Inkeys

Music featured on Inkeys that remains exclusively on Inkeys includes Robert Schroeder+Mark Shreeve + Mark Jenkins (Inkeys 2), Neil Ardley (Inkeys 3), Jean-Philippe Rykiel + Andreas Grosser (Inkeys 4), Jasun Martz + Mark Jenkins (Inkeys 5), Bernd Scholl (Inkeys 7), Mainframe (Inkeys 8 ), Ron Berry + Mark Jenkins + Stevo (Inkeys 13), Michel Huygen (Inkeys 15)

The Inkeys series of exclusive interviews features Jean-Philippe Rykiel (Inkeys 1), Robert Schroeder (iNKEYS 2), Bernard Xolotl (Inkeys 3), Klaus Schulze (Inkeys 4), Mark Shreeve (Inkeys 5), Dave Lawrence (Pulse Label Boss) (Inkeys 6), Chris & Cosey + Bernd Scholl (Inkeys 7), Tony Duhig + Mainframe (Inkeys 😎, Carl Weingarten + Tim Story (Inkeys 9), Tangerine Dream + Roddy McKenna (Jive Electro Boss) (Inkeys 10), Ian Boddy (Inkeys 12), Steve Roach (Inkeys 13), Mark Shreeve (Inkeys 14), Wavestar + Xaliman (Inkeys 15), Michael Stearns (Inkeys 16)

https://www.mixcloud.com/Deadearnest/the-inkeys-interviews/
(Nearly) all the musician interviews that appeared on the 16 cassette editions of Inkeys (not the 3 CD ones), gathered together - happy listening........

The Inkeys Interviews Most of the interviews as featured on Inkeys cassette magazines issues 1 to 16 - in chronological order you'll hear Jean-Philippe Rykiel, Robert Schroeder, Bernard Xolotl, Klaus Schulze, Mark Shreeve, Michel Huygen, Dave Lawrence, Chris & Cosey, Mainframe, Tony Duhig, Carl Weingarten, Tim Story, Tan...

ANDY PICKFORD – Dagon Album
OK – hands up if you remember Pickford?
Thought so......where have you been all this time – he is still making music you know – and at his trademark alarming rate, too. The last time I encountered his music, I think I had the equivalent of a 12 album epic – or similar – and I will admit it, but I ran off screaming....
Now, comes 2026 and there's a new album – single album, too – and not only that, 5 long tracks spanning 13 to 16 minutes apiece. Sounded promising, so I dived in.......
The first track is the title track and set to a throbbing synth rhythm, this incredibly intense, seemingly unending, series of synth layers ebbs and flows, sometimes spacey, sometimes galaxian, but then, with a mighty drum roar, in comes the next surging crash of electronics, like an army in full flight, the intensity almost overwhelming, but utterly hypnotic as this huge tornado of sound rushes ever nearer – and still that throbbing monster of a rhythm, pulses away down below. As to piece moves on, so the musical landscape changes and nothing stands still in this interplanetary war of electronics, synths that sound like roaring guitars, vast choirs from parts unknown and electro percussive rhythms somewhere buried in the mix. All in all it's immense, eerie, verging on scary, completely spellbinding and, apart from the work of Alisa Coral's Mono Chrome, quite unlike anything I've heard in aeons.
Following this is “Space Jank” and, cleverly, it begins in cosmic mode with a beautifully full-sounding synth drifting through the cosmos, soon joined by a higher register layer and then more as the mood is firmly spacey and spacious, cosmic and “out there”. Around the three minute point, a gentle synth rhythm begins, which is then joined by a bouncing electro-percussive rhythm as the tracks takes on a whole new identity that mixes cosmic, rhythmic and melodic, all in gorgeously rolling splendour, with assorted electronic space music layers delicately added along the way, right through to the closing sounds of the cosmic universe that began the track. “Pixie” continues the feel of the previous track only this time with a greater emphasis on the slowly melodic, less weight on the rhythms and a mix of almost wordless choir, pulsing beats, light and airy melodies, all conveyed with great feeling, again, the album's pattern of slowly adding and taking away musical layers, in full swing as the track passes silently and eloquently by.
“Shadowalker” begins in cosmic mode once more, but this time in a much starker, more outer space environment, the sounds of the space synths, free of rhythm and melody, drifting like some lone starship on its way to the outer reaches, the effect being totally hypnotic and captivating. Around the 7 minute point, it all starts to build and become a whole lot louder as a shuddering percussive rhythm marches down below, and a vast fogbank of synths encroaches on your territory, slowly engulfing everything in its path, the track no0w a quite mighty example of slowy but inexorably travelling muscular cosmic music, if that's not a contradiction in terms. Around 11 minutes, it begins to subside, but instead of fading, allows other soundscapes to appear as the nature but not the mood of the track nears its destination.
Finally, there's “Badlands”. Here, we're back to the menacing intensity, density, loudness and all-synth-guns blazing mix of electronics, thundering soundscapes, rifle-fire electro-percussive rhythms, shuddering echoing synths, and a sea of musical layers, textures, throbs, pulses, middle eastern influenced melodic distances and a whole ton more, all adding up to make this one absolutely massive slice of electronic musical might – turned up loud, this will scare the crap out of you at the same time as being completely compulsive listening pleasure.
So, completely faultless, a totally immersive listening experience from start to finish, and easily the best Andy Pickford album I've heard in a long, long time.
Welcome back.......not that you ever left.......

Found this online by accident - it includes their review of "UK Electronica 1983", among other things.....

www.worldradiohistory.com

STEVE HILLMAN – Emergence Album
Nigh on 40 years have I known Mr Hillman and through that time, his musical output has encompassed synth music, prog-rock and space-rock, through albums I loved, albums I liked and albums I couldn't get my head round. So, to me as a listener, it warms the cockles of my heart to hear a brand new album that comes into the “loved” category – and this is it....
It's an album that is firmly in the electronic music camp, but, as you'll hear on the opening track, the progressive element is not forgotten. With an undulating sea of solid rhythms at the back of the mix, there's a stream of what sounds like mellotrons, soothing waves of decidedly Vangelis-influenced music, Berlin-school sequencers, a brief burst of electric guitar and an overall composition that is totally magical, a sort of Froese-meets-Vangelis quality to it, and it lasts 8 minutes – if only it had lasted 18 – but a track you will go back to playing, time after time after time. One of his best ever pieces, for sure.
Thankfully, the gems don't stop there – they continue and they change. “Departure” starts with faster paced synth rhythms, a sea of electronics on top and a soaring electric guitar on top of all that. The rhythms then gather strength as multiple sequencer-like lines enter with authority and the guitar just flies on top, the whole thing multi-layered with so much going on in the mix and another rock solid synth track that has everything from Shreeve-esque orchestral stabs to Oldfield-esque percussive styled rhythms and melodies, and many great points in between
“Evocations 3” starts with booming sequencers, an electro-percussive rhythm underneath, a brief Froese-like mellotron on top and then it goes into this swirling lead synth that takes the melody forward and interplays with a higher register melody as the rhythmic undercurrents move inexorably forward. As the 10+ minute tracks moves on, assorted synth leads come and go, but the rhythm remains consistent, a veritable musical train ride with many great views out of the window.
“Avrista” is a short piece with drum beats, soaring flute/mellotron, exotic Middle eastern sounding percussion and it takes you to the bazaars and the markets of Morocco – another track I'd like to have been longer, which is a good thing, but once you hear the sequencers and synths that begin “Touchdown”, you'll forgive him, as you suddenly wander into a track that has “Macula Transfer”-era Froese at its heart and soul, as just under 5 minutes of solid pleasure evolves.
“Antiquum Decus Floreat” has a mellotron, in fact two, as its main core musical horizon, aided by distant slow synth undulations, but soaring to the skies on clouds of choral splendours. “Return to 1974” - and I'm sorry to Mr Hillman for labouring the comparisons – is the perfect track, in 4 and a half minutes, for anyone who liked the first two Edgar Froese albums, while the 2+ minutes of “Echoes Of You” is a slowly flowing cyclical synth on top of which lead and lone synths reveal a stark but highly emotional melody line, a bit like something out of the old Italian band Sensations Fix, but stripped down. “Rider” starts with solid rhythms as a lead synth appears out of nowhere and it's like a kind of lighter comparison to the music that Shreeve put out on his live album, and really rocks. “Herald”, meanwhile, has solid synth rhythms, huge melodies, what seems like a vast galaxian choir and the whole nine yards is a musical masterwork of Cathedral-sized proportions and every bit as uplifting.
The 7 and a half minute “Riding The Storm 6” starts with electro-percussive shudders, adds Berlin-like sequencers, a sea of synth undercurrents and the return of the electric guitar, which spirals upwards on a soaring slice of graceful and biting soloing that is truly out of this world. After that, the piece morphs into a multi-layered mix of melodies and synths to carry on its way to Berlin heaven. Then the guitar returns and the solo lead is even more inspirational than before, reminding me a bit of Wavestar at their absolute finest. The album ends with “Riding The Storm 5”, and the calm of piano which is just perfect after what you've just heard, and it is this mix of relaxing piano and equally sedate synth, plus a totally Oldfield-eque slice of guitar, that brings the album to as satisfying conclusion as you could have hoped to hear.
Like I said, I've known Mr Hillman from afar, through highs and lows, musically and personally, but to say that this is the best album he's ever done would, in my opinion, not be far wrong.

CHRISTIAN WITTMAN – Andromeda album
On the fourth play of this, I've changed my mind about it – initially I had it down as a cosmic album of great gloom and darkness, but the more you listen to it, the more you hear and immerse yourself in the seemingly infinite depths of electronic music that is being created across the 10 compositions, the more you continue to get out of it.
A track by track review would take me all day. Suffice to say that first and foremost, this is a cosmic electronic music album, but there are so may layers, textures, soundscapes, and even hints of rhythm on a track or two, that you'll hear something different in every track, the further into it you travel.
From sparse to rich, eerie to optimistic, dark space to almost spiritual light, Mr Wittman has it covered, as track after track unfolds in all its multi-dimensional splendour. It's not often that you get a cosmic music album that mixes electronic music shades and layers to such an effective extent, but in the legions of people playing cosmic electronic music, this one stands out.

For any synth CD fans, a heads up that the last 20 or so copies of this album are about to hit these shores in the nexst week or so, then that's the last of the physical CD release - available on bandcamp, ebay uk and discogs -

ALISA CORAL'S NEUTRON STAR – Virgo SC Album
From the musician and composer behind the Space Mirrors band, here's her first solo synthesizer album in a long, long time.
Featuring Alisa on synths, keyboards and mellotron, plus pianist Yael Kroy on thre of the album's 8 tracks, this is a magnificently melodic, musical journey through the galaxy.
Starting with “NGC 4216”, you're immediately plunged into a universe of doppler effect synths, soaring electronic leads, a textural backdrop depicting the cosmos and a sinewy lead synth that weaves in and out, as the piece alternately builds and drops, at one minute quite stark, then with several layers pushing it on, pulsing and shimmering as it travels. Just short of the three minute mark, the pianist enters to provide an extra layer as the rippling notes add to the now smooth layers of electronics that are flowing over the space synth swoops that occur all around, and ultimately taking the track to its conclusion.
“Virgo A (M87)” fires up with rhythmic notes, washes of sound down below as a bass synth texture wells up and starts to burn, over which a melody line is heard in the distance, as the sequencer-styled rhythms now take over the landscape amid all manner of sinewave synth swoops and flying leads swirl all around, creating a vast cosmos of sound that still has an edge and a darkness running through the individual layers. All of this changes shape but keeps to its core rhythmic pattern, ultimately shedding layers as it reaches an end, but then the surprising entry from the pianist gives it a conclusion that you least expected, with some quite powerful playing. “Virgo B (M49)” by contrast, starts in cosmic mode as amorphous synths spread across the horizon, staying in that spacey cosmic flow for the duration of the track, adding assorted electronics along the way, a bit like a spacey Tim Blake in slow motion.
“Triangulum Galaxy” opens with cyclical synths rising and falling above a myriad of swooping leads, eventually more of a pulsing sea of rhythms that take centre stage, allowing everything else to swirl, dive and resonate, all around the evolving rhythmic heartland. In a completely new universe, “Virgocentric Flow” is simply gorgeous as this almost orchestral wave of space synths and mellotron, stretches out to infinity, again accompanied out the back by rising and falling synth sequences, but the beauty of the central heart of synths and mellotrons, a musical canvas that is truly breathtaking. “Andromeda Galaxy” intensifies the space music with an altogether darker mood as synths shimmer, a low range chord flares out, the track pulsing with authority as layers and textures slowly build and spread over the distant horizon, in fact remarkably close to some of the ways a Klaus Schulze track of yore might have gone.
“Via Lactea” starts with a sequencer-like rhythm on piano and distant space bass, adding a whole new dimension to this type of rhythm, under which appears a distant mellotron choir, space synth swooshes, space synths and more as the track drives forward, the rhythms subside, reappear, new textures are added and the ever moving track strays into deep darkness and stark space.
The album ends on the 8+ minutes of “Andromeda-Milky Way Collision”. It starts with drift, melody and cosmic space as a cyclical sequencer rhythm begins, a mellotron melody appears, synth comets swoop and soar, all of which builds before the rhythm drops back to lower range, the horizon disappears and a striking piano rhythm bursts in to accompany the existing one.
All of this then drops back to pure space music, which then cruises effortlessly on to end the track.
Overall, as a synth album standing alone, it's got the fine balance between cosmic, melodic and rhythmic, spot on.

NEON.BEV.CLICK – Beginning Of The End Album
Is there such a thing as “ambient techno”?
Well, there is now.......
What is absolutely astonishing about this album is the amount of thought that's been put into compositions where the average running length per track, is a shade over 2 minutes – yes, 2 minutes!!
Based firmly around electronic and electro-percussive rhythms and beats as a foundation for each track, the way that Bev layers the tracks is just draw-dropping. Nothing stands still as each track does everything from power ahead and stomp to shining like the sun and sailing upwards and onwards.
Economy is the key – take an idea, anchor it, layer it, add melodies as appropriate, don't repeat, continue add layers, make it travel, ensure that nothing stands still - “et voila!!” - “un gateau enchante” - or the best darned musical cake you're gonna eat today.
It's electronic, it's focused, and nothing outstays its welcome. Now, you might think that the shortness of the tracks may leave you “wanting more”, but in this album, that's simply not the case as idea after glorious idea come at you like gorgeous waves on an infinite electronic sea.
I think that this is a stunner – for its genre, it's almost ground-breaking – and as a modern electro album, the best thing I've come across in ages.

ALISA CORAL'S {Mono Chrome} - Atomic Autumn : Kurchatov Records Album
Second album from Alisa's project, and to say it blew me away, would be an understatement. Although played using wholly familiar electronic and electric gear and fx, I can honestly say I've never heard anything like this before. Its musical scope is staggering and the fact that I'm now on my fifth play of the whole album, and am still hearing things I missed before, illustrates this. But what is it, I hear you cry – well, it's space-rock but not as you know it; it's electronic music from a Cosmic Jokers generation, but not as you know it; it's bass-heavy industrial in its atmospherics, but not as you know it. The production is infinite, the playing intricate and the overall effect is like being hit by a hammer in a velvet glove. All instruments are played by Alisa Coral with the exception of the drums on the three lengthy tracks, which are courtesy of the mysterious I.D.F. The album overall, will have a wide appeal from space-rock to cosmic music fans, chill-out to industrial.
Allow me to explain.........
The opener is the near 8 minute “Physics First (F-1)” and right from the start, there's this immense sounding 5-string bass guitar creating a rhythm that's a bit like Pink Floyd's “On Of The Days”, only this thing shakes the floorboards and rattles the windows, but is the core rhythm around which the track revolves. All around is a cavernous air of electronic intensity as Coral's vocal is a thing of wonder – intoning the lyrics in a Gilly Smyth-esque space-whisper, only more forceful, each line flies upwards and then back to earth, heavily echoed and the way it's done is completely and utterly spellbinding. Around 4 minutes in, with that bass still hammering out, and not a drum in sight, the freight train rhythms have added layers of synths and electronics added to them, injecting a melody at the heart of the machine, further emphasised when a lead synth line flies onwards and upwards, over the nuclear core underneath. Just shy of 7 minutes, the vocal returns, and this boiling sonic cauldron continues to delight, the air thick with musical textures and still that wicked bass guitar taking it through to a climactic finale.
And that's just track 1......
The comes the 18+ minutes of “Atomic Autumn 1: The Weapon” - opening with a sampled Russian voice, assorted layers of swirling, harmonic, cosmic and expansive electronics create a density out of which emerges a different but equally heavy bass guitar rhythm, as the synths gather strength and Coral's distant, echoed voice briefly enters, but fades as a huge array of melodic atmospheric synths and multi-textured guitar fill the air, this wickedly heavy river of bass thundering below, and by now the combination of all of this has created a sound-world that is not only immense but truly mind-blowing. The intensity continues as the layers of electronics continue to fly, swirl and drift, all set in seriously strong musical territory, as bass and synths take centre stage, apparently fading into the distance but all of a sudden, the space-whispers coalesce, the synth layers start to climb, the musical fog-bank spreads its wings, taking you into another section where the bass pounds slowly, the synth textures and assorted space swoops are flying all around the mix, a sampled voice is briefly featured and the whole thing has become this gigantic cosmic-industrial whirlpool of sonic perfection, as though someone put the Cosmic Jokers in a giant, space-rock blender. Continuously evolving, with sound patterns and textures coming and going, this amazing musical horizon stretches far out before you right to the end of the track, whereupon.....
…...the near 23 minute “Atomic Autumn II: The Powerplant” begins its journey.....on a solid rhythm of mid-paced, varied electronic and acoustic drum rhythms, the stark electronics slowly becoming more full-sounding and melodic, the sound of the factory starting up its day. Far from repetitive, the rhythms subtly change, but, amid a combination of synths and drones, suddenly Alisa's echoed vocal, enters and matches the pace of the rhythms, which is just genius, in that it's catchy as hell, gives a cosmic feel to the factory floor rhythms and is in the background just enough for you to be able to hear its effect rather than its actual lyrics, just to add to the magical and ever expanding world of sound that is being created. It's a kind of industrial-sized chill-out with power and purpose, but, like the album as a whole, nothing stays the same, everything progresses and there are musical wonders coming at you all the time. The bass has now been added, as a stretched-out textural guitar layer provides a melodic effect without actually being one and the journey continues. Set to the rhythmic backbone, the electronics drift, soar and drive, as the overall soundscape changes, the guitar flies, the Russian sampled voice returns, disappears, and then the rhythm changes, a huge array of synths replace the guitar and the journey progresses.
The final track is the 17+ minute “Kurchatov Records”. Here a throbbing hum, percussive rhythm and sampled voice kick things off before a river of synths, the undulating rhythms and then the industrial percussion, all weave in and out of the mix, with Coral's heavenly echoed, voice in the background. Slowly it all changes shape, texture and substance as the layers are built, albeit this time in a much more cosmic musical setting, still intense, but just more open-ended. Over the course of its running time, it becomes this giant-sized slice of spacey industrial chill-out that constantly travels and flows with a solid rhythmic foundation upon which all manner of synths, percussives, bass and guitar textures, interconnect like some vast intergalactic synths-driven symphony.
Overall, this is one amazing album – like I said, unlike anything you'll have heard before, but with many echoes from the past, pointing towards the future, so make this album a presence in your musical life – you won't regret it.