There is a funny little detail about this album: It is said that "Tales of Ephidrina" consist more or less of leftovers from Lifeforms. The material that didn't fit/belong on the Lifeforms album (The difference in style can be heard easily ) was too good to simply let it get covered with dust, so Gary and Brian decided to release it under another name: Amorphous Androgynous... Gives a new meaning to "leftovers". This is certainly NOT inferior and/or outdated. Another theory is that this album was a try-out for their first album to be released by Virgin...

It makes one wonder what "leftovers" will be on the -still not released- A.A. album "Environments". (Check the inlay of the Lifeforms Album.) On the other hand... The black cover from Environments has a striking resemblance with the original ISDN release. (See ISDN for more details about this.) Makes one think...*hmmm*

• 07:21 Liquid Insects
• 04:17 Swab
• 04:39 Mountain Goat
• 05:38 In Mind
• 08:17 Ephidrena
• 07:20 Auto Pimp
• 04:04 Fat Cat
• 05:38 Pod Room

Liquid Insescts starts with a weird collection of sounds. Some creaking, a heartbeat, laughter and undefinable noises. A flute announces the main part of the track. Synth sweeps all over the place, distorted voices, some bird- like sounds and then a drum with claps and a hi-hat.
Some nearly dissonant sounds guide you along the beat, each time distorted nearly-voices can be heard. At the end there are a lot of vague hissing sounds and then Swan starts.

Anyone familiar with the Deep Forest Album "World mix" can hear some very familiar samples on Swab. Tribal singing to be precise. Joined by a rumbling very deep bass, bells and some congas. This track makes you feel you're in the middle of a somewhat hostile rainforest...

Mountain Goat starts with some sythsweeps, bells, the sound of water and a very sweet guitarloop. Bringing you back at easy after the weird tense atmosphere of the previous track.
After a while a very smooth bass-sweep is added, which lateron is completed with a small drumsection. In all: time to let you float towards the next track. (Which explains the sound of flowing water I guess)

Weird beeps/bells are heard when In Mind starts, followed by the sample of a girl saying "in mind" repeatedly. Synth sweeps and a low basedrum are added to this weird slightly disturbing track. In the background you hear something that sort of sounds like a heartbeat, but turns out to be a simple heavy drum after a while. The same beeps/bells also mark the end of this track. There's an interlude of claping, flutes and tribal (Indians perhaps ?) singing before the next track starts. Some sounds you can hear are similar to some samples from Lifeforms.

EPhidrena -Funny thing: Tales of Ephidrina vs the tracktile Ephidrena- is IMHO the best track on this album. Congas and birdsounds are followed by some vague synthsweeps and when you think this will be a relaxing track a bassdrum kicks in. Tension gets build up and then a marvelous filtered bass-sweep/bass-drum starts, together with hi-hats. The smooth deep nearly dominating bassline has a counterweight in the form of a nice high melody. There's a break in the middle after which the bassline starts again, guided by the same counter-melody. Sometimes you hear some guiding tones of a piano along the way. There's a second break near the end of the track, which ends in about the same way as it started.

Auto Pimp starts with someone shouting "It's him, it's all 'cuz of him!" and the distorted sound of (a) chopper(s). This track could have fit on the Accelerator-album. A fast beat together with -again- some vague sounds, a guitar-melody and highlighted by sythsweeps.
At the end of the track there's a very weird low synth-loop taking the place of the beat over.

Fat Cat starts with -wild guess- a fragment of a movie, "It was dark, darkness like hell" "What's happening ?" "yeah, what's happening ?" ... Then it nearly gets completely silent, with the exception of some soft synthesizersounds. A flute and a very deep smooth beat come in, lateron the flute gets joined by more synth sounds and light bells.
Don't ask me why but each time I hear this track I have to think of a computergame called "Alien breed" ... The sound used next to the flute and female voice resemble somehow the some of the music in that game.

Pod Room continues with a flute -though not the same one as on Fat Cat. The now known method is followed: a smooth low drum comes in, together with a high melody. You can clearly hear the scraches from vinyl. The bassline is heavily filtered. This dark collection of sounds ends in a huge compilation of synthsweeps, birdsounds and rumbling bass, leaving you wondering about the musical trip you've made...

Nice detail, for those real freaks among you: This is what was used to produce this magnificent album. [source: booklet of "Tales of Ephinrina"]

• ems synthi aks
• jen sx 1000
• arp synthesizer 2600
• roland sh101
• roland fb303
• roland tr606
• moog system 55
• bode frequency shifter 1630
• 4 x akai s1100 plus expanders(32Mb)
• digidesign soundtools
• bode ring modulator
• trap lunar reflection II
• oberheim matrix 1000
• trap multi effect collector
• omm space enhancer