Richard Barbieri never disappoints. From his work in Japan to all of the wonderful projects he’s worked on since, he’s shown to be a thoroughly underrated synth player. There’s always hope he’ll reach a bigger audience.

The surprise here, for me, is Steve Hogarth. I’m not a huge fan of Marillion (at least since old singer Fish left the band in the late ’80s), but really, Hogarth’s voice sounds like a perfect compliment to the electronic underpinning Barbieri provides. A lush work.

This one is dedicated to my Mari, who has given me a year of happiness.