Released March 2003
Groove Unlimited

Track 1 - Part One 14:36
Track 2 - Part Two 21:13
Track 3 - Part Three 24:31

Graphics - Pablo Magne

Mastering - Ron Boots

This was our first album as VoLt and was created over the course of three nights working without pre-arranged ideas except for some sequences....

We had never attempted this way of recording before and found this new direction was exciting and paved the way for a greater flow of experimentation on this project and future albums.

After some edits and mixing, we sent a final master to Groove who released it as "The Far Canal".......

Volt - "The Far Canal" is this?" you might ask & you'd be quite right as this CD from Steve Smith & Michael Shipway will easily appeal to all those who can't get enough improvised sequencer-based EM.
There are just three long tracks to be found here, starting with the 14 minute Part one which will easily delight all those who enjoyed Chuck Van Zyl's CD releases on Centaur. Of course this is very familiar EM territory but they do it as well as anyone else you could name. The atmospheric drum loop that makes the lion's share of Part Two reminds me of some of CHAOS' improvised works & this does have some slightly abstract touches cropping up throughout although the beginning is again very spacey, a feel which is ably adhered to throughout.
Part three weighs in at over 24 minutes & builds up an impressive head of steam through solid sequencing & some well tasty leadlines, you could almost imagine the musicians giving it all they've got on this one. The ethereal chords are still present of course & these help keep the spacey atmospherics intact.
I'm sure you'll already have decided is this is for you but if you're a sequencer nut then this fix comes well recommended.
2003. Carl Jenkinson