Artist description Improvised expressive minimalist soundscapes that serve to evoke different emotions.

Music Style Eclectic Dark Experimental Soundscapes

Musical Influences Sunsets, Darkness, the Ocean, Silence.

Artist History It has begun...

Group Members ~the VLE~creator of all sounds within.

Instruments boom-box, 4-track, acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards ( & drum samples), voices, acoustic drums, computer.

Albums Book of Illusions: Chapter I, Book of Illusions: Chapter II

Press Reviews Book of Illusions: Chapter I. We are dealing here with a very melodic and partly melancholic work. The songs are, for a major part, uniquely composed and can lead one to a dreaming state of mind. The rhythm proceeds calmly and the guitars follow after with very harmonic melodies. The whole is supported by a solo-guitar, which gives to it all the one last kick. The singing moves between a normal and a whispered Black Metal voice. Production and sound of the CD is, in the end, quite remarkable. Personally, this music brings me to curve into a fantasy world and in my opinion, the songs could last longer, but they unfortunately don't. Whoever enjoys listening to music, can ask for a copy at vle25@hotmail.com and hope that some are still there. Demon Beleth Cerebus Magazin www.cerberus-online.de 8/17/01 ------- VLE music is a 100% experimental soundscape, which offers a great variety of atmospheres. I'm not going to attach any cliches to this band. It's beyond them. It's beyond all ratings. I'll just admit that it's Metal. VLE music is Majestic, Inspiring, Grand, Monumental, Boundless, Timeless. What other adjectives do you need to get its meaning??? "Book of Illusions" is a PURE MASTERPIECE. It's TRUE CULT and CLASSIC. This is genuine Art. This work deserves much wider attention in the scene. Bone-minded orthodox metal diehards, this "Book..." is not for you. You won't realize at least a tenth part of it. Only for elite intellectuals. Krasniy Fortitude 'zine http://fortzine.cjb.net ------- SONG: BEHOLD THE NIGHT|||BEYOND SUNSETS GENRE: ALTERNATIVE / SOUNDSCAPES, MOODMUSIC, MINIMALIST SIMILAR: ART OF NOISE(PERHAPS),DANZIG(ARIA) Imagine sitting, in coach, on a 747 just after take off and you hit turbulence, with your eyes closed. Kicking back droning to the hum of the engines, at sunset, over the ocean, and three minutes into flight the devil comes in to explain the 'water-landing' procedure. Mind numbing mad metal mood music! 'Behold the Night|||Beyond Sunsets' is a powerful soundscape piece presented via a grinding guitar riff and series of guitar melodies melding with a simplistic choir structure (via keyboard), texturing the entire piece like feathers on a wing. At approximately three minutes (around the end of the tune) an intended vocal subliminal rears it's growling chant, which completes the song perfectly. I don't understand why he has chosen to categorize this solely as black metal, it could fit into many genres: Mood Music, Minimalist, Soundscapes, Film, Experimental, Experimental Goth, Intelligent Minimalist, Darkwave, etc. I would like to hear the vocals doubled with a harmony and a little louder or with some surround sound. That would open the guitar-trance and secure a place for this work of art. I love it! Rating: 8.30 Jeremy www.godsofmusic.com------- Song - "Behold The Night/Beyond Sunsets" Looking over VLE's mp3.com page you'll find a lot of Mood music, New Age, Progressive, Dark Ambient, Film Music etc... Then you stumble upon this little gem. Possibly inappropriately categorized under Black Metal. I can understand why they put it there, but "Behold the night" could have fit into all the previously named categories just as well. The 3 1/2 minutes spent inside this track left me with nothing but a peacefull, serene feeling at the end, even though the song wholeheartedly exudes power. By that I mean the guitars are huge with a steady "hypnotic-like" grind over and over. The massive reverb on everything helps to bring on my own personal video, or dream sequence, inside my head, while midway through the vocals begin. The singer is doing a bit of growling with a chanting-style rhythm, but it fits the mood of the music very well. Recording quality on this joint is very good, considering under VLE's personal info they claim to only use a 4-track! Looking over VLE's other tracks I see quite a few songs that were "improvised", but I've gotta believe that "Behold the night" was planned out well in advance. No partial-effort here. They spent their studio-time well. The only thing VLE is doing wrong in my opinion is keeping this song in the Black Metal category, a label that might be scaring-off potential listeners that would otherwise appreciate their efforts. Other than that, I'm glad I bumped into them! Swing by VLE's download page if you get a chance. Overall: 7/10 QuarterlyReviews.com

Location NYC, New York - USA

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