Ambient Space Electronic music like Roach, Rich, Greinke & dark like Lustmord.

Primordial Lands Arise is the second ambient music release by SourceCodeX. Following a well-received and strong debut release called CodeX Hypnos, (before releasing his still-in-progress, jazz-rock fusion CD), SourceCodeX, has decided to release Primordial Lands Arise. Endless inspiration came from many directions -- thus leading to this very dark ambient CD's content. Fans of Jeff Greinke, Robert Rich and Lustmord's darker works will find much to devour herein.

Beginning in December 2006, the world of soft synths called SourceCodeX back for a return to his uniquely styled ambience. He prefers to build each piece's myriad of waveforms mostly from scratch and then mutate it into exactly the effect he desires. You will hear insects, machine noises, found sounds, voices and snippets of vintage synths each mangled and warped to fit into a bizarre combination. It is a strange journey through many shimmering and flowing worlds of organized sound. If you think you hear airplanes or monstrous footfalls, most of the time, these were created by SourceCodeX from a single sound wave. Be it looping, warping pitch or extreme flanging -- it is a lovingly pruned, garden of unearthly delights. SourceCodeX remixed one track from his first CD for digital downloads at sites like iTunes. It is also included here. But all the other tracks were created in late 2006 and early 2007.

The theme or mood this time in Primordial Lands Arise is linked to descriptions and/or visions of places we don't like to think about. We may call these after-life lands by older names like Sheol, the Underworld, Hell, Gehenna, outer darkness or the Abyss. SourceCodeX is very sensitive to things of the Spirit of living Light, as well as being wary of an ancient darkness that prowls this world. In his ambient creations, one can sense a tension, a struggle, and an undercurrent of unseen powers being considered sonically. Titles of his pieces give hint.

"DroneMass", "HellDreamVimana", "HiddenThingsBetweenThings", "GnostixLabyrinth", "VainTraditionsAbyss", and so forth, give clues to what one may encounter. But I venture to say this -- unless you heard his CodeX Hypnos release when it came out -- you are in for one big surprise. It is dark ambience like you have never heard before!

Total immersion in the soundworlds SourceCodeX crafts can be calmingly disturbing or hauntingly beautiful. It is an ambience that strives to never bore. This is cinematic ambience that plunges the listener into an experience that they will not easily forget. Are these the echoes of epiphanies, graphic infusions of grace, fever dream nightmares, near-death visions, or bad acid trip flashbacks? You decide and let the artist know. Each listener will come (or run) away moved and decidedly shifted. What a maddening mosaic of silly-putty sound . . .

THIS CD HOLDS SOME OF THE VERY WEIRDEST SOUNDS AND SONIC TEXTURES MANIPULATIONS YOU HAVE EVER HEARD! I CAN GUARANTEE THAT BECAUSE I HAVE FOLLOWED SYNTHS & ELECTRONIC MUSIC ARTISTS SINCE THE 1960'S, FINALLY BECOMING A PAID MUSIC REVIEWER OF THIS GENRE. MY REVIEWS AND RADIO SHOWS ARE WELL-KNOWN ACROSS THE PLANET. I HAVE HEARD NEARLY EVERY TYPE ELECTRONIC MUSICK EVER RELEASED AND SOME NEVER RELEASED. I DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO GIVE BACK MY OWN TRIBUTE OF THIS TYPE EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC THAT COMBINED THE SOUNDS OF ARTISTS LIKE WALTER -> WENDY CARLOS, SUBOTONICK, VARESE, GASSMAN, SALA, TONTO'S EXPANDING HEAD BAND, TANGERINE DREAM, KLAUS SCHULZE AND CURRENT-DAY ARTISTS LIKE STEVE ROACH, ROBERT RICH, LUSTMORD, JEFF GREINKE AND OTHERS OF SUCH ILK. BUT MY RECORDINGS GO BEYOND SIMPLE KNOB TWIDDLING, PATCH CORDS, MOOGS, ARPS AND KEYBOARD ANTICS. I ACTUALLY CREATE WAV FILES FROM SCRATCH AND USE FOUND AMBIENT SOUNDS AS A SONIC PALETTE. I THEN MUTATE, TWIST, WARP, AND MASSAGE EACH WAV INTO MATHEMATICAL AND VISUALLY PLEASING FORMS AS I ALSO CREATE THE AURAL SIGNATURE. WHAT YOU WILL HEAR IS HOURS UPON ENDLESS HOURS OF A MOSAIC TAPESTRY OF SOUNDFORM MATRICES IN FLUX OVER TIME. NO OTHER ARTIST I AM AWARE OF DOES WHAT I DO AS I DO IT. IT IS AN OBSESSIVE LABOR OF LOVE TO WHERE EVERY SECOND MUST BE PERFECT AND MY OWN PSYCHE MUST ALSO BE MOVED, EFFECTED AND SHIFTED INTO ALTERED STATES BEFORE I OFFER THE SAME EXPERIENCE TO OTHERS. SO, THERE YOU HAVE IT. YOU WILL EITHER LOVE THIS MATERIAL OR ABSOLUTELY HATE IT. THAT'S WHAT I LIKE -- SOMETHING THAT IS NOT BLAND OR COPY-CAT BUT AN EXPERIENCE THAT CANNOT BE IGNORED. SUCH IS THE ART OF SOURCECODEX.

Reviews:
This rivals and possibly surpasses Robert Rich and Lustmord’s Stalker.
author: Phil Derby of Electroambient Space
...SourceCodeX takes the listener on a deep, dark journey into the outer reaches of experimental ambience. Low drones rumble like thunder on “WarInHeaven” to start us off. The music is cold and yet strangely compelling. “DroneMass” begins with otherworldly echoes, followed by a pulsing sound with just a bit of rough textures to it. Sounds growl and roll over the top of one another as it builds. I saw the term “cinematic dark ambient” applied to this music, and I think that’s a great descriptor. It is more intense than your garden variety dark ambient, and seems to be reaching out from the depths to say something. “HellDreamVimana” adds some warbled mangled voice effects that add to the dark, disturbing visions created. By the time you delve deeper still into “Hidden Things Between Things,” you will either be in dark ambient heaven or in need of serious therapy – and I do mean that as a compliment, since clearly the music has the intended effect, in spades. My yardstick for the genre, as I’ve mentioned many times, is Robert Rich and Lustmord’s Stalker. This rivals and possibly surpasses it as a benchmark. Heady stuff, dive down in if you dare. © 2008 Phil Derby / Electroambient Space

Blindingly original
author: Charles Van de Kree
From Aural Innovations #38 (Jan 2008) Deep, dark ambient soundscapes comprise this intriguing release by SourceCodeX, otherwise known as SourceCodeX. To quote the composer himself, “Primordial Lands Arise is linked to descriptions and/or visions of…Sheol, the Underworld, Hell, Gehenna, outer darkness or the Abyss.” Patterson conjures some disturbing sounds from his infernal machines—sounds that often border on the edge of serenity but which always seem to be warped or mangled in such a way as to produce strange resonances that evoke melancholia and a sense of lingering malaise. Only occasionally is there any melodic center that the listener can grasp onto; otherwise, SourceCodeX revels in cavernous tones with no definite pitch or rhythm. This approach is particularly effective on the longer, extended pieces (“Hidden Things between Things” and “Vain Traditions Abyss”) where snatches of Gregorian choirs and other ancient sound sources fight and flail against the industrialized sounds of clanking machinery and jet airplanes. As a consequence, primordial Lands Arise can be favorably compared with such ambient industrial works as Jeff Greinke’s Cities in Fog and Lustmord’s The Place Where the Black Stars Hang. If not blindingly original, Primordial Lands Arise at least has the virtue of being well-conceived and carefully executed. Aficionados of the darker side of ambient electronics will find primordial lands Arise worth a listen.

"Great new drone ambient"
author: Scott Raymond
Some great new drone ambient albums this month . . . The new SourcecodeX is well done dark drone ambient. ~ Scott Raymond of WVKR-FM Secret Music Playlist for October 07, 2007 featured "War In Heaven" from Primordial Lands Arise

May experience nightmares while or after listening to this album
author: Hannah M G Shapero
there is no doubt where "SourceCodeX" ... is coming from. Just a minute or so of PRIMORDIAL LANDS ARISE will make it obvious that SourceCodeX is a fan of H.P. Lovecraft as well as other horror-fantasy world-spinners. With track titles like "DroneMass," "HellDream Vimana," and "VainTraditionsAbyss," SourceCodeX wants to accentuate the darkness and bury the light alive. This is an album which depends more on textures and unholy evocations than on tonality or melody. Listening to this album you will encounter scaly hissing, distant monster fog horns, alien digestive glurp, hideously distorted voices, buzzing cybernetic insect noises, and deep fuzzy drones, and this is only in the first three tracks. As the album goes on, SourceCodeX zooms in on you with what sounds like old warplanes, and then plunges the listener into a suffocating hot night filled with toneless industrial drones, looping sonic horrors, and finally an oncoming giant throbbing entity announced by the crash of gongs and a muffled howling. The last track, "AlphaOmegaAdInfinitum," does not offer tonal relief or rays of returning light, but it is at least empty of looming threats, in fact is just empty which might be a relief in itself. I don't want to see the movie that this would be the soundtrack for. Composer SourceCodeX, who might love that kind of movie, fortunately has a wry sense of humor which offsets the scariness of it all. The graphic packaging for this album, all of it designed by SourceCodeX himself, offers helpful advice such as "We are not responsible for blown speakers or shattered objects," and "Do not drive on long trips or operate heavy machinery while listening to this CD." I would also add, "May experience nightmares while or after listening to this album."

[Sounds like]...could be the antechamber of hell ...
author: Giovanni Paper
With “Primordial Lands Arise” we go around ourselves from the parts of the first Robert Rich, the dark ambient in style Cold Meat Industry (Raison Of etre), Vidna Obama… This disc could be the antechamber of hell . . . The maniac[s] of the ambient-dark they could however find moments of enjoyment in this cd…

...grim-edged soundworlds formed of falling tones crafted into landscapes covered
author: John Shanahan
The first time I reviewed work by SourceCodeX..., it was his rookie work and I noted that I was interested in hearing what he would do further down the road, and how far from the world of “look, my computer has a synthesizer” mindset he could move. While admittedly still addicted to the soft synth, SourceCodeX’s sophomore work definitely shows improvement. Primordial Lands Arise is a dark CD of grim-edged soundworlds formed of falling tones crafted into landscapes covered in murk and unpleasant emotions. It’s almost strictly atmospheric with no real pretension to being music per se; but Patterson excels at creating mental pictures. In many cases, though, he overdoes. The bullfrog-sounding croaks in "InnerWorldStopTime Remix" rapidly come to grate on the nerves. The over-echoed vocal on "SilbeallahEblis" could have been more subtle. In many spots, though, SourceCodeX gets it right—and it’s when he’s not using a heavy hand. “AlphaOmegaAdInfinitum” coasts quietly along on graceful drifts with just a hint of darkness at the edges; the hypnotic pulse of “DroneMass” feels like an on-off switch for the conscious mind; and the vaguely disturbing but superbly constructed “HellDreamVimana” pulls many of SourceCodeX’s existing elements together for a 10-minute nightmare that’s the highlight of the disk. SourceCodeX also gets points for showmanship. His tunes are listed on the inset as "Visitations herein"; the print on the disk warns that he's not responsible for "blown speakers or shattered objects" and that the disk may generate alpha waves and thus the listener should not "drive on long trips or operate heavy machinery." All in all, Primordial Lands Arise is a very strong effort from an improving sonic craftsman. Worth a listen if you're heavily atmospheric, drone-based ambient.

"You won't need any drugs . . ."
author: Lee Gaskins of progrock.homestead.com
`Primordial Lands Arise' is the follow-up to `CodeX Hypnos,' by the SourceCodeX project. Created solely by SourceCodeX, the ambient album is dark. John uses many technique to create his heavy-toned ambience which include: loops warping, sound effects and manipulating single wave forms. The majority of the tracks are in the 7-11 minute range, they create a total immersion into dark and mystifying soundscapes, sometimes beautiful, as well as calmly foreboding. Though the sounds and creation of the pieces had to be a huge undertaking, the songs are simple, minimalist, almost as if created for (or during) the beginning of the world. In his music I can invision a multitute of images, barren landscapes, ocean being born, the power of the earth upheaving, creating; a primodial soundtrack. Mainstream progfans be forewarned, this is NOT pulsating rhythm electronica- ala Tangerine Dream, it is dark, solemn, simple yet complex, brooding primordial soundtracks drenched in deep bass. Many progfans might be turned off by the lack of dynamics or `progressive' time changes. But I believe that given the chance, many will attune to this recording. Consider a darker Brian Eno, creating an electronic symphony about the genesis of a new world. When I received the CD, the disc stated- Do not drive on long trips or operate heavy machinery while listening to this CD. How true. This is music not for dancing, grooving, or parties. It showcases SourceCodeX's `stick-to-his-guns drive of staying away from pounding rhythyms and exploring a infinite of worlds, from planetary births to your inner soul . If you would like your music to take you to new realms and imaginations, then this is a great album to try. I love to create my commercial illustration and game design while listening as it does not distract from my tasks at hand, though if you simply relax and close your eyes, the track's nuances open up to a far more complex manner than simple insight. Is this commercial music? Not in the conventional radio-based sense, but I can see this being this used for television (science channels). It's the musical communities close-mindedness and peer pressure, not this artist, that limits the exposures of creative composers. Aside from SourceCodeX's sense of humor on the disc, the album art is interesting, though in black and white. IMHO, it's dying for a grander scale that would reflex the music's feel, but it also shows a inner primordial sense that makes you think, so there you have it. Give dark ambiance a chance, though I would like to hear a greater use of dynamics, I enjoyed this recording. Let SourceCodeX take you to another land, another time, and you won't need any drugs, his soundscapes suffice. Just make sure your speakers can handle the bass. Thanks, John Rating 8.7

SourceCodeX...The Final Frontier!
author: Gayle Ellett of DJAMKARET
COOL CD! I've been listening to your cool disc, its bitchin'! ...thanks for ... this cool disc! I'm a big fan of this type of music. Its well made, balanced, and I dig it! ~ Gayle Ellett www.DjamKaret.com

An excellent example of Cinematic Ambient.
author: diatonis
Primordial Lands Arise is a good name for this album as it describes exactly what this music sounds like. At times while listening to it I felt there were lava flows falling into a primordial ocean just below my feet. An excellent example of Cinematic Ambient!

Giving voice to the haunting side of ambience . . .
author: Chuck Wild aka LIQUID MIND (noted Ambient composer)
. . . What a wonderful creative feast! . . . your music is really the soundtrack of the intense lives many people live today in America. Thanks for giving voice to the haunting side of ambience... (feed back from Chuck via excerpta from e-mail correspondence)