Well-structured and relevant blendings and a healthy level of influence and inspiration created

this unique and absolutely profound album and collection of spheres.    -    Vidna Obmana

Mirage Press Release:

IMAGINARIUM -  MA JA LE/Vir Unis      MIR 303

“Gazing freely along the horizon, one observes that no two passersby see the same world.”  On this cutting-edge album, the U.S. Midwest ambient duo MA JA LE (Chris Short - Guitars / Paul Vnuk - Synths) teams with ambient groove wizard and sound forger VIR UNIS to create a remarkable blend of “Tribal Groove Dream Scapes.” Co-produced and mixed by Ambient legend STEVE ROACH in his Tucson-based studio The Timeroom, “Imaginarium” is a place where the listener can experience truly new sonic worlds.

Just had to post an appreciative quickie on this one.

                Anyone whose particular Ambient Chimes are rung by the combination of atmospheric electronics, processed organic instruments (guitar here), and ethno-tribal percussion, as purveyed by the likes of Steve Roach (yes, he is involved in this one too), O Yuki Conjugate, Temps Perdu?, etc, will find this an essential purchase.  Both of these names (Ma Ja Le and Vir Unis) are new to me, but the mix of elements is consummately realized on “Imaginarium”.

                Occasionally it betrays it's Roachean Stables pedigree rather too obviously, but he *was* substantially involved in the project judging by the liner notes, so it'd be hard not to. Anyway... an excellent release... (on the Mirage label, btw...)

Alan/beyondthebristolsound

These three guys explore the sonic regions where Steve Roach and supergroup Suspended Memories left off. There are also similarities to the music of Mexican artist Jorge Reyes exploring the music of The Day Of The Dead. If you like your ambient flavoured with references to tribal amboethnica, don't go past this. It really rates . And to top it off, 'Mr Atmospherics'-Steve Roach- was involved in creating the final product via the mixing stage. 

I don't know too much about this group, as there is very little on the net about them. According to the liner notes Vir Unis plays percussion, synths, sample loops, treatments, forging and Rashelle's vase. 

Ma Ja Le I assume are Christopher G Short on guitartronics, ebow and slide flutes and Paul Vnuk Jr on synths, voice, infinite bells, something called reality warping ( your guess is as good as mine ) and the occasional bit of percussion.   And don't forget Steve Roach with his massive 'pre the dawn of times' soundscapes and atmospheres. He is in my books one of the few people on the ambient scene doing consistantly innovative and interesting things.

This is a superb album to relax to, especially after a few glasses of rare Chateau Plateaux 1988. Again I have to plead ignorance when it comes to this group but they are very good. I would be hard pressed to say which is my favourite piece on the album. They really are all that good. Definitely a contender for top ten release of the year. If someone can recommend some other releases by this group please don't hesistate to get in touch.

 
Hans Stoeve

A review appearing in Jungle Illustrated (Nestor Publishing) in Minsk, Russia:

MA JA LE/ VIR UNIS
Imaginarium

The MIRAGE label continues impressing its listeners and admirers with new

Interesting releases. This time we are talking about the co-operative work of the ambient duo

MA JA LE(Chris Short — Guitars / Paul Vnuk — Synths) and VIR UNIS.

After I have listened to the album a strange feeling that some of the images and ideas that the music gave birth to were not new for me emerged in my head. The music is very meditative and makes you submerge into an atmospheric dream just in minutes and it is strongly felt that the whole album is dominated by one personality, by the man who has devoted his whole life to music. I was not deceived by the feeling. Legendary Steve Roach who’s album «On This Planet» was reviewed in our paper not long ago was a co-producer of this project.

I would like to admit that the MIRAGE label has a very perspective view of the modern ambient music. People there think that this music should combine in itself the best of acoustical music and the advantages of electronic music. «Imaginarium» is not an exception from the rule. Alongside with beautiful sounds of synths that create a perfect background we hear traditional instruments. This is a perfect combination that sounds unreally beautiful. The title of the album is not just a nice word — it really expresses the idea of the music.

In conclusion it should be noted that the album is a real treasure for

admirers of calm meditative ambient music. The MIRAGE label releases works of true value.

http://www.spiderbytes.com/ambientrance/0699ov.htm

Review from ambientrance

Ma Ja Le/Vir Unis: Imaginarium (Mirage - 1998) (8.5)

Paul Vnuk and Chris Short (collectively known as Ma Ja Le) joined with John Strate-Hootman (a.k.a. Vir Unis) to create what the liner notes refer to as "Tribal Groove Dream Scapes", with a little help from Steve Roach acting as ambient mentor and contributor.

Ephemeral atmospheres are decorated by occasional neo-tribal touches, particularly in the area of primitive rhythmic sections. Passionate Lava sets the pace with flutey warbles and slow drumbeats over a densely surging haze. Light guitar noodling is heard in Imaginarium. Spiritual Diving is done in a murky pool of resonating synth slur and intermittent clunks. Less earthy and more astral, Incomprehensible Love (10:41) soars on long, wafting swells with no hard edges of any sort. Perfect for primal-izing your surroundings in a shapeless, timeless, aboriginal groovequest of your own newly dawning era.

Ma Ja Le & Vir Unis - Imaginarium (Mirage 303, 1998, CD)

Not only does Mirage have a talented roster, the presentation of their CDs has quickly improved, evident, in part, by this title.  "Imaginarium" is a project by duo Ma Ja Le, guitarist Christopher G. Short and

synthesist Paul Vnuk, Jr., and sound forger Vir Unis, and charts both familiar and more uncommon territory.

Steve Roach is involved with this one as well, co-producing, soundworld creating, and mixing, bringing his inimitable influence to the proceedings. Short's guitar work definitely brings a unique edge to the normally synth-dominated genre. In some ways, this brings the sound closer to that of collaborations like Suspended Memories, although Short's style bears no direct comparisons to Suso Saiz. The tapestry the group weaves describes several primal, atmospheric visions. The texturing is rich and involved on microscopic levels, the expansive and vivid, sonic manipulating reaching unusually dense harmonic levels. At times, the music reaches a level near silence, but many of the pieces feature percussive movement above the drones. The guitar work and bass add a wide dimension that differentiates this from work closer to Roach, although the band benefits from the inner depth that Roach's treatments give any music. His dijeridu playing on "Blue" veers the song close to David Hudson's prehistoric realms, and Roach treats part of the track as

sound material for the next piece, "Falling Sky." This group is commendable particularly for creating nine tracks that explore divergent aspects of music in an ambient framework. The finale "Fire Walkers" caps things off nicely, a fitting and expansive and to a strong collaboration.

Review from the Organization of Sound

This record is one of a half-dozen of great discs that I received from Mirage. This is a great record the blending of Ma Ja Le and Vir Unis, co-produced and mixed by one of the Ambient greats Steve Roach. This is not a recording, but it's a profound and unique excursion through, what I like to call, ethnic Spacemusic. Imaginarium is a record that resonates deeply with profound creativity and reveals exciting new directions in the Ambient Genre. A wonderful Mirage release!!

http://www.synthmusicdirect.com/imaginar.cfm

Synth Music Direct review

Next in the series of reviews for the new trad ambient label ‘Mirage’ we have this sonic treasure. The spooky atmospherics and wooden flute sounds of ‘Passionate Lava’ combine with a slow tabla type rhythm to create a hypnotic but relaxed groove. One thing this album certainly isn’t is all drift but it in no way could the music be described as dynamic or intrusive. Very relaxing stuff but with more elements to the overall sound collage than any of the other albums from the first Mirage batch. Steve Roach co produced the album and contributes more directly to four of the tracks, and it shows. Fans of Steve should purchase this disc without hesitation.

The formula doesn’t change too radically as we float through ‘Blue’ and arrive at ‘Falling Sky’, a dripping, rumbling slap of formless atmospherics bringing to mind spectres from the depths. ‘Imaginarium’ gets us back into the groove, melody being provided by very subtle guitar licks. An uplifting and warm piece taking us a bit away from what I think of as ambient music but beautiful never the less. Shimmering gongs and gentle percussive effects take us back to this albums ambient roots with ‘Shingon’. Add the sound of a flute and a rather eastern feel is developed. At about the half way mark the guitar makes an entrance, very gently providing a soft focus to this stunning moody piece.

’Spiritual Diving’ is another track with very little structure yet an amazing ability to form all sorts of tropical images in the mind. ‘Red Moon at Kayenta’ is initially a real floater but then an ethnic rhythm is introduced but rather than driving the piece forward it just sits over the top of the atmospherics with a flute providing a bridge between the two, strange but effective. ‘Incomprehensible Love’. Well for a start it is completely incomprehensible to me why our friends on the other side of the pond can come up with such superb music but yet don’t seem to be able to resist naff, head in the bucket, titles. Putting that to one side, we get another slab of very evocative picture music.

‘Fire Walkers’ is probably the best track here, it has everything, layer on layer of instrumentation and yet still managing to sound delicate with that feeling of space. God knows how they do it but this sort of track separates the true ambient masters collected together on this album from the host of “put a brick on the keyboard and move it after half an hour” so called ambient merchants that send music to SMD (and don’t get reviewed or listed). If you were ever tempted to buy an ambient album start here, it displays all that is good in this field of music and is very accessible at the same time. (DL)

Wind & Wire review

Ma Ja Le and Vir Unis
IMAGINARIUM

Mirage/Oasis Productions (1998)

Whenever Steve Roach oversees a music production at his Timeroom Studio, no matter who he is working

with, the music ends up sounding like Steve Roach. This album by Ma Ja Le (Paul Vnuk, synthesizers and Chris Short, guitars) and Vir Unis is no exception. The hand of the Tucson master is very evident in this

work. There are other influences that are just as prominent, though not stated in the album notes, especially that of Robert Rich. Yet, Imaginarium manages to create enough powerful sound-textures and rhythmic movement to stand on its own.

You can hear the familiar tones of exotic percussion, Oriental bells, didgeridoo, weirdly tuned flute, and floating electronic chords in this music, as well as touches of "industrial" clanking and rattling, "tribal" beats, and "nature" sound effects.

But is there anything that distinguishes this album from dozens of other productions that use these same elements? I am pleased to say that there is, and this is most audible in "Imaginarium" and  "Shingon." The new feature here is a kind of contemplative, rambling guitar which reminds me of no less than the late great Jerry Garcia. This album answers a question which I had never thought to ask before (and which now is impossible) "What would a collaboration between Steve Roach and the Grateful Dead sound like?"

"Imaginarium" is in my opinion the best piece on the album, though, "Red Moon at Kayenta," with its "infinite bells" and slow trance rhythm is also evocative and strong. The entire album is bathed in a deep sea of (digital) reverberation, which gives the listener a feeling of huge empty spaces. Stuck in the confines

of a city apartment, I never get enough of this virtual vastness. I must also compliment the designers of the printed cover and CD itself, the computer-generated illustrations of cinnabar and red alien landscapes and the graphic design are stunning. It is visually one of the best electronic music albums I have seen in years. And the music's pretty good, too.