System 7 - Point 3: Water Album (1994)

Steve Hillage & Miquette Giraudy - what can I say.  Legendary power couple of UK psychedelia and electronica, like a version of Chris & Cosey where their hippy roots didn't take a turn for the extreme in the 70s but stayed largely sunny and upbeat.  Their music always cheers me up when necessary, and was planning some posts when by happy coincidence, got a request in the comments last week.  On Friday there'll be some classic 70s Hillage, but for today, here's my favourite album by System 7, Hillage & Giraudy's electronic umbrella project formed in the late 80s out of their friendship with Alex Paterson of The Orb.

Point 3 was released in October 1994 in two versions: the more uptempo Fire, which I'm not as much a fan of; and Water, which is possibly my favourite album of 90s ambient/trance.  With a 74 minute album that just flows so perfectly with featherweight synths and Hillage's keening lead guitar, it's hard to pick out favourites.  Nevertheless, I'm going to go for the 14 minute Coltrane, with its Balinese frogs, and the 13 minute Alpha Wave - the extended running times all the better to hypnotise you with - and Dr Livingstone I Presume, with its vocal sounds.  Everywhere though, there's gorgeous music, great sound effects, and top-notch collaborators like Derrick May, Laurent Garnier and Youth helping out with the production.  The glide goes on forever.

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