Random Factor

Canada-born multi-instrumentalist Dino Pacifici has composed albums that mix lounge jazz, cosmic music and folk melodies. Random Factor (Dance Plant, 1994) and Urban Oasis (Dance Plant, 1996) lean towards the jazz side of the equation, whereas The Journey (Dance Plant, 1997) is a humble and emotional form of tonal electronic music.

Half of Random Factor (Dance Plant, 1994) is consumed by electronic lounge music: Midnight Sun has a romantic guitar melody against a backdrop of atmospheric electronics and slightly syncopated beats; Northern Lights is a nocturnal shuffle with a sax-driven theme; etc. The pace accelerates only for exuberant exotic scherzos of Southbound and Odyssey and for the synth-pop of Anajym. The eight-minute Nocturnal Dance is a more adventurous excursion into mood music (unfortunately, spoiled again by a stereotyped guitar solo). Even better is the haunting fantasia Alexander's Adventures. And even better is the alien impressionism a` la Brian Eno of The Ice Fields Of Neptune.