artist: David Bridie & John Philips country of origin: Australia style(s): Soundtrack, ambient, world beat, folk, expirimental essential releases: Projects 1983-1993 (1994, White/Mushroom)

Bridie and Philips were the creative nucleus of the now defunct pop/ambient/world music combo Not Drowning Waving. This one-off album also shows them to be highly gifted soundtrack composers.

The 22 cuts on the superb Projects 1983-1993 are from various projects the pair worked on for film, television and theatre productions up until 1993. It’s a testament to their talents that such a disparate collection of music manages to hold together so well, aided by some excellent sleeve notes. Tracks such as the solo piano piece “Slow Grandpa’s Tune” and the cello-whirly-guitar combination of “Body Work” would fit comfortably enough on a Not Drowning Waving album, but generally Projects paints its sonic pictures on a broader canvas. Sampled voices are used to striking effect, notably on the chilling “Hibakusha” in which an American narrator translate the story of a Japanese man whose sister died in the bombing of Hiroshima. This is a rich, intelligent and thoroughly engaging release.

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