Artist description An organic blending of electronics with earthy percussion and piano. Sophisticated, dramatic electronic music.

Music Style Dramatic Electronic

Musical Influences Brian Eno, Moby, Vangelis, Harold Budd, Supertramp, Pink Floyd

Group Members Michael Thomas Berkley: composer / producer

Instruments Piano, Percussion, Analog Synths, Electronics

Albums Images from Earth

Press Reviews Subtitled 'A History Of The Planet Through Music', Michael Berkley's debut album is unlikely to be faulted for lacking in ambition or conceptual scope. Indeed, in an age of generic utilitarianism and well-dug marketing niches, such artistic ambition seems to hover between naivete and gravity, depending on your point of view and degree of cynicism.Twelve pieces span geological time, each earmarking an era of significance in the planet's evolution, from gravitational conception to the present day and, perhaps most ambitiously of all, beyond. A wide palette of instrumentation articulates Berkley's keen ear and compositional dexterity, neatly uniting studio synthesis with tangible percussion, flute and, most notably, Ari Langer's curvaceous, sweeping violin. The range of compositional ground covered is suitably broad, ranging from the soft-focus suspension of the opening 'Dawn' to more overtly structured tracks which allow Berkley's unique sensibilities to absorb the listener in their suggestive tug. To these ears, the rich and exotic animation of his work is best displayed in the piece titled 'Dinosaurs', a lavish and intoxicating waltz of reptilian romanticism which sets this composer some way ahead of both his peers and popular expectation. Numinous indeed.z

Location Eugene, OR - USA

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