Reviewed by Tim Cockram

Jeff Johnson's 'Similitudes' is part of the Ark Music Series (yep, the man owns the label). According to the sleeve notes, the Ark' series ". . .creates zones of quiet in a noisy world, a space of calm for thinking, rest and renewal." 'Similtudes' does succeed in pushing back some of the world's demands for attention. Taken on their own the timbres and themes are pleasant but not that remarkable, and are quite likely to provoke heavy usage of the fast forward function. This is not music to listen too but rather to use as a background for reading, etc. My only concern is that one of the tracks uses the Mabinogion (a medieval collection of Welsh Arthurian(ish) legends) as inspiration. Does this fit in with tracks inspired by 2 Peter 1:19, Matthew 13:44b and Lewis' Pilgrims Regress? Still, well-above-average ambient-come-Wyndham-Hill instrumental music.

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