FRANK MARK ARTS

The album »ETHEREAL« by Roman Leykam tries to convey peace, serenity and the deceleration from the daily routine. The music offers the listener the opportunity to enter into silent communication with himself.

Tracks:
1.metamorphosis 3:02, 2.cut and dried 3:42, 3.out of sight 3:26, 4.under the surface 3:29, 5.blessed 2:59, 6.hint 3:21, 7.the undertow 3:41, 8.unearth 2:54, 9.lunatic 2:24, 10.dedication 4:55, 11.spirit of optimism 2:23, 12.nightmare 2:57, 13.ambigious 2:53, 14.turning point 3:30, 15.unconscious mind 4:15, 16.weightlessness 3:46, 17.isolated 4:02, 18.hollow 3:05;

Recorded and mixed 2012/2013 in the studio of Roman Leykam.
Mastered 2014 in the studio of Frank Meyer.
4-sided "Digisleeve" with 8-pages Booklet.

Roman Leykam: electric guitars, guitar synths.

... sharp tongues will argue that the new album Ethereal is close to the sound of a sewing machine, but music concepts like Ethereal need this polarisation to deploy its full individual aura. The attached flyer mentions "peace, serenity and deceleration" but means actually more the slow pace of the 18 titles at the album. The sound itself often is stirring, at some points almost rousing with rough edges and with intent interspersed tripping hazards. more ... (Gernoth Kleinlogel in SOUL TRAIN 3/2016)

... meditative improvisations which go into the body, eleminating a certain restlessness and moves the organism into trance. Just now in the hectic time. Timeless. Titles like "Cut and Dried" - "Dedication" - "Weightlessness" - or "Hollow" convince. [..] /Joachim Holzt-Edelhagen (digitale Jazz-Zeitung 12/2015)

... It all sounds like a meditation or a practice of mindfulness. The sonic universe of this work indeed explores imaginary spaces where the notes become stars ... or is it just the contrary? It's an ambient creation made by electric guitar and guitar synths. It's not only astral-like, but still vaguely psychedelic and even touching blues and country grounds. Next to the experimental guitar Roman Leykam also likes to manipulate with electronics. He creates weird, but captivating noises leading the listener to explore hidden visual territories.
... If you like pure experimentalism, this album really has a lot to offer. The work is quite diversified, but carried by a solid 'space'-minded basis. ... "Ethereal" is not the most accessible kind of release and a hard exercise if you want 'to enter into silent communication' by yourself.
Conclusion: Roman Leykam definitely is a significant artist in the experimental genre. This work covers many influences, which are all driven towards a relaxing, but abstract sonic trip. Best songs: "Hint", "Dedication". Rate: (6½). (SIDE-LINE music magazine Mai 2016)

... what listener are going to meet in Roman's music is something a little bit less commercial and easy listening. I won't say he walks on entirely unexplored musical pathways, as the most immediate stylistic link is to all those composers, who crossed that liminal zone in-between classical ambient music and the so-called kosmische musik. Besides any spiritual enhancement you can reach by its listening, the patterns that Roman explores on Ethereal are mainly driven by impressive outputs from guitars and synth-guitars, gliding over sonic waters that have often been too shallow for experienced musicians. I could mention the less convincing productions by solo-projects of former Tangerine Dream guitar player Edgar Froese, but Leykam tries to diversify it by occasional contamination with a more bluesy nuance. The primary defect of similar explorations is paradoxically related to the sometimes single-minded pursuit of a sonic clarity without any element of impurity, which could result in a dull listening experience for all those listeners who don't understand the technical tricks by which he managed to reach that sharpness. A gap which could induce some listeners to look for other strategies to escape from the above-mentioned daily routine Rate: *** / Vito Camarretta. (CHAIN D.L.K. May 2016)