(2020) VA – Virtual Dreams: Ambient Explorations in the House & Techno Age, 1993-1997


Review:
As its title suggests, is not a traditional ambient release. Rather, it approaches ambient through a house and techno lens. The compilation showcases tracks selected by MFM co-founder Jamie Tiller, which more than hold up almost thirty(ish) years on from their creation. One of the notable achievements of MFM’s half-century outing is the coherence it maintains whilst traversing the outer contours of the ambient oeuvre. Serene beatless offerings such as Sun Electric’s ‘Love 2 Love’, MDA Analog’s ‘Rainful Memories’, and Space Time Continuum’s ‘Flurescene’ are complemented by more kinetic cuts such as LA Synthesis’, ‘Frozen Tundra Dub’, which ventures towards DnB rhythms, and Human Mesh Dance’s atmospheric foray into space house. UK luminary Richard H. Kirk’s ‘Oneski’ is another track that sits closer to the dancefloor in terms of arrangements, evincing the fine line between ambient and other subsets of electronica, a line that is blissfully blurred throughout this collection. Some of the producers featured are best known for their output in other genres. For example, David Moufang, renowned for his club-focused productions under his Move D guise, contributes one of the highlights with ‘Sergio Leone’s Wet Dream’. LFO’s ‘Helen’, replete with intricate harmonies, epitomises what a chillout track should be; while the ‘chillout’ descriptor has been besmirched due to an excess of tawdry ‘chillout’ compilations, MFM050 showcases tracks from a time before the term was co-opted, and is a salient reminder as to the broader possibilities and potential of the genre. Appropriately, ambient luminaries Tom Middleton and Mark Pritchard – collectively Global Communication – also feature with their remix of ‘Arcadian’ by Link (originally a Mark Pritchard solo project), a reworking that is laden with the subtle plangent melodies that suffuse the pair’s hallmark collaborations.





Tracklist:
1. MLO – Birds & Flutes [05:21]
2. Pulusha – Isolation (Part Two) [08:27]
3. MDA Analog – Rainful Memories [04:03]
4. Space Time Continuum – Fluresence [06:47]
5. David Moufang – Sergio Leone’s Wet Dream [09:41]
6. LA Synthesis – Frozen Tundra Dub [09:55]
7. Richard H. Kirk – Oneski [06:43]
8. A Positive Life – The Calling (Loved’Ub Mix) [11:29]
9. Sideral – Mare Nostrum [06:22]
10. Primitive Painter – Levitation [08:17]
11. Sun Electric – Love 2 Love [04:02]
12. LFO – Helen [06:36]
13. Dubtribe Sound System – Sunshine’s Theme (Sunshine’s Remix) [08:09]
14. Human Mesh Dance – 8 [05:37]
15. Link – Arcadian (Global Communication Remix) [09:31]
16. The Arc – Orphic Mysteries [07:42]
17. Bedouin Ascent – Joyriding III [02:00]


Media Report:
Genre: ambient, compilation, electronic
Format: FLAC
Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec, 16-bit PCM
Bit rate mode: Variable
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Bit depth: 16 bits