Synthetik - The Mind's Eye flac album

"Vision" kicks off the album as it means to go on - a bright MOR-ish synthetic Pop-ized music which might be used on sports programmes in segues between needed dialogue, and is saved from the banality of JOBFINDER-like uses by it's deep timbral quality, and it's maturity of both composition & execution. "Dounreay" has the same clarity, medium-fast EBM & upbeat, cards-on-the-table approach, with a nice flowing, meandering sequence which seems to be natural & fully at ease with the rest of the music. As it goes on it reminds me of TANGERINE DREAM circa the album I have always regarded as their best - "White Eagle". Tons of sounds tucked into this ever-transforming, never wearing or over-reaching tune. "Inner Thought" carries on the style with a bright sharp piano sound mingling into the full medium-paced sound. It changes through a rich array of sounds, a lush, natural sound which should establish KEVIN BATE as a formidable contemporary composer of easy-to-listen-to Poppy things. "Optical Illusion" carries on in a similar style, full of changes & twists, with several themes running through it, always busy, always bright. "Technodance" closes the first side keeping much the same sound as before, with a churning sequence which made me feel that, with harder edge he could be doing incidental music for programmes like MIAMI VICE & films like BEVERLEY HILLS COP - he has a similar sound to JAN HAMMER at his least moody and could quite possibly create a HAROLD FALTERMEYER hook. The second side opens with "Motion In Motion", following much the same compositional & tonal style with piano-like keyboards reaching up for crescendos & plucking down colourful sounds. "Mystery" opens to a more dramatic, almost light Gothic sound before powering away at more or less the 'house' BPM into something which sounds like a JARRE / HAMMER crossover - bright sounds, a fast simplistic drum pattern which pleads for the listener to dance to it with puppy eyes & an eager-to-please open-ness. Several tuneful motifs appear within, switching in & out with a natural fluidity which almost suggests improvisation (although it's far too 'together' for that). "System 1" might almost pass for a highly commercial Techno were it not for it's clean, lean sound - a different breed of plasticity. The drums pump & thump, and an underlying sequencer keeps the tempo constantly 'up'. "The Mind's Eye" has a degree more dark seriousness to it, a thing which somehow brought the BBC RADIOPHONIC WORKSHOP's more composed material to mind (although this has probably a far cleaner sound). it keeps up the tempo, yet certain elements (an underlying bass, most obviously) are more diffuse. And it's sudden down-gear into a mood track makes a nice break, before powering once more into another upbeat, bright thing, this time perhaps the most memorable tune on the album, entitled "Moments". All the usual elements are there, yet it has a distinctive piano-like lead which melts into one's memory. "Disconnection" closes the album, a serious, reflective, lightly dramatic piece without the usual pounding drums, highlighting the shifting organ sound & various synthetics. That this guy can compose bright tunes with a natural, full sound goes without further saying. However, I'm not sure where his future will lead him, which particular area of the music world will embrace him. Time will tell. One thing's for certain - a talent like this will keep working hard. The cover artwork is by ALAN ARTHURS (the guy responsible for the HAWKWIND "Electric Teepee" album cover) & there are hints of him working with MARK SHREEVE and CHRIS & COSEY - it is said the follow-up CD is cllosest to the KRAFTWERK sound. Clean-cut & avoiding effects to give easy atmospherics, SYNTHETIK work surprisingly hard at making a music which sounds simplistic & bright - but don't be deceived.. Originally reviewed for Soft Watch.