| The Waiting Room
Ukab Maerd
2012 (CD)Ukab Maerd translates as a hyper-creative progressive ambient audio trip generated by synth and percussion maven Chuck Oken, Jr. and longtime collaborator multi-instrumentalist Gayle Elliot. This might be the music playing while in THE WAITING ROOM for an appointment with agents of destiny in some future edition of the Matrix film series. Moods and unresolved states shift and dissolve in a continuous cloud burst of serene to scintillating mind states. The power of this music comes from the live interaction captured in the studio as foundation tracks. Guest artist Richard Pinhas, founder of the legendary French electronic group Heldon, is featured on three tracks.
"Chuck Oken Jr. and Gayle Ellett present an impressive album of electronic
explorations that feature a huge array of synths. Much of it was recorded
live, with additional overdubs and loops from French guitarist Richard
Pinhas added later." -- Electronic Musician Magazine
"Most of the music on THE WAITING ROOM was recorded by Ellett and Oken at
two live performances, and then processed guitar loops by Richard Pinhas
were blended into the mix in the studio. The mood is peaceful though at
times ominous, and if we're in a cave then you can be sure this is where the
alien spacecraft is hiding out. The power of THE WAITING ROOM is that it
appeals to my love of 70s electronic music but isn't just a retro
experience. Ellett and Oken draw on their influences while creatively adding
their own flavor and character to the music." -- Aural Innovations
"Using a deft mix of analog and digital equipment, the duo seamlessly blends
old school and modern ambient music into a unique presentation. Three of the
four pieces employ the enhancements of guest artist Richard Pinhas' guitar
loops. THE WAITING ROOM is a hauntingly surreal overview of electronic space
music, cherry picking the best aspects of the genre from 1970's to the
present." -- Progression Magazine
"This project is a spin off from Djam Karet. It shares the explorative
nature of that band and the lack of concern for mainstream directions.
Beyond that, there are few similarities. The music here is more on the
ambient textural end of things and is all keyboard based. It manages to vary
quite a bit from track to track and within each track. Considering the
nature of the music that's impressive. This isn't exactly the kind of music
you'd put on to get your groove on, but it's quite cool." -- Music Street Journal
"A host of electronics are utilized to fuse traditional European electronic
stylings with modern technology. The application of guitar effects and
languid rhythms serves to pervade things with scope and auxiliary
definition, resulting in tuneage that is inventive and mesmerizing. These
compositions rank high on the dreamy scale while also exhibiting a
distinctly haunting factor. Hypnotic yet chocked full of unexpected
surprises, this music is designed to enthrall and confound the listener." -- Sonic Curiosity
"The music of Ukab Maerd are among other things what can be found at the
intersection between reality and dreams. We can safely say that the good
musical ideas we hear usually have time to stabilize, before the songs goes
on to new sequences. Ukab Maerd takes its time, and brushes and paints their
meticulous soundscapes, often ambient washes and the songs tend to be very
fascinating. A more then 64 minutes its a long CD, but there is so much
exciting to hear and consider, that in fact it actually goes smoothly! This
album is nicely varied from song to song, and also within the same song, so
it will not in any way be nerve-racking synth based music. The surrealism in
the music is performed so beautifully and cleverly that it is almost
impossible not to be "seduced". Ukab Maerd delivers an album that presents a
hypnotic rhythmic music of slow, dreamy scenarios, unexpected visions and a
myriad of exciting and successful musical concepts. "THE WAITING ROOM" is an
album that rises up sky-high in modern Electronic music, and all those who
profess to love such music should check out this debut CD, and those who
want something different and exciting in their music should also know check
them out." -- Merlinprog
"THE WAITING ROOM is a fine modern electronic album which hearkens back to
the days when the likes of Tangerine Dream reigned supreme. This project
definitely seems to have a lot going for it and I think we haven't seen the
last of Ukab Maerd, or at least I hope not.
8 out of 10" -- The Rocktologist
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| 1. | The Cave | MP3 | 23:35 | |
| 2. | White Light, No Heat | MP3 | 11:28 | |
| 3. | God's Elastic Acre | MP3 | 18:16 | |
| 4. | Sati & The Trainman | MP3 | 11:14 | | |
Timeroom Editions Projekt