CIRCULAR 

 "Divergent" 
(1999)

One of the last great ambient albums came across my desk this past month; it's the new album by Circular entitled "Divergent". Unlike many past ambient albums that pick only a couple of themes and devote long passages to each one, Divergent comes as a series of vignettes, of short ambient concepts that flow together seamlessly from idea to idea, from each chilly space landscape to the next. The result is a soundtrack to the ultimate sci-fi journey through the galaxies. I haven't heard an ambient album this good since Global Communication put out their album "A Collection of Short Stories" under the moniker Reload back in 1993. At times soulful, at times cold and barren, "Divergent" is an album that invites the listener to pause, meditate and consider the complexities of life. Well done!!!

Steve Brown , DJ, WSMU, North Dartmouth