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Album reviews - chronologically


Realm of the Raven (Single)

DEEP IMAGINATION – Realm of the Raven
Dreamlike worlds of sound

“The new single from DEEP IMAGINATION is very gentle on the ears... A fairy-like atmosphere somewhere between cool dark wave and atmospheric ambient with gloomy gothic elements. Simply immerse yourself in the dreamy sounds of “Realm of the Raven”.” (Claudia Zinn-Zinnenburg, Orkus music magazine, 09-2024)

 


The Children of the Moon (Album)

DEEP IMAGINATION - The Children Of The Moon
Dark Wave kisses Goth Ambient

Dreamy, thoughtful, romantic and at the same time full of dark energy somewhere between Ambient, Darkwave and Gothic float the sounds of Deep Imagination's sixth work "The Children of the Moon".

In the course of the album, sound-painting wide canyons full of fantasy, subtlety and dreams open up. The melodic voice of mastermind Thorsten Sudler-Mainz characterizes each track, while the female vocals of Ann Kareen Mainz are a perfect complement and create a particularly atmospheric overall mood.

"The Children of the Moon" is a true caress for the ears and soul." (Claudia Zinn-Zinnenburg, Orkus 07-2023)


My Silent Celebration (Album)

"Thorsten Sudler-Mainz's project has evolved from a purely instrumental ambient to a full-fledged replacement for the Art Of Infinity, which has been idle for many years, and which has always alternated between art rock and electronics ... But the current album has a part Dark Wave increased ... surprisingly strong ... wonderfully ritual ... hypnotic ..." (Eclipsed Rock Magazin)

"An unbelievable sound cosmos, in which you are captured from the beginning... his best work yet." (Musikzirkus Magazin)

"Deep Imagination has found its very own style." My Silent Celebration "celebrates an ambient electronic deceleration prog. I can't think of any other band that currently masters something like this. Highly recommended!" (Empire Music Magazine)

"The soundscape that Deep Imagination have put together on this work is a veritable descent into realms reminiscent of Dead Can Dance and Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio." (Orkus! Dark Rock Magazine)


In My Memory (Single)

...Thorsten Sudler-Mainz recorded all the instruments himself for this piece and only joined Torsten "Hardy" Hartmann and Leon Mainz for the lead vocals.

That Thorsten was influenced by acts like Pink Floyd, Depeche Mode and Dead Can Dance besides his electronic sounds, he can't hide in the song "In My Memory"...

The chillout version of "In My Memory" (5:22 minutes length) is much more electronic (without guitar) and the tempo is even more reduced. This gives the song a slightly more melancholic and melancholy approach. This comes quite close to the style of Dead Can Dance... (Stephan Schelle, Musikzirkus Magazine, 2020)


Temple in Nowhere (Single)

The German electronics project Deep Imagination is back with a new single. The video clip for "Temple In Nowhere" was shot in Spain on the island of Lanzarote in a moon-like environment that is conducive to the development of a black and mysterious ambiance. In its dark atmosphere this music is minimalistic, atmospheric and airy at the same time. (Music in Belgium, 2019)

 

Mystically, the piece seems to have been composed of 1,000 and one night. Altogether Thorsten Sudler-Mainz creates a slightly gloomy, gothic-like mood on "Temple In Nowhere", which gets an oriental touch through the instrumentation and sounds. This sounds highly exciting and makes you curious about further releases of Deep Imagination. (Musikzirkus Magazin, 2019)


Wings To Fly (EP)

Prolific EP releasers DEEP IMAGINATION return with two tracks from their all too ‘Carefully Kept Secret’ LP. For the uninitiated, this outfit specialise in atmospheric, synth-based Electronica with enigmatic vocals... ‘Wings To Fly’ and ‘Paradise In Space’ are two wonderful examples of the soundscapes Deep Imagination create. The ‘Watching The Fire’ out-take follows a similar path, matching the mood superbly. (Stephen Reid, Fireworks Rock-Magazine/United Kingdom, 2018)


Carefully Kept Secrets

From the outset, you are immersed in an atmosphere like the fabulous "PULSE" by Pink Floyd, the listener is unstoppably transported to a mood that Waters and Gilmour certainly do not deny ... It is a journey between ambient and atmospheric rock ... The German artist brings together on a single album the know-how of several iconic bands and musicians of the atmospheric stage ... Simply sublime ... (MusicInBelgium.net, Belgium 2017)

Stylistically, Carefully Kept Secrets has nine delicious pieces of atmospheric, electronic ambient, supported by synthesizer and percussion ... In terms of production and sound quality, the production is very high quality and it is recommended to take the time with good headphones to enjoy the sound in full. (articmist.org, Spain, 2017)

There are some virtuoso guitar parts spinkled all over this album, very well sustained by some splendid keyboards that should appeal to a large palette of music fans... If you enjoyed Endless River or the last two David Gimour solo records, this album could very much be to your liking. (proggnosis.com, Canada, 2017)


Carefully Kept Secrets (EP)

There’s an interesting match between the psychedelic-minded guitar and the dreamy electronics. I also like the different female singers bringing a touch of sensuality, which fits with the slow cadence. Both songs have been meticulously elaborated confirming the writing skills of this German musician. (Stéphane Froidcoeur, Side-Line Music Magazine, Belgium, 2017)

Only two tracks but twenty minutes of captivating, beautiful sounds are provided by DEEP IMAGINATION and their ‘CAREFULLY KEPT SECRET’. As you’d expect, Prog is the subtle persuasion this German outfit employ, utterly captivating as the voice of Ann Kareen Mainz rolls over you and Pink Floydian strokes of sound lap at your feet.

The shorter title cut is an amazingly memorable whisper of sound and shape, however it’s the longer ‘Dancing With Ghosts’ which really shows the breadth of what this outfit can achieve. A suitably atmospheric, ghost-like scene the setting for what is a hugely impressive and intricate piece. (Steven Reid, Fireworks Magazine, UK, 2016)

"Carefully Kept Secrets" is a mixture of electronics, worldmusic and gentle progressive rock. The song has esprit and captivates from the first minute.

The 16-minute version of "Dancing With Ghosts" is a very atmospheric, artrock and ambient piece... The Pink-Floydian e-guitar solo in the middle of the piece is gorgeous. The hypnotic and stoic rhythm is like a prolonged camel ride through the desert...

The end is then a sequence that seems to be taken from the Pink Floyd album "Wish You Where Here". (Stephan Schelle, Musikzirkus Magazin, 2016)


Dancing With Ghosts (EP)

The result, ‘DANCING WITH GHOSTS’, is a beautiful meander through the dreamy side of Prog, mid-period Pink Floyd brought to something altogether more ambient. (SR, Fireworks, Rock Magazine, UK)

"Until now the main features of DEEP IMAGINATION were sounds of keyboards and synthesizers. With" Dancing With Ghosts" Thorsten Sudler-Mainz moves one step closer to the musical concept of Art Of Infinity, fusing voice and guitars with the ambient electronic sound. "Dancing With Ghosts" deals with influences from the "Heavenly Voices" genre, but keeping the floydian soundscapes in." (JS, articmist.org, Music Webzine, Spain, 11-15)

"Dancing with Ghosts" comes with heavenly voices and floydian soundscapes. It shows the direction of the upcoming new album of Deep Imagination." (CA, Eclipsed Rock Magazine, Germany 11-15)


Live at Electronic Circus Festival (EP)

El Electronic Circus Festivalse celebra cada mes de septiembre u octubre en la ciudad alemanda de Bielefeld. En la edición del año 2010 participó, completando un cartel ya de por sí apasionante, el también germano Thorsten Sudler-Mainz con un proyecto de música ambient electrónica Deep Imagination. El Electronic Circus Festivales un evento que se centra en la que podríamos denominar electrónica clásica, y que reunió en el citado año 2010 a músicos y grupos de la talla de Spyra, Harald Grosskopf, Ron Boots, Frank Dorittke,Harold Van der Heijden o Eric Van der Heijden. Fue muy apropiada la inclusión de Deep Imagination en el cartel del festival, pues su estilo, a medio camino entre la electrónica Berlín y la ambiental, encaja perfectamente en la filosofía del encuentro anual. La discografía previa de Deep Imaginationestá formada por los CdsScapes, Gemstones y Awareness, además de la inclusión de algunos temas en samplers y recopilaciones.El sello, también alemán, bdcmusic/prudence se ha encargado de publicar, en un EP que contiene 4 temas, parte de la actuación deSudler-Mainz, acompañado, como es habitual, por sus dos compañeros musicales en su otro proyecto, llamado Art of Infinity:Thorsten Rentsch y Stefan Höllering. Tres de los cortes pertenecen a Awareness, más rítmico y con sutiles secuencias electrónicas que sus predecesores, además del corte The Dragons Flight, perteneciente a New Horizon, primer trabajo del mencionado proyecto paralelo a Deep Imagination, Art  Of Infinity, formado por el propio Thorsten Sudler-Mainz junto a Thorsten Rentsch yStefan Höllering (los dos primeros encargados de teclados, sintetizadores, percusiones electrónicas y guitarras y Höllering de saxo tenor y electrónico). La inclusión del sonido de saxofón, que tiene un importante protagonismo durante toda la actuiación, es, en mi opinión, un gran acierto, al complementarse de manera sorprendente con el estilo electrónico futurista del proyecto musical, y con especial preponderancia en The Dragon's Flight (ya era así en New Horizony en todos los discos de Art of Infinity)  En lo musical, los 4 cortes que forma este Cd no defraudarán en absoluto a quienes conocen los cds de estudio de Deep Imagination. La calidad de sonido es prácticamente perfecta, capturando de manera muy adecuada lo que fue la actuación del grupo en el club Movie de Bielefeld. Sonidos electrónicos evocadores, hasta completar 23 minutos que le sabrán a poco a los oyentes familiarizados con la electrónica ambiental de calidad. (Jorge Sergio/Articmist.org)


Awareness

On the third album of his solo project Deep Imagination German composer/producer Thorsten Sudler-Mainz, known as founder of Art Of Infinity, offers a very special brand of modern Electronica. While the first two albums of Deep Imagination were dominated by mature Ambient music, on “Awareness” the listener is surprised by archaic rhythms and sounds. The ten tracks deal with diverse facets of human consciousness. “Awareness” is instrumental electronic music, which finds a totally unique musical language – and sounds beautifully “warm” and sensual at the same time. (AL)


Gemstones

This 2nd opus by Deep Imagination, Gemstones, proposes a collection of tracks recorded live and remixes of the 1st CD, Scapes (released in 2005), thus 2 new tracks (Planetary System and Gemstones). A fine album of progressive EM, where melodies enchant the nebulous atmospheres. This is space music whose nostalgic breaths soak in an atmosphere very close to Pink Floyd on Wish you Where Here. Quite simply beautiful. (AL)


Scapes

Scapes, Deep Imagination's debut album, is a work within the frame of Space Ambient, full of poetry and beauty, which leads the listener to a world of wondrous soundscapes by means of the masterful use of synthesizers. Each track is given an "elemental" title and constructed to evoke that spatial reality - Moon, Time, Mountain, Ocean, Sun, a/o. The result is strikingly powerful and breathtaking musically. (AL)