This is a wonderfully dark, but at the same time beautiful album of ambient electronica. From the opening moments of "Earths Mistress" with its menacing John Carpenter style sequence, the listener is hooked. Strangely ethereal and cosmic, this is music for dark nights with the lights dimmed; haunting and hauntingly beautiful, yet somehow menacing without ever being unsettling. Carlo Luzi's superb musical soundscapes walk the thin line between the creative genius of new music and genuinely superb creative atmospheric music without ever allowing the listeners attention to wonder. Indeed, it's the ability of the composer to keep the listener transfixed that is the true testament to the music's brilliance. "The Fate of Everything" and "Nimbus of Stars" are both excursions into atmospheric electronica, recalling early Tangerine Dream, while "Ishtar" parts one and two gently caress the senses with sounds and exquisite nuances that drift effortlessly by in classic ambient electronica style. Just like the superb "Sirens" album, Carlo's excellent guitar and percussion add a dimension to the music that lifts it way above similar music of the genre. An absolute gem!

Ishtar - 2008

1 - I am the Earth's Mistress 12:22
2 - The Fate of Everything 12:57
3 - Surrounded by a Nimbus 15:25
4 - Ishtar Gate (Part 1) 7:13
5 - Ishtar Gate (Part 2) 11:09

Ishtar AD Music Shop