Emmens Gert & Cadenced Haven | Live in Cosmic Highway

Dutchman Gert Emmens is known for his melodic electronic music with a strong hint to the Berlin School (or the other way around, if you like). This has resulted in several great albums on the Groove Unlimited label. In 2010, he produced and played on the album Peregrination by Cadenced Haven, the project by the artist Laila Quraishi from Bangladesh. Life In Cosmic Highway is their first joint venture as a "duo". Life In Cosmic Highway perfectly blends together the styles by the two: Laila's atmospheres and rhythms as well as Gert's sequences, sounds en solos.
The album starts with a gong in Vision Of Mind's Eye-Overture. This piece brings a really cool atmosphere, very good drums, the typically Berlin School sequencing from Gert and Laila's voice. Together this creates a superb effect. What an strong way to open this cd. It's a pretty relaxed cd but sometimes, as can be heard in Distinct Memories, the drums are rather hard without seeming obtrusive. The melody here is beautiful and cinematic. Maybe the two have a future as composers for film soundtracks. Sometimes, some bits and pieces of the music have a slight reference to the music of German musician Lambert Ringlage (sequences together with melodies and good drums), like in Reflective Orbit and Call To Meghna. Gert EMMENS is a master in sequencing. Just listen to Call To Meghna. And the soloing is fine to. There are also scenes of symphonic progressive music, a musical genre Gert would like to explore on a next album. The drums are really great on Life In Cosmic Highway. Incomprehensible Walk is a wonderful example of this. Illusory Reformation is accompanied by a cheerful atmosphere and the famous fat solo sounds of Gert. This brings the music to the highest level. The styles of the two can generate something special. They prove this on the whole album but especially on the last two tracks The Quiet Steps and the excellent Vision Of Minds Eye-Finale. Life In Cosmic Highway is not just a "must" for the fans of Gert Emmens and the following Cadenced Haven has gathered in the short period that she is active in the electronic music scene. It is a winner!