Markus Reuter

“The Longest Terms of Being”, the latest work by remarkable touch guitarist Markus Reuter, is nothing short of extraordinary. It is one of the best albums of the year, possibly the single best Ambient CD of 2002. Even listeners new to this type of music can realise this already on a first hearing. Reuter is an experimental guitarist with talent and style to burn. He is a co-founding member of the never too highly praised Centrozoom and a member of Europa String Choir. As well as collaborating with Ian Buddy (as Dub Atomica and in other projects like Tryptych), he has released two solo works: “Digitalis”- Hypnos and this present “The Longest Terms of Being”, produced by Reuter himself. His style as an Ambient musician is best defined as “Active Ambient Music”, a sound that requires attentive participation on the side of the listener. Indeed, “The Longest Terms of Being” is no static and repetitive aural wallpaper. On the contrary, it is a vital, involving and visionary piece of music. Markus’ style is highly personal, but it could be likened to the more experimental side of Robert Fripp, (who actually lacks Reuter’s romantic feel) or to Brian Eno’s music from a few years ago. “The Longest Terms of Being” radiates a feeling that thoroughly holds the listener’s attention captive. Musically speaking, it also boasts a considerable level of cultural depth. Such is the perfection of the contemplative mood of this work that it can also be fully appreciated by people who are not particularly interested in Ambient or Minimal Music. Listening to this superb effort takes us into a cathedral of notes and harmonies that sound almost as if they were created in front of us. It is an environment that resonates with echoes and reverberations, a special place where one can find oneself before sheer immensity. The high naves and star-lined vaults of this magical place inspire one to mysticism, to a sense of cosmic religiousness within. “The Longest …” leads one through spontaneous adjustments to an altered state of existence, almost an over-body experience towards a higher level of consciousness. Some sounds and a certain monodic style are typical of sacred music and such reminiscences significantly contribute to increase the allure and the emotional impact of this work. The serial music of the opening track “Abolition of Death”, with its tonal variations on organ stops, brings back to mind Brian Eno’s “Discreet Music” in some respects. Next comes “A Clue to Reality”, a breathtaking ambient track. which is as short as it is profoundly sad. No genuine music lover could resist it. The hypnotic and hymn-like “Read Aloud in Cold Blood” features a distorted organ sound coming from a lonely cosmic void, while “Further Clues of Reality”, a real Ambient gem, is a perfect hybrid of 80’s Tangerine Dream and Brian Eno in a state of grace. Deeply moving. The majestic panic and icy intensity of “Demonstration with the Enemy” show Markus’ talent for creating an elaborate sonic universe by working on few strings of his touch guitar. “Confirmation” is an astonishing astral symphony for organ, its inspired beauty reminding one of the early Schulze of “Irrlicht” and “Cyborg”. In a word, wonderful. “The Fear of Final Falling” is an all too brief track on which Markus turns his string sound into a distorted alarm siren to a harrowing effect, whereas the acutely introspective Ambient Music of “The Increase of Faith” exudes emotional intensity while recording the turmoil of the heart, as though it was modelled after the sighs of a lover recalling vivid memories of lost love. The stately “Angels of Burn” grows hypnotically to an orchestral atmosphere, fully capturing the sidereal feel of the immense cosmic space. Finally, the achingly intimate “Hold” is a fitting closing track for such a great and important masterpiece. This is an authentic and lasting work of art aimed at all the people who look for Beauty in music. If you find it, listen to it and let me know.

http://www.music-on-tnt.com

This is excellent music. The textural variety of it makes for compelling listening. Very impressive.

Andrew Keeling

The first track on The Longest In Terms Of Being inundates the listener with gigantic waves of sound. "The Abolition Of Death"'s welcoming sheetfolds of dreaminess lull the listener -- over the course of its almost-twelve minute length -- into the calmness that's expected of ambient music. Rather than letting that rest unchallenged, however, the song segues into the frankly disturbing "A Clue To Reality" -- which, despite hinting at the return of restfulness, never fully recovers the embryonic comfort established by the previous tune. This is, contrary to expectations, a good thing, as it forces you to listen to the rest of the disc without shunting it into the background, as frequently occurs with other ambient artists. The phenomenal thing about this album is that it was recorded in real-time. The was no manipulation of the pieces; they were composed and recorded on the fly. It's this distinct lack of planning, or Bach-like rigidity to set formula, that makes the disc appealing. To some, this could be an annoyance, and add further weight to the argument that ambient music is naught but rambling synth washes with wafty fundament-exploring overtones. Reuter, fortunately, steers the enterprise away from the traps that even the finest ambient practitioners haven't entirely managed to avoid. Certainly, there's a tangible soundtrack-like feel to the music contained herein; it's easy to imagine alien landscapes or windblown, depopulated cities sliding by on-screen as Reuter plays his TouchStyle guitar -- not the expected bank-o-synths -- for the duration. This sense of extant narrative drives the album forward, giving it a sense of life beyond the songs and Reuter's remarkable performance. Reuter's carving out his own niche in the soundscape landscape. The pieces here are massive -- "Confirmation", for instance, invokes the stateliness of church organs and cathedral solemnity -- though they lack the prevailing sense of self-importance that seems to dog other's output. It's refreshingly free of cheese and ego; this alone marks The Longest In Terms Of Being as being something pretty special.

Splendid E-zine

Baring the gentle underbelly of Markus Reuter's sonic demeanour - these sparse arrangements and fragile textures are firmly rooted in the ambient zone. Markus successfully evokes mutating shades of light and darkness, which sporadically conjure up a sonic power of orchestral proportions. As the phantom-like drones of 'The Abolition Of Death' begin their slow decent it is clear that this is a journey which cannot be hurried on to a reckless conclusion. In actuality there is no closure, rather the work simply moves on to another place as the ethereal drift of 'Hold' shifts downstream... leaving the audient content, at peace, though pondering "where can I possibly go after this?". It is rare to see such broad strokes from one artist.

Lee Fletcher

Any chance you could put an MP3 of a release so we could get some idea of what the release sounds like ?

MIchael