{"id":1248,"date":"2022-12-14T15:51:02","date_gmt":"2022-12-14T14:51:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/computerchemist354397511.wordpress.com\/?p=1248"},"modified":"2023-08-02T18:34:56","modified_gmt":"2023-08-02T18:34:56","slug":"masks-ft-radioray-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/computerchemist.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/2022\/12\/14\/masks-ft-radioray-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Masks ft. RadioRay (2021)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><a href=\"#reviews\">Click <strong>HERE <\/strong>to jump to reviews<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/computerchemist.bandcamp.com\/album\/masks-ft-radioray\">Click <strong>HERE <\/strong>to listen\/order<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe style=\"border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;\" src=\"https:\/\/bandcamp.com\/EmbeddedPlayer\/album=3876106593\/size=large\/bgcol=ffffff\/linkcol=0687f5\/tracklist=false\/artwork=small\/transparent=true\/\" seamless><a href=\"https:\/\/computerchemist.bandcamp.com\/album\/masks-ft-radioray\">masks ft. RadioRay by computerchemist<\/a><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">&#8220;Hawk Nuts should lap it up!&#8221;<br>A prog \/ spacerock album collaboration with vocalist\/musician RadioRay who has played with Alan Davey&#8217;s &#8220;The Psychedelic Warlords&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Label: Terrainflight TF016<br>Release Date: September 29, 2021<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Track listing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-list\">\n<li>one bird of prey 11:20<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>only the dead can see 10:37<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>urban angels 10:36<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>trylithium tears 07:06<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>crashing cars 09:20<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>masks 26:46<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">ray sutton: lyrics, melodies &amp; vox (1-5)<br>dave pearson &amp; ray sutton: lyrics, melodies &amp; vox (6)<br>ray sutton: flutes (2,3,6), xaphoon &amp; cajon drum (6)<br>dave pearson: synths, acoustic &amp; electric guitars, bass, drum and sequencer programming<br><br>all composing, production and mastering in the digital domain at terrainflight hungary between apr 2021 and aug 2021 by dave pearson<br>ray&#8217;s parts recorded in his studio in the uk<br>cover collage by dave pearson based on original photo from <a href=\"http:\/\/pxfuel.com\">pxfuel.com<\/a><br><br>all tracks \u00a9\u2117 2021 by ray sutton &amp; dave pearson<br><br>dave thanks: my wife and family, and everybody else who has helped to encourage and support my music over the years<br>ray thanks: dedicated to all those who travel great journeys in their own boneships<br><br>contacts:<br>terrainflight: <a href=\"mailto:info@terrainflight.com\">info@terrainflight.com<\/a><br>dave: <a href=\"https:\/\/computerchemist.bandcamp.com\">computerchemist.bandcamp.com<\/a><br>ray: <a href=\"https:\/\/radiorayisdead.bandcamp.com\">radiorayisdead.bandcamp.com<\/a><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"reviews\">Reviews<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"soundscapes\">Paul Baker, Soundscapes<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-medium is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/computerchemist.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/fb2ba-paul_baker.jpg?w=127\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1093\" width=\"217\" height=\"214\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Paul Baker, reviewer for Classic Rock Society, Host of \u201cSoundscapes\u201d broadcast on ARfm, Phoenix Radio, LKCB Classic Rock Canada. and Radio Tamworth. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap has-medium-font-size\">So, when Mr. Computerchemist (Dave \u201cThe Rave\u201d Pearson), said, \u201cHey Paul, I\u2019ve done this album with this great guy and it sounds good, flute on it and everything, oh, and we\u2019re giving it away,\u201d I was intrigued.<br>Ray Sulton a.k.a. RadioRay is the partner in rhyme here, anybody with the credentials of \u201cFormer fighter pilot and lead vocalist at Psychedelic Warlords Hawking Space Ritual 40th Anniversary\u201d, who combines this background with computerchemist\u2019s music must be worth a listen, eh?<br>The straight forward answer is, YES! The final result can only be described as \u2018simply marvellous\u2019.<br>Don\u2019t think, for one second, that this is a \u2018copycat\u2019 album, although there are very clear references, there is an intriguing blend of electronic, psychedelic, full on rock, space rock, even a sprinkle of prog rock and a dash of flirtatious flute, all combining to make a unique sound that doffs its cap to times gone by, but is most certainly for today!<br>Moody, triumphant, dark but with light, (err does that make sense? Ed!). Soaring soundscapes of \u201cOne Bird of Prey\u201d open things up, <strong>driving drums, layers of keyboards and expansive guitar<\/strong>, with the occasional \u2018widdly effect\u2019 leaning towards aforementioned band!<br>Dark and moody is the feel of \u201cOnly The Dead Can See\u201d, well it would be, wouldn\u2019t it?<br><strong>Full on rock opening of \u201cUrban Angels\u201d<\/strong> opens out into an expressive, expansive blend of numerous styles without ever becoming \u201cmuddy\u201d or losing momentum and musical intrigue. Try not tapping your toes to this one!<br>\u201cTrylithium Tears\u201d continues the flow of the album, some quieter sections here and Ray\u2019s vocals take on an even more expressive feel.<br>\u201cCrashing Cars\u201d has a blues feel, is there such a thing as psychedelic space rock blues? Well, there just could be now!<br>Epic closer and title track \u2018Masks\u2019 has a slightly political message, possibly, or it could just be an observational piece looking back at the recent crisis, it\u2019s for you to decide. Again, dark &amp; light musically, dark lyrics, but the changes in the music lift this track well and truly into the stratosphere. There is more of a hint of computerchemist\u2019s more electronic background here, a hint of maybe Berlin School, but not quite, it is however given the usual \u2018Chemical Overhaul\u2019.<br>All in all, <strong>if you like Hawkwind, Ozric Tentacles, Gong, or are just a general fan of spacerock, krautrock, progressive rock or electronic rock,<\/strong> (yes, the influences are all there!), then this is for you and it\u2019s free, what more do you want. Well, it is free so long as you donate a few quid to a charity or worthy cause of your choice instead of paying for it.<br><strong>Well worth a place in anybody\u2019s collection.<\/strong><br>Thanks computerchemist &amp; RadioRay, may it raise millions for charity!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><em>&#8212; Paul Baker, DJ on Soundscapes \u2013 Radio Tamworth, 03 Oct 2021<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"audion\">Audion Magazine<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-medium is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/computerchemist.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/audion.jpg?w=300\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1254\" width=\"332\" height=\"77\" srcset=\"https:\/\/computerchemist.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/audion.jpg 372w, https:\/\/computerchemist.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/audion-300x69.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 332px) 100vw, 332px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Audion Magazine (established in 1986) has a reputation for its different stance on modern music, ever willing to embrace the unusual, and seek-out those that have helped shape the face of new-music, from rock\/folk\/jazz through to the avant-garde.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap has-medium-font-size\">Actually by Computerchemist ft. Radioray, that&#8217;s: Computerchemist aka Dave Pearson and Radioray aka Ray Sutton. This release is apparently a big departure from previous Computerchemist releases said to in the Berlin school synth music vein.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Well, this album certainly isn&#8217;t synth music. Actually, the album opens with one of the closest rip-offs I&#8217;ve heard of Hawkwind for some years, in fact since I saw Spacehead 20 years ago. &#8216;One Bird Of Prey&#8217; could quite easily have been a left-over Hawkwind in the mid 1980s, albeit with a slightly more techno vibe. &#8216;Only The Dead Can See&#8217; keeps on in the space-rock type of vein, and opens with a lethargic beat, Mellotron strings and a narrator, and is again a touch Hawkwind like. That&#8217;s followed by two more high energy Hawkwind type tracks, each with a different angle on the style. But, with track 5, &#8216;Crashing Cars&#8217;, it&#8217;s all change with something that reminds me more of someone like Alice Cooper. Hawkwind styling returns again in the final track, the 26 minute opus &#8216;Masks&#8217; which manages to sustain interest throughout its length quite well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Of course, if you don&#8217;t like the idea of someone copying Hawkwind and giving it a more trendy vibe, then MASKS won&#8217;t be for you. Even I found some of it a mite plodding. But, I get the impression that many out there will lap it up!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">&#8212; Alan Freeman, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ultimathulerecords.com\/audion.html#a66\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Audion 66<\/a>, Friday 20 November 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Rob Gould<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-medium is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/computerchemist.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/rob_gould-1.jpg?w=300\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1260\" width=\"225\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/computerchemist.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/rob_gould-1.jpg 650w, https:\/\/computerchemist.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/rob_gould-1-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Keyboard player and composer Rob Gould has written and recorded 15 solo albums. Occasionally likened to artists such as Tangerine Dream, Phillip Glass, Stockhausen and Mike Oldfield, Rob&#8217;s music is however too diverse to pigeon-hole. He is not a pigeon.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap has-medium-font-size\">Hi Dave! I&#8217;ve been able to give Masks a whirl this morning while at work in Castleton in my little shop. Had to use my crappy kindle, so couldn&#8217;t get the best sonics.. however, I very much enjoyed it.. I hope you don&#8217;t find Hawkwind comparisons too irksome, but you&#8217;ve definitely captured the &#8220;spirit of the age&#8221;. And if it were still a thing (maybe it is), I would expect one or two of the tracks to be accepted on a &#8216;Hawk Friends and Relations&#8217; compilation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">I particularly liked Crashing Cars, which, I guess is the least Calvert, Moorcockian, Here and Now-esque from the album. It&#8217;s very much a time casual for my ears, and harks me back to my late teens. In fact my first band would these days be called a Hawk tribute band, such were the amount of tracks we used to cover. Shouldn&#8217;t do that, orgone, masters, brainstorm, silver m, etc we we called Masque..anyway..back to the album. Fab synths and effects..lovely Rhodes on Crashing Cars.. Strong vocal..And guitars that Bob n Dave would covert back in the day. Trylithium Tears was another fave. Yeah, sure is a departure from the CC norm. Well done mate. Hawk nuts should lap it up!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><em>&#8212; <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"http:\/\/www.robgould.co.uk\/RobGould.html\" target=\"_blank\">Rob Gould<\/a>, Multi-instrumentalist musician, 14 October 2021<\/em><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Betreutes_Proggen_de\">Juergen Meurer &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.betreutesproggen.de\/2021\/11\/computerchemist-ft-radioray-masks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">betreutesproggen.de<\/a> (DE)<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-medium is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/computerchemist.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/betreutes_proggen.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/computerchemist.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/betreutes_proggen-300x182.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1232\" width=\"333\" height=\"200\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Betreutes Proggen is a German language prog web magazine that launched in February 2015, building on the successful (printed) Progressive Newsletter which began in 1995.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap has-medium-font-size\">Der in Ungarn lebende britische Computerchemist namens Dave Pearson ist auf diesen Seiten kein Unbekannter, wie man hier sieht. Er hat sich im Laufe der Jahre einen Namen in der Elektronik-Szene gemacht, wobei er durchaus vielf\u00e4ltig im EM-Bereich unterwegs ist. Mal sehr stark Berliner Schule inspiriert, dann wiederum auch mal sehr abstrakt in eigenwilligen Klangskulpturen. F\u00fcr \u00dcberraschungen ist er also gut, und bester Beleg daf\u00fcr ist das neue Album namens \u201eMasks\u201c. Der Zusatz \u201eft. Radioray\u201c ist dabei durchaus erheblich, denn hinter Radioray steckt mit dem britischen S\u00e4nger Ray Sutton ein Musiker, der nicht nur eben ein paar Strophen abliefert, sondern auf jedem Track sehr pr\u00e4sent ist und somit \u201cMasks\u201d zu einem Album macht, das einen Computerchemist zeigt, der wieder mal neue Wege beschreitet. In diesem Fall mit einem gleichberechtigten Partner. Die vorliegenden sechs Songs wurden in folgender Besetzung und Instrumentierung eingespielt: <br>Dave Pearson \u2013 synthesizers \/ acoustic guitars \/ electric guitars \/ bass guitar \/ drum and sequencer programming \/ lyrics, melodies &amp; vox auf \u2018masks\u2019<br>Ray Sutton \u2013 lyrics, melodies &amp; vox \/ flutes \/ xaphoon \/ cajon drums.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Wer Computerchemist bisher nur von typischen EM-Ver\u00f6ffentlichungen her kannte, wird sich bei diesem Album die Augen reiben \u2013 bzw. die Ohren. Denn mit der Musik aus seiner bisherigen Diskographie hat \u201emasks\u201c kaum noch etwas zu tun, da der Anteil der elektronischen Musik hier nur marginal ist. Stattdessen wird eine Mischung aus Kraut Rock, Space Rock, der auch mal an Hawkwind erinnert, und Psychedelic geboten, wobei sein Partner als S\u00e4nger recht pr\u00e4sent ist und dabei einen durchaus guten Eindruck hinterl\u00e4sst. Die Tracks sind meist um die 10 Minuten lang, lediglich der das Album abschlie\u00dfende Titelsong geht mit seiner Spielzeit von knapp 27 Minuten als echter Longtrack durch. Und gerade bei diesem h\u00e4tte man dann zumindest am Ende des Albums einen ausgiebigen Ausflug in die Elektronik Szene erwarten k\u00f6nnen \u2013 doch weit gefehlt. Auch hier bleibt er bei seiner hier gew\u00e4hlten neuen Ausrichtung. Nach einem Auftakt mit Gesang folgt sp\u00e4ter ein langer Space Rock Trip mit viel Gitarrenarbeit. \u00dcberhaupt verdr\u00e4ngt die Gitarre bisweilen die fr\u00fcher meist omnipr\u00e4senten Keyboards gelegentlich in den Hintergrund. <strong>Eine neue Facette also dieses K\u00fcnstlers<\/strong>, der uns bestimmt auch in Zukunft noch zu \u00fcberraschen wei\u00df.<br>Bewertung: 10\/15 Punkten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><em>&#8212; Juergen Meurer, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.betreutesproggen.de\/2021\/11\/computerchemist-ft-radioray-masks\/\">betreutesproggen.de<\/a>, 14 Nov 2021<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Betreutes_Proggen_en\">Juergen Meurer &#8211; <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.betreutesproggen.de\/2021\/11\/computerchemist-ft-radioray-masks\/\" target=\"_blank\">betreutesproggen.de<\/a> (EN translation)<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-medium is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/computerchemist.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/betreutes_proggen.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/computerchemist.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/betreutes_proggen-300x182.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1232\" width=\"333\" height=\"200\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Betreutes Proggen is a German language prog web magazine that launched in February 2015, building on the successful (printed) Progressive Newsletter which began in 1995.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap has-medium-font-size\">The Hungarian-based British computerchemist named Dave Pearson is no stranger to this site, as you can see here. He&#8217;s made a name for himself in the electronics scene over the years, while being quite diverse in the EM space. At times very strongly inspired by the Berlin School, then again very abstract in idiosyncratic sound sculptures, so it&#8217;s good for surprises, and the best proof of this is the new album called &#8220;Masks&#8221;.<br>The addition &#8220;ft. Radioray&#8221; is quite significant, because behind Radioray is British singer Ray Sutton, a musician who not only delivers a few verses, but is very present on every track, making &#8220;Masks&#8221; an album that shows a computer chemist who is once again breaking new ground, in this case with an equal partner. The present six songs were recorded with the following cast and instrumentation:<br>Dave Pearson \u2013 synthesizers \/ acoustic guitars \/ electric guitars \/ bass guitar \/ drum and sequencer programming \/ lyrics, melodies &amp; vox on \u2018masks\u2019<br>Ray Sutton \u2013 lyrics, melodies &amp; vox \/ flutes \/ xaphoon \/ cajon drums.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Anyone who only knew Computerchemist from typical EM releases will rub their eyes \u2013 or their ears \u2013 at this album. Because &#8220;masks&#8221; has hardly anything to do with the music from his previous discography, since the proportion of electronic music here is only marginal. Instead, a mixture of Kraut Rock, Space Rock, which sometimes reminds of Hawkwind, and Psychedelic is offered, whereby his partner is quite present as a singer and leaves a good impression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">The tracks are mostly around 10 minutes long, only the title track that closes the album is a real long track with a playing time of almost 27 minutes. And especially with this one one could have expected an extensive excursion into the electronics scene at least at the end of the album &#8211; but far from it. Here, too, he sticks to the new orientation he has chosen here. After a start with vocals, a long space rock trip with a lot of guitar work follows later. In general, the guitar sometimes pushes the previously omnipresent keyboards into the background. <strong>A new facet of this artist<\/strong>, who will certainly continue to surprise us in the future.<br>Rating: 10\/15 points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><em>&#8212; Juergen Meurer, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.betreutesproggen.de\/2021\/11\/computerchemist-ft-radioray-masks\/\">betreutesproggen.de<\/a>, 14 Nov 2021<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"musikzirkus_de\">Stephan Schelle, musikzirkus-magazin (DE)<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-medium is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/computerchemist.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/stephan_schelle.jpg?w=300\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1667\" width=\"225\" height=\"221\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Since 1998, <em>journalist<\/em><\/em>\/<em>photographer Stephan Schelle has maintained two internet sites dealing with rock and electronic music. In April 2007 he created the German language internet music review magazine Musikzirkus-Magazin.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap has-medium-font-size\">Bereits im Jahr 2021 ver\u00f6ffentlichten Computerchemist, das ist Dave Pearson und Radioray aka Ray Sutton ihr gemeinsames Album \u201eMasks\u201c zum freien Download. Spenden f\u00fcr wohlt\u00e4tige Zwecke waren allerdings erw\u00fcnscht. Wie schon das Titelbild und der Titel des Albums erkennen l\u00e4\u00dft, war die Musik auch von der Pandemie beeinflusst. Thematisch zeichnen sie ein recht d\u00fcsteres Abbild unsere Zeit, die vor allem auch durch die Pandemie und die Folgen wie Lockdown oder falsche bzw. gegens\u00e4tzliche Ma\u00dfnahmen und Informationen gepr\u00e4gt war\/ist. Das zeigt auch schon das Albumcover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Wer jetzt allerdings ein musikalisch schwerm\u00fctiges Album vermutet, der irrt sich, den \u201eMasks\u201c enth\u00e4lt grandiose Tracks. \u201eMasks\u201c ist das erste Album der Kollaboration zwischen Dave Pearson und Ray Sutton, die ein Jahr sp\u00e4ter mit \u201eUnderneath The Soul\u201c fortgesetzt wurde.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Bekanntlich steht die Musik von Computerchemist f\u00fcr elektronische Musik unter anderem im Stile der \u201eBerliner Schule\u201c. Doch auf \u201eMasks\u201c schl\u00e4gt Dave Pearson zusammen mit Ray Sutton einen g\u00e4nzlichen anderen Weg ein. Das macht auch schon die folgende Instrumentenliste deutlich:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Ray Sutton: lyrics, melodies &amp; vox (1-5)<br>Dave Pearson &amp; ray sutton: lyrics, melodies &amp; vox (6)<br>Ray Sutton: flutes (2,3,6), xaphoon &amp; cajon drum (6)<br>Dave Pearson: synths, acoustic &amp; electric guitars, bass, drum and sequencer programming<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\u201eMasks\u201c bietet neben elektronischen Parts vor allem Psychedelic, Rock, Space Rock und eine Prise Prog-Rock. Dabei wandelt das Duo ein ums andere Mal auf den Pfaden von Bands der Marke Hawkwind. Das Ganze ist aber keine Kopie der Musik der britischen Spacerocker, sondern nimmt deren Spirit auf und entwickelt auf dieser Basis einen ganz eigenen Stil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Das randvolle Album enth\u00e4lt sechs Tracks, von denen allein vier l\u00e4nger als zehn Minuten sind. Das titelgebende Schlussst\u00fcck bringt es gar auf 26:46 Minuten Spielzeit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Schon der Opener, das 11:20min\u00fctige \u201eOne Bird Of Prey\u201c, zeigt, wohin die Reise auf dem Album geht. Nach einigen elektronischen Sounds geht es sehr schnell mit einem sehr sch\u00f6nen Basslauf los, in den sich zun\u00e4chst flirrende Synthies und Gitarren mischen und dann von einem treibenden Schlagzeugrhythmus ordentlich Groove bekommt. Das klingt hier sehr spacig wie eine Mischung aus Hawkwind und den Ozric Tentacles. Sobald dann Rays Gesang einsetzt hat das mehr von Hawkwind. Eine leichte Spur Wave mischen die Beiden dann auch noch in den Sound hinein. <strong>\u201eOne Bird Of Prey\u201c ist wohl der beste Hawkwind-Song, den die britische Band nicht selbst gemacht hat. <\/strong>Ein faszinierender Song, der sich vor keiner Genregr\u00f6\u00dfe verstecken muss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Es folgt das 10:37min\u00fctige \u201eOnly The Dead Can See\u201c. Hier er\u00f6ffnet ein fetter Basslauf, der stark in den 70\u2019er Jahren verwurzelt ist. Dahinein kommen eine Mellotronharmonie sowie ein ruhiger Schlagzeugrhythmus. Das zusammen verspr\u00fcht eine leicht d\u00fcstere, schwere Stimmung, die aber auch ein gewisses Wohlgef\u00fchl vermittelt. Dann kommt in diesem Song ein Sprechgesang von Ray hinzu, der dem Ganzen eine Gothic-Note verpasst, die sich mit dem psychedelischen Spacerock vermischt. Dave erg\u00e4nzt das dann um einige spacige\/proggige Gitarrenmotive. <strong>Das ist ebenfalls hervorragend gemacht.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\u201eUrban Angels\u201c knackt mit 10:36 Minuten Spielzeit ebenfalls die Zehn-Minuten-Marke. Hier gehen die beiden etwas rockiger mit einem herrlichen Groove aus Schlagwerk und fettem Bass zur Sache. Dem spendiert man dann <strong>wieder herrliche Synthsounds \u00e1 la Hawkwind<\/strong> und f\u00fcgt erneut eine Portion Wave und sogar orientalische Klangtupfer und Fl\u00f6te hinzu. Auch rockig pr\u00e4sentiert sich das siebenmin\u00fctige \u201eTrylithium Tears\u201d, das zun\u00e4chst mit trockenerem Sound\/Schlagzeug daherkommt und dann sehr melodisch weitergef\u00fchrt wird. Dave l\u00e4sst dabei seine Gitarre herrlich spacig singen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Sehr elektronisch beginnt \u201eCrashing Cars\u201d, das dann mit sanftem, aber leicht verzerrtem Gesang weitergeht. <strong>Das wirkt teilweise wie von dieser Welt entr\u00fcckt<\/strong>, was auch durch den Gesangsstil von Ray unterst\u00fctzt wird.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Der Kern des Albums besteht dann aus dem 26:46min\u00fctigen Titeltrack, mit dem das Alum ausklingt. Ein Longtrack, der sich wieder im Umfeld von Hawkwind bewegt und \u00fcber die ganze L\u00e4nge den Spannungsbogen hochh\u00e4lt, auch wenn einige Gesangspassagen etwas monoton wirken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Mit dem ersten Album der Kollaboration von Dave Pearson (Computerchemist) und Ray Sutton (Radioray) ist dem Duo ein beeindruckendes Werk im Spacerock gelungen, das sich nicht vor Szenegr\u00f6\u00dfen wie Hawkwind &amp; Co. verstecken muss.<strong> Ein klasse Album, das einen vom ersten Ton an gefangen nimmt.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><em>&#8212; Stephan Schelle, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.musikzirkus-magazin.de\/dateien\/Pages\/CD_Kritiken\/elektronik\/computerchemist_masks.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">musikzirkus-magazin.de<\/a><em>,<\/em> Dezember 2022<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"musikzirkus_en\">Stephan Schelle, musikzirkus-magazin (EN)<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-medium is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/computerchemist.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/stephan_schelle.jpg?w=300\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1667\" width=\"225\" height=\"221\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Since 1998, <em>journalist<\/em><\/em>\/<em>photographer Stephan Schelle has maintained two internet sites dealing with rock and electronic music. In April 2007 he created the German language internet music review magazine Musikzirkus-Magazin.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap has-medium-font-size\">Computerchemist, that is Dave Pearson and Radioray aka Ray Sutton released their first joint album \u201cMasks\u201d for free download in 2021. Charitable donations are welcome, however. As the album cover and title suggest, the music was also influenced by the pandemic. Thematically, they paint a rather gloomy picture of our time, which was\/is shaped above all by the pandemic and the consequences such as lockdown or incorrect or contradictory measures and information. The album cover shows that clearly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">However, anyone who now suspects a musically melancholic album is wrong, becuase &#8220;Masks&#8221; contains grandiose tracks. Masks is the first album from the collaboration between Dave Pearson and Ray Sutton, which continues a year later with Underneath The Soul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">As is well known, Computerchemist&#8217;s music stands for electronic music in the style of the &#8220;Berlin School&#8221;. But on &#8220;Masks&#8221;, Dave Pearson, together with Ray Sutton, take a completely different path. The following list of instruments makes this clear:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Ray Sutton: lyrics, melodies &amp; vox (1-5)<br>Dave Pearson &amp; Ray Sutton: lyrics, melodies &amp; vox (6)<br>Ray Sutton: flutes (2,3,6), xaphoon &amp; cajon drum (6)<br>Dave Pearson: synths, acoustic &amp; electric guitars, bass, drum and sequencer programming<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">In addition to electronic parts, \u201cMasks\u201d mainly offers psychedelic, rock, space rock and a pinch of prog rock. Time and time again, the duo walks the path of bands of the Hawkwind brand. However, the whole thing is not simply a copy of the music of the British space rockers, but takes their spirit and develops a unique style on this basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">The packed album contains six tracks, four of which are longer than ten minutes. The eponymous final piece even has a playing time of 26:46 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Already the opener, the 11:20 minute &#8220;One Bird Of Prey&#8221;, shows where the journey on the album is going. After some electronic sounds it starts very quickly with a very nice bass line, in which shimmering synths and guitars are mixed at first and then gets a good groove from a driving drum rhythm. This sounds very spacey like a mixture of Hawkwind and the Ozric Tentacles. As soon as Ray&#8217;s vocals start, it has more of Hawkwind in it. The two then mix a slight trace of Wave into the sound. <strong>&#8220;One Bird Of Prey&#8221; is arguably the best Hawkwind song the British band didn&#8217;t do themselves.<\/strong> A fascinating song that doesn&#8217;t have to hide from any genre size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">The 10:37 minute &#8220;Only The Dead Can See&#8221; follows. A fat bass line opens here, which is strongly rooted in the 70&#8217;s. A mellotron harmony as well as a calm drum rhythm come into it. All of this exudes a slightly gloomy, heavy mood, which also conveys a certain sense of well-being. Then there is spoken word from Ray in this song, which gives the whole thing a gothic note that mixes with the psychedelic space rock. Dave then adds some spacy\/prog guitar motives to that. <strong>This is also excellently done.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\u201cUrban Angels\u201d also breaks the ten-minute mark with a playing time of 10:36 minutes. Here the two get down to business a bit rockier with a wonderful groove of drums and fat bass. This is then treated to <strong>wonderful synth sounds \u00e1 la Hawkwind<\/strong> and again a portion of wave and even oriental splashes of sound and flute are added. The seven-minute \u201cTrylithium Tears\u201d also presents itself as rocking, which initially comes along with a drier sound\/drums and then continues very melodically. Dave lets his guitar sing wonderfully spacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\u201cCrashing Cars\u201d starts out very electronic, which then continues with soft but slightly distorted vocals. <strong>It sometimes seems like being taken out of this world<\/strong>, which is also supported by Ray&#8217;s vocal style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">The core of the album consists of the 26:46 minute title track, with which the album ends. A long track that moves in the Hawkwind environment again and keeps the tension high over the entire length, even if some vocal passages seem a bit monotonous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">With this first album of the collaboration between Dave Pearson (Computerchemist) and Ray Sutton (Radioray), this duo have created an impressive work in space rock that doesn&#8217;t have to hide from scene greats like Hawkwind &amp; Co. <strong>A great album that grabs you from the first note.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><em>&#8212; Stephan Schelle, <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"http:\/\/www.musikzirkus-magazin.de\/dateien\/Pages\/CD_Kritiken\/elektronik\/computerchemist_masks.htm\" target=\"_blank\">musikzirkus-magazin.de<\/a><em>,<\/em> December 2022<\/em> (translated using google translate, any corrections welcome)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/computerchemist.bandcamp.com\/album\/masks-ft-radioray\">Click <strong>HERE <\/strong>to listen\/order<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Hawk Nuts should lap it up!&#8221;<br \/>\n&#8220;Hawkwind but giving it a more trendy vibe&#8221;<br \/>\nA prog \/ spacerock album collaboration with vocalist\/musician RadioRay who has played with Alan Davey&#8217;s &#8220;The Psychedelic Warlords&#8221;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1251,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1248","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-albums",""],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/computerchemist.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1248","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/computerchemist.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/computerchemist.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/computerchemist.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/computerchemist.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1248"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/computerchemist.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1248\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1901,"href":"https:\/\/computerchemist.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1248\/revisions\/1901"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/computerchemist.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1251"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/computerchemist.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1248"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/computerchemist.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1248"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/computerchemist.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1248"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}