Gert Emmens sure has been in a "groove" lately. "After the Rain" has an awesome little sequence that kicks things off. Things turn spooky at the 4:00 mark, sparking a shift to a wonderful passage with percussion that sounds part tribal part modern, and the warmest synth pads for loads of atmosphere. What a fantastic subdued section this is. Just past 7:30 it's shades of classic Klaus Schulze as a light crystalline sequence ensues. An energetic looping phrase is then folded perfectly into the mix, along with more pads. Sweet! Synth choirs perfect the mood, joined by a choice lead line. The last minute changes moods again, to abstract white noise and an odd but cool synth sound as it fades away. The disc is already worth the price of admission at this point. But the rest is equally good, as "Another Time, Another Space" floats in. More beautiful pads and sequencing, and the other synth sounds are stellar. In particular, the midsection is brilliant, somehow surpassing the already strong sequencing of the intro. Next is the title track. After the obligatory sequence gets going, a female voice wails for a minute or two. Then drums pick up the energy markedly. The synth lead that emerges is pure Emmens, his signature seamless portamento shift from one note to another. The pattern holds for "Dawn," dark atmospherics followed by bright sequencing. Each new track brings hypnotic loops and wonderful blends of electronic sounds that are cool and seemingly effortless. The pseudo-tribal slant of "Heading Towards Unknown Destinations" is a bit of a twist, although the Berlin school influence remains toward the fore. I'm shaking my head near the end of this one, the sequencing is so elegantly perfect. The last track is as brilliant as the rest. Go buy it already.

Gert Emmens is amongst those artists who are getting better every time they come up with a new record. "Waves Of Dreams" is no exception of this.
Again, the Dutchman surprises us with his pleasant melodic retro electronic music that is played excellently."After The Rain" opens with soft sequences after which intriguing rhythms take over. In the third part of the track Mike Oldfield-like sequences enter and bring the listener in electronic heaven. This is absolutely top electronic music.And it doesn't stay with this piece alone: tracks like "Another Time, Another Space", "Waves Of Dreams" and the somewhat darker "Bright Spot On A Grey Day" all bear the same quality (well, actually all tracks). Electronic music that is built up beautifully, with great sequences, atmospheres, Mellotron sounds and solos Gert sets himself apart from most other retro/Berlin School electronic music by always keeping the melody on top. This makes his music very special.
And the musical content is not enough: also the recording is great, the cover by Pablo Magne beautiful (it almost looks like cover from Pink Floyd or The Alan Parsons Project) and the list of equipment Gert uses (a lot of vintage gear) is very impressive. This all makes "Waves Of Dreams" amongst the absolute top in retro-electronic music.

Gert Emmens has clearly defined the Berlin School of E-music in a way few have accomplished. There is a degree of satisfaction that is as refreshing as it is compelling, witnessed by my listeners on Monday nights @ Wisconsin Public Radio.
Waves of Dreams further enhances Gert's style among the Synth heavyweights, propelling the listener through journeys of vast soundscapes full of gentle washes of electronic color.
Since we aired "Wanderer of Time" two weeks ago Gert now has a solid fan base in the U.S.
Now, how about coming here for a tour with Redshift?? OOHH!! YYEAHH!!

Stephan Schelle:

Das am 09.10.2004 auf dem E-Live-Festival erschienene “Waves Of Dreams” ist das mittlerweile siebte Solowerk des Holländers Gert Emmens, das er komplett in Eigenregie eingespielt hat. Auf der neuen CD bietet er sechs Tracks, die alle die Spielzeit von zehn Minuten überschreiten.

Mit „After The Rain“ startet die CD und gleich sind diese herrlichen Synthieloops und Sequenzen zu hören. Gert öffnet mit seinen Synthieflächen weite Räume und entwickelt Harmonien, die gleich wohlig den Rücken runter laufen. Dann nach einigen Minuten wechseln Stimmung und Sound und es klingt zunächst technisch und kalt, doch schnell setzen die nächsten Keyboardflächen ein, die zwar wieder wärmer klingen aber eine gewisse Melancholie vermitteln. Dann erklingen Pianoklänge gefolgt von Sequenzen á la „Berliner Schule“ und warme Synthieklänge schmeicheln wieder dem Ohr. Im letzten Drittel klingt sogar ein Hauch von Mike Oldfield durch. Ein toller, abwechslungsreicher Eröffnungstitel, den er übrigens auch in Eindhoven beim E-Live-Festival 2004 live dargeboten hat.

Auch Track zwei „Another Time, Another Place“ bietet die weiten, traumhaften Flächen. Ich für meinen Teil fliege da auch ohne Red Bull sofort weg. Diese Kombination von Flächen und Sequenzen geht mir absolut unter die Haut. Gert verbindet mit seiner Musik die von Tangerine Dream und Klaus Schulze geprägte „Berliner“ mit der von Ron Boots geschaffene „Eindhovener Schule“. Im weiteren Verlauf kommen dann noch schnelle Sequenzen ins Spiel, so wie wir sie von englischen Acts wie Redshift her kennen.

Als dritten Track steht dann das Titelstück der CD auf dem Plan. Es beginnt düster und bedrohlich. Hat Gert hier etwa einen Alptraum? Mitnichten, denn nach gut einer Minute startet eine herrliche Melodie den Wellengang durch unsere Traumwelt. Ein Sample der Arienhaft (erinnert klanglich ein wenig an „Spiel mir das Lied vom Tod“) aus dem Background ertönt, verleiht dem Stück noch mehr Tiefe. Langsam schwappen die Wellen dahin und die aufziehenden Sequenzen und quirligen Synthie- sowie der Schlagzeugloop bringen mehr Drive in den Wellengang und verändern so das Klangbild.

Die Ursprungsversion von „Dawn“, die noch den Namen „The Beginning Of A New Day“ trug, hat Gert dem im März 2004 viel zu früh verstorbenen amerikanischen Elektronikmusiker Michael Garrison gewidmet. Durch Geräusche, die an Wind erinnern fliegt dieser Titel gleich mal so dahin. Herrlich romantische Melodielinien schweben erst im Hintergrund, während im Vordergrund die Sequenzen den Ton angeben. Ein absolut Gänsehaut erzeugender Titel.

Es folgt Track fünf „Heading Towards Unknown Destinations“, der eine düstere Stimmung verbreitet. Anfangs hat man durch die Sounds das beklemmende Gefühl, als befinde man sich auf einem dunklen, menschenleeren langen Flur. Mit dieser Stimmung lässt uns Gert gute drei Minuten allein bevor einen dann ein Sound á la Jean Michel Jarre aus der Lethargie reißt. Das Stück behält aber dennoch eine leicht dunklere Stimmung und klart gewissermaßen erst zum Ende hin auf.

Mit dem Stück „Bright Spot On A Grey Day“ endet die CD. Da zirpt es am Anfang aus den Boxen und von den Seiten einsetzende Töne durchstreifen die Gehörgänge. Dann tun sich aber wieder diese weiten Synthieflächen auf, die eine hypnotische Wirkung erzeugen. Nach gut zwei Minuten ertönen dann wieder die bekannten Sequenzerloops und das Stück entwickelt sich stetig weiter. Nach fast elf Minuten kehrt Stille ein um dann einige Sekunden später für die letzten zwei Minuten wieder in sehr düstere Sounds, die eine alptraumhafte Stimmung erzeugen, umzuschwenken. 

Bei aller Elektronik und Technik die er einsetzt, behält Gert immer das Augenmerk auf wunderbare, atmosphärische Harmonien und Melodielinien. Qualitativ sind alle sechs Stücke gleichwertig, es gibt keinen Ausfall auf der CD. Freunde der Sequenzer orientierten melodiösen Elektronikmusik kommen hier voll auf ihre Kosten. Das Cover-Artwork stammt von Pablo Magne und erinnert stark an die Werke von Storm Thorgerson, der ja bekanntlich für die tollen Cover von Pink Floyd verantwortlich ist.

Gert Emmens continues to shine on the EM scene and "Waves of Dreams" is his new album that further pushes the boundaries of Berlin School with his unique style of atmospheric, a bit mournful music. There are 6 tracks on this album. The first track, called "After the Rain" gets things going with deep arpeggiated synths and after a while sequenced bass notes appear out of nowhere. It then morphs into a full-blown melodic sequence which is then joined by yet another one, and at around the 1:25 mark, the mellotron choir kicks in. This is typical Gert Emmens and the combination works perfectly here. A lead line is playing on top of the sequences. The album has that typical "Emmens touch" that can be characterized by a somewhat mournful and reflective, maybe even a bit romantic, atmosphere. At around the 4 minute mark, a completely different section starts - somewhat industrial noises and sounds, plus a strange resonating rhythms. This is just great, mysterious stuff! The final section of the first track is again heavy on bright sequences, pads and atmospheres. "Another Time, Another Space" is initially pretty melanchonic, with lots of mellotron strings and of course, sequences. It uses theremin-like solo timbre which I find highly enjoyable. About half-way through, things become more dark and driving, with a more powerful, lower-register sequence that mutates now and then to keep you on your toes. Then another great sequence joins in and we really start to groove. I found my head nodding and my toe tapping to this one. Sequencer music is not dead! It's alive and kicking as you can clearly hear from this track! Great stuff that makes me reach for that volume control, especially after the solo kicks in! I just wish it was longer! Next we have the title track which is pretty laid-back affair. Good to sit back, relax and just enjoy the flow. There something atypical for sequencer EM in there, but I won't reveal what it is. Let's just say that I found it highly refreshing and very beautiful. A laid-back rhythm and fast-paced sequences is what we have as the core of the second part of the track. "Dawn" features delicate sequencing and rich pad sounds. Gert seems to have a knack for creating rather laid-back, unhurried type of EM and this track is very characteristic of his style. Nice mellotron touches near the end. "Heading Towards Unknown Destinations" is the best cut on the album. It's a genuine cosmic trip. Great sounds, rhythms and soloing. This is too delicious for words. Sorry, I'm off enjoying the music.. <...> Are you still reading? Ok, the last track is called "Bright Spot On A Grey Day". It offers more mid-paced sequences, pads, choir-like sounds and, despite the title, sounds pretty mournful and desparate to me. The most delicious aspect of this track is the background sounds / atmospheres. A nice finish to this strong album. There is also a surprise at the end of the track (THE bright spot, perhaps?), but, once again, I won't reveal it, sorry. :-) Is there anything left to say in the genre of sequencer music? The answer is yes. And "Waves of Dreams" is the proof of that. 

Gert Emmens’ type of EM reminds me of progressive fusion/prog rock from the late ‘60s or early ‘70s (e.g. Yes, King Crimson, and Rush, to name a few). I don't make this comparison in a musical sense, but rather because of how he structures his long compositions.
A popular convention back then for the aforementioned groups was to compose long pieces and give them separately titled “movements” in which different musical themes would be explored, yet still retaining a certain signature sound so the artist/group was identifiable. An excellent example would the multi-part classic from Yes, “Close to the Edge”, which had three movements: “The Solid Time of Change”, “Total Mass Retain”, “I Get Up, I Get Down”.
As Messrs. Howe, Wakeman, et al. wove a musical statement throughout diverse stages of a song, so too does Emmens allow his tracks to migrate across different musical landscapes, although in his case, there is much more variety between the movements. Plus, of course, the music itself bears no resemblance to the progressive rock of that era.

On the opening piece, “After the Rain”, the listener is treated to a brief “sunshower” of twinkling synth notes before echoed retro Berlin sequences delightfully pepper the soundfield, seeming to bounce back and forth, up and down, cushioned by flowing chorales. Before long, a dark strain of Mellotron swirls heralds a change of pace, combined with cyber-organic semi-tribal rhythms over a lush bed of keyboards (this is a very moody part of the song and is decidedly un-Germanic in character). He’s still not done yet, eventually yielding to a classic rapid pulsing of sequenced beats and twinkling tones over warm washes of synths (very Germanic in nature), with majestic chorales and irregular skitch-type beats brought in for good measure.
This is how Emmens differs from many other EM artists today. He not only exercises supreme control over all these separate types of electronic music, but finds brilliant ways to integrate them into cohesive tracks in a way that is not just amazing from a technical standpoint but also yields a satisfying emotional payoff.
There are six more songs (all over ten minutes long) on the CD, so serving up details on the others would require a novelette-length review. Suffice it to say Emmens wields his analog and digital keyboards, his Mellotron, Moogs and MiniMoogs, with equal parts dexterity and passion.
“Another Time, Another Space” unites whistling vibrating analog spacemusic with percolating sequencers and later thumping Berlin-esque pulses. The title track starts amidst ominous drones and rumbles, with some dissonant tonalities as well, but moves into much more accessible and friendlier territory with somber and beautiful synth strings and echoed (and nicely panned!) chirping sequenced notes. The addition of operatic female vocals takes the beauty of the song up even higher, soaring into the ethereal heights, before a rapid-fire synth sequence and dramatic snare-beats bring everything back to earth, propelling the song at the pace of a bullet train.

You want to know what the rest of the album sounds like? Well, go out and buy it, because if you liked what I've described so far, you won't be disappointed. I didn't think this artist would be able to top last year’s obscure movements in twilight shades but Gert Emmens obviously means to not stand still when it comes to making superlative EM, and that’s what Waves of Dreams is, with the emphasis on “superlative.”
Easily, this is one of the best releases in years from Groove Unltd. -- and that’s saying something!

...bei dieser Musik kommt eine ganz besondere Stimmung rüber , die das Cover auf sehr schöne Weise wiedergibt. Herrliche Klangteppiche, schöne Melodien...ja, da ist alles drin. Mehr kann ich dazu nicht sagen. Einfach nur Geniessen............. Absoluter Kauftipp !!

'After the Rain' initially uses a slow sequence, mixing with dreamy shimmering effects to create a lazy laid-back feel. The pace quickens slightly as another sequence strikes up. A slow moody lead line continues the tranquil sunny afternoon feel. By the fourth minute however it is all change as things suddenly descend to dark atmospherics out of which emerges an ominous twangy sequence and brooding lead line. In the seventh minute a rapid tinkling sequence then another with greater oomph lift the spirits and pick up the pace. This isn't all bludgeoning stuff though as the melodies retain that tender element.

'Another Time, Another Space' certainly starts very cosmically. The engines are engaged as a rapid morphing sequence breaks through. We take a breather in the fifth minute. Dark drones set the scene for the best moment on the album so far as a typical mid seventies bass sequence surges forward. This really is tremendous stuff! We reach even greater heights as a lead line enters and the sequence careers this way and that. Even classic mellotron sounds are tossed in for good measure. We moodily drift through to the title track. The atmosphere becomes more positive, as if a door is opened and the sun comes streaming in. More sequences and rhythms enter as we transcend from beauty to an edgy excitement.

'Dawn' might be the title of the next track but it certainly doesn't sound like it is on this planet. When the inevitable sequences arrive they are bright and joyous like the rays of some alien sun gradually rising above the horizon. A beefier sequence joins the original combination making it seem as if things are getting hotter. The temperature rises still further as a rhythm then positive melodic lead line join in the fun. In the sixth minute things seem to become more urgent, a serious edge cutting straight through the frivolity. Dark melodic stabs add to the unease then the sequences depart and the sun goes down once more. The mood darkens still further for 'Heading Towards Unknown Destinations'. Clangs, as if from some gloomy cell, mix with the sound of wailing spectres. An inventive jaunty stuttering brace of sequences takes us into the light but there is something almost tribal about the syncopations. Wistful John Dyson type lead lines impart a touch of melancholy. By the sixth minute the pace quickens still further, maybe the chase is on. The atmosphere lightens considerably as we near our destination.

'Bright Spot on a Grey Day' starts with deep space Sci Fi type effects. A similar sequence to that in the first half of 'Dawn' breaks through. Things become even more exciting as a bass line starts to form. I really thought it would continue to build but instead we chug along nicely before returning to the cosmic effects. Then silence……. before the introduction of a snippet of strange, mysterious, half whispered vocals and windy pads to finally finish.