Cosmic Engine By M. Cross Dougherty

 

Cosmic Engine

By

M. Cross Dougherty

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Autumn is my favourite time for listening to ambient music, for me the change in textures of light and heat allows the senses to breathe and enjoy a more expansive experience of the nature around us, truly good ambient music is the soundtrack to this mental perambulation. So let’s take a look at the M. Cross Dougherty release Cosmic Engine.

Transmission is utterly perfect for a musical discovery of such sensory freedoms; and is the opening track off this four piece release, the gentle energies of this creation reminded me both of Autumn Light by Darshan Ambient, mixed with a trip into Eno’s Lightness, music for the Marble Palace, never did loops and FM synthesis sound so good, and so captivating.

Track two is Clear Light; I would advise all listeners that wearing headphones will make the experience of listening to this album even more compelling. Here is a track that flows, hovers with hypotonic resonance and has a slightly darker refrain from the previous offering, it is a creation that manifests and grows with each passing measure, and is also the longest offering from the release at well over 6 minutes in duration.

Ultraviolet is our penultimate piece, this arrangement had a deceptively layered depth to it, the sounds, structures and loops are incredibly creative, and as an electronic ambient musician myself, it gave me a good deal to think on in an ultra-influential way. The inventive electronic manifestations within this offering flowed and drifted with an ambient and almost meditative construct at times.

We arrive at the last portal of the release, a composition entitled Desatita, this would be one of my favourite pieces from the release, the repeating loops and gentle backdrop of sound created for me an ambience of unbound nature, a state of musical mind akin to a being totally connected to everything, this holistic and universal masterpiece is a reminder that intelligent, artistic, electronic, ambient music is out there to be found and can be thoroughly enjoyed by getting a copy of Cosmic Engine by M. Cross Dougherty, which in my view is one of the most interesting and fascinating albums I have heard this year with ease.