Search - Michael Hoenig :: Xcept One

BONES ON THE BEACH

Jason M. Carzon | bowie, maryland United States | 12/10/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Man, I've been waiting years for a inexpensive/used copy of this to turn up somewhere. Now I have mine!



A word about this release: In late 1987, Capitol Records launched an offshoot label called Cinema records. Cinema was supposed to be a label specializing in Electronic music or New Age music with synth-rock pedigree. A lot of 'name' established artists were involved with more rumored to have been signed before the label folded, I think a year later. All were keyboardists, some from well known progressive/art rock bands. Only a handful of titles were ever released, all now out of print. Most were released in 1987. They were:



Patrick Moraz(of Yes/Moody Blues fame): Human Interface

Pete Bardens(original Camel keyboardist):Seen One Earth

and Speed Of Light(1988). Bardens is the only one

who managed to release two records for the label.

Amin Bhatia(soundtrack composer): The Interstellar Suite

Michael Hoenig(soundtrack composer/brief stint in Tangerine

Dream: Xcept One



Also, following the success of Yes' 'Big Generator' album in'87, Yes keyboardist Tony Kaye was also signed to do one, but either the label folded on him or he jerked around and never got around to making the record. Anyway, a good idea at the time(Cinema) and produced some good late 80's synth music. I wish I knew more about the label and if anything else was released on it. I just know of these titles and remember them as they were being released back in 1987/88.





The album: Michael Hoenig's offering is a bit short(36 or so minutes), but should satisfy anyone into late 80's electronic music. Of course it's recommended to any Tangerine Dream enthusiast who enjoyed the crisp, cool sound and production of albums such as Optical Race(1988) and Underwater Sunlight(1986). Michael's Cinema album is a panoramic slice of symphonic-electronic spaciness. Yet, I wouldn't call this or any of the other Cinema titles 'New Age', as that somewhat sells it short. A bit too involved to be considered 'ambient', yet has a distict mood. Hoenig has another solo album entitled 'Departure from The Northern Wasteland', I believe. But this one's better, if not a little short. I hope you find a copy of this 1987 gem too. As for Hoenig, I believe he went into composing for films- he has yet to make a follow-up."

Not a bad followup to Departure...

BENJAMIN MILER | Veneta, Oregon | 11/30/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"In the early '70s, Michael Hoenig was a member of Agitation Free (this group once had Chris Franke in their ranks, of course the group never recorded anything with him, and he left for Tangerine Dream). They released a couple of albums in the early '70s on Vertigo, and Hoenig, just like his ex-bandmate, had joined Tangerine Dream, but unlike Franke, it was just a temporary fill in for Peter Baumann (no TD recordings exist of Hoenig as far as I know). Around 1978 Hoenig released his first solo album, Departure From the Northern Wasteland, which unsurprisingly has that TD-like feel, right down to the sequencers. No Mellotrons, though. But as for a followup album, that would have to wait until 1987. In that time, he relocated to Los Angeles, and scored for films and television. During that time, comes X-Cept One on Capitol's ill-fated subsidiary Cinema (most of their releases were in 1987, except for Pete Bardens second, and final album for the label, Speed of Light, the only artist to record two albums on Cinema, and the only 1988 release for the label, aside from Cinema Sampler, a Various Artists compilation). One thing you have to bear in mind, this is not Departure From the Northern Wasteland Revisited. It's been a decade since that album and the changes of synth technology were rather obvious. This is 1987: digital synthesizer take free reign, with contemporary drum machines. The music is rather upbeat for the most part. I hate to say this, but I found this to be much better than what Tangerine Dream were doing around the same time. TD really should have learned a thing or two from Hoenig. Listen to X-Cept One, and then Underwater Sunlight, there's no denying which one wins hands down: X-Cept One. Analog purists are obviously advised to stay away from this album and stick to Departure, but those not bothered by that '80s sound, you should try this album. This is more how I wished TD sounded like in the late '80s."