Traversing the Gulf Of Burmer and docking on the shore of the Arkenstone Peninsula, Jim Pietkivich's soothing electronic vistas mine territories previously staked by Rockenfield/Speer's Hellscanyon, Emerald Web's Catspaw, and Roach/Braheny/Stearns' Desert Solitaire. On Inner Worlds, delicate melodies surf the crests of gentle, hypnotic rhythms and combine into one "ambient rock" whole. Jim's new album is a soundtrack for zones less populated, kingdoms arid and sparse or lush and tropical — those places as yet untainted by the wide swaths cut by civilization's continual expansion, and the residual peace they offer.
Realized with a bevy of the smoothest emulations of strings, pianos, oboes, basses and delicate washes of pure synthetic space, Jim also performs on Roland V-drums and a handful of indigenous instruments, including Native American drums, a Djembe and a Tibetan Bell. This type of sonic terrain will prove much too somnolent for some, yet given patience, the placidity found here can be very rewarding for those spare moments when the pomp of prog, the frenzy of fusion, and the mania of metal just won't do. Key tracks include the melodic bliss of "Skyward"; the stationary freedom of making a "Desert Journey"; "Farewell," which echoes midperiod Jean-Michel Jarre; and the title track, which is unabashedly reminiscent of Steve Roach's days on the long-retired Fortuna label. Adversely, "The Way Home" is much too saccharine.
Inner Worlds isn't as texturally diverse or dynamic as, say, Kitaro, or latter-day Vangelis, but Pietkivich borrows from neither. Recommended for fans of any of the ambient/electronic/new age artists mentioned in this review.
Tracklist:
1. Lost Time 4:19
2. Skyward 4:06
3. Flying Crow 6:20
4. Desert Journey 6:51
5. Beyond Dream 9:02
6. Discovery 7:09
7. The Way Home 4:20
8. Peaceful Valley 6:41
9. Farewell 7:45
10. Inner Worlds 6:54
Total time: 63:50
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