Review of Sidetracks - Volume 3 by Bill Binkelman of Wind and Wire

Bill Binkelman, founder and current webmaster of Wind and Wire, performed the following review of Sidetracks - Volume 3 - The Heikkinen Exclusive.

With his permission, I'm including the review in it's entirety here, and have incorporated quick links to the samples of each track from the CD that he speaks directly on throughout the review.

Thanks Bill!


KEITH RICHIE

Sidetracks Volume 3 (The Heikkinen Exclusive)

Indieopolis (2005)

In the liner notes, keyboardist Keith Richie cites musical influences as diverse as Tangerine Dream, John Carpenter, Enya, Deep Forest, Kraftwerk and Vangelis. Listeners might be apprehensive about how such a mishmash of inspiration will be translated on this CD of nineteen tracks. Have no fear, because, while there is a fairly wide assortment of music styles on Sidetracks Volume 3, the album itself holds together quite well, owing to Richie’s recognizable keyboards which help maintain continuity. Also, nine of those nineteen tracks are actually short transitional pieces, entitled “Relaxed Breathing Sessions” in the liner notes. These brief musical interludes and their accompanying nature sounds serve to unify the disparate songs into the “whole” of the recording.

Richie is certainly ambitious. Sometimes, this ambition gets the better of him when his artistic vision is slightly undercut by less than spot-on execution (such as less than optimal keyboard sounds). However, I can easily forgive him this when I take into consideration how diverse and wide in scope the music on Side Tracks Volume 3 is. If I had to categorize the CD’s music, it’s probably safest to list it as either electronica or electronic new age, although elements of world fusion and EM can be heard as well. “Arctic Shores” has Vangelis’ gravitas and flowing melodicism with twinkling bell tones, forlorn horns, and swirling washes. “Ghost Town” attempts to paint a musical portrait of the title, even going so far as to include sound effects such horses walking. Mychael Danna-ish strings are blended with short bursts on shakuhachi flute and plenty of synth embellishments in the background, e.g. sparkling bell trees. Sadly, the sound effects may tend to pull you “out of” the music. However, maybe you will enjoy their novelty more than I did. “Ptilopteri Waltz” is properly delicate with a waltz-like cadence and melody played on plucked harp with an undercurrent of strings. It’s here that Richie’s vision is booby-trapped somewhat by the solo violin sounds which are of lower quality than I think the song deserves.

Lost in Beijing” fares much better and nicely blends male chorales, muted bass drums, and smooth synth washes, eventually folding in some cool wood block percussion and Berlin-esque electronics. I’m not sure what to make of “Mellow Fellow,” a jarring contrast resembling an English-style chill-out track (after a new age-ish opening) with snappy snare beats and thumping bass. At nearly nine minutes long, it has to work hard to sustain listener interest. “Sun in Central Park” may be my favorite song on the CD, uniting elements of Berlin school at the outset with contemporary electronica featuring a great midtempo beat and lots of high quality synth work. Another solid number is “Ambient Highway” which has the sound of a thunderstorm at the beginning (nature sounds abound throughout the CD) with sampled steel drums, synth chorals, especially nice synth string washes, and a sweeping visual sensation that grows more and more dramatic as the cut builds into something more closely akin to Vangelis’ cinematic soundscapes than ambient music.

While not a perfect album, Sidetracks Volume 3 certainly offers solid evidence of Richie’s keyboard and composing talents. As long as you’re not opposed to nature sounds (especially between selections during those “Relaxed Breathing Sessions”) and you favor electronic keyboard music with lots of melody and structure, you’ll find plenty of good music contained herein. However, fans of the Berlin school should be aware that despite the liner note mention of Tangerine Dream, I think Vangelis and perhaps Kitaro are better comparisons for the album.

Bill Binkelman

Music Reviewer

New Age Reporter