Emeralds – “What Happened” – [No Fun Productions]

Ambient drone: John Elliott (synth), Steve Hauschildt (synth), and Mark McGuire (guitar) form Emeralds, a Cleveland-based improv group who have been compared to Tangerine Dream. Shimmering synths leave you awash and ???Alive in the Sea of Information??? (1); 2 starts and ends damaged sounding but there???s an oasis of guitar pulsing in the midst of sounds like bird chirps and helicopter whirs; 3 is a dreamy interlude that makes you wish being ???Up in the Air??? felt this trancey and good; 4 and 5 are more somber and contain sounds like buzz saws and locusts fading in and out, but 4 features a gentle guitar as well. Layers of ambience fit for a drone-starved palate.
PGM: All songs end at :04.