New album by two members of the Dark Sky Alliance - ambient guitarist David Helpling, and ambient soundscape architect Eric "The" Taylor (who is also a drummer) without the other two (drummer Jerry Marotta and synthesist Rupert Hreenall) takes a journey into the unknown for both of them. Having already worked with each other in DSA, they have the distinct advantage of familiarity in this latest collaboration. Seven tracks in about 63 minutes climbing to the stratosphere and beyond propel the listener into here-to-fore uncharted regions. Taylor’s fervent analog synthesizers, Helpling’s ethereal guitar and cinematic vistas are here, but 'The Precious Dark' is more wistful and moody than their previous efforts. "The Space Between Atoms" may seem small to you but it's all a matter of perspective if you're an electron. The duo present a dramatic presence with discreet melodies woven through the huge ambient pads, and a potent rhythm that propels these particles through time and space. So many elements are combined here that any simple description fails. Powerful, elegant, majestic. The title track follows features Helpling's ethereal guitar over oodles of ambient pads and bass undertones. Helpling presents a simple melodic theme which he expands and embellishes over time with Taylor's synth work as its perfect foil. You could easily lose yourself in "Cavenrous Heart," a track that begins sounding like the space between the spaces, and ends in something much more immense and fantastic, all the while going though an interesting array of permutations. There's a chilly reception waiting for you in "The Ice Has Dreams" as the cold, alien sonics crystallize into something solid at first, then melt into puddles flowing away. Must have been winter they were think of for "Her Cold Embrace," but who knows whether the sequenced code-tapping is a distress signal or not. The underlying gentle squall of noise makes me think of snow, but there is no compass but the signal for direction. Ambient pads swell like an avalanche towards the end.

It's not all dark "For Those in Shadow" as plenty of light creeps in, but melodic shades are explored in this piece perhaps more than any other on the album. It's a study in contrasts pitting the familiar against the unfathomable. 'The Precious Dark' comes rushing to a heady conclusion on "We Rise in a Harmonious System," the longest track on the album at over ten minutes. The big build-up doesn't happen until the middle, doesn't last very long, subsides then rumbles out on bass chords. This is one of those albums that will likely take several listenings to really appreciate as its subtleties are easy to overlook on a once-over. Lots of emotional high and lows for those who invest the time. David and Eric work very well together and something tells me this certainly isn't the last we'll hear from them.