Synæsthesia (Canadian band)

Synæsthesia
Also known asSynaesthesia
OriginVancouver, British Columbia, Canada
GenresAmbient
Years active1995 (1995)–2001 (2001)
LabelsCleopatra, Zoth Ommog, Hypnotic
Past membersBill Leeb
Rhys Fulber

Synæsthesia was a Canadian ambient band formed by industrial musicians Bill Leeb and Rhys Fulber as a side project of their main band Front Line Assembly.[1] Keyboard magazine writes: "Synæsthesia explores dark tribal ambient sounds, composers have a flair for cinematic electronica, and favor epic pieces that unfold slowly."[1]

History

Leeb and Fulber formed Synæsthesia in the 1990s and began recording together. Due to contractual entanglements they were at first not able to admit they were behind the music.[2] Instead credits for their first two albums, Embody and Desideratum, went to "R. Deckard", an allusion to the main character in the film Blade Runner.[2][3]

The identity of the musicians was revealed with the release of the third album, Ephemeral, crediting Leeb with the music and Fulber with programming.[2][4] The album incorporates symphonic passages, traditional rhythms and nature sounds into menacing electronic sounds.[5]

Synæsthesia uses samples from a number of musicians and from the film Fire in the Sky.

Desideratum

Desideratum is Synæsthesia's second album of ambient, industrial music, released October 17, 1995 by Cleopatra Records.[6] It was produced by Leeb and Fulber. Its length is 139:15. It received a four of five star rating by AllMusic.[7]

Track listing

  • Disc one
  1. "Andromedia" – 8:00
  2. "Orion Nebula" – 11:30
  3. "Consciousness" – 6:56
  4. "Umbra" – 9:00
  5. "Barred Spirals" – 9:48
  6. "DNA Barcode" – 10:42
  7. "Surface System" – 11:20
  • Disc two
  1. "Dark Core" – 8:08
  2. "Subversion" – 8:24
  3. "Lumia" – 10:30
  4. "Hallucinations" – 9:07
  5. "Mosaic" – 9:48
  6. "Lifeless" – 15:42
  7. "Tubastrea Aurea" – 10:20
  • Note: Disc 1 track 2 is labeled incorrectly as "Orion Nebulua". The correct title is "Orion Nebula"

Discography

References

  1. ^ a b "Synaesthesia - Ephemeral". Keyboard (24). NewBay Media: 136. 1998.
  2. ^ a b c "Synaesthesia (CA)". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
  3. ^ "Synæsthesia: Ephemeral". Industrial Reviews, review by Al Crawford (in Russian)
  4. ^ "Synaesthesia (CA)". Sputnik.
  5. ^ "Ephemeral". AllMusic Review by Jim Brenholts
  6. ^ Brenholts, Jim. "Desideratum Album Review". AllMusic. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  7. ^ AllMusic ratings link