Panabrite

Digitalis invite us to dive headfirst into the synth froth of 'Soft Terminal', the latest emission from maverick soundscaper Norm Chambers, aka Panabrite. Over the last few years he's amassed a small library of exceptional material for the likes of Gift Tapes, Aguirre and Digitalis, plus one rather special pearl, a real scene classic, produced incognito and which we've been sworn to secrecy over. Compared with the stacks of dribbling dronesmiths and half-baked fantasists who populate this arena, his sound is beautifully considered and almost pop-like in vision and appeal: the most unlikely heads have been singing his praises and that's testament to his pure, instinctive grasp of melody and complex, layered arrangements. It'd take a really keen ear to distinguish the proggy magic of 'Glass Palace' or the placid pastoral bliss of 'Janus' apart from vintage material - but the distinctions are arbitrary. Simply, the epic, transporting arpeggios of 'Beta Axis Terminal' or the impeccably gloopy exotica of 'Camembert Symphony' tap into a most rarified spirit shared by minimal synth music, kosmische and prog, and it's a precious thing to behold. (Boomkat)