Greek myth tells us that Athena was the goddess of the arts, crafts, war, and wisdom and we all know about the color blue in its various connotations and translations. Put them together and you get "Return 2 Zero" from the deity known as aTHeNa BLu [no label at press time], a collection of mainly instrumental ambient sounds that we like to call "electronica."
Athena Blu is a new project from Jan Pulsford, known for producing and writing with Cyndi Lauper and touring as a keyboardist with the Thompson Twins (I still reach for "Hold Me Now" when I have an eighties flashback!).
"Return To Zero" is at times dark and mysterious, yet very listenable and makes me thankful for my sense of hearing. This is great digital café music. DJs will find this disc very usable and you breakmeister mixers will have fun with it too!
Originally recorded under the title "music for moving images," these pulsating grooves are intergalactic. Letz break the cuts on down as to highlights... Check out some of these song titles (and I'll stay tru- Blu to how aTHeNa spells them) that show an indie artist's flair for creative lettering; a talent that alwaze scores stars with your reviewer, dear reader.
Athena Blu is a new project from Jan Pulsford, known for producing and writing with Cyndi Lauper and touring as a keyboardist with the Thompson Twins (I still reach for "Hold Me Now" when I have an eighties flashback!).
"Return To Zero" is at times dark and mysterious, yet very listenable and makes me thankful for my sense of hearing. This is great digital café music. DJs will find this disc very usable and you breakmeister mixers will have fun with it too!
Originally recorded under the title "music for moving images," these pulsating grooves are intergalactic. Letz break the cuts on down as to highlights... Check out some of these song titles (and I'll stay tru- Blu to how aTHeNa spells them) that show an indie artist's flair for creative lettering; a talent that alwaze scores stars with your reviewer, dear reader.
Track one "ReZoNaTa" is the opening sonata. I found it a darkly mysterious wetting of your appetite. Next, "ouTRoLoDe 1" is the first of two interludes on the album she uses as links. This one is good as a voice-over bed, by the way. Track three very well could have been "aNGSTDRiVeN"...
We are off on a road trip as we pense to "JouRNey PaRT oNe," track four, which employs a vocoded vox to spice things up. The positioning of the cuts, including those interludes, makes the album a story. I like the subliminal jungle sounds and slight skittish vocalizing.
Mindian vocals and an elindian drum and bass has one floating on "fACeDaMuSic," track five. "WiLuWoNTu" (I think so) experience the exquisite etherealness of track six? Synth strings carry forth the answer to that quiery. The second interlude is "ouTRoLoDe 2," track seven.
Mindian vocals and an elindian drum and bass has one floating on "fACeDaMuSic," track five. "WiLuWoNTu" (I think so) experience the exquisite etherealness of track six? Synth strings carry forth the answer to that quiery. The second interlude is "ouTRoLoDe 2," track seven.
Now, "NeWaTTiTuDe" is track eight and my pick-hit. It is Kraftwerk-esc or as Athena puts it, "retro electronica"; 'Love that kool robotic sound sans vocals. The title track is the ninth one with more of the same theme and a couple more mindian vocals. Finally the disc ends much as it began with track ten "CHaseINDaMooN." It starts out creeping as the first cut does, then a steady, driving beat intermittently adds structure.
This musik was originally only available as a downloadable CD from itunes until they imploded "when Apple took over the world," as Jan puts it. More on producer Jan at www.janpulsford.com ; cover art by Paul Harmon, www.paulharmon.com; see it at www.athenablu.com.
So get sucked in by the electrolux, and then you will have come to know, as I have, the opposite of what a return to zero really means. I bless this with three-and-a-half stars; it is soo dreamy I got relaxed and faded.
This musik was originally only available as a downloadable CD from itunes until they imploded "when Apple took over the world," as Jan puts it. More on producer Jan at www.janpulsford.com ; cover art by Paul Harmon, www.paulharmon.com; see it at www.athenablu.com.
So get sucked in by the electrolux, and then you will have come to know, as I have, the opposite of what a return to zero really means. I bless this with three-and-a-half stars; it is soo dreamy I got relaxed and faded.
