PRESENCE review

REVIEW FROM AMBIENCE MAGAZINE NO. 7
SIMON LEWIS
Presence (SL Productions/thru MRA Entertainment)

The opening moments of this album of electro-acoustic film music by Simon Lewis sounds, in all seriousness, like the Pet Shop Boys. Now while Presence bears no significant relation to the dance pop of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, the comparison is not entirely
spurious. Lewis possesses a sense of melody and a solid understanding of the synthesiser, a quality which the beloved Brit
duo also has in spades.
You see, Australia is in the unfortunate position whereby most of our best known and biggest selling composers of environmental music churn out relaxation rubbish so numbingly awful they should be called to some kind of account for crimes against music. Imagine the trial: Brian Eno as the judge, a jury comprising of, say...oh, people like you and I, and a punishment consisting of ten years in a float tank listening to tape loops of Michael Bolton at 140 decibels. If you've heard the kind of muzak I'm talking about, I think it unlikely you'll find my pronouncements too harsh.

How heartening, then, to know that in Australia there are some
serious composers of environmental music like Lewis. Actually
Presence, a collection of his film and soundtrack music, goes beyond
his usual nature themes to include pieces he wrote for a war
documentary as well as a film on health and fitness. And there's not a babbling brook or screeching lorikeet in sight: it seems Lewis' aim is to let his music do the talking.
And talk it does, combining a diversity of styles and orchestrations
with aplomb. Lewis plays most of the instruments himself and although most of this music functions successfully on its own terms - the crucial test of any soundtrack album - it is still music which paints images and evokes moods to create an overall environment. You can almost see the sunken wreck of a doomed ship in several exquisite and eerily beautiful tracks from "Niagara's Gold". The opening track "Pulse" achieves a slick, urban feel with enough original touches to bring it out of the background. And the music from wildlife doco "Night Of The Bogongs" combines dramatic orchestral moods with lively folk/ethnic interludes that recall the work of groups like Southern Crossings and Sirocco.
This is a solid, well crafted album, accessible yet refreshingly
free of cliches. Trash those rainforest tapes and investigate, or
remain in darkness. by Mike Watson