11 tracks. Running time 47:54 Derrick Sternbridge is the man behind the name Drifting in Silence. Among his talents other than music are graphic design, illustration, and photography. Don't be fooled by the artist's moniker because this album is actually an interplay of ambient tone poems and rhythmic groove pieces utilising guitar, bass, and keyboards. All the tracks are song length, with the longest coming in at over five minutes. The scheme of this album is to alternate between upbeat and reflective pieces. It's like continually changing places between a peaceful lounge and a dance club. In the wrong hands this could become annoying or disorienting but somehow it feels natural here. The opening track "Uphillbattle" is an odd man out though, consisting of languorous and soupy guitar musings that generate delicate resonances into the background. Into the second track "Shadow" and we're in the main flow of the album, though this piece is unusual in that it contains vocals. After an intro of synth chords a lively rhythmic passage of percussion and drums gets underway as blistering riffs and stretchy synth lines add a raw edge to the music. In parts there's an earnest male voice singing the lyrics, and some quieter sections to punctuate the lively nature of the piece. Typical of the reflective tracks is "Process of Now". Almost orchestral sounding chords conveying a sense of seriousness flow in and out like a gently undulating landscape passing beneath us. All the while an echoing piano melody of sparing notes adds a sense of yearning or melancholy. Ladderdown is one of the more exciting albums to have come my way recently. It's particularly effective with the volume cranked up, but at modest volumes the meditative pieces work best. Derrick has a deft musical touch on all styles employed on this album; it's effect on me is to reach for the repeat button a lot. Highly recommended.