Century Seasons: Space Music of John Serrie

Space music is a cosmological odyssey in sound that expands your imagination and leaves it floating in an extended state of weightless wonder, and rarely is it more satisfying than when Jonn Serrie is at the controls. Serrie, an Atlanta-area composer who learned his mind-stretching craft while creating soundscapes for planetarium exhibitions, is acknowledged as one of the brightest stars in the space-music constellation, and if you have yet to experience any of his sound probes into deepest space, it's hard to imagine a better introductory package than Century Seasons. The two-disc compilation showcases Serrie's pre-2000 work, sampling 10 recordings and shrewdly focusing on the keyboardist's core intergalactic sound, largely overlooking Serrie's occasional flirtations with pop-influenced romanticism. Instead, the package opens with a blissfully slow drift of sound, "Gentle the Night," from Serrie's seminal debut disc, And the Stars Go with You, and sustains a state of nearly undisturbed peace for more than two hours. Such recordings make a person glad headphones were created. Outstanding. --Terry Wood