This is the 2nd solo release for Tetsu Inoue on Fax, and continues roughly where the previous solo disc, Ambiant Otaku, left off. Generally speaking there is some overlap between the two. Sonically, this disc is every bit as much the "holy grail" that Otaaku is. Fortunately, it isnt nearly as hard to find. I am inclined to say that Organic Cloud tends to be more rhythmically active in terms of actual percussion and maybe a shade less abstract then Otaku. And unlike Otaku or Slow & Low, the songs of this album are mixed together, one smoothly flowing into the next which, to me, suggests a multistage journey. This journey is a spiritual one, and thus not without its moments of challenge and self-confrontation, but be assured that a listener's patience is greatly rewarded here. The overall scope of the album proceeds from dark to light, or if you like, from cold to warm. Each song becomes progressively more blissful and optimistic.

The Night in Goa. We begin in ominous territory. Monk-like oscillations surround you while misty waves of bass radiate tactile vibrations. The atmosphere is so thick as to elicit a sense of opacity.

Pieces as powerful as this are ideally listened to in locations that inspire awe, such as the top of a high mountain or cliff or perhaps vast deep caverns. A far off sensation of electronics materializes from within the instinctive sound collage. Low-end bleeps and deconstructed cyclical sequences reminiscent of the 604 approach bind the monastic to the psychedelic without compromising the qualities of either environment. Whirlpool tones and unearthly grinding textures propel us into the final sections of this piece, and soon after new voices usher us off on a

Journey to Ixtlan. Heavy machinery is heard, again starting far off on the horizon and approaching steadily as the seconds go by. The song title is in reference to a Casteneda passage, wherein the allegedly hypothetical Don Juan introduces the "web of light" and the technique of "not-doing" to Carlos in a striking landscape of lava rock. Vulcan surroundings are an appropriate setting for the powerful sounds heard. Some sounds are metallic or hollow and rusty, like a structure that has stood through many ages. Two synth chirps compete for the leading note, while voices rise and fall to the beats. Most percussion here is doubled up, like sound between two walls. The outro is by comparison more peaceful and is merged with the intro of

Chill in Chill out. This was also on the Ambient Cookbook/Fax Compilat and is the main turning point on the album. The first rays of promise after a time of peril leak forward like sundogs through cloudbreaks. A ambiguous synth solo leads the way, while other textures emerge. Soon, morphing bass thumps establish a basic rhythm which most of the other elements begin to follow.

The overall textural qualities of the instruments also seem to respond and bleed into each other. To me, this mood foreshadows the hi-res, sophisticated realtime approaches that some of the more recent ambient projects demonstrate. Deep pulsations combine with enhancing melodies which shimmer alongside the evolving choir-like streams of sound. Another cycle is at work here, a recurring emotion circles around, forming a

Ring of Power. Spinning astral floods of light emit glistening waves of static. The photon tide rises while a distant beacon beeps at regular intervals. This stage of the album is my personal favorite. Its spontaneous, positive vibrations are always appealing. It is the Akashic recording, a hyperlinked aural tradition which seems to extend infinitely outward. This definitely belongs on the list of beatless wonders Tetsu Inoue has laid down over the years. A melodic rhythm eventually fades in, sounding somewhat flexible, as if rapidly oscillating between concave and convex configurations and hitting different notes each time. The melody is repeated but somehow sounds different every time it plays. Toward the end, the tide rises once again in a mighty crescendo. After the ritual, we retire to the

Bionic Commune. A beat-oriented piece that performs well as a finishing track. Over the course of this one, we return once again to more terrestrial territory and the feeling of returning to a place of rest and recovery from a highly intense spiritual adventure in sound is felt. In general, this is an album you either own or should put on your "want-list," particularly if you are a fan of futuresque, abstract sound mosaics. Definitely something for the proverbial desert island. It still takes me to "another place" each time I listen to it. And for people just discovering Tetsu Inoue's talent, Organic Cloud is the perfect introduction to what he is capable of.