Don Slepian lived in Hawaii for ten years. He originally released
Electronic Music From the Rainbow Isle in 1978 as a collection of his best compositions of that era. For the CD release he added some tracks and some interludes from 2000. It is a great package.
Slepian has a strong resumé and he was on the cutting edge of electronic music technology in the '70s (he was composer-in-residence at Bell Labs). This gentle space music, constructed on analog equipment, has all the appeal of modern digital e-music. It also has a strong new age sensitivity and echoes of pastoral ambience.
Slepian creates those atmospheres with no samples. This classic CD is in a league of its own. It will appeal to fans of
Mother Mallard's Portable Masterpiece Company, Tonto's Expanding HeadBand, and Wendy Carlos. ~ Jim Brenholts