Dancing Fantasy - Soundscapes (2001)

Dancing Fantasy partners Curtis McLaw and Chris Williams had previously worked together in the Blue Knights; this particular project was a smooth-jazz variation on their fascination with German synth experimentalists like Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream. The self titled album was released in 1999.

A European equivalent to the Smooth Jazz vibe style of labelmates 3rd Force, the popular German composer / keyboardist duo and creators of Dancing Fantasy, Chris Williams and Curtis McLaw brilliantly texture irresistibly sensuous grooves and hip-hop beats with mild synth generated atmospheres, creating a warm, seductive yet hypnotic soundtrack for the many moods of day and night.

California Dreaming - this time with synth and guitar. A sunny groove-sound like a musical summer breeze, melting electronics with jazz, New Age and lots of laid-back feeling.

Chris W. Williams was born in 1966 in Germany. Favourite beach: Hermosa Beach, California. Apart from being a professional studio musican (keyboards) he is a sought after producer for dancefloor music. He also plays guitar and is a vigorous supporter of live and „hand-made" music despite him being an absolute wizard when it comes to digital sound productions. Because he is so competent with using the music-computer („it's a time saver") he uses the additional time and his „no-set-rules-approach" to come up with fresh an innovative ideas.

Curtis McLaw was born 1958 in Germany. Favourite beach: Malibu, California.

He owns and runs a studio, and is also a whizz-kid on the keyboards, playing guitar on the side and works frequently as a producer for a variety of musical projects from dance- and pop- and film-music. Through his numerous international connections to other studios and session musicians around the world, he has buildt up a great catalogue of sampled sounds. His worldwide network of „soundseekers" is constantly on the move and Curtis' soundlibrary now hosts all sort of things, from strange Brazilian tribal percussion-sounds to the noise of the cascading Niagara waterfalls.

Their music was heard by pure chance by Innovative Communication's president Mark Sakautzky, when he was working in a different office of the building on a video project next to Dancing Fantasy's „Studio 1": „They were practicing so loud next door - you couldn't overhear them. And they were good, really good - so I walked in and offered them a deal right there!"

While Curtis and Chris both have uniquely individual approaches to writing and composing, when they finally meet in the studio with their individually prepared conceptual demos, and then discuss the best use of instruments, sounds, titles etc., the result is always exciting. As McLaw and Williams state: „Our music is not electronically complex, pretentious or complicated. Our basic concept is different - beautiful music which is relaxing, which grooves and which above all is full of life, full of enthusiasm and the joy of living." On „Moonlight Reflections" it was their self-stated purpose to create and record a „musical love letter". They have indeed succeeded - „more than words can say".

Tracklist:

01. Dreaming Out Loud
02. Highlands
03. Around the World in a Day
04. Asian Fantasies
05. On No-Man's Land (Dancing Fantasy, Williams, Chris W)
06. White Horses ( Dancing Fantasy, Williams, Chris W)
07. Million Miles Away from Home
08. Everlasting Pictures (Dancing Fantasy, Bennecke, T.)
09. Feeling of Flight
10. Into the Deep Blue
11. Guiding Lights (Dancing Fantasy, Bennecke, T.)
12. Crystal Waterfalls
13. The Sound of Colours (Dancing Fantasy, Williams, Chris W.)