SPLENDID LABYRINTHS – Max Corbacho
maxcorbacho.com
I am a fan of the music of Spanish musician Max Corbacho. In these times of hurry, bustle and nervousness, there are fortunately still artists who can make a contribution to a little relaxation. In 1998 his first cd Vestiges appeared. On this he sounded a bit like a descendant of the American ambient master Steve Roach. He worked with his equally talented Bruno Sanfilippo. Over the years, Max has increasingly developed his own sound which reflects peace and calmness. It is the perfect mixture between ambient and space music. Splendid Labyrinths contains music he has made over the last two years. The structure and approach is similar to that on the album The Ocean Inside. I was quite impressed with that album and this is no different with Splendid Labyrinths. On six tracks he again manages to create a great atmosphere. We don’t hear much melody lines, it is about soundscapes. And if there is some melody, like in the opening track The Flowing Path, it is processed very subtle in the music. This Flowing Path is a beautiful title that fits the music perfectly. It is uplifting but sometimes has a slightly dark touch. For instance, this is the case in Towards The Center and Earth Womb. Sometimes Corbacho manages to frame its music with soft effects, such as Wave Of Reflection. Towards the end of Shaping The Endless the music becomes softer. This is just another great title. This splendid music leaves me with wonder. Splendid Labyrinths is available as a CD and download.
©Paul Rijkens, Dutch progressive rockmagazine iO Pages