Stendeck’s latest effort “Sonnambula” is perhaps the best release that Tympanik Audio has put out to date. This says a lot because Tympanik Audio consistently puts out quality music. As someone who has reviewed several albums from the label, I have no qualms in saying that I think the future of dark electronic music lies with them. Stendeck’s latest effort is no exception. “Sonnambula” offers a very sophisticated blend of EBM, IDM, and modern classical. What is great about this album is that in infuses emotion into electronic music, which has become increasingly rare these days. This is an album that has something for everyone from intense synth-lines, to delicate piano and synth string parts, to highly complex rhythms. It’s all here, from the beautiful to the unsettling. One thing that is particularly impressive about this album is its rhythmic compositions, which completely dispenses with the standard 4/4 convention to showcase intricate drum patterns that constantly shift tempos. However, what is even more unique is that the rhythm tracks, while highly complex, do not dominate the songs at all. On the contrary, the songs sound extremely spacious and ethereal, as opposed to the cluttered sound that one often gets with IDM albums. I would highly recommend “Sonnambula” to anyone that is looking for an album that pushes boundaries. Review by: Michael Grillo
Rating [5/5]
www.chaindlk.org
Throughout the late 90s/early 00s, one of the best and most consistent projects falling under the rubric of “industrial” was always Gridlock. In a sea of drek, Gridlock forged their own path, blending epic, morose electronic backgrounds with distorted, jagged beats. A study in contrasts, it was the perfect blend of the serene with the harsh, music that took you way to the gritty streets of “Blade Runner” and immersed you in dystopian dreams. It’s heartening, then, to have scene a recent wave of acts that were obviously inspired by Gridlock’s sound: Displacer, Anhedonia, Subheim, and Talvekoidik among others. And also Stendeck, whose latest, “Sonnambula” comes via Tympanik Audio, a label that is rapidly becoming one of the best on the planet.
Hailing from Switzerland, Stendeck has released several albums, but “Sonnambula” is certainly his most refined release. Not quite as dark as Gridlock, and perhaps a bit smoother rhythmically, “Sonnambula” is perhaps a more upbeat tour of a futuristic metropolis, albeit with the occasional dark corner lurking about. Ambient washes permeate the background, topped by scuddering IDM-influenced beats. Tracks like “It Must Be Heaven,” feature steadily building atmospheres, broken by a steady, propulsive rhythmic accompaniment, only for the beats to be swept away at the track’s conclusion, back into the ambient sea that spawned them. “Lullabies from the Cliff By the Raging Sea” demonstrates Stendeck’s well-honed sense of composition, as a myriad of sounds are overlayed one over another, a jackhammer beat shepherding the proceedings along until dissolving into an absolutely beautiful finale. This is an immensely well composed and produced album, and a worthy addition to Tympanik’s already stellar stable of artists.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
http://www.phillygothindustrial.com
Stendeck has been the voice of Alessandro Zampieri since 1999. With three full-length albums to his credit, Sonnambula is his fourth effort. Already with his compositions there is a vibrancy and eclectic flavor. That he is influenced by Front 242, Lycia, Skinny Puppy and Nine Inch Nails is heard. More importantly we hear Stendecks signature on all we hear too. Stendecks own sound and voice has been acutely developed through his earlier releases. Now we hear the fruits of that hard work in Sonnambula.
With seventeen songs to choose from, it can be honestly said there is not a mediocre one in the bunch. With that said, some of the standouts are as follows. One of the highlights would be “Something Special is Going to Happen”, which is IDM with ambient touches. Energetic and soul-full it reminded me of the now defunct Luminary. “Through Tiny Window We Wonder Constellations” is an exciting mix of dance music with industrial. Featuring a very heavy re-verb, it is a sumptuous selection of sounds. “Blind Army Parade” is a fantastically eerie track. Drums fade in and out, giving a tranquil yet forceful atmosphere. “Safari In the Blue Tails Cockatoo’s Garden” is a whirling of ambient sounds punctuated by soaring guitars. A magical piece, it has a reflective and spine tingling mood. “Happy Little Children Playing on the Cherry Tree” is a magnificent track. Although much too short, it features a moving and elegant piano piece. A sensuous and exquisite arrangement it is passionate and uplifting. “An Autumnal Afternoon in the Family’s House” is dream-like and effervescent. Beginning as an ambient piece it moves effortlessly into an industrial tinged beat. “Sonnambula (Don’t Worry It’s Just a Dream)” is pure re-verb, and done extremely well.
What’s so good about Sonnambula? Well everything to put it in easier words. Every track has a mood; you can truly feel the music and the emotion behind it. There is a flawless mix of industrial, EBM, ambient, classical and electronica. Stendeck is able to convey spontaneity to every piece; there are twists and turns to every track. It seems that Stendeck is able to grow with each release. Musically ability, cohesiveness of songs, and the passion of creating are all found within. It’s a brilliant composition as a whole and one of their best in what will hopefully be a long and varied career
Viktorya
http://www.heathenharvest.com
STENDECK was the last Morse code transmission of an ill fated 1947 British South American Airways airliner that disappeared just before descending upon Santiago, Chile. In the decades that followed a number of conspiracy theories revolved around the mystery behind this plane's disappearance and the eleven passengers on the flight. As well, the seemingly nonsensical, repeated message of STENDEC has never really been satisfactorily explained even though new evidence surfaced in the past decade that gave investigators and historians a fairly good idea about what happened on that night over sixty years ago.
Stendeck is Alessandro Zampieri, a Swiss musician who has adopted this alternate spelling of the oft-romanticized transmission as his moniker for a project that incorporates ambient electronics, lush piano, subtly distorted beats and quite a bit of mood both reminiscent and uplifting. With 2003's Can You Hear My Call? and '07's Faces having impressed electronic fans and critics alike it seems quite certain that Sonnambula is destined to be well-received. Of course, I'm not willing to give Zampieri a free pass simply due to his obvious talents and impressive history. The content needs to deliver. Yet it's difficult to be critical of Zampieri's work especially given that, by now, he's mastered his technique and has formulated his own sound with Stendeck. This is his voice and it's unlike any other. You can point to references of a wide variety of artists but the music he exudes is totally his own. The rhythmic bursts are controlled and covered in a dew-soaked sheen of glittering sonic effervescence. Even when distortion is utilized it's tempered by expansive synths and plaintive piano touches. Nothing ever seems out of place as there's a synergy between each well-considered part. What's most exciting about this collection is that in spite of the immediate familiarity of the sound - by that I mean you grow acclimated to Zampieri's approach within a few tracks - there isn't a feeling of sameness throughout the album. He's able to subtly change things up without straying to far from his original template and that's refreshing when taking into consideration how many acts grow stale after a few listens due to a complete lack of variation. The album shimmers from its earliest moments with "Something Special Is Going To Happen" delivering on the promise of its title, evolving in unpredictable ways and laying out an inviting template of challenging rhythmic structures that aren't at all daunting but rather embrace the listener with the help of some gorgeous atmospherics. The songs that follow tend to melt into one another making this an album which is much more than the sum of its parts. In spite of it's lengthy running time filling up nearly all the space allowed the work compels you to listen from start to finish. "Lullabies From The Cliff By The Raging Sea," a track also included on Tympanik Audio's recent Emerging Organisms 2 compilation, could pass for aggressive but for the fact that there's an all-encompassing air of whimsy accentuated by a luxuriant synth build up that softens the almost tribal approach of the percussion employed. "It Must Be Heaven" picks up and runs with gloriously uplifting intonations atop a wildly varied and unique series of soft but driving impacts. "Blind Army Parade" is one of the darker and more straightforward offerings with an almost-but-not-quite-club-worthy beat and a menacing hum that gives way to beautiful chord progression inciting a feeling of bold wonderment. Each track seems to dare you not to fall for its entrancing noises and I can almost guarantee you will not be able to help yourself. Even when it comes to curious pieces like "Dead Dancing Triangle" you can't help but marvel at the bold curiosity of the structure and following it up with the marvelous "Lunar Attraction" makes it impossible to deny that Zampieri is a master at luring you in merely to allow your imagination to freely run wild.
I could go on endlessly, giving you a track by track analysis extolling the virtues within each movement on this disc but it's easier to sum it all up by saying Sonnambula will most likely be at the top of most year-end lists (mine included) precisely because it is so warm and inviting as well as intriguing in a way that compels you to listen again and again, picking apart each fascinatingly perplexing yet blissful moment. As cold as the use of electronics can be it's rare that such emotion is conveyed through the use of these particular tools. And when Zampieri decides to ride out a mood without the use of beats, as on the dreamy "Hunters Of The Last Summer Breeze," or relies on his training as an accomplished pianist with the astounding "Happy Little Children Playing On The Cherry Tree" you will be amazed. Packaged in a pretty digipak with artwork courtesy of Subheim's Kostas K, Stendeck's latest is more than a work that delivers on a promise. It's a must-have little marvel to be cherished as a gift from a uniquely creative mind which has carved a niche all to himself in electronic music.
Christopher Roddy
http://darktwincities.com
The American label Tympanik Audio has released lots of interesting stuff lately (Access to Arasaka and Displacer, to name a couple), and this, Stendeck's long-awaited new album, is one of them. Though he belongs to the electronica scene, this artist really has a trademark of his own. His compositions are sprinkled with beautiful piano parts and contemporary classical music elements which perfectly melt into the electronic sequences, and his synth lines and samples sound pretty original and elaborate (he doesn't seem to use just machines' presets like too many people do these days; on the contrary, he explores and manipulates sounds in a very skilful and inspired way).
Distorted beats are here combined with hypnotic pads, contemplative melodies and complex structures to create a whole universe of light and darkness, and to take listeners on a stirring journey through it. From one of the album's seventeen tracks to another, the rhythmic side ("It Must be Heaven") or the atmospheric side ("Lunar Attraction") of Stendeck's music more or less takes precedence, and a subtle balance is eventually settled, making the album a coherent whole. The track titles, which are often long and strange, reflect the narrative dimension of the record, expressing the artist's personal feelings on one hand ("Every Time I Try to Reach You, You Just Fade Away", "I Fear All the Moments You Will Need Me and I Won't be There"), and revealing an assiduous observation of nature and the external world on the other ("Through Tiny Windows We Wonder Constellations", "Different Exotic Forms of Lightning and Collateral Atmospheric Phenomena"). This proves that you don't necessarily have to sing or to write lyrics to tell stories through your music; instrumental tracks can become as descriptive and touching as songs. With "Sonnambula", Stendeck brilliantly succeeds in this endeavour. Without a doubt, here comes one of the 'not to be missed' records of this year's beginning.
Olivier Noel
Rating [8/10]
http://www.connexionbizarre.net
Classically trained pianist Alessandro Zampieri formed STENDECK in 1999 out of a growing interest in electronic music. His first demo album ‘A Crash into another World’ was very well received in his home country Switzerland. Now after two official and critically acclaimed albums the latest one being ‘Faces’ from 2007 Alessandro comes back with his newest effort, titled ‘Sonnambula’.
Spacey layering builds into a sustained emotive stream that’s crafting a colourful sonic universe and a wide environment for the propulsive ever changing sequence of intricate beats in the opener ‘Something Special is going to happen’ to unfold. ‘Through tiny Windows we wonder Constellations’ first gives off a feeling of complete weightlessness like being close to reaching the stars before the insidious, craggy rhythms drag you back down to earth again. ‘Admira & Bosko’ then takes a different direction in bringing together contemporary classic elements in the form ingeniously played piano lines evolving in the process under high-pitched ambience hovering juts above them. One of my favourites on ‘Sonnambula’! ‘Blind Army Parade’ in its beginnings breeds a claustrophobic vision of dark urban canyons incorporating distant muffled sounds and occasional deep drones that later on get complemented by a protean rhythmic array mingling in broken percussions as well. The longing evoked by the dramatic strings introduced in ‘Everytime I try to reach you, you just fade away’ seems unbearable before they smoothly fade to leave the arena to trembling, distorted beats eventually merging with the melodic layers. Listening to the wonderfully brittle piano lines and strings in ‘Happy little Children playing on the Cherry Tree’ always makes me a bit nostalgic and in my thoughts I’m travelling back in time to my childhood when all the troubles of an adult’s life still were far away and deciding what to play next was all that mattered. Such a beautiful piece of music! The album concludes with ‘Sonnambula (Don’t Worry it’s just a Dream)’ whose fluid melodies get increasingly displaced by white noises. Everything gets fuzzier as the track is progressing and eventually the song culminates in a noisy cacophony. A strong emphasis on the album is placed on expansive and emotive soundscapes for you to drown in but also the rhythmic element is taken care of with top notch elaborate constructions. All elements together make it a real pleasure listening through the album over and over without risking getting bored. Don’t miss out on this masterpiece.
Sebastian Huhn
Rating [9/10]
http://www.reflectionsofdarkness.com
Having spent a decade perfecting his Stendeck sound (the name a variation of the final Morse code radio message sent by the plane Stardust in 1947 before mysteriously disappearing), Lugano, Switzerland-born Alessandro Zampieri joins Tympanik Audio for the release of his third full-length. It's clearly a natural fit, as the Stendeck style—epic electronica sprinkled with piano and an occasional electric guitar—dovetails perfectly with the label aesthetic. With seventeen tracks squeezed into seventy-one minutes, Sonnambula might appear to be overstuffed but it feels otherwise when each piece efficiently states its case in about four minutes before stepping aside. The anthemic swarm of rampaging beats and high-octane synth lines that rips open “Something Special is Going to Happen” suggests that it might be better titled “Something Special Is Happening Right Now.” Of course, the original title is intended to be a harbinger of glories to come and in that regard it's not totally off the mark. The sixteen tracks that follow make good on the promise of that opening salvo by battering multi-tiered synth- and piano-based arrangements with a constant barrage of squashed beats, the combination of which will almost make you forget that “intelligent electronica” ever went out of critical favour. Sonnambula runs the stylistic gamut from stampeding ferocity (“Different Exotic Forms of Lightning and Collateral Atmospheric Phenomena”) and epic IDM (“Safari in the Blue Tails Cockatoo's Garden”) to shoegaze-inflected electronica (“I Fear All the Moments You Will Need Me and I Won't Be There”), vaporous ambient (“Hunters of the Last Summer Breeze”), and even a pretty piano-and-strings interlude (“Happy Little Children Playing on the Cherry Tree”). Par for the genre course, many tracks ooze portent (“Dead Dancing Triangle”) and apocalyptic gloom (“Blind Army Parade”), and Zampieri draws upon multiple genres—drum'n'bass (“Lullabies from the Cliff By the Raging Sea”), hip-hop (“Blind Army Parade”), techno-funk (“Dead Dancing Triangle”), among them—in his beatsmithing quest. Unusual for an album of this kind, “Every Time I Try to Reach You, You Just Fade Away,” with its emotive synth lines and razor-sharp beats, is so catchy it could almost pass for a single.
http://www.textura.org
“Sonnambula” - literally meaning ‘sleepwalking girl’ - is Alessandro Zampieri’s fourth album as Stendeck and his debut full-length for Tympanik Audio. Zampieri is one in a long list of experimental and dark electronic musicians to join the increasingly impressive Tympanik Audio label as it continues to expand its line-up. Stylistically, Zampieri’s music has two contrasting styles that are seamlessly fused to form his own subtly different take on electronic, glitch and dark ambient music. On one hand, his music is almost symphonic, soaring and majestic but on the other it is distinctly rhythmic, fractured, energetic and occasionally almost punishing. Fluid synths sweep around while glitches distort and energetically fly in different directions injecting a sense of immediacy to his music. While the distorted rhythmic beats are dominant in a majority of the tracks, the subtler aspects are always present in the background. Occasionally, on tracks such as “Admira and Bosco (Love during the Time of War)”, “Happy Little Children Playing on the Cherry Tree” or “Hunters of the Last Summer Breeze”, the subtler, atmospheric aspects of the music are allowed to shine through with synth textures, piano and gentle guitar tones taking centre stage. Elsewhere, the rhythmic aspects are toned down somewhat and the gentler aspects again shine through – “Blind Army Parade” or “Different Exotic Forms of Lighting and Collateral Atmospheric Phenomena” for example. Zampieri clearly has an ear for a strong rhythmic beat and often utilizes big, bold breaks or glitched up electronic rhythms in his tracks, particularly on tracks such as the album opener “Something Special Is Going To Happen”, the frantic “Lullabies From The Cliff By The Raging Sea” or the heavily distorted breaks of “Every Time I Try To Reach You, You Just Fade Away”. Credit also goes to Kostas ‘Subheim’ K for the excellent artwork for this release.
(PL:7)PL
http://www.side-line.com
Sonnambula is the new album of the Swiss industrial/idm artist Stendeck. There probably is no other industrial producer who manages to add so much emotion to tracks in which rhythm industrial and beats have a place. This is probably because though the rhythms are important, they still are in support of the soundscape and piano parts that Stendeck uses to carefully build an atmosphere in his tracks. The music of Stendeck can surely be described as beautiful. The atmosphere is mostly melancholic and fits perfectly to these cold winter days. On this album you’ll hear many beautiful melodies and this you’ll hear throughout the entire album. Really danceable for the club environment it is not but the breakbeats and distorted industrial beats do make sure the tracks have a certain drive. A disadvantage is that this release doesn’t have much changes or surprises compared to the previous album Faces. The music of Stendeck just goes further where he left with Faces. One could argue that the rhythms and beats have been given more way on this release though, which makes the music as a whole more accessible. Another disadvantage is also the strong asset of this album, which is the emotional component in the music that is so dominant that it continuously sounds like an ecstatic eruption is about to come. This sounds stunning but over the course of an entire album I can imagine that al of these grand harmonic melodies can be a bit too much for some listeners. Yet Stendeck has again managed to deliver with a very beautiful collection of great electronic music that justifiably could be labelled as unique.
TekNoir
Rating 8.5/10
http://www.gothtronic.com
It's off with the conventions and full on into the esoteric with the fourth album from Stendeck: "Sonnambula". If you are familiar with what this madly talented man has done in the past, you already own this thing and if not allow me to persuade you.
From the deepest darkest well of the subconscious is where Stendeck operate from. Beautifully rendered soundscapes wreak havoc against urban beats, slick effects and sorry for you lot who love them: no vocals. Stendeck are about setting a mood, actually it's more to do with tone than anything else. Such tones. There are ambient moments on "Sonnambula" yes but they're hardly boring. Close your eyes... you'll be right there.
Over the course of this incredible record, sheer escapist incantations are unleashed. Cold washes of synthesis, achingly deserted streets alive with memories of mechanized footprints and above all of this, you soar into the vivaciously vivid blue skies of a brilliant night-time.
Peter Markus
Rating [8/10]
Release Music Magazine
A trademark opening for a highly anticipated release; Pitches of bass rise and fall carrying wave upon wave of beats that threaten to trip themselves up but catch themselves before they fall letting the lush synthetic melodies ride over the top of it all.
As usual this is a seamless affair. Space is all but left out between numbers as Ale once again grabs the listener on yet another of his journey’s. This is the fundamental factor to all Stendeck releases; you are taken for a ride through his emotions, almost driven along as a passenger of sorts. With seventeen tracks in total you certainly have value for money and these numbers just fly by such is the steady pace that also has an essence of urgency to it, letting fly occasionally with soft breaks and thumping bass lines and wiry spangles of sound. There is distinct pop element to a lot of Stendecks work, which of course detracts from familiar IDM sensibilities and it’s a welcome guest, giving that overall warm sound you get with the radio blaring out on lonely country roads watching firefly’s play in the fields, taking me back to late summer evenings when I drove through Illinois with nothing but music, the setting sun, and flat horizons to concentrate on. It’s something I miss and more credit to Ale for reminding me of those ageless moments in time that reminded me of what it’s like to actually be alive. Yeah this album had a lot to contend with.
Stendeck’s last opus ‘Faces’ was tremendous and was going to take some beating. ‘Sonnambula’ isn’t a better album as such, but more of a excellent follow on; a worthy rewarding listen with Ales penchant for massively long track titles. You have to love him for it.
Rating 8.8/10
Tony Young
http://enochianapocalypse.com
Here comes a very special release. The new album by Stendeck called “Sonnambula” - released on innovative Tympanik label.A very epic and inspiring album with seventeen tracks that will change your notion on electronic music dramatically. Stendeck uses labyrinth like distorted beats and crystal clear synth sounds, layered with piano sounds, which sounds like played by straight from the heart. A mixture of different emotional music layers.
This is music that cleans your soul magically. Experimental, demanding and accessible at once. His compositions can be described as futuristic pop electronica chamber music with an experimental approach. Music made to stay in your head forever...
This is an absolute stunning album that owns a never heard before sound! Music with “drive” and deepness. Perfect!
www.cuemix-magazine.com