AmbiEntrance - Review by David Opdyke
04/07/02

DISORIENT
Richard Bone

        With the 10 culture-merging tracks of Disorient, Richard Bone beefs up his signature synthworks with heartier rhythm sections and warmer bass tones... a nice move!

        Like an oversized music box, In Japa tinkles in pretty piano-and-chimes, to be infused with sub-bass impulses. More distinctly "exotic" Barhoom works characteristically "ethnic" sounds into a stylized swirl of drones, drums cymbals and soft-though-spirited flutations. Eastern-ish strings pluck and drift easily above Sudanaram, buoyed by the breezes of faint vocal currents and a light rhythm. The faraway roar of the The Inland Sea (3:54) is awash with slow tonal cycles, stringy counterpoints and twittery birds. Strange bedfellows play together nicely in Intricate Autumn, where urbane piano lounginess is backed by the more-primal nature of jungle drums. Seductively throbbing percussion invigorates the brass-and-string sounds of Arabaya.Patterns of Motion's gamelan-esque bongs are spattered with wandering beats and tinkling ivories. Sassy and sedate combine on the funky bass and elegant orchestral floes of Buddha's in Baghdad (8:16), a fitting endpiece.Nothing actually Disorient-ing about it, unless you're befuddled by its magical gentleness... Richard Bone interweaves his restrained, sometimes-nearly-minimal electronic music with a slightly revved- up sense of rhythm-play. Nicely done of course, perhaps too "light" for the hardcore experimentalist crowd, but a pleasant A- diversion for most ears, and a must-own for Bone fans.