Angel Tears

A progressive trance duo based in Israel, Angel Tears uses very few standard Middle Eastern tropes in their music, instead preferring an oddly effective mix of Yes-style progressive rock structures and acoustic fragility, combined with the pulsating beats and cool atmospheres of '90s ambient techno. The combination works better than one might expect, creating a powerful, trance-inducing sound that mostly resists the clichés of "ethnic" electronic music. Angel Tears was formed in 1997 by Momi Ochion, a 40-ish singer/songwriter who had previously worked in more traditional forms of Israeli pop music, and Sebastian James Taylor, from London, who also records ambient techno under the names Shakta, Digitalis and Kaya Project. On their self-titled 1998 debut, the duo was helped by programmer Lior Miller. The follow-up, Angel Tears Volume II, appeared in 2000. ~ Stewart Mason