Melliflua
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Create - Space Time Continuum - Groove Unlimited (2007)

5 tracks. Running time 61:27

Steve Humphries – aka Create – gone back to structuring an album across several moderate length tracks with Space Time Continuum. Anyone familiar with his work to date won't be surprised by this album, though they should enjoy it. Two of the tracks have already been heard at Awakenings in 2006, and are presented here as re-recorded studio versions.

The opening title track “Space Time Continuum” is superb. Deep droning cosmic winds and spacey whooshes give way to excerpts of Hal speaking from the film 2001 A Space Odyssey and wondrous refrains gracefully ebbing and flowing. Discordant spacey noises then briefly intrude as a lead up to TD-esque chorals which in turned are followed by a beeping sound stuttering in and out of the foreground. A laid back percussive and beat driven rhythm is overlaid by assorted rhythms and melodies. This is a modern take, and an improvement, on the much imitated mid-70s era TD

Each track follows a similar pattern with a spacey ambient lead up to a rhythmic or sequencing passage followed by a short reprise of the beginning for the denouement. This template isn't used to recreate old TD though; while some similar sonic elements are heard this is definitely Steve's own take on a well trodden path.

Two tracks are more subdued than the rest. One of these is “Ghost in the Machine”. Unsettling alien stuttering sounds open up over slowly twisting pads. An eerie refrain that wouldn't be out of place in a film then comes in briefly followed by some of the chorals heard on other tracks. All this builds up to a lazy tempo percussive rhythm and spooky sounds with a high(ish) pitched sheen consort with more chorals.

Steve obviously still has his heart in the classic TD from the 70s. While I wasn't enthused about his previous album Kindred Spirits I can say that Space Time Continuum is a better and more mature work.