From the "Electroshock Records" label in Russia comes what is, in my opinion, the first must-have album of the year. It's also the early leader for the top chill-out/ambient recording of 2003. "Midway" unites the assorted guitars (acoustic and electric) of Valery Siver with the electronics and beats of Kiryll Trepakov and the result is, well, fuckin' brilliant. Imagine locking Pat Metheny, Bruce BecVar and Aphex Twin (from his SAW II days) in a room with the command to "Play nice together!" and you may get some idea of the delights this CD holds. However, in this case, the whole is infinitely more rewarding than sum of any similar parts, such as the ones I just wrote above.

     Veering from smooth as chromium chill-ambient, cushioned by liquid synths and anchored with glitch beats, to sparkly warm new age tunes, to mysterious shadowy synth soundscapes, the tracks on "Midway" are unified by some of the most innovative integrating of assorted guitars with electronics and beats I've heard in, well, maybe forever. Like I wrote above, fuckin' brilliant!

     Opening with the strumming of a guitar mixed with foreboding undercurrents of percussive effects and minor key synths on "N-tro" "Midway" starts to really gel on "Stress" where the tasty and catchy glitch beats are first introduced. Swirling synths and skip/glitch rhythms coalesce around plaintive acoustic guitar with a slight Spanish courtyard flavor. "Hot Wind" is the first Bruce BecVar-tinted song, as mellow guitar flits over synth strings, a butterfly-winged flute sample, and twinkling bells - charming is too understated a word, and when midtempo beats are gradually folded into the mix, a grin of sheer delight will come on your face, I'd wager.

     "Midway" is, simply, an amazing album and there is plenty of variety to be heard, although everything here is either nicely chilled or flavored with just the right amount of new age beauty to sound sweet without being cloying or syrupy. "Dansing" has a bit of a progressive sound to it with sweeping keyboards and a moderate amount of "rocking" sound to the guitar work, eventually bringing classic English prog bands of the '70s to mind (what with analog synths and a slight renaissance-era sound to the guitar at times). "Dreams" sounds like it came from BecVar's "Forever Blue Sky", although the synth work is much more adventurous which gives this "pretty" song a welcome slight edge. Pat Metheny fans will enjoy "Head on a Laps" which features delicate minimal guitar, played in a semi-jazzy style (although still considerably laid back in feel and tempo) along with a wooden flute sample that sure reminds me of the artistic touches Lyle Mays added to Metheny's work on, e.g., the early tracks off of that guitarist's album "Off Ramp".

     Not everything is sweet and light here, of course; sometimes the chill-out is laced with a bit of mystery or darkness, especially on later tracks, such as "Mentors Shadow" with its smoky-dark drones, radio signal distortion and sparse guitar, or the ambient noir meets EM of "The Way" led by mournful synth choruses and, later, chugging synth rhythms (including what sounds like a saw being waved back and forth); or the SF-meets-cyber-lounge textures of "Thirty Seconds".

     Besides being what is almost assuredly the most accessible release ever from "Electroshock", "Midway" is also one of its most entertaining recordings. Each song is like a multifaceted jewel that, as the listener rotates it in his/her hand, reveals some new aspect of its beauty. Hats off to Siver and Trepakov on delivering a recording so full of unexpected surprises and musical wonder; and kudos to Artemiy Artemiev of "Electroshock Records" for releasing this fantastic album which earns my highest recommendation.

     "Midway" is a new album from "Electroshock" fusing the labels' trademark cutting edge electronic sounds with more conventional instruments. In this case it is guitars (acoustic and electric) and it shows in the way the music has a much more approachable feel and openness to it - indeed, the third track "Hot Wind" is positively jazzy and soul-stirring. In fact this sense of "swing" permeats the album throughout, making it one of the most melodic albums I've heard in a long time. Mixing traditional instruments and synthesisers has always been a difficult task for musicians - they aren't natural bedfellows after all - but on this album Valery Siver and Kiryll Trepakov seem to have cracked it. The synths and samplers create the bedrock of percussion and melodic background and the guitars subtly weave their magic throughout. Track seven, "Don", is a fine example of this magic, a limpidly funky backbeat is layered with soft synth drones while the guitars dance slowly with a synth lead, not exactly Ravel's "Bolero" but very exotic. The more I hear of "Midway" the more I like it, it is an album that deserves to be heard by as wide an audience as possible. It is quite simply a magical album. I do hope it won't be too long before Valery Siver and Kiryll Trepakov release another album.

     The CD "Midway" was a nice experience. I love pieces for guitar and this kind of "New Age" music mixed with progressive ideas and nice keyboards is what made me wanted to be musician. Alex deGrassi and other composers that do this king of work were my favourites once. I really enjoyed the CD, especially track 1.

     One thing can be said about "Electroshock Records" without any fear of contradiction, and that's they're one hell of an interesting electronic label. I'd be the first to say that not all their releases have hit the mark, that would be, frankly, impossible, but all credit is given to them for not sticking to a winning formulae. It's only recently I finished the mammoth task of reviewing their last batch when bang! another five arrive. Not that I'm moaning, anything from this label is always a welcome addition. Valery Siver and Kiryll Trepakov's "Midway" (ELCD 035) had me hooked straight away. I think it was down to the instruments used on the opening track, "N-Tro". As crazy as this sounds, it reminded me of "Hatfield" - it definitely has that 'Canterbury' feel, which is crazy because both composers are Russian! Also, the rear CD piccy and the inside one of the abandoned farm really helped the imagery. Classic opener, let's see what else happens.... Well, I'm not disappointed! "Stress", the second track is anything but, and combined with "Hot Wind" (what a title!) is like a stroll along a towpath with willow trees dangling in the water, a true ambient experience. What I do like about this album is the occasional use of electric piano that reminds you of those Sepia tinged bygone days of classic "Hatfield" and "National Health". There's twelve tracks in all, each one around four to five minutes long, and there simply isn't a dull one. Maybe it might be a bit twee for some hard core electronic fans, but I find it a gentle departure from being challenged all the time with darker pieces. A really nice album.