Someday humans will understand the link between what they now call "neuroplasticity" and what they've long called "aesthetics". Babies will be brought up listening to Allan Holdsworth. It'll be the anti-Brave New World world...
I feel like i'm outside of my current space and time, in the future, when I listen to Holdsworth. It's a very surreal feeling. If science fiction were music, it would sound like this. A totally alien experience.
This album was a religious experience for me and my friends back in the '90's. We'd take acid and listen to this. A soon as the first chords flew out of the speakers, we knew we were "home"...
funny how many of the comments here are from the sort whod never choose to listen to holdsworth, but came anyway cos it was on a synthaxe demo or something. guess it puts into perspective how inaccessible some of holdsworths music is, especially his synthaxe era. In the least snobby way possible i think a lot of his synthesizer based music requires a more experienced listener to appreciate the intention as opposed to the pure sonic result. If he was able to hire an orchestra, for example, or be able to translate all his improvisational abilities onto any instrument, I reckon he would, but synthesizers were much more practical and affordable. For those trying to get into holdsworth his first two albums (and the road games EP) are without a doubt the most accessible and most known works of his. If you're not into them then leave it alone, but take our word for it that the guy is a fucking genius