Willie Gibson - Saint Ex

Saint-Ex is a new EP created by composer Willie Gibson who recently re-interpreted Vivaldi’s ‘The Four Seasons’ using modular synthesisers following in the path of Walter and Wendy Carlos’ ‘Switched On Bach’. Gibson’s Vivaldi set is an absolute delight, and his new offering Saint-Ex is all his own work based on a lovely book ‘Wind Sand and Stars’ written by author and aviator Antoine de Saint Expury. Gibson, himself a pilot, turned his creative skills to interpreting the book into a five track mini-album using modular synths to turn his inspiration into reality. A joy to listen to Saint-Ex is clearly influenced by the masters of electronic music such as Tangerine Dream and Jean Michael Jarre while using his own talents and skills in producing this work. Clocking in at around twenty minutes the mini-album is sadly soon over. The opening ‘Wind Sand and Stars’ takes off with bubbling synths and vocal lines from Emma Winston .The effect of flight is instant. The guitar-like electronics weave and wail over the pulsating beat as each track seamlessly flows into the next giving the feel of a journey. Gibson effortlessly interprets a sense of wide open skies and soaring over North African deserts and Mediterranean Sea, creating all too short sound paintings of the book. Lovers of electronic music and soundscapes will find much to delight in on Saint-Ex. I found the repeat button useful to enable me to receive the full impact of the album. A lovely album that is over too soon. An expanded version soon please, Mr Gibson!