Spirit World

• Artist: David Toop
• Rating:
• Release Date: 1997
• Genre: Electronica

Review

Toop's third album in the Virgin ambient series is an all-star affair, featuring the talents of Robert Hampson from Main, Scanner, Toshinori Kondo, and Witchman, as well as usual colleagues Max Eastley and Peter Lockett. Most of the music however, was created by Toop; his instrument list takes up a good paragraph of the liner notes and includes guitar, bass, pedal steel, e-bow, flute, programming and many more. The music on Spirit World is dark, powerful ethno-ambience informed by Toop's interest in music from around the world. Though his poetic readings on tracks like "Ceremony Viewed Through Iron Slit" and "Sleeping Powder" are a bit too mystical for their own good, the music never fails to back him up. On "Sunless," the heavy bassline and Toshinori Kondo's treated trumpet make for easy comparisons to fusion-era Miles Davis. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide

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