r e g e n e r a t i o n   m o d e   r e v i e w s   - 1 -

.
.

r e g e n e r a t i o n   m o d e ~Chuck van Zyl and Peter Gulch are no newcomers to the electronic scene, although their names might not garner recognition. Both have been recording electronic music for about fifteen years (primarily cassettes) working under the name Xisle and Gulch having been a member of the Nightcrawlers. Regeneration Mode is actually a departure from their more traditional Teutonic roots. This CD is instead a series of stark soundscapes, many having a lunar quality. "Sector Zero Zero One" is a half-hour series of these aural environments, mixing images of barren planetscapes with the gentle hush of stellar winds. But the CD's best moments occur on "Shield Failure", an ambient industrial piece (along the lines of Lustmord) that seems to tell a dark story. The piece is dark and forbodding, filled with distant rumbling, metallic sounds, and the music of machinery. Then we are struck with the sound of something vital breaking down, followed by the strains of mournful string synths. It doesn't require a background in science fiction to figure out that when shields fail in space, people die. This song reflects that perfectly. Michael C. Mahan -- ALTERNATE PRESS   August 1995

r e g e n e r a t i o n   m o d e ~Veteran eastcoast synthesists Chuck van Zyl and Peter Gulch (the Nightcrawlers) have been extrapolating on the Schulze process throughout their extremely productive careers. Only recently has van Zyl been able to release CDs of his wonderful music, and Regeneration Mode, for all intents and purposes, is going to be difficult to follow. 'Regenerating' Schulze and the rest of the regime, van Zyl and Gulch have concocted space music with an edge. Using coarser textures that recapitulate 'the ultimate trip' scenes of 2001, even perching themselves as close to the style of the avant-garde as possible ("Sector Zero Zero One"), van Zyl and Gulch have side stepped traditionalist German dogma so profoundly (by emphasizing tones and note clusters over major chords and sequencers), they've created one of the best records to rise out of the fragmented American space music scene in recent memory. Proof that progressivism can be achieved, even within tried and true genres. Darren Bergstein -- I/E   issue #8

r e g e n e r a t i o n   m o d e ~Chuck van Zyl and Peter D. Gulch are amongst the most inventive of US synthesists today, working in the genre of Teutonic style synth. You may know of them from the bands Xisle and Nightcrawlers, and other projects, yet this new release really relates closest to the expansive work of Lightwave, Steve Roach or Michael Stearns, and is also highly creative and original, unlike most of their past work which is generally very derivative. Here the feel is of space, deep deep space, with shimmering sonic illusions. Expecting the climactic centre section of the 29 minute opener "Sector Zero Zero One", which is for those into dark synth moods rather than melodies, not that it's music of dissonance, but as with all classical music, it's a balanced creation, full of subtleties. Of all the albums to emerge from the Synkronos stable thus far, this is amongst the finest. And, if you've become increasingly bored by loads of synth albums that sound the same, this may be well come as a surprise! Alan Freeman -- AUDION   #31

r e g e n e r a t i o n   m o d e ~This impressive release casts its spell with dark synthetic hues, a few industrial references, and plenty of space. We can think of more than a few artists on bigger labels who could learn something about timbral combination and free compositional structure from this duo. Robert L. Doerschuk -- KEYBOARD   May 1995

r e g e n e r a t i o n   m o d e ~Nightcrawler Peter Gulch and Chuck van Zyl get together with a project called Regeneration Mode. Tracks called "Sector Zero Zero One" and "Sub-Space Fields" capture a dark world beyond the cosmos. Unnerving alien-like sounds mingle with the heartbeats of a thousand sould. Finally, as we come to the musical journey's end,a peaceful and spiritual feeling prevails. Recommended. Mick Garlic -- SEQUENCES   #12

r e g e n e r a t i o n   m o d e ~The cold impersonal elements of outer space are conveyed quite effectively on this five-track disc that was created in large part by the reactions of the artists, Chuck van Zyl and Peter Gulch, to an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Their use of the TV story, in which the captian of the enterprise is assimilated into a race of cyborgs, as a catalyst for musical exploration is quite exciting. The listener genuinely shares the feeling of being part of a huge, interconnected group of beings in "Sector Zero Zero One," a 30-minute sonic adventure that goes from unsettling discordance through aimless ambience to compositional cohesiveness. "Shield Failure" is another thought-provoking cut that expresses through metalic-tinged sounds the deadly consequences of a high tech interstellar war. Science fiction-oriented music is often created specifically to enhance a cinematic adventure; on this release van Zyl and Gulch have turned the tables, using the visuals only as a launching pad for the far-reaching tunes. As a result, they have created a collection that is wonderfully futuristic and compelling. JB -- ASTERISM   Winter 1996

r e g e n e r a t i o n   m o d e ~These guys obviously have plenty of Tangerine Dream in their record collections. The 26-minute "Sector Zero Zero One" spans the gamut from sections of dark electronic texture washes to high-pitch electronic water drips to the kind of sequencer and electronic drums that sound very much like early-'80s Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze. "Shield Failure," with its rhythmic pulses, cymbal samples and electronic squeakings, manages to generate some tension (wouldn't you be tense if your shields were failing?). As the various titles indicate, they seem to be shooting for the science fiction end of electronic music. Some parts are pretty nice if you like the "music from the heart of space" genre, while at other points they seem to be showing off the various sounds their equipment can produce. A reasonably decent, if not exactly crucial or original entry, at least this disc generally manages to avoid the new age cliches so often heard in this type of music. Scott Lewis -- OPTION   #63 Jul/Aug 1995

.
.