Craig Padilla & Skip Murphy - Planetary Elements, Vol. 2 (2003)

Born, raised, and still living in far-northern California, Craig Padilla has become an internationally celebrated electronic music artist. After more than a decade of playing live shows in the region, his style reflects the classic electronic music (E.M.) artists of the past, while finding new sound and music styles that are unique.

Craig has long used the traditional (now considered vintage) instruments of the genre like the Arp 2500/2600 and Sequential Circuits Pro One. Those instruments lend themselves to the full bodied analog sound so sought after by today's E.M. afficianados. He also uses custom designed analog synths that are one of a kind, and has modified many of his instruments. Lately, Craig has been using the latest in virtual synths like Reason 2.5 to good effect. Those virtual instruments can be thin and artificial sounding in the hands of less skilled and unpracticed artists, but Craig has developed the ability to couple these new tools to the old ones in groundbreaking innovative ways. In the process he has created new sonic worlds of ambience and subtlety that combine the best of the old with the finest of the new.

By far the most compelling reason I am such a fan of Craig's music is that he retains a great melodic sensibility while using these instruments. Synthesizers can make nearly any sound. It is easy to make bad electronic music, but difficult to capture the essence of humanity with these instruments, of humans making music. Craig never lets the technology overcome the humanity, as evident in any of his romantic works, but also in his more ambient compositions. It is his grasp of the need, and his unceasing reaching to grab the elusive brass ring of E.M. that keeps us coming back for more. His finest works are wordless evocations of grandeur and timelessness.

You may not have had an opportunity to attend one of Craig's regular live performances in Northern California, but when you audition one of his live CDs you will be easily transported to the sonic space that took place. His many studio recordings are also very special transport devices. Craig has always endeavored to paint musical landscapes with a rich palette of infinite timbral complexity, guaranteeing to take you to a different place on each listen, making every disc a recording that you come to treasure and replay. -- Skip Murphy @ Craig Padilla's Official Website





Craig Padilla, a Redding-based musician has been composing and performing his electronic/space music for over 10 years. Very much inspired by Klaus Schulze, Vangelis and Tangerine Dream he's given his own positive personal touch to both spacey ambient (check out his sound explorer project) and new age.

Over the years his music featured on KCHO/KFPR's "Music for a New Age" radio show as well as various locally produced television programs; and he's composed soundtracks for various television and theatrical productions, including KRCR TV (ABC), KIXE TV (PBS), and Shasta College Theatre. His music has been recently accepted for a worldwide "Tribute to Jean-Michel Jarre" compilation cd.

He can sculpt space, explore it and invite you to a drift away with him in wide and beautiful soundscapes.

Craig Padilla and Skip Murphy collaborated in late 2002 for a live show at Schreder Planetarium. The concert was recorded directly to digital audio tape (DAT), and was then transferred digitally to CD here for your listening pleasure. There are two tracks, which consist of improvised electronic music in the classic style. Using vintage analog synthesizers like the ARP 2500/2600, along with the latest in virtual analog instruments, in addition to handmade (and homemade) modular synthesizers, Craig and Skip manage to craft a cohesive and compelling soundscape that reflects the traditional art of electronic music, while finding their own new voice and style using the very latest in synthesizer technology. The first track "Hydrogen" is 30:25 minutes, and the second track "Helium" is 32:24 minutes of pure electronic music splendor.

Craig Padilla and Skip Murphy collaborated again in May 2003 for two live shows at the Schreder Planetarium. The concerts were recorded directly to digital audio tape (DAT), and then transferred digitally to CD here for your listening pleasure. The two evenings are indexed into ten tracks with various moods, which consist of improvised electronic music in the classic style. Using vintage analog synthesizers like the ARP 2500/2600, along with the latest in virtual analog and digital instruments, in addition to handmade (and homemade) modular synthesizers, Craig and Skip manage to craft yet another cohesive and compelling soundscape that reflects the traditional art of electronic music, while finding their own new voice and style using the very latest in synthesizer technology. "NIGHT ONE" and "NIGHT TWO" total more than 70 minutes of pure electronic music splendor! It's a highly energetic, hypnotic, and mesmerizing SEQUENCER-FESTIVE recording that is sure to please! (Released on the SpaceForMusic.com Records label) ~ Compiled from Craig Padilla's Official Website & Ultimae.com

This set floored me when I listened to it the first time. I heard Volume 2 several months before ever having access to the first, but that was enough to make me seek out the previous one. Padilla and Murphy's rich analogue sounds and attention to atmosphere and texture make these must-haves for fans of synthesizer music, especially oldschool sounds. Sequencer-driven, analogue-based stuff like this is precisely why I love electronic music so much. Comparisons to Vangelis, Jean-Michel Jarre, Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, and Berlin-school artists can be easily drawn upon listening to both volumes of Planetary Elements. The long, epic pieces allow time for the artists to create atmospheric soundscapes and hook the listener in, truly taking them through the world the musicians have crafted.

Volume 2 has some tracks that simply boggle the mind and please the ears with their richness and depth. At no point do you find yourself wanting to hit the skip button or defect to a new track. This stuff is meant to be listened to in its entirety, for full effect. Padilla (and on this set, Murphy) never fails to deliver the goods when it comes to his trademark analogue sound, and always leaves you breathless and in awe of his tremendous skill and technological know-how at the keys and controls. He truly is master of his chosen field and few musicians can stack up to him. This collection sets the bar very high, and demonstrates why Padilla and Murphy are in my "short list" of favorite artists. ~ Closing notes by Virginia Plain





Tracklisting:
1. Lithium (4:04)
2. Beryllium (6:38)
3. Carbon (3:46)
4. Nitrogen (3:08)
5. Oxygen (2:12)
6. Flourine (11:48)
7. Neon (7:16)
8. Sodium (10:41)
9. Magnesium (3:43)
10. Aluminum (17:32)

Total Time: 70:48