Customer Reviews

Immersion

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This CD is one I put on when I'm laying down on the couch and trying to relax at the end of the day. It has magical and creative qualities that put me in the right state of mind. It definitely has a calming effect without being repetative or boring.

I would like to focus on this rather unknown project leaded by California based sound designer John Broaddus. Even if Laocoön "Immersion" CD was released long time ago, back in 1998, on John's own Parnassus Nump Records, to me, this album is like well-hidden treasure that should deserve more attention from ambient community even if widely accessible and reviewed at the end of the 90's. Followed by "4 at 18" CD in 2003, this time under John's own name, and after 8-year break, finally, 2011 brings two download albums "-afield-" and "A Strange Mint". Let's move back to "Immersion" CD, the opener, "Molecular Streams" unveils with darker, but hauntingly textured and uplifting ambience with deeply echoed cavernous feel. A very strong introduction of Laocoön's own sonic sceneries that are unified and dedicated to water. "Hollow Tranquility" keeps on the darker route, more minimal and static, flavored with occasional sounds of bells or gongs, reaching deeply submersible effect evoking breathtaking bathyscaph odyssey taking us directly to the seafloor to explore its mysteries with fluorescing organisms. Some ghostly femme-like sounds color "Liquid Prism" and floate above meditative dronescapes, again spiced with catchy bell sounds and effects. Distant rumblings and alien effects open "Transcendence", later transforming into lighter and relieving ambience, a very attractively structured breathing and tranquilizing composition. Darker and minimal resonating drones with slowly evolving structure assemble "Leviathan" and dive deeper into the oceanic depths for fascinating search of sea monsters and other creatures that inhabit this deep shadowy realm. "Mist" is by far lighter exploration, a truly serene journey taking us much higher to discover diverse underwater structures of coral reefs. "Submersion" is calling and we are leaving this marvelous rainforest of the sea for 25-minute long opus, more colossal, nocturnal and static dronescape navigating us again to the bottom of the sea to continue our exploration of bizarre and wondrous creatures. "Immersion" is a truly fascinating bioluminescent odyssey loaded with minimal, but highly effective, colorful and adventurous sonic wizardry by John Broaddus, the sole creator of Laocoön. A very impressive debut and I hope the near future will bring more releases by John Broaddus on CD format, it would be well deserved!!!

Richard Gürtler (Nov 27, 2011, Bratislava, Slovakia)