AM/FM: Amiga Musicians' Freeware Magazine 18/AM-FM 18.adf/Basement/Montage_Review.txt.pp/Montage_Review.txt

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                                Bjørn A.Lynne's

                                 "Montage" CD

                                  DENS CD002

                              A Review for AM/FM

                          written by Kevan R. Craft.







Montage is Bjørn A  Lynne's  second  CD  release,  the  first being Hobbits and
Spaceships in 1992.  This time the  CD  album Montage adopts a concept approach
and  according  to   the   sleeve    footnotes,   was   inspired   by   Whitley
Strieber's published  books  'Communion'   and   'Transformation'   about   the
authors written accounts of  real-life  experiences  of  close  encounters with
beings from another dimension.

Montage's accompanying 8 page booklet   contains   a   cover  photo produced by
the prolific German computer Artist   Tobias   Richter   which  is of refracted
bright yellow light escaping from a   wooden   crate,  situated within a rustic
Autumnal forest signifying  hidden mysteries attempting  to  break out from the
confines of the box to the safety of a  secret place of serenity.  We are being
prepared for a magical journey of wonder.

Inside, the first page  relays  the  various  appropriate credits and technical
information, a detailed list of  Mr  Lynne's  Amiga computers, musical software
and synthesizer hardware, followed by   personal  greetings and special thanks.
The second page contains a  beautifully  drawn  pencil sketch of various images
together with a personal quotation by  Bjørn A.Lynne himself.  The centre pages
contain a second beautiful pencil sketch of  a distorted face with a  violin on
an Astral Landscape.  The third page contains  the spoken lyrics from the track
'THE SPIRIT OF  MECHANICA'.   Page  four  contains  various  contact addresses.
Finally the back page contains a mysterious black and white photograph of Bjørn
A. Lynne hiding behind the shadows.

As a keen observer  of  music   which   includes   music  produced on the Amiga
scene, I've  followed  Bjørn   A.Lynne's   musical   career   with   particular
interest and witnessed his talents  develop  from  being  the  composer for the
Amiga  DEMO  group  the  'Crusaders',  to  producing   music   for   commercial
computer  games, to Demo cassettes, Publishing and  Editing  the  World's  best
loved  Amiga  music disk magazine AM/FM  to  composing  music for  CDTV  and CD
Rom games, to collaboration  with  Tobias  Richter  and  scoring music  for  an
Animated film, Producing a first  CD  Hobbits  and  Spaceships with fellow  ex-
Crusader Seppo  Hurme,  composing  music  for  a  live  theatre  production and
eventually we  come to the Montage CD.   It  is obvious that Mr Lynne's musical
output  is  nothing  short of prolific and upon listening to his recent Montage
CD  there  is  evidence  of a  maturity  in  his  work,  a sense of  depth  and
thought  within  the  compositions that  speaks  of  experience  and a sense of
being in tune and an understanding with his emotional perception.  There exists
within   Montage   journies   of    discovery   through  both  traditional  and
experimental composition,  of  juxtapositioning   and  a  skillful montaging of
ideas,  of  sound  and  musical  arrangements   which  are  truly seductive and
enchanting in their communication of the soul.

Unlike most reviews I refuse to create  a spurious chart and marking system out
of 10!  Instead what follows is a list of all tracks featured on the Montage CD
and a brief critical analysis of the musical compositions themselves.

Here goes:->


1. ENTITY (MONTAGE INTRO)  04:31 mins

Being the introduction, ENTITY is the  beginning   of a journey where there are
no rules in music, where the whole  world  of sound is open to experimentation.
The first sounds  we  hear  are  of   a  collection  of  sampled  spoken  texts
from individuals featured in  the   World's  media  attempting  to  communicate
their experience  of  reality  which  contains  somekind   of  close encounter.
Indeed, this  montage  of  spoken  phrases  tells  of   entities   providing an
experience which will take us on  a  journey to higher levels of enlightenment.
The score moves into a powerful  and  dynamic  multi-drumming  structure  on  a
tapestry  of orchestral strings together  with  obscure  sampled  noises  which
establishes  a musical journey to follow within the Montage CD repertoire.


2. COMMUNION  11:50 mins

As with all voyages of discovery and wonder, so begins the music of  COMMUNION.
This particular peice is pure heaven and one can understand the composer's need
to articulate his original source of  inspiration from Whitley Strieber's books
'Communion' and 'Transformation'.  For  our  encounter,  Mr  Lynne's music is a
celebration  of  subjective  emotion  but   it   also  contains  the  power  of
transcendental revelation.   Like  the   majority   of   spiritual celebrations
which contains notions of   shared   participation   in   a  collective  event,
COMMUNION communicates this  effectively  through   a  gradual  development  of
Orchestral strings and Church organs   beautifully  layered  and  textured with
metalic and analogue synthesizer sounds.  All this  and successfully structured
with dynamic drumming enables  COMMUNION  to   evoke   a  religious  experience
and one of pure wonder and amazement.


3. CREEPING SLEEP   05:00 mins

The variety  and  power  of  Bjørn  Lynne's  melodic  ideas,  coupled  with  an
expressive harmony provide  him  with  the  means  to  both  intensify dramatic
situations and to explore  the   inner   motivations   and  hidden  thoughts of
his subject matter.   With  CREEPING  SLEEP  the   composer  provides  an eerie
landscaped canvas in which the various synthesized polyphonic imagery culminate
in various ideas and possibilities of  discovery,  just  like  sleep and dreams
themselves. Above all, and to highten suspense,  the  power of percussion, with
its driving rock beat, provide  an  urgency   to  the  experience  of  fear  of
the unknown territories of sleep.  It is also one hell of a rock track!


4.  FANTASTIC VOYAGE 06:11 mins

For most composers, the  possibilities  of  expression  in  conveying a musical
interpretation of an experience is fundamental  to his pallet.  Indeed, this is
particularly so of the 'journey' motif  where  the composer paints an imaginary
landscape upon which we  undertake  a  voyage  of  discovery.   And this is the
effect successfully communicated by FANTASTIC  VOYAGE where the peice gradually
builds from a simple yet effective exposition of synthesis, to a development of
percussion and drumming which  bring  dynamic  force,  emphatic attacks and the
means  to  create  a  rhythmic   framework    beneath   the  bolder  sounds  of
synthesized  strings,  woodwinds   and    brass.    This   instrumentation   is
characteristic  of thematic  scores  where   the   gradual   develops  into  an
urgent  penetration of synthesized sounds  conveying  a  splendour  and  wonder
during this voyage, but Bjørn Lynne brings a breath of fresh air to this genre.
Equally characteristic is the   slimline   quality   of   the  piece  with  its
references  to travelling somewhere in musical  time and  space,  reflected  by
representations of gradual momentum   and   the   progressive  movement   in  a
forward  direction,  pausing momentarily to gather speed.  The startling sounds
are meticulously planned  and  shaped  with  great  finesse  and  is  a  poetic
declaration that a new age of music is dawning and FANTASTIC VOYAGE  is  simply
an  imaginative musical journey of possibilities.


5. HYPERRIDE  05:14 mins

With regard to form, HYPERRIDE again sows the seeds of innovation.  In choosing
a distinctive theme and developing it in consecutive fashion, Bjørn Lynne takes
an idea which feels free flowing turning  away from itself and opening out into
wider synthesized space and time  with  a  logical elaboration in an unorthodox
manner.  This theme is the subject  almost  throughout HYPERRIDE, though it may
be expanded by embellishments or split  into independent fragments, there is an
excursion from the theme and a return  to  it.  The spontaneity of HYPERRIDE is
not simply a matter of harmonic  and  formal  structure  it depends also on the
regular driving drumming rhythms and on the subtle synthesizer colouring of the
peice.  A traditional thematic working has provided a driving rock score with a
certain regularity and homegenuity of  rhythm  in  order  that attention may be
focused on harmony and melodic shape,   the characteristics of the synth sounds
ensure the goal-directed force of  the  music  as a catchy foot-tapping number,
which I may add, works wonderfully.


6. PLUGGED  04:19 mins

Most 'Rock music', when emulated by computers and synthesizers tends to pale in
comparison to the original human form.  This  is not the case with 'PLUGGED' as
Bjørn Lynne has produced a classic  here.    Of course, subtle homages are paid
to the traditional compositional  structure  and   instrumentation,  but in the
hands of Dr Awesome we are   presented   with   a  reworking  of  a style which
seeks to establish new ground.   Even   the  distorted  electric  guitar,  with
its power chords and the driving rhythm   of  the  rock  drumming are endlessly
seductive. Its not so much  the  inclusion of conventional structural landmarks
as an aid to the  composition  that  matters  here, but  the precise calculated
changes provided to give the impression  of  sound travelling  in space between
two speakers which captivates and moves  you.   Indeed,  Mr  Lynne  grabs  this
opportunity, with 'PLUGGED',  to  present  his  work  as  a   celebration  of a
variation on a marvellous rock theme.


7. THE SPIRIT OF MECHANICA  04:54 mins

At the other  extreme  stands  'SPIRIT  OF  MECHANICA'  with  its  zeal for the
establishment of a  new  musical  'language'  taking  advantage  of  the latest
technology and digital  sample  instrumentation  to  create  a  stunning catchy
number.  Here,  Techno   Dance   drum   rhythms   are  successfully  interwoven
with sampled speech from  the  Amiga's  Paula   Chip   and digital synthesis to
propel a Steven Hawkins like  prophecy  of  the  future.   Sometimes it takes a
composer with insight to  capture  an  audiences  imagination,   with SPIRIT OF
MECHANICA it could be  argued   that   Bjørn   Lynne   has   produced  a  track
which  will undoubtedly encourage his listeners to take to the dance floor with
this one!


8. ENLIGHTENMENT THROUGH FEAR 05:40 Mins

As with  all  musical  themes,  the  provision  of  an  imaginary  landscape is
essential in order that the listener may venture on a journey into sound.  With
ENLIGHTENMENT  THROUGH  FEAR   Mr   Lynne   again   successfully  integrates  a
recognisable musical theme like that  much   practised  by Vangelis in his film
scores.  Indeed,  the  rich  and  varied  timbres  and  orchestrated  synthesis
communicate a sense  of  realisation  that  knowledge  may  be  gained from the
experience of fear itself.  For most people  they  tend to avoid the concept of
fear at all  costs,  but  for  Bjørn  Lynne,  his  venture  into this territory
effectively signifies a coming to  terms,  an understanding with this knowledge
of the darker side of our psyche and a revelation of the inner most surfaces of
our imagination.  It may be  argued  that  rhythmic  structuring is a carefully
textured method since duration is  the most fundamental musical characteristic,
shared by both  sound  and   silence.    With   ENLIGHTENMENT  THROUGH  FEAR we
are  presented  with  a  musical   truth   and    of  the  significant  endless
possibilities of silence integrated with  fully developed musical traditions of
rhythmic patterns and synthesized orchestral musical exploration.


9. TRUTH OR SANITY, PART 1 02:02 mins

Another peice of work of allusive richness is  TRUTH OR SANITY, PART 1, not out
of the old Faustian urge to use the past  but out of the desire and the need to
deal with  realities  whatever  they  may  be.   Here  we  are  presented  with
possibilities of liberation musically.  There are unexpected ranges in the high
and low registers, new harmonic splendours obtained  from the use of low octave
percussion,  the  endless  possibility  of  obtaining  any  differentiation  of
timbre,of sound  combinations,  new  dynamics  far  beyond  the  present  human
power-orchestra, a sense of  sound  projected   in   space  by  means  of sound
samples emitted within the score,  cross  rhythms  unrelated  but  yet  related
to each other, treated simultaneously, all of these are given a unit of measure
in time and signify a versatile musical ambience.


10. A SECRET PLACE 04:34 mins

The sound of running water, the curve  of  the horizon, wind in leaves, the cry
of a bird leave lasting impressions upon us.  And suddenly, without our wishing
it at all, one of these memories spills from us and finds expression in musical
language.  This is particularly evident in 'A SECRET PLACE' which speaks like a
beautiful madrigal ballad containing emotional  expressiveness and lyrical like
musical poetry, opening as the peice does, with a softly played piano, a gently
plucked nylon guitar and a haunting flute.

In its exaltation, this peice speaks of retreats and sanctuaries, it contains a
real passion which is contagious in  revealing  A  SECRET PLACE we all share in
our imagination, what  Carl  Jung  calls  our  "collective unconsciousness".  A
SECRET PLACE will protect us  from   the  violence  inherent within our Western
postmodernist societies. Listening to this peice  of  music is like becoming an
absolute part of the present without forsaking all memory to forge a perception
without precedent and without renouncing our legacies of the past; it reveals a
soul in human nature, a SECRET  PLACE  where  we  can discover yet undreamed of
wonders.


11. TRUTH OR SANITY, PART 2  02:36 mins

Returning to the ambient environment expressed in  Part 1, here TRUTH OR SANITY
PART  2  reaches  further  into  the   the  exploration  of  realities.   Again
accompanied by layered polyphonic  synth  instrumentation,  but  coupled with a
deeper examination where particular emphasis is  made of the various low octave
percussion signifying the darker tormented parts of the soul.


12. MONTAGE  08:02

As a composer, Bjørn Lynne appears interested in traditional Folk themes and in
penetrating the roots of this genre  of  music  reveals  in his work a profound
celebration of the  hegemony  of  cultural  expression.   For  the largest and,
indeed, the most valuable melodies lies  in  his  use  of the old Church modes,
which also shows the  most  varied  and  free  rhythms  and time changes.  This
montaging of Folk, Church,  Orchestral  and  Rock  together  with tapestries of
digital synthesis is nothing short of remarkable.

Upon listening to MONTAGE one  is  presented  with an introductory ballad theme
which then merges with strings and  oboe  to  produce  a magical Folk tune.  It
doesn't stop there, as a bass guitar  heralds  a gradual build up to an amazing
tight rhythmic section where all instruments  play in ultimate unison.  Montage
then develops into a full-blown  Orchestrated  Rock  score which communicates a
characteristic  effect  of   fusion    between    opposites    but   with   the
composition emerging also as a  work  of   potent   sound with coloured imagery
juxtapositioned with regular  drum  pulses  of  sound  and  majestic polyphonic
tones.  These various themes inherent  within   MONTAGE  are  explored  further
when  each section is returned to and welcomed like a true friend.


13. HEAD HELD HIGH  (MONTAGE FINALE) 04:40 mins

Beginning with a piano and  orchestrated  theme give orientation, a perspective
to the aural experience, these function  as  signifiers  in the unbounded space
of this wonderful electronic universe  of   sound.   Indeed,  the  emergence of
the simple but effective rock drumming places the  score upon a plateau for the
fine control of rhythm  made  feasible  here.   Bjørn  chooses his timbres with
exquisite care, including the  strange  and   grand,  and complimenting digital
polyphony so that this peice  sounds   rather  like  an  exceptional  versatile
human orchestra conducted by a genius.


Montage the CD is an attempt to  synthesize  or at least a bringing together of
the most diverse styles with  a  single  work  which employs musical quotations
from the past and present to bring  a  new age of synthesis and accentuation to
the postmodernist condition of abundance  and  variety.  With MONTAGE, Bjørn A.
Lynne has presented us with a need for  integration of styles from the past and
present as a means of coming to  terms  with assimilation which can be the only
route to a future utopia, social  and  aesthetic.   As a demonstration of a new
way for music to regain its communicative and spiritual powers, Bjørn Lynne has
given us hope for the future and a means to escape musical mediocrity.

As for colour, Bjørn Lynne is  master  of  delicate orchestral shadings,  and a
pioneer in consistently  making  fresh  sounding  instrumentation  an essential
feature of his composition.  Indeed, his music  follows the path of a symphonic
manner in the 'Romantic'  tradition,  the  logical  development  of ideas which
gives the effect of a narrative.  For  Bjørn  Lynne  is a relayer of stories of
personal emotion and  with  it  the  coherent  linkage  projected  by  both the
conscious and the unconscious mind, its evocative images and elliptical moments
a sphere of free imagination, of dream.   Bjørn  Lynne's music has the power to
evoke as it will the improbable places, the unquestionable and chimerical world
which works secretly on the mysterious  poetry  of the night, on those thousand
anonymous sounds made when leaves  are  caressed  by  rays  of the moon.  In my
opinion Bjørn A.Lynne's MONTAGE CD is a true revelation, an enigmatic source of
inspiration and a wonder to us all.


                                  Written by

                                 Kevan R.Craft
                                 12 Mount Road
                                    Halton
                                    Runcorn
                              Cheshire. WA7 2BH.
                                 England. U.K.

                             Tel: [phone]