vidnaObmana & Sam Rosenthal: Terrace of Memories (Digital)

Product Description

2022 will be the 30th anniversary of this ambient instrumental collaboration from black tape for a blue girl’s Sam Rosenthal & vidnaObmana’s Dirk Serries. The release is a fan favorite.

THE EMPTY QUARTER, England: “More than ever before, Sam lets his emotions run away on a tide of ambient turbulence. Five drifting movements ride the intake of senses, breathing the air of life and surrounding beauty. As fullsome as the cycle of seasons, cascading visions of past and present contact loop and collide. A very deep personal intrusion into the mind & heart, represented by a dark, mysterious and sensual music. Cast adrift into the caring hands of this truly original and honest artist who not only lives within himself, but sheds his soul through others as well.”

Sam reflects: “As far as I can recall, I began working on this collaboration with Vidna after the recording of A chaos of desire. Dirk sent me cassette tapes of music, and I worked on my 8-track, I believe. But then got distracted by other projects, and the tapes were pushed to the back-burner and the album wasn’t concluded until 1992. Quite honestly, I only have the vaguest memory of working on it in The Lush Garden studio in Los Angeles. I remember that even a few weeks after I finished a piece, it was hard for me to tell what parts I played and what parts were Vidna. Aside from the low cello sound on my eMax, and the very slight vocals on the one track, who played what is a blur. That’s cool. It’s a great ambient blend.

I asked Vidna for his recollections on the album… “Back in the days, pre-internet, we traded a lot of tapes by mail. Projects and collaborations took much longer to complete due to the longer waiting times, waiting for the postal system to do their work. When I started to correspond with Sam in the mid-80s, I was very into the albums by his Black Tape For A Blue Girl band. The eerie atmospheres and ambience which surrounding the songs were really mesmerizing and I could hear a blend of Sam’s soundstructures with my ambience. So I sent him sources on tape. But with every collaboration release back then, time moved by before actually something was completed, again due to the slower way of communicating. Meaning that at the moment something came to you or vice-versa, it happened quite often you were already in a different state of mind. When Sam sent the first song, I wasn’t in tune anymore despite Sam’s brilliant interaction and additional performances. Terrace of Memories is a real Sam Rosenthal & vidnaObmana collaboration and I truly wonder why we never did a follow-up. Enjoy.”

All Music Guide review by Jim Brenholts [-] Terrace of Memories is a very soft and gentle set of melancholy minimalism from Vidna Obmana, formerly known as Dirk Serries, and Sam Rosenthal, owner and founder of Projekt Records. The liner notes tip listeners that the soundscape is going to be about a lost or unrequited love. The music is appropriately somber without becoming dark or maudlin. Obmana and Rosenthal are not only lamenting the loss, but they are celebrating the love itself. Deep listeners will feel the pain of losing love while enjoying the experience of having love. Is it better to love or to be loved? That question might never be answered. Rosenthal and Serries are not looking for closure here either. But they readily admit that having the experience — be it lost or unrequited — was priceless. This CD will appeal to fans of Robert Rich, Alio Die, Mike Griffin, and Dave Tollefson. It is essential for all fans of electronic minimalism. Casual fans might find it interesting.

Click to Join, hit send, and I’ll add you to the list. – Sam