Logic Gate Reviews

Logic Gate "Voyages"
(www.magnatune.com, 2008)
5 tracks, 48.41 mins

It's been five years since Steve Grace's debut as Logic Gate with From the Silence, which I thoroughly enjoyed. His sophomore release Voyages takes his classic Berlin school leanings even further, seamlessly blending a variety of moods and sounds into a complete concise package. Synths and piano meld perfectly on the title track, a subdued number that has just the right melodramatic edge to it. The main theme has a majestic feel to it, coming at the beginning and the end of the piece. It's the soft piano section that really sets it apart for me, a beautiful counterpoint to the rest. Bubbly gurgling synths drift in on "Starlight," a short mellow space music number. "Permafrost" starts with a cold wind, then a two-note bass line and a simple synth phrase. This one shows Grace's finer touch with composition, patiently moving the music forward in a natural progression. Throughout, the music is devoid of excesses that can render some retro music as kitsch. "The Voyage Home" is a fitting finale, nearly 15 minutes of analog heaven. At times Voyages reminds me of Rogue Element's excellent debut Premonition, another disc that clearly pays homage to classic Tangerine Dream, fully capturing that essence but distilling it in a fresh way. This is an essential recording for retro fans.

This review was originally published in the November/December 2008 issue of Electroambient Space. Reprinted by permission.

Logic Gate "From The Silence"
(mp3.com, 2003)
3 tracks, 45.50 mins
www.pobox.com/~sgrace/logicgate

Steve Grace is a name I've known from a couple music lists, but this is his very first CD, and a great one it is. Fans of Baumann-era Tangerine Dream should find themselves deep in nostalgic reverie with this one. Three 15-minute epics are always good, never too derivative, but clearly influenced by the masters of electronic music.

The first two and half minutes are largely ambient, save for the nice synth strings. Then a pulsing sequence and perfect Mellotron strings begin the next movement. A plucked guitar-like lead meanders through at just the right pace. A fat vintage synth lead almost but not quite parallels the other lead line, eventually taking over. Lone tron synth strings fade out this movement as it moves to another. As with my favorite TD tracks, this disc has beautiful transitions from one musical theme to the next. A soft electric piano forms another hypnotic loop, then a bright high electronic sound comes over the top of it. The sound thickens as the layers grow, building the intensity to perfection. The different passages remind me of bits from Encore and Tangram, but they are only hints, as Grace has built upon the foundation that TD set from that time period. As layers trail off, only the bright tinkling electronics remain for the last couple of minutes, a suitably soft ending to a brilliant opening number that grabbed me almost immediately and didn't let go. Obligatory synth choirs complete the package as it ends, including another delicious vintage synth line to go with.

The title track begins with tron flutes, sustained synth pads for atmosphere, and more strings. Mellotron strings form the main melody, backed by a stutter-stepping pulsing synth for rhythm. A hybrid sound between electric piano and a bell-like tone then carries the melody after the Mellotron subsides. Flutes continue in the background. You can take turns picking out the sounds in your mind, then enjoying how they all blend together. The pace is relaxed, then some heavy drums come plodding in, adding just the right oomph. Everything but the drums drops out, then it too fades as the next passage ensues, very floating and atmospheric. This serves as a bridge before the energy picks up again with a great uptempo section that begins lightly just past the 8:00 mark. This is perfect vintage TD style without drawing comparison to a particular album or track.

"Biomorph" rounds out the album with a sparser, subdued feel as it begins. Then it picks up the pace with another pulsing sequence around the 9:00 mark. By 12:00 in, the backing percussion is not unlike the finer moments from Ricochet. Soft choirs fade into the distance as the disc ends, the 45 minutes seemingly gone in an instant. This will leave you wanting more.

This review was originally published in the April 2003 issue of Electroambient Space. Reprinted by permission.

Logic Gate - From the Silence 3.5 stars
Self-released CD-R 2003

Vintage electronic music has been made by quite some musicians until now, and to this list we can add Logic Gate. The guy behind this project is Steve Grace hailing from California, whose vintage music carries influences of TD (period 1974-1977) and Redshift. "From The Silence" took about 8 years to complete, and although some might say it sounds derivative it also offers enough own discoveries to make it worthwhile to listen to. The CD contains 3 extended tracks of 15 minutes each, in which pulsating sequences, Mellotron strings and choirs, and fascinating vintage synth pads get along in an engaging manner. The transitions are well done, all around the 7-8 minute mark where the music heads off in a somewhat different direction. To me, the only minor thing of the album is the fact that the compositions aren't that strong as a lot of improvisation gives the music free way. But in the end I'm sure TD and Redshift fans will enjoy this recording quite a lot. Info at www.pobox.com/~sgrace/logicgate where the complete album can be heard.

Bert Strolenberg was the Senior Editor of E-dition Magazine in The Netherlands. Reprinted by permission.