Lynne, Bjorn - Revive

Year of Release: 2000
Label: Cyclops
Catalog Number: CYCL 087
Format: CD
Total Time: 70:04:00

My first foray into the music of Bjorn Lynne was with Wolves Of The Gods, and based on that I was keen to hear much more - at least as much as my budget would allow. So, why not start with his very latest, I thought. This latest is a collection of re-arranged and re-recorded tracks from what Lynne terms his "early years" (roughly 1988 to 1992 when he called himself "Dr. Awesome").

What we have here are 12 mostly energetic electronic tracks along the same lines as recent (say 90s or so) Tangerine Dream, though just a wee bit rockier. Lynne plays everything on this release - keys, guitars, percussion, etc. - while Rory McLeish adds some additional lead guitar on "12th Warrior" which opens the album and "Moongazer." This latter track has a bit of a thin and reedy feel about it ? something more like polished yet brushed, coloured aluminum. I can quite easily see computer-generated visuals to accompany this - or perhaps the night sky changing in time-lapse photography.

Entitled Revive, it is apt. Not only is Lynne "reviving" some of his favourite compositions, but also the music itself is so bright, so upbeat, that one listening to it can't help but feel revived as well. Even the sparse piano based "Empty Spaces" is uplifting - and quite stunning. I say "even" but of course I don't mean it the way it reads - although "Empty Spaces" isn't a driving rock spirited piece, it moves, just on another kind of level.

"12th Warrior" is perhaps the most dramatic and darkest track here; over a repeated keyboard phrase with percussive overtones, additional percussion provides a heavy backdrop. Here and there, guitar accents soar or slice. But, after all, it's not all that dark - though the sense of battle is strong. I can't help but think of the recent film release The 13th Warrior - though all I've seen of this movie to date are the TV promos (as an aside, I was quite impressed with cinematography of the little snippets shown). [I've since seen the movie twice - SS Dec 2005]

"Bridge To The Universe" is a bit like parts of Kevin Braheny's Galaxies release of several years back - at least the intro strongly is. While Lynne's guitar takes the lead on this track, there is one passage where there's a slight disco feel about it. Not being familiar with effect-terminology, all I can tell you is a that it sounds bright, fat, kinda parpy? the only fault I can find here is that it is mixed just a little too much out front.

Listening to "Himalayan Summit (Hightop)" I not only thought of the indicated imagery, but also thought of Galahad's recent Following Ghosts (and the remix disc Deconstructing Ghosts). Well, there's some bass here, too, that made me think of Marillion (cf. Clutching At Straws). It also has that TV show theme thing going for it - perhaps something set at the beach?

"Space Deliria 2000" is a slowly evolving track, guitar leads are punctuated with percussive sighs as the sonic tension builds. "Session" sounds hauntingly familiar, and it may be because the arrangement has that air of familiarity about it. Lynne's guitar is again out front, backed by driving percussion (a drum machine mostly I think) over soaring keyboards.

"Bridge To The Universe, Part 2" has such a dramatic feel about it - such a strong and bold statement of purpose. Propelled by percussion, keys parp and twist as they try to fight against the stream. Only to crest into a world of wonder - broad, lyrical strokes (guitar) - imagine a vast and bright city that someone like Roger Dean or Michael Whelan might paint?only to find the current has taken you out beyond into nothingness (or seemingly nothingness) - the universe.

It's hard to sit still listening to this disk - it is an album that encourages movement. Not that you are restless to being doing or listening to something else, but you realize just how idle you're being when this music makes you want to go out there and do something. The first thing you should do, of course, is get Revived.

Tracklisting:
12th Warrior (6:10) / Bridge To The Universe, Part 1 (4:37) / Himalayan Summit (Hightop) (7:04) / Empty Spaces (2:57) / Moongazer (6:58) / Space Deliria 2000 (7:46) / Niagara (5:09) / Empty Spaces 2 (2:42) / Cosmos (11:01) / Session (6:23) / Bridge To The Universe, Part 2 (6:42) / Bonus track: Union City Conspiracy (4:35)

Musicians:
Bjorn Lynne - guitars, bass guitars, keyboards, percussion, vocals, programming
Rory McLeish - additional lead guitar (1, 5)

Discography:
Hobbits and Spaceships (1992) (w/Seppo Hurme)
Montage (1994)
Dreamstate (1995)
Witchwood (1996)
The Void (1997)
Wizard of the Winds (1998)
Wolves Of The Gods (1999)
Revive (2000)
The Gods Awaken (2001)
Accelerator (2001)
Colony (2002)
Return To Witchwood (2003)

Plus a lot of video game music and music released under the Divinorum moniker.

Genre: Electronic

Origin UK

Added: March 1st 2000
Reviewer: Stephanie Sollow
Score:
Artist website: www.lynnemusic.com
Hits: 2723
Language: english