Album Review of
Sacred Places

Written by Robert Silverstein
February 12, 2024 - 6:09pm EST
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One of the top electronic music labels in the world today, Oregon-based Spotted Peccary is also the label home to American synth music maestro Hollan Holmes. Hollan has long been renowned for his many fine independent CD releases, mostly recorded and released during the past decade, and apparently Spotted Peccary picked up on him and they have already released several of Hollan’s recent recordings with the third being the 2024 release of his latest album called Sacred Places.

Right up there with Hollan’s finest albums, the 11-track, 72 minute Sacred Places features a sweeping assortment of the artist's patented synth-style instrumental electronic music. Coming from a cosmic space music background, and espousing the spatial, electronica stylings of Teutonic synth icons like Tangerine Dream for example, Sacred Places is quite intense sounding in places, yet the in-depth sound design of the album offers something for all fans of the electronic music genre.

As on his earlier albums, the arsenal of software and hardware used is quite impressive and Hollan details them all in the nicely designed CD packaging. Guest artist guitarist Bill Porter adds in some well-placed electric guitar on a track here. Inspired by the artist’s travels to different geographic locations of personal significance to him, Sacred Places makes for quite a stunning achievement by synth-music maven Hollan Holmes.