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Ambient Review

Rikaar – IC 1848

Apollo (R&S) – 29/1/21

Classic, filmic synthscapes from Belgium duo Rikaar.

Big pads and pianos drenched in that reverb (think Eventide blackhole preset), gives these tracks a strong Vangelis vibe. Fans of sci-fi film music will feel at home here. The composition is tight and production values are high, which certainly gives the tracks a professional sheen, as associated with modern DAW-based soundtrack production.

Ambient is such a broad encompassing term these days, which can be used to describe anything from functionalist minimal Eno-school ambient, Japanese DX7 reductionism, modular experimentalism, all the way to epic-sounding soundtrack music (of which end of the spectrum this release lies).

Sci-fi music we collectively adhere to as ‘classics’, all have something in common. From the Barron brothers otherworldly soundtrack in Forbidden Planet, Derbyshire’s original Dr Who theme, Vangelis Blade Runner soundtrack, all the way up to the return of raw analogue synths in the Stranger Things soundtrack. In all examples, the composers used technology in new and unexpected ways to portray a theme of the future. With this in mind, in terms of originality and inventiveness, IC 1848 doesn’t push any boundaries in term of sound design. However the composition is programmed impeccably and certainly serves its purpose.