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REVIEWS
Thom Brennan - "Mist"
(Space for Music, sfmTB1034, CD, 2001)
Serene and surreal, Mist hangs in the ambient air, much like the murky clouds and straining sunlight on the cover photo. This is excellent drifting, hypnotic music. One definitely has the feel of being in wide open spaces, perhaps hiking up a wilderness trail near Brennan's home in the Olympic rain forests in Washington. This is a much softer, delicate work than Beneath Clouds or Mountains. While those discs also had a lot of textures, they also had rhythmic tendencies. Nary a beat is heard here. Soft, tinkling bells mingle with long, slow sound waves washing over you. Despite the electronic nature of the music, it has a very organic sound and feeling. Each of the four tracks runs over ten minutes, all connected by a similar character, yet each is a gem in its own right. The bells of "Raingardens" are replaced by gentle rainstick-like sounds in "Pond Life." At times, the synths imitate nature, as though birds or other pond dwellers are calling out amongst the reeds. You can almost feel the moisture in "Cedars Stand Against the Rain." Shimmering echoes of sound come in waves, cascading and receding, one rolling gently over another. If you aren't completely relaxed by the end of the title track, consult a physician immediately. Contemplative, meditative ambience par excellence.
2001 (c) Phil Derby / Sequences Magazine
"Mist" reviewed
by Shane Cotee Rating: 10
From the web site
"Into the Unknown"
Thom Brennan - "Mist"
Style: atmospheric ambient
Label: TMBMusic/MP3.com, 2001
Thom Brennan has been making quality ambient music since 1986. He is friends with Steve Roach and other ambient "stars," but hardly ever gets any recognition of his own. I can only link this to the fact that he pretty much avoids record labels, instead relying on online music sources like Emusic and MP3.com to sell his albums.
Looking at the cover of "Mist", you can almost see what you're going to hear. Incredible beauty that's minimalistic yet layered. The cover image is of the Olympic National Forest, near Thom's home, which highly influences his music.
The "ingredients" of each of the five songs throughout the album are basically the same, but it never feels repetetive or unimaginative. Everything is drifting, sometimes coming and going, or sometimes staying and evolving for 10 minutes. The final result is meditative to say the least. Soft, layered synthesizer drones and echoing chimes create a very full atmosphere, despite Thom's minimalistic nature.
I can hardly compare this disc to anything else since it is far ahead of most other ambient music.
This is music meant to hear while laying down to sleep, or any other situation when everything else is shut out. Otherwise, distractions will overpower the subtleties that make this such a profound piece of work.
Do yourself a favor and witness some of the best ambient music ever made.
Similar Works:
Thom Brennan - Shimmer
Thom Brennan - The Secret Faiths of Salamanders
Thom Brennan - Satori
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Mist- Thom Brennan
by Various Rating: 10
Thom Brennan, Mist (cd 2001)
Raingardens [17:41]
Pond Life [12:07]
Cedars Stand Against the Rain [14:30]
Mist [15:08]
Thom Brennan - Synthesist, Sound Design, Programming and Production.
Thom's first release of new music after a several year pause from releasing...portraits in sound of the Olympic rainforest.
Thom has become very active again and we look forward to more releases from him in the future. Even though he took a pause from releasing CDs for several years, he was still recording, so stay tuned for more classic material from this talented artist.
If you ever dug Thom's music, then this one is not to be missed.
If you haven't heard him, this is the one to start with.
2001 © Press information
Review:
Serene and surreal, Mist hangs in the ambient air, much like the murky clouds and straining sunlight on the cover photo.
This is excellent drifting, hypnotic music. One definitely has the feel of being in wide open spaces, perhaps hiking up a wilderness trail near Brennan's home in the Olympic rain forests in Washington.
This is a much softer, delicate work than Beneath Clouds or Mountains. While those discs also had a lot of textures, they also had rhythmic tendencies. Nary a beat is heard here. Soft, tinkling bells mingle with long, slow sound waves washing over you. Despite the electronic nature of the music, it has a very organic sound and feeling.
Each of the four tracks runs over ten minutes, all connected by a similar character, yet each is a gem in its own right.
The bells of Raingardens are replaced by gentle rainstick-like sounds in Pond Life. At times, the synths imitate nature, as though birds or other pond dwellers are calling out amongst the reeds. You can almost feel the moisture in Cedars Stand Against the Rain. Shimmering echoes of sound come in waves, cascading and receding, one rolling gently over another.
If you aren't completely relaxed by the end of the title track, consult a physician immediately. Contemplative, meditative ambience par excellence.
2001 © Phil Derby / Sequences Magazine
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by Phil Derby Rating: 10
Brennan, Thom Mist
product info: CD 2001.
Thom Brennan - Synthesist, Sound Design, Programming and Production.
Thom's first release of new music after a several year pause from releasing...portraits in sound of the Olympic rainforest. Thom has become very active again and we look forward to more releases from him in the future. Even though he took a pause from releasing CDs for several years, he was still recording, so stay tuned for more classic material from this talented artist. If you ever dug Thom's music, then this one is not to be missed. If you haven't heard him, this is the one to start with.
2001 © Press information
-----------------
Serene and surreal, Mist hangs in the ambient air, much like the murky clouds and straining sunlight on the cover photo.
This is excellent drifting, hypnotic music. One definitely has the feel of being in wide open spaces, perhaps hiking up a wilderness trail near Brennan's home in the Olympic rain forests in Washington.
This is a much softer, delicate work than Beneath Clouds or Mountains. While those discs also had a lot of textures, they also had rhythmic tendencies. Nary a beat is heard here. Soft, tinkling bells mingle with long, slow sound waves washing over you.
Despite the electronic nature of the music, it has a very organic sound and feeling. Each of the four tracks runs over ten minutes, all connected by a similar character, yet each is a gem in its own right.
The bells of Raingardens are replaced by gentle rainstick-like sounds in Pond Life.
At times, the synths imitate nature, as though birds or other pond dwellers are calling out amongst the reeds.
You can almost feel the moisture in Cedars Stand Against the Rain.
Shimmering echoes of sound come in waves, cascading and receding, one rolling gently over another.
If you aren't completely relaxed by the end of the title track, consult a physician immediately. Contemplative, meditative ambience par excellence.
2001 © Phil Derby / Sequences Magazine
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Reviews on "Mist"
by TMB Music Reviews Rating: 10
Eurock Recommended Music
by Archie Patterson
The re-emergence of Thom Brennan into the EM field is welcome. His music is some of the least pretentious and evocative you will hear.
He doesn’t, like many, simply clone TD or some other great master, he instead creates his own unique and cerebral hybrid of densely layered, flowing, undulating synthetic soundscapes. Layers of melody, varied sequences and tone color blend beautifully to create a dynamic, ever shifting musical experience.
MIST is brand new music inspired by Thom’s move to the Pacific Northwest and frequent visits to the Olympic Peninsula rainforest. The overall electronic environment created is dense and lush, reminding me at times perhaps of Florian Fricke’s works for Herzog films, i/e, AGUIRRE and NOSFERATU.
All 3 albums (Mist, Beneath Clouds, Mountains)are breathtaking and sacred, offering up a sound that will take a willing listener on a musical trip into another realm of consciousness.
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MIST / Thom Brennan
by Matt Borghi Rating: 10
Thom Brennan Mist AMG
In 2001 Thom Brennan began re-releasing a lot of his earlier works. There was one recording that set all of this in motion, and that was the release of his excellently gifted work "Mist".
"Mist" is not only one of his finest offerings, but it stands as one of the finest works that the calendar year 2001 yielded as a whole, or at least in the top ten of these recordings. This is the most ambient work that Brennan has done. He wholly visits the musical language of many great ambient space music artists, including Steve Roach, Jeff Pearce, Giles Reave, and William Linton, and craftily blends these consonant ambiences into a cohesive and aesthetically pleasing whole.
"Mist" is wonderfully put together recording and one that is a perfect marriage of excellent pre and post-production, as well as perfectly chosen timbres, and compositional materials. It’s with "Mist" that Thom Brennan has hit a landmark, a peak in the overall catalog of his incredible work. This work is undeniably an AMG Pick and one that this reviewer is proud that he had the chance to review. Great work!
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Ambient Visions - MIST
by Ambient Visions Rating: 10
Ambient Visions Music Reviews
Mist" is Thom Brennan's first release in about five years. It follows his usual pattern of organic soundscapes with earthly themes.
Thom has long been associated with the tribal minimalism perfected, if not founded, by Steve Roach. Indeed, Steve contributed something to all of Thom's first three releases. It is not surprising, then, to hear the influences of Steve's dense atmospheres on this disc.
They are influences! This music is not derivative. Thom is an original and this music has its own integrity and merit.
Thom also puts his heart and his soul into his music. The nature samples and organic sound design create an aura of authenticity. Listeners journey with Thom to terrains that are shrouded by his foggy and murky atmospheres.
The density and depth of the music give it a surreal quality. That is always good for an adventure.
At any price, this is a worthy addition to any collection.
Reviewed by Jim Brenholts, author of "Tracks Across the Universe: A Chronology of Ambient and Electronic Music"
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