A single listening to Ornamental Journey gives the initial impression of yet one more tedious Nature/Space/Synth CD (at first seeing "New Age" pop up in the Genres category for this release in iTunes almost made me throw up a little inside my mouth), but in truth there is a lot more than meets the ear -- way more.

This masterwork, by Germany-based composer/producer and DJ Andreas Leifeld, is the mellowest of mellow listens, yet it somehow counters that with deft composition, nicely recorded acoustic textures, and appropriate, subtle programming. Leifeld manages to strike such a nearly impossible balance between minimal repetition and complex depth that it takes many listenings to pick up all the clues. Most of the pieces' titles take on an exotic, vaguely third-world "nature" theme, which unfortunately gives the tracks a false impression of innocuousness. Track two, the eight-minute-long "Snake," has the first hint of profound stillness that can settle over you and open up all your senses and personal remembrances, if you let it. On track four, "Hurikea," there is a recitation in Japanese by a low, droning female voice, which, because there is no accompanying translation, gives one a strong whiff of ethnic tourism. (This is entirely forgivable, however, since this is not musical colonialism on the egregious level of, say, a Paul Simon or a David Byrne.) In a similar sense, "Desert" blends chimy percussion, saxophone and synth artfully with only a hint of stereotype. "Mouse & Elephant" aims at weaving a beast fable through surreal accoustic guitar strums, and "Muted City" paints a sad urban landscape with some Chick Corea-esque piano for taste.

On the whole Ornamental Journey is a very "composerish" work, and a lot of mid-twentieth-century Classical Minimalism has gone into the chord changes and song structures, so this is by no means mere knob-twaddling fluff, easy as it is to listen to. That said, it pretty much skirts the soundtrack realm, but what a damn fine movie this would be to watch.