INFERNO PRESS 05/2004 - QUINTESSENCE Feature Story: (http://community.webtv.net/newsANDsubmissions/ScottMosher) I've discovered this month's feature artist through one of Transcending The Mundane's magazines from 2001 or 2002 that offers a free compilation CD. I seen this weird name on it....Scott Mosher automatically assumed it was going to be some "moshing" metal. Well, it wasn't exactly 'moshing" but it's in the metal realm but Scott does something really unique with his music let alone he plays just about everything, programs, has his own studio and does graphic design; just a genius with two legs and you'd think five heads to do all that. This is just a little rundown of Scott's discography since I think it needs to be noticed and heard of by all standards of originality. The music just is an etherial, moving movie soundtrack that puts you in a mental state of weightlessness and soliloquy. 1996's debut release of Ambient Earth is a lengthy 15-track, 74-minute, all-instrumental soundscape. For those not familiar, Scott's music is heavy on the atmosphere and the ambience with alot of layering giving you a wall of sound and reason I mentioned the weightlessness and how it take you mentally somewhere else. Headphones are required for this effect since this is the perfect mix and production for them and to make a drastic point to the listener. There's hints of Techno, Darkwave and Gothic and maybe a bit of industrial but the concentration lies on painting the mental picture when you're listening carefully and how well-crafted and constructed these songs are; like on purpose to aim for what they intended. At times I think of Enya without her singing, just her music with maybe some of the stuff from Braindance or some of the bands off the "Trance Global Nation" series of cd releases. It took five years before the next Scott Mosher release came around and 2001's Virtuality took a different step as ar as adding some new things to his already cemented past etchings. You stil get the ambient, etherial soundscapes of layered atmosphere but there's vocals and some added chunky guitars. Sort of a balance between Rush, Triumph, GTR, Gamma and Dream Theater with the same Trance/Darkwave flavors added. These songs are very lengthy and alot of them have 3-4 minute interludes in the middle with just music before you ever hear another vocal part. The songwriting is just compelling with his old ideas mixed with his newer ideas of layering on top of what he has accomplished already as a synthesizer and keyboard wiz. The vocals work and are good to listen to but some reason I'm still drawn to the instrumental tracks or inbetween songs when no vocals are being used. You can easily say Mosher is really ahead of his time with this stuff. Just recently, the release of Inferno for 2004 was just released and is the shortest of the SM releases with 11 tracks and a little over 61 minutes of somewhat Virtuality style. The excellent atmospheric touch is still there as well as the vocals, the interludes and a couple instrumentals but you can see a little more sophistication in the songwriting (or as we say, the maturity level). A bit of a darker approach with good songwriting as usual and Scott is just plain a "thinking-man's" songwriter to be honest and what I call the "American equallic version to Devin Townsend". This cd also contains a "Infernal Re-mix" of "Season Of Fire" from off of Virtuality which is a gem in itself but the re-mix is another highly regarded song in my faves list. Just to be totally honest, everything Scott touches or works in as far as other projects, is just damn impressive. The ideas just flow out of this guy and even if you obtain just one release, you'll hear what I'm trying to describe but please remember, get those headphones! You will pick up so much stuff going on this way that it just makes for serious listening for people who take music seriously. This music is 100% made for headphone usage by all means. Here's more info to check out this talented artist.