Kit Watkins – Circle

KIT WATKINS - CIRCLE (Linden Music LM 2009) CD 60m
Constantly surprising nowadays, Kit Watkins' music is now totally removed from his origins as the techno-classical keyboard wizard from Happy The Man, and in fact now I come to think of it this is also quite unlike his recent THOUGHT TONES excursions. In a similar vein to Adrian Wagner's KARMING THE ELEMENTS, this is an ecological concept, a union of music and natural sounds that is most evocative and exhilarating. Unlike in Musique-Concret, the soundscape creations on CIRCLE are more like natural panorama's of birds, crickets, water, weather, etc., carefully blended, mixed or interactive with a music based around keyboards and percussives. Basically three evolving suites, CIRCLE is a most hauntingly beautiful, both spacious and dramatic album, of which I could draw many references: Jon Hassell, Robert Rich, Jeff Greinke, to name but three, yet the concoction itself is original and captivating. Another masterstroke!
review by Alan Freeman in Audion magazine #25 (June 1993)