Schengen

"EP" (EP, 2003)

Make Mine Music

Five-track EP from the then fledgling Make Mine Music label - home also to Yellow6, Portal, and Avrocar. Like the label's first release Split - a collaboration between Jon Attwood's Yellow6 and Scott Sinfield's Portal projects, this second catalogue entry gives four of the label's artists a chance to share ideas and a platform.

In keeping with the core label character, all are instrumental. First two tracks Capitol and B'Leaf were jointly written by Portal and electronic duo Schengen (aka Ian MacKenzie and Nick Varney). The first is a remarkably immediate piece of ambient electronica that rapidly weaves its way into you head making all subsequent visits seem like instantly recognising a long lost friend; whilst B-Leaf has all the best qualities of classic Harold Budd.

Tarl Broad-Ashman records with a variety of different vocalists under the guise of former Enraptured and Endorphin artist Innerise, but here he takes on the solo role of remixer to Schengen's Seti serving up a suitably alien sounding chilled beats. Schengen return alone on the brief pulsing ambience of Grace. Finally newcomers Weyland make their debut with the second remix of Seti on Seti on Safari. If Innerise's mix was alien sounding then Weyland's unsettling glitching could be a close encounter of the third kind. 7/10

Rob Dyer (May 2009)