What I first noticed about Outland 2 is that many parts of it show up on other releases. Are we getting ripped off? Is this just an example of recycled soundbytes by musicians who aren't inspired enough to come up with something new? Hardly, these overlapping releases compliment each other. The overlap between Outland 2 and Sultan or Material's "Praying Mantra" allows the studious listener to hear different notes or even entire sequences from a different 'acoustic viewpoint' and emotional context. Another interesting feature of this album is its theme, the e.bola outbreaks that ravaged the African countryside only a few years ago. Our hosts Kuhlmann and Laswell do very well in reflecting the tone of such epidemics in several parts of the music, particularly the album's introduction and conclusion. With the ominous title of "African Virus (Electronic Sonata with a Cold Loved by Nature)" one expects a dark, demon-conjuring work inline with the first album "From the Earth to the Ceiling." But don't be fooled, Outland 2 takes us soaring to new heights of "ethnic-trance" electronic fusion, breaking away from the deep drones of the first album, as well as spiraling back down to this quieter, more self-confrontational tenor.

• Part 1 - We begin with some darker tones. Heavily saturated drones, much like some of the work in the first Outland. Cavelike, eerie, almost sinister. You didn't come here for merriment did you? Lie back, and take this in. Entire villages were consumed by this menacing virus, and you're in your deep chair about to absorb one of the better Faxlabel offerings. A little emotional deference in the name of global consciousness isn't too much to ask. And besides, lots of us really dig this oppressive darkambient stuff!

• Part 2 - You know from the sound of voices that you've begun part 2. What sounds like West African marketplace ambience funnels into the lulls of part 1. I hear the pleasant trails of a distantly reverberating stringed instrument. A nice blend here, and with a keen ear you might recognize some of the environmental ambience and talking from parts of Laswell's "Oscillations" series of discs. Toward the end of this section, another remote voice emerges, chanting praise while the drones become more continuous. It's all beatless up to this point.

• Part 3 - Now for part 3, we leave the countryside and enter the studio for a more structured variation on ethno-trance. This one begins with a vivid Middle Eastern soundbyte you might recognize from the groundbreaking Excursions in Ambience II compilation (that compilation put the Orb, Maurizio & Fehlmann, Locust, and Laswell on one disc!) The track was "Praying Mantra," which must have been an electronic landmark for Laswell, as you can also find other elements from that track on yet another album, his Benares "City of Light." It's reworked here a little bit with the sequencer. The common thread between all of these, of course, is the trancey blend of ethnic percussion and melodic patterning. Part 3 really stands out, as the beat is fierce. And checking in at just over 18 minutes, the track is about twice as long as any of the others. There's plenty of surprise stunts throughout. Keyboards, drum patterns, and solo instruments all get exclusive time at some point during this piece. At 7:51, you're sent gliding into the stratosphere, high above Africa's highest point, Mount Kilimanjaro, and what a magnificent view it is. The synth now dominates the track, and then the beat kicks back in. What a ride! Laswell's rugged bass rips through the synthesized smoothness, as if it was the mountainous landscape itself. When all the elements come together in this track, it really shines. At 13:53 you are once again shuttled high into the atmosphere, but this time you won't be coming back.... and with 90 seconds left, the memory of our chanting friend returns.

• Part 4 - In part 4, you might get another dose of deja vu. Where have I heard this before, you might ask yourself. Check your Sultan "Osman" disc, that should help. Slightly different timing or tuning, but the similarity is definitely there. This disc was released long before Osman was out, and here we get an accompanying ethnic instrument to go along with it. These swirling textures lend some optimism to a generally dark disc. At just under 6 minutes, this is the album's shortest track.

• Part 5 - The environmental recordings of Oz Fritz get the spotlight here in part 5. The marketplace ambience emanates once again, but here combined with some downtempo drum loops. The percussion is organic sounding, like the rest of the album, rather then the more obvious electronic variety. Part 5 rolls for just over 6 minutes, and listen carefully toward the end, as there are some close-up conversational field recordings.

• Part 6 - The ender goes back to the drones of part 1, but this time it's more like the tones gently rotate. Set us back down gently boys, nice touch! ;-)