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Ambidextrous' "Errorism", on the Moscow based Shaped Harmonics label, turned out to be one of my favorite releases of last year. So I was looking forward to hear the new release when it arrived. "100% Syntetika" is the debut album grown out of the collaboration between Elena and Vladislav Tyulyandin, respectively a musician and a dj, both from St-Petersburg (Russia).

This album is like a friendly invitation to a place of warmth and security. Forget crunchy beats, distorted percussion, spastik melodies and say hello to gentle beats, harmonious melodies, dubby rhythms: for this music spreads an atmosphere of total tranquility. 
It reminds me a lot of the 1994-era ambient, think of projects like Global Communication or Higher Intelligence Agency. That doesn't mean you're in danger of getting the "We've heard all this before feeling", old and new elements were cleverly blended into solid compositions with attention to detail and diversity. 

After listening just a couple of times, it feels like a very mature ambient electronica of pure and modest beauty. Altough we're only February, there's a good chance it'll be one of my favorite releases for this year ...

SayVegin
feb2002