"Among the many hip sample CDs in today's market, there lurks an occasional gem that really excites me. Drone Archeology (audio; $99.95) is one such disc. Drones are musically dear to my heart, so I relished the opportunity to review this assortment of low tones.

"Hovering Beneath It All

"Drone Archeology consists of nothing but stereo drones. This may seem like overkill, but drones do have their niche in music. Their role as a textural foundation makes a disc of drones vastly useful. The drones are divided into seven categories-Basic Drones, Natural, Science, Drama, Industry, Voice, and Bell. Ultimately, these sounds are infinitely mutable, but these descriptions suffice as guidelines. These are all stereo samples that range from 32 seconds to over a minute in length, so expect an average sample size of around 7 MB.

"In a market crowded with me-too jungle and hip-hop CDs, sound developer Ernest Cholakis has come up with something as original as it is useful: a whole CD of electronic drone tones. Drones? Sounds like a yawner. But this CD has an incredible amount of variety considering how little is going on. Ambient artists will be in hog heaven, and the drones should work well for those ominous breaks in industrial rock, too - or even in acid and drum 'n' bass. The sounds are less developed than those in David Torn's groundbreaking Tonal Textures CD, but that should make them more versatile.

"The 99 tracks last an average of 20 or 30 seconds each. The drones all have swirling overtones with luscious stereo animation. Some are tonal, with all of the overtones lined up sonorously above the fundamental. Others are ominous and discordant, with high buzzing overtones and thick clashes. But there's never anything abrupt: The fade-ins and -outs are always smooth, as is the animation.

"The drones in this cd library are rich and full of depth but not convoluted. They are open for interpretation allowing one to compose with them by adding other sounds. The 110 page booklet is filled with all the necessary information you would need to compose with these drones. There is nothing that I could say or add to make this a better library. Drone Archeology is truly a remarkable discovery."

"Drone Archeology' is a stunningly successful realisation of a brilliant conception. A held tone, or texture, is a fundemental element in most sound constructions. The 'Drone Archeology ' collection provides a wide palette of these fundemental elements. I use this CD often as 'sonic MSG' in many of my productions, with the tones either exposed, or hidden in a blend of other sounds, adding crucial 'flavour'. Track 1 recently came to my rescue, adding 'body' to a string tone I was running underneath a 'riot' scene.(Fall of an Asian Tiger:TV documentary) I also used track 41 in a documentary (Smudge) ona blind girl, to underpin some terrifying emotional moments. This disk is an essential tool in my arsenal, and I have used it many more times than I can descibe here, but this is one disk I always keep handy."

Bruce Bartlett, recording engineer/producer

"I've found the Drone Archeology CD to be full of useful tracks for setting a mood in sci-fi productions, science documentaries, and even yoga sessions.For example, tracks 1, 4 and 5 work well as background music for yoga. Tracks 2 and 3 simulate energy fields, while tracks 9 and 10 are dark, mysterious pieces that suggest ancient civilizations.I like the intense, laser-like effects in tracks 11 and 19. Track 27 conjures up a creepy mood of outer-space aliens, while track 49 is very depressing, as if you were trapped in a cave.I think that the Drone Archeology CD can add some very powerful subliminal effects to your productions."