches infinity, it seems). This lunarscape is populated with more ghostly vocals, male and female, giving this a strangely cosmic flavor. One might just as easily be drifting over the quietly trilling moon, as on the Sargasso Sea, mesmerized by sirens. This is a willfully ethereal track, and a highlight. "The Living Mandala" (the title of which sounds like a strange B horror movie) travels to more synthetic territory, with gliding synths and processed shakuhachi that sounds similar to the vocalization on "Ascension." Tracks like this populate the best of Oöphoi and Grassow releases, and this sounds like a perfect combination of the best of both oeuvres. Tinkling bells add to the ambience, making a textbook example of the strengths and simplicities of these artists' works.

The epic "Enlightenment" is next, and, at over sixteen minutes, represents the centerpiece of The Path of White Clouds. Continuing the ghostly atmospheres of earlier tracks, the muted sounds of the shakuhachi, as well as some similar sounding synths, meld with airy sounds and unrecognizable noises. This is a quiet, meditative track comprised of what seems to be a rarified air. It's also a perfect track to sleep to, as the sounds never leave the periphery of consciousness--it's like listening to a quiet dream. Eventually, synths rise louder, but they are of an appropriately stratospheric quality as enlightenment sneaks up on us unexpectedly. Finally, "The Path of White Clouds" acts as a capstone to the album, with Klaus Wiese's zither (much like his work on El-Hadra) combined with Pierobon's harmonic vocals. Yet more ghostly ambience, and we reach the end of a singularly mysterious, airy, and intriguing album.

Unlike the first Nebula album, The Path of White Clouds seems more a cobbling of previously recorded elements than a true collaboration between the artists. As with the previously reviewed Expanding Horizon, this seems an album built up from existing past work. There is much on The Path of White Clouds that is very familiar (even expected) from Oöphoi and his cohorts. Nonetheless, this is strong material, even if not nearly as memorable as Genesis. Fans of the artists involved will not want to miss this one, though casual ambienteers might find other works by those involved more worthy of attention. The Path of White Clouds will not disappoint drone junkies, like myself. However, its limited status of 300 copies is justified, making it a treasure for those who worship the drone, and few others.
The Ambient Review

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Nebula - Genesis (Stella Maris, 2002)

1 OM Creation: Breaking The Cosmic Egg 3:12
2 Let There Be Light 6:48
3 Floating Galaxies 14:45
4 Time Vessel At The Gates Of Forever 14:45
5 Pulves Et Umbra (Dust And Shadows) 9:14
6 The Sacred Pool Of Tepeu And Gucumatz 18:30
7 The Dawn Of Man 9:38


GENESIS, by Nebula, deals with the theme of creation and ultimately emergence of human consciousness. It begins with an exhalation, which the listener imagines as a moment of birth. Since the title of the album is GENESIS, our imaginations are led on a musical course with seven directional markers. Because it is a work of art, not a didactic treatise, the listener may interpret these points in any way they wish. Obvious references to Biblical, Buddhist, Hindu, perhaps even ancient Greek myths leaves us free to focus on one, all or even none of these traditions. This is a mixture of electronic and acoustic sounds, a blend of carefully wrought electronic scapes interacting with reverberations of Tibetan singing bowls and floating primeval sheets of flute, that can be experienced either as questions that the listener feels compelled to reflect upon, or else as answers that require deep listening in order to make interpretative patterns on our minds.

The first four movements invite us to step through visible and audible aspects of life, submerging in a space permeated with thoughts melting into music. This type of primitive thought seems simple on the surface, yet highly complex to our 21st century minds full of thousands of years of intellectual theories which create an illusion that we are strangers in the world.

The fifth movement introduces a tender composition, beautiful in its execution. This piece in particular is reminiscent of some meditation albums of the 80's, but soon gives way to an extended electronic whirling in the sacred pool of Tepeu and Gucumatz. It is this invitation to a long, extended journey beyond the wondrous scapes of #5 that make this album particularly interesting.

Many ambient CD's would be happy to end on a serene track like "Pulves et Umbra". Many would find the opening of #6 almost unsettling; it can be said to carry a dark-ambient hue. Are the musicians of Nebula asking questions about what lies beyond some visions of apparent beauty? We know from Rilke's first Duino Elegies that beauty is often an angel that disdains to destroy us. Therefore poetically, this moment is significant. About a third of the way through this track, familiar themes from earlier in the album return, and the ominous chords disappear. A stark emptiness envelops us, then stretches notes to introduce great swathes of silence. It is this part of the album that conjures some of the deepest meditative states. Nebula manages to sustain a minute variation of tone and sensation.

As #6 nears its end, the first stirrings of a shadow move into focus. Something hovers into our perceptions. We are not at this point sure if it is solid matter, a light, or a consciousness that wants to communicate with us. And this is what makes the album fascinating: mystery is never explained away. But we are given a clue. The final track, #7, is entitled "The Dawn of Man". It begins with a pause and concentration of energies, before shimmering waves of human voice emerge, barely audible, unfolding into nascent colours and sounds forming the backdrop to human life and imagination.

This music does not encourage a notion that human consciousness is an accidental mushroom that has sprung up on the chemical, organic soup of earth; rather, that we are among the destined manifestations of the universe.

Nebula is a melange of five talents:

1. Klaus Wiese (ex Popol Vuh member): Tibetan singing bowls, steel cello #4, synths #4.
2. Mauro Malgrande: shakuhachi flute and production.
3. Lorenzo Pierobon: harmonic chant and electronics #7.
4. Tau Ceti: synths on tracks #2 and #5.
5. Oophoi (referred to be some as a "Drone Master"): synths, samples, gongs, drones, loops, waves, processing and concept.

Recorded, mixed & mastered by Oophoi and Tau Ceti in the Kiva, April 2002.
Steveroach.com

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Oöphoi - Time Fragments Vol. 6 - Between Nothingness And Eternity (Umbra, 2005)

1 Meeting Rama 23:47
2 A Pale Reflection Of God 29:33
3 Le Monde Inanimé 8:57

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Oöphoi - Time Fragments Vol. 5 - Wastelands (Umbra, 2005)

1 The Deaf Birds Of Alpha Aleph 11:48
2 I Canti Di Babele 10:03
3 Mandala Glass 14:19
4 Praying Gurkas 11:55
5 Endless Rain On Altair IV 15:33

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Oöphoi - Time Fragments Vol. 4 - Garden Of Earthly Delights (Umbra, 2005)

1 Oniria 15:02
2 Cygnus Planante 22:13
3 The Somnific Dance Of Inanna 20:10
4 Harvest Moon 9:51

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Oöphoi - Time Fragments 3 (Skean Dhu, 2004)

*** sorry, no cover art ***

1 Clouds Over Mars
2 The Forest Dreams Of God
3 Dissolving In The Void
4 Approaching The Island Of The Sirens

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Oöphoi - Time Fragments 2 (Skean Dhu, 2003)

1 Voices In Ether 9:09
2 The Last Farewell 8:13
3 The Changeling 13:33
4 Mah (Alternate Version) 11:31
5 Requiem For A Green Planet 18:12
6 Borealis 10:48

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Oöphoi - Time Fragments 1 (Skean Dhu, 2002)

1 Childhood Memories 10:59
2 Ancient Ruins 7:11
3 A Gathering Of Pygmy Gods 22:58
4 A Call To Prayer 12:01
5 Til The End Of The World 7:03
6 Lost Lake 5:08

Oöphoi bubbled up out of nowhere for me, an unknown artist creating spacious, beautiful droneworks in obscurity somewhere in Italy. Since I heard about this artist, releases by him have appeared on very fine ambient labels like Hic Sunt Leones, Amplexus, Electroshock, and Hypnos. Even with all of the "official" releases, Gianluigi Gasparetti--the man behind Oöphoi--also self-produces special, limited CDR projects for his prodigious output. These "unofficial" releases often number in the best of his large catalog.

In 2001, Gasparetti released volume one of the Time Fragments series of CDRs, "a collection of lost pieces, waves and drones" from his archives. This, the first in a three part series, proves to be a fascinating addition to a strong discography--not a collection of quickly done throwaway tracks. In fact, volume one operates very well as a full length album of stately, dark, quiet soundscapes.

We begin with "Childhood Memories," a soft, billowing cloudbank of synths cradling a nostalgic childhood time. This is a restful place, whose sounds mirror soft intakes of breath. This track gently drifts along into "Ancient Ruins" which recalls the early cassette work by Vidna Obmana. You can almost imagine the spires of a stone structure slowly being pulled down to dust by inexorable gravity. The slightly symphonic synths give way to a ghostly, industrial drone-choir ... clearly, the spirits of this old, old place have not quite vacated. From silence, the next, crowning, track is "A Gathering of Pygmy Gods." This is the CD's longest track, clocking in at almost twenty-three minutes. It begins with a quiet drone, softly wavering with breathy, echoed noises. There is a whisper of windswept trees, and a hint of percussion, but like any ritual you aren't sure if the sounds are a product of your own imagination or the world swirling hallucinogenically around you. Gradually the sounds build, giving way to a harmonic shakuhachi, similar to work by Tuu or Robert Rich. The ritual continues with trance flutes, soft water sound, and the mysterious swelling of storms above. Eventually the track quiets into a space drift of low bass rumbles--the ritual is over, the clouds roiling as they recede into the distance.

We are then transported into a ritual of a different sort with "A Call to Prayer." A beautiful middle-eastern chanting is joined with spirit drones and tinkling crystals similar in sound to Klaus Wiese's Ceremony. The drone seems a bit out of place with the low volumed chant, which is clearly the highlight of the track ... a slight misstep in an otherwise excellent album. The final two short tracks recall the first piece of the album with all-encompassing mists of synth, which rise and fall in soft harmonies sounding rather like Tibetan singing bowls.

All in all this is a fantastic showcase of the different ambient modes Oöphoi works within. While Gasparetti's soundpath may have been trailblazed by others, his work is solidly created, intense, and worthwhile. This is an extremely listenable collection of mildly dark ambient tracks, well suited to those who find themselves repeatedly returning to Rich's Sunyata, or Alio Die's Under an Holy Ritual. Fine work.
The Ambient Review

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Oöphoi - Awakening The Nagas (Penumbra, 2005)

01 Awakening The Nagas 24:27

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Oöphoi - Signals From The Great Beyond - The Complete Recordings (The Crop Circles Enigma) (Umbra, 2006)

1-1 Kolenhaar (11:19)
1-2 Lightwaves (12:22)
1-3 Geometry (11:04)
1-4 Sculpting The Fields (24:20)
2-1 Suspended Matter (7:46)
2-2 Neteru (47:14)
3-1 Night Of The Ant (36:58)
3-2 The Saros Cycle: Phase One (9:51)
3-3 Rings Of Light (3:30)
3-4 The Saros Cycle: Phase Two (20:54)

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Oöphoi - The Dreams Of Shells (Mystery Sea, 2003)

1 Cydron (18:53)
2 Kalyx (20:45)
3 Narwal (28:50)

Drones désespérément (dans le bon sens du terme, hein...) lents...

Oöphoi is Gianluigi Gasparetti's main vehicle of expression for distilling deep dark tinted & entrancing ambient of the very best nature...
After captivating works for esteemed labels such as HIC SUNT LEONES, AMPLEXUS, ELECTROSHOCK, SKEAN DHU, NEXTERA, & HYPNOS, he offers here his own version of the "Night-Ocean Drones" aesthetic, having a rather innate empathy for the theme developed by Mystery Sea...

"The dreams of shells" is a breathtaking descent straight to an unknown chasm where small clouds of fine luminescent dust drift away, splitting obscure cold waters, swaying to the sound of cavernous tones...
This is a submarine hidden chorus, an ode of sirens'voices singing ageless chants...
a rain of fragmented glittering particles brushing submerged walls, while golden refractions sleep buried in the fissures...
"The dreams of shells" is a meeting with a resonating radiant world of its own, a long dive in apnea scattered with amazements...
Mystery Sea

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Oöphoi & Klaus Wiese - Wouivre (Aurora, 1999)

1 Nemeton (The Celestial Clearing) (0:25)
2 Llyr (The Dark Stream) (17:40)
3 Taran (The Thunder) (9:03)
4 Llia'g (The Wizard) (6:51)
5 Dheeog Bhair (Hallucinations) (7:17)
6 Guth Ather (Invocation) (18:39)
7 Cruith Ire (The Primordial Harp) (13:40)

Collaboration entre Gianluigi Gasparetti (Oöphoi) et Klaus Wiese qui créent une ambient profonde, subtile et sombre...

Let us begin with something drawn from the inside of the special cover booklet wrapped around the plastic protection sleeve containing the disc. "Stormy winds will fight against each other, and their Sound will reach God's ear" - Merlin. "In Celtic mythology Wouivres the Divine Spirit: like a snake crawling along the ground, the Wouivre runs deep beneath the earth, bringing Life and Fertility. There are places where this hidden and sacred Stream reaches the surface, creating a link between Sky and Earth: on such a place the Templar Knights built the Cathedral of Chartres." A positively enthralling, heady, concept for sacred reverie through headphone listening beckoned at my first reading of these lines. This is where the visions take their shape and the journey begins.

"Nemeton - The Celestial Clearing" is a 0:25 second embarkation piece that opens an inner window to a dimension of startling depth and an immense, all encompassing, voluminous soundscape. The size of the soundstage presented by this piece is alarmingly large and unsettlingly real. This first glimpse of the stage set by the minds eye is incredibly adroit in presenting the spatial concept for what is to follow and hopefully what will come to pass from within the depths of Wouivre.

"Llyr - The Dark Stream" is Oöphoi's solo homage to, and naming of the Wouivre, employing water, Tibetan singing bowls, stones, gongs, and birds. "Llyr" is a definitive study of the world of spacious reverb tails and the endlessly expanding notion of liquidity in sound. Employing dark suggestion "Llyr" is nevertheless a relaxing piece in the purest sense. Readily inducing the contemplation of the myths and mystery that the Earth's elements employ to surround and entertain the inquisitive soul.

Klaus Wiese enters the mix with an upright cello, a bowchime and the monochord as his chosen voice for "Taran - The Thunder". A third voice, that of Rick Rummler, engages the periphery of the soundscape on the bowchime while Oöphoi weaves a spell on electronics, a flute, looping and processing. An extremely organic sounding track that had me casting sidelong glances about the room searching for cues to the impending release of the anticipated peal of thunder. The anticipation was much akin to that which accompanies the sensory overload of a soundtrack that underpins the moment when you as the listener would rather not have anyone open that door or walk in to the open expanse of the waiting glen.

And thus enters the clangorous realm of "Llia'g - The Wizard". A shorter piece in the context of the other tracks but one which is packed with potent visions of being in the presence of one that commands you maintain an unerring eye and keep a watchful vigil lest you be swept away following your bewitched grasp of reality. Track four attempts to focus light on the face of darkness but only magnifies the mysteries cloaked in the unknown by revealing deeper recesses of blackness. "Llia'g" employs the same instrumentation and artists as the previous track minus the monochord yet morphs their sonic identity enough to present a dynamic realm of unearthly voicing.

"Dheoog Bhair - Hallucinations" retains the undercurrent of tension introduced through "Llia'g" with an added dimension of what can only be described as an altered state. Reminiscent of the metallic yet gauze swathed manipulations of sound created by the fever induced hallucinations from the Hong Kong Flu, which I contracted in my youth during an East Coast vacation. The surreal quality created adds another level of tension that is at the same time relaxing and meditative, opening and closing alternative paths to understanding, and also engages ones thoughts in a confusing yet appealing interruption and re-direction of the stream of conscious thought.

"Guth Ather - Invocation" is exactly as the title states. An 18:39 epic wherein I was presented with the possibility of direct contact with, and the inner peace attainable through, the entity of the Divine Spirit.

The closing concept of "Wouivre" is "Guth Ire - The Primordial Harp", also a dedication to Oöphoi's father who is now floating in the "Wouivre". Pastoral and ethereal in its nature "Guth Ire" conjured a corporeal understanding of that which lies within the dimensional planes one usually only postulate's the existence thereof. A voyage beyond yet deep within oneself that was as engaging as it was entertaining. "Wouivre" was an outstanding ride that I plan on returning to again and again. Look not over one's shoulder nor listen to what you cannot hear unless you are ready to reconcile that it quite possibly may be yourself that you encounter within the "Wouivre".
Ambient Visions

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Oöphoi - Whispers From The Noisy Void (Umbra Records, 2007)

1 Cold Sun (6:50)
2 Eclipse In The 4th System (21:44)
3 Quantum Light (13:25)
4 Hieros Gamos (9:55)
5 Substance Metallique (23:12)

Belle et profonde ambient utilisant synthés mais aussi flûtes, bols chantants, etc...

Beautiful and deep ambient using keyboards and also flutes, singing bowls, etc...

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