Review by rA Second Nature (PS 08/78) by Atom Heart, Tetsu Inoue and Bill Laswell

Taking as its inspiration a synthetic variation on the natural sounds which often form the basis of ambient musics Second Nature brings together three of the biggest talents in the FAX stable; Inoue, Laswell and Atom Heart. In their alternate universe, not so very far from the Aerial Service Area, lies a planet not unlike our own. It is lush in tall vegetation which conceals most of the planet's surface. The unusual green sea of this planet laps against enormous stretches of silvery sand. No one has been here before but for the unmanned landing craft that make occasional forays to unlock the mineral richness of this place.

Their moaning engines can be traced to the Synthetic Forest where an emotive warbling sound accompanies our first glimpse. It's concealed fauna chattering and clicking in the distance leads to a curious and super-fast spoken voice and a movement of bending and growing sound like an animal cry infinitely slowed-down. What is going on?

Things come clearer into focus with a coherent twittering chime and a pedestrian bassline and steam-driven beat. Being on the Green Paste of the sea is odd, aren't we near some kind of place of worship? Those sounds are certainly calming but soon make way for the pulse of our radar screen and shimmering patterns of light, the effect is hypnotic; slow use of keyboards, uplifting atmospheres and nostalgia-inducing scales. Altogether a relaxing place.

The soundscape of the Artificial Seaside is no less so. The reconstructed sound of a long lapping wave is combined with gleaming sounds and an otherworldly theme. This is built from the super-tweaked sound of a water droplet, deep bass and a sentimental electronic refrain. The two steps forward and two back of the bassline are covered with cracked chips of sound, fragments of an exotic soundscape and whining screams hollowed out by the heat of the sun.

As we take our leave the Landing Cycle comes into view and the ever-descending washes of its sombre engine glide by. The sounds are subtle, mild even, but also melancholy with a hint of uneasiness. Given time I could grow to like this place.