Different Space

Bob Holroyd | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 11, 2000)
• Original Release Date: July 11, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Six Degrees
• ASIN: B00004UAOC
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #104,797 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Bob Holroyd is one of those musicians you hear without knowing it. He spends a lot of his time producing library albums, and generic music used for commercials, films, and industrial presentations. He writes to a nonspecific mood and other people put it to imagery. Every couple of years he surfaces with an engaging ambient album, and A Different Space is his latest. It finds him taking a techno-tribal turn, using lots of global instrumental and vocal samples from Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, and putting it on top of propulsive dance grooves à la Deep Forest. Then he tosses in live players like trumpeter Kevin Robinson doing a Hugh Masekela-style solo on "Drumming Up a Storm" or Dirk Campbell weaving in uilleann pipes and ney flute. It's all been done by Deep Forest, Loop Guru, Banco De Gaia and others, and Holroyd adds little to the form, but there's no denying the slick, sonically rich landscapes he creates. But like his library music it has the feel of formula. In fact, the more he gets away from his loops, such as "Dark Waters" (with its live guitar, percussions, and bass), the more lively and "authentic" his music gets. --John Diliberto

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Can't stop listening to this one, August 30, 2000

By 

Guardian of the Zen Sea "Indigo" (Looking after the sun and surf) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Different Space (Audio CD)

Well, Six Degrees records strikes again!! How do they find these talented people? This CD has great musical integrety while making a lot of use of synthesizers and dubs. The World vocal crossover stylings on a couple of the pieces contrast very well with the dream spaces evoked in others. There is never a dull moment wandering through this landscape. Some of the pieces have been played on Hearts of Space, while others would be more suited for a trance outing. All are excellent. Go for it.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than the movie!, August 5, 2000

By 

Miles (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Different Space (Audio CD)

Bob Holroyd is a creator of atmosphere and texture; his music has a cinematic quality that takes you to some very exotic places. If you've got a little time, and have nowhere to go, play this on headphones, or in a quiet room.

A beautiful work.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Electronic world music?, October 10, 2002

By 

Neil Kerr (Hastings, NE United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Different Space (Audio CD)

Bob Holroyd has crafted an outstanding CD that combines the influences of world music (influences that sound like they come from all over the globe!) with the nuanaces and subtleties available in electronic music. The rhythms and percussion really stand out in nearly every track, and they're remarkably different on every track. The first track and "African Drug" are African-influenced fast-moving fly-bys, while "Adrift in Kerala" and "Something Understood" are more Asian trance. "Earthwatching", my favorite, is unlike everything else on the CD - mysterious and purely electronic. The vocals on the CD are sparse yet effective, and each track will grab you in its own way. A great CD!