Phil Derby / Electroambient Space

Although he has explored darker ambient before, as on the excellent Resonant Memory Of Earth, this time Spaniard Max Corbacho truly delves right into the source of things that go bump in the night – or in this case, drones that echo resonantly into caverns of infinity.

“A Spark of Deity” has crickets, low rumbles, restless churning, and all sorts of wondrous textures that reach out into the darkness. There is an undercurrent like slowly moving water, hints of noise that vaguely resemble percussion, otherwordly stuff. After this auspicious start comes the title track, bringing more remnants of dark memories, strands of dreams, images of caverns and precipices. This one floats a bit more, though dripping water or a shifting pebble occasionally become audible.

“The Slow and Wandering Dust” glides into sounds similar to Steve Roach’s fractal grooves – and a great groove it is. Bright shimmering synths float over the top, reminiscent of older Roach like Dreamtime Return perhaps. It rides the groove out for several minutes before settling down just a bit, though some semblance of rhythm continues to the end. The delicate floater “Abandoned Wind” is a beautiful counterpoint to those rhythms.

The deeply tribal “Along the Moonlit Rift” is another high point. “Deep, Ancient” says as it does, a sparse abstract selection that is yet another winner.
Dark ambient fans rejoice.

© 2004 Phil Derby / Electroambient Space

«The mood of Vestiges is consistently contemplative and serene, the tempo always slow-moving. It is perfect music for dreaming and relaxation, for taking inner journeys to that beautiful, windswept uncrowded place which only exists within our minds. There is none of the angst of the «dark-ambient» type here, but it isn’t over-sweet either. I find myself listening to it again and again, finding a bit of serenity each time».