Sam Rosenthal & Vidna Obmana – Terrace of Memories (2024 remaster, originally 1992)
The 2024 remaster of Terrace of Memories, originally released in 1992, reintroduces listeners to a landmark ambient electronic music album. Created by American artist Sam Rosenthal (founder of Projekt Records and Black Tape for a Blue Girl) and Belgium’s Dirk Serries (recording then as Vidna Obmana), this collaboration mixes Rosenthal’s warm, emotive synthscapes with Serries’ cool, textural ambiance. The result is an evocative and deeply mesmerizing exploration of memory, loss, and beauty.
The album comprises five immersive tracks, including the haunting opener, “These Ancient Halls,” and the 17-minute closer, “Of Silent Crossings.” Each piece weaves minimalism with emotional depth, combining darkwave influences and ambient innovation. Textural loops, subtle industrial elements, and ambient turbulence create a dreamlike, meditative atmosphere, ideal for introspection rather than casual listening.
Remarkably, Terrace of Memories was crafted through the mail, with Rosenthal and Serries exchanging cassette tapes in the pre-internet era. This slow, deliberate process contributed to the album’s layered and cohesive sound. As Serries recalls, “The eerie atmospheres of Sam’s work inspired me to imagine a blend of his sound-structures with my ambiance.”
This remaster amplifies the original’s rich textures, with Serries handling the meticulous updates. Despite their separate creative directions today, Serries in jazz and Rosenthal focused on Projekt Records, their collaboration remains a cornerstone of ambient minimalism.
Buy Terrace of Memories.