Description
Richard Barbieri – Variants.1+2 – 180 Gram Double Vinyl Records
Richard Barbieri – Variants.1+2 is a mesmerizing and atmospheric two-part release by the renowned British keyboardist and sound designer, best known for his work with Japan and Porcupine Tree. Issued between 2017 and 2018 as part of his Variants series, these volumes are not traditional albums, but rather carefully curated collections of previously unreleased tracks, alternate versions, live improvisations, and ambient sketches. Together, Variants.1 and Variants.2 function as a kind of sonic diary—a window into Barbieri’s evolving sound world, where electronic minimalism, ambient textures, experimental jazz, and post-progressive elements converge in subtle, cinematic forms.
What makes these collections especially compelling is the blurring of boundaries: between composition and improvisation, between structured rhythm and drifting atmosphere, and between the organic and the synthetic. Barbieri’s background in both art-rock and ambient electronica gives him a unique sensibility—he’s not chasing melodies in a conventional way, nor is he concerned with genre purity. Instead, each track unfolds like a scene or a landscape, inviting deep listening and introspection.
Variants.1 (2017)
This volume opens with “Hybrid,” a gently pulsating track that layers moody synth pads with flickers of modular detail and soft harmonic shifts. It sets the tone for the rest of the release—cool-toned, immersive, and quietly intense. One of the standout tracks is “New Found Land,” a piece that merges crystalline textures with a sense of longing and space, echoing Barbieri’s earlier solo work on Things Buried (2005) and Stranger Inside (2008), but with more ambient openness.
Another highlight is “Showered in White Light,” an improvisation recorded live, showcasing Barbieri’s gift for creating real-time sonic environments—rich with nuance, subtle rhythmic tension, and unexpected harmonic motion. The track could easily sit alongside works by Brian Eno, Tim Hecker, or even ECM-style ambient jazz. The final piece, “Unholy,” explores darker terrain, bringing in fractured, almost industrial textures that speak to Barbieri’s edgier side, reminiscent of his more dissonant work with Porcupine Tree.
Variants.2 (2018)
This second installment continues the thematic arc but introduces a more introspective and sometimes jazz-influenced palette. The mood here is more shadowed, even more minimalist at times, but still rich with detail. “Frozen Hearts of Hollywood” is a haunting highlight—slow-moving and cinematic, with processed piano tones, ambient hiss, and carefully placed silences that evoke a kind of Lynchian melancholy. It feels like a soundtrack to a memory fading in real time.
Another standout is “Only Passing Through,” where Barbieri crafts a hypnotic rhythmic base out of subtle pulses and electronic glitches, layering soft analog synths and resonant chimes. There’s a calm restlessness to it—the sense of journey without destination that defines much of his ambient work.
Throughout Variants.2, the production is incredibly refined. Barbieri isn’t a maximalist; he uses restraint as an expressive tool, creating tracks that feel alive and in motion, even when they’re whisper-quiet. You can hear his deep care for texture in every sound—nothing is rushed, everything unfolds with a painterly precision.
Together, Variants.1 and Variants.2 form an essential entry in Barbieri’s solo discography. They don’t aim for the cohesion or narrative arc of a concept album, but that’s part of their power. These releases feel personal, experimental, and intimate—the sonic equivalent of sketches in a journal. For fans of his work with Japan or Rain Tree Crow, the albums offer echoes of those projects’ more ambient, improvisational moments. For followers of Porcupine Tree, the darker and more cinematic elements here will feel familiar—albeit with far more space and less structural rigidity.
These are records that reward solitary listening, ideally through headphones, in quiet moments. They don’t build toward climaxes or hooks; instead, they immerse you in mood, tone, and spatial design. In a world saturated with overproduced digital sheen, Barbieri’s approach—quiet, deliberate, emotionally ambiguous—feels refreshingly human.
If you’re looking to explore Barbieri’s evolution as a solo artist, or if you’re drawn to ambient, electro-acoustic minimalism, or the atmospheric side of progressive music, Variants.1+2 are rich and compelling works that reveal more with each listen.
Brand new, never played and still sealed in the factory plastic
Track Listing
Hybrid
Only Passing Through
The Experience Of Swimming 2009
New Found Land (Live 2017)
Spacing Of Strands (Live Improv 2017)
Frozen Hearts Of Hollywood
Rime
Night Of The Hunter – Part 2 (Live 2017)
Antioch (Live 2017)
Hypnotek (Live 2017)
