Night in the Vapor Jungle

We wait as we have always waited - in empty and quiet desperation -
in the depths of a chair, on the end of a pier, in the shade of an elm, in the arms of a pill,
for the mislaid spirit of bygone days, for a path to the space where our youth
and inspiration lay fading, for those passions confoundedly scattered in time
by the chaos of the heart.

We wait as we shall always wait - in quiet, but hopeful anticipation -
for those elusive, improbable moments of clear madness,
when once again, the future becomes deliriously real.

- John Flomer -

 

With this follow-up to his first release Mysterious Motions of Memory, visionary artist John Flomer returns to his magical palette to draw forth deep, introspective, at times almost dangerous, ineffable melodies beckoning the listener to the resting place of scattered passions and forgotten ideals, waiting to be rediscovered and set free. Dark and moody piano textures enchant, ethereal symphonies of sound envelop, and pulses of rhythmic vibrations conjure patterns like constellations of stars in yet another ingenious and creative work by a composer unlike any other today.

"One day I sat down with my life and found a piano there."

>Just wanted you to know I LOVE the new John Flomer disc. I posted the
>comments below at rec.music.newage a week or so ago. I think it's smart
>that one of your new ads in NAV showcases the album. It's a winner!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
>> ....Also on Spotted Peccary is the new one from John Flomer, NIGHT IN THE
>> VAPOR JUNGLE. It's outstanding. Less dynamic and percussive than his
>> first SP release, MYSTERIOUS MOTIONS OF MEMORY, but filled with a lush
>> beauty and a combination of John's trademarks (synth choruses, unique
>> time signatures) and a more ambient, if not even minimal style. Some of
>> the cuts sound like Tim Story, even. While I used the term ambient, it's
>> more melodic than that at times, but still bears no resemblence to a pop
>> sensibility, i.e. there is no verse, verse, chorus, bridge structure to
>> the songs.

JOHN FLOMER
Night In The Vapor Jungle
Spotted Peccary (1999)
Time: 50:39

John Flomer's newest release on Spotted Peccary is a masterpiece of atmospheric
ambient music that brings John's unique sense of ever-changing melody and time
signatures into a whole new realm. Where his previous recording, Mysterious
Motions of Memory, was full of dynamic and percussive music and marked by
densely layered rhythm effects, Night In The Vapor Jungle is, on the surface,
much less thunderous. Instead, the recording is overflowing with mystery and
wonder; it's full of a exotic beauty and shadowy light. In a word, it's magical.

Those who have heard Mysterious Motions...will recognize some similar elements
on the first cut, "Ori Arian," including the unique synth chorus effect John
uses in his music. However, the predominance of piano is somewhat new, along
with a flowing compositional style that emphasizes the drama inherent in the
melody itself, without resorting to a lot of percussion. The next song, "The
Goldfish Pool," continues in a dreamy vein, with the piano and a guitar-like
synth mirrored gracefully by synth chimes and bells. While this recording is a
departure from his previous one, still recognizable are the interesting time
signatures and shifts in a song's tempo.

Since John's songs are always evolving and are never constrained by pop
structures, it's hard to describe the music in a few words. "Trinket" is
graceful, delicate and haunting in its use of synth chorus counterpointed by
plucked strings and plaintive piano. "The Charm Wind" is up-tempo and resembles
Mysterious Motions... except for an almost Nancy Rumbel-ish oboe/English horn
line that weaves through the synths, piano and drums. "Through the Veil" is a
mid-tempo cadence number, with drums beating out an incessant rhythm and synths
keeping pace. John's compositional abilities, which were already excellent, take
a giant leap forward with this recording.

Night In The Vapor Jungle is chock
full of songs that you want to play over and over and over. The music is a
hybrid of the best keyboard-driven ambient music and a warm melodic sensibility.
You can't hum this music, but it's so accessible, while never resorting to
cliche or verse-verse-chorus structures, that it's damn near ground breaking. The
album closes with two fantastic pieces, "Moon Breaks Free" and "The Power of
Stars," both songs reminding me of Tim Story at his best.

Night in the Vapor Jungle is a superlative release that should (and, I bet,
will) appeal to fans of ambient music, electronic music, and even new age music.
It's organic without being tribal, warm without being melodramatic, and daring
without being abstract. In short, Night In The Vapor Jungle is a work of great
imagination and inspired musical talent. I guess it goes without saying it gets
my highest recommendation.

- Bill Binkleman -

 

 

October 2000
by Paul Hightower

John Flomer's contribution to the Spotted Peccary catalog of fine instrumental ambient works is well in keeping with brethren like David Helpling and Deborah Martin. On Night in the Vapor Jungle, Flomer conjures up fantasy dreamscapes, some haunting (as on "Trinket" or "Shadowdomain") and some serene ("Weeping Cavern, " "Moon Breaks Free"). Flomer's trademark is his use of unpredictable meter shifts, where melodies take unexpected turns without losing any of the flow of the piece. It makes for a subtle sense of vertigo in the compositions that is quite delectable.

Stylistically, most of these 10 tracks lilt by on gentle strains of plunked keys drenched in echo and atmosphere, sometimes accompanied by ghostly choirs ("Ori'Arian," "Centuries") or by doleful reeds ("Power of Stars"). Even more enjoyable for me, however, are the few pieces that buck the trend by pulsing along more vigorously, as on "The Charm Wind" or the terrific "Through the Veil." The latter even recalls some of Vangelis' better work from the late 70's/early 80's, especially with Flomer's use of percussion. All in all this is a great collection, full of surprises. I've honestly never enjoyed being toyed with so much by a writer who has such impressive command of his medium and I highly recommend Night in the Vapor Jungle to all fans of Spotted Peccary's fine stable of ambient music.

 

John Flomer is a master sound designer and arranger. He is at his best when building dynamic soundscapes and romantic atmospheres. Night in the Vapor Jungle is a melodic set of electronic new age compositions from Spotted Peccary Music. Flomer augments his electronic soundscapes with a gentle acoustic piano and subtle wordless vocals. Deep listeners will feel the drift as the music builds clouds of serenity and peace. The psycho-sonic refrains will affect listeners in subtle ways. Even casual listeners will have to smile as they enter Flomer's exotic soundworld. As with his other Spotted Peccary discs, this CD will appeal to fans of Suzanne Ciani, Jonn Serrie, Kitaro, and Steve Halpern. This disc is excellent for romantic encounters and affairs of the heart.

~ Jim Brenholts, All Music Guide

Music composed, arranged and performed by John Flomer.
Produced by Howard Givens, Jon Jenkins and John Flomer.
Executive Producer, Howard Givens.
Mixed at Spotted Peccary Studios by Howard Givens, Jon Jenkins and John Flomer.
Mastered by Howard Givens.
Illustration and Design by Greg Klamt.
Original cover concept and images by John Flomer.
Additional vocals by Deborah Martin and John Flomer
Studio Referencing on Hafler Amplifiers

Midori - Aria - Ian - MaryAnne - John Frederick - Robert

Howard, JJ, Deborah, Greg, Philip,
Zaneta, Cassie, Takaharu, Makoto
Grace, Michael, Douglas, Joel
Sammy, Jammy, Yammy, Dessi
Randine, Sam, Byrd
Goldie, Wolfman, Allie, Max Snyler
Little Johnny

For Mi-chan, my little kicker

"Hidden on the point of a pin are clues to the emptiness that drives us mad "

Artist