Some electronic music exhibits overt power with domineering quality. Other e-music drifts with a relaxing calm, tickling the subconscious with its subtle ambience.

But then some e-music fuses both powerful and purring natures, to produce a sinuous sound that mesmerizes with melody and invigorates with charismatic force. Often, this union of peace and puissance becomes lost in the commercial market, as the marketplace fails to understand the need for such combinations of normally exclusive genres.

PAUL ELLIS: Appears to Vanish (CD on Neu Harmony)

Densely layered textures blend with more melodic tonal sweeps to produce a pleasant slow-burn effect, with tuneage that drifts like a leaf on an endless and serpentine air current of astral ambience. Keyboards creep slowly into prominence, asserting more forceful rhythms that earthy bass tones urge along.

Utilizing a pulsating beat, the music in each composition inevitably grows more dramatic, encountering moments of frenzied fingerwork on the keys and surging electronic growls. Rhythms begin to ricochet in a snowfall of shimmering sounds.

Broken into three 15-minute sections, the title track exhibits an inspirational edge in its sound, employing uplifting textures and softly persuasive riffs.

The CD also features the aptly titled "Mysterious Sketches", a 25-minute epic that begins with a decidedly more energetic nature, featuring sinuous keyboard rolls and intricately meshed electronic chords that continue to accrete with almost exhausting velocity. As the track continues, these sonic sketches become more ambient and erratic, wandering through different temperaments of relaxation -- from passive to invigorating -- finally reaching a dense finale of somber rhythms.

STEVE HUG: Organics (CD on Manikin Records)

On this 69-minute CD from 1999, Steve Hug produces cosmic electronic music of an organic nature, although not perhaps of a human nature. Or perhaps the music is human, but centered on a version of our species which has adapted to a symbiotic relationship with the galaxy at large.

The music itself is quite imposing and tasty, possessing a high quotient of engaging hooks and appealing riffs. While the basic melodies flow with expanding quality, each sonic niche is busy with counterpointing pulsations which add a lushness that attributes a density to the tuneage.

Electronic beats sparkle with unearthly timbre, urging the highly active harmonics into dynamic tunes of infinite scope. These pieces ring to the stars, sending back echoes of cosmic delight.

For all the cosmic quality possessed by this music, there is also a definite sense of celebration going on. Expressing a sonic joy, Hug's compositions cavort as if dancing about a central positivism, frolicking to commemorate a union of cellular inventiveness and sonic mutation.

OTARION: Evolution (CD on Neu Harmony)

This 73-minute release features some very tasty melodic electronic music, delving into a sonic journey through the evolution of an alien world.

From this music initial twinkling atmospherics...through passages of orbiting chords and spiraling riffs . . . into regions of whirring buzzes and increased vortexes . . . spilling out into auralscapes of grandly majestic keyboards that drift with cloudlike attributes . . . creeping through dark tunnels where lurk a variety of strange-sounding things . . . climbing with heavenly chorales onto "Paradise Island" with the glory of a new-born species...finding oneself washed up on a beachhead of searing guitar in the glare of an ambient sun. . . .

The electronics are excessively harmonic, delivering powerful drama and ethereal moods. Blending keyboard-driven melodies with curious sounds and environmental effects, Otarion takes the listener on a voyage to unearthly vistas and alien sunrises. With each piece, the sonic picture grows larger, sketching out the emergent land masses and the birth of bizarre atmospheres.

There is a mysterious edge to this music. As each piece unfolds, the tension increases and the sense of wonder follows suit. Expect surprises of rhythmic outbursts and some passages that are literally dance-club in nature . . . but always with a restraint, focusing the music into esoterically cerebral paths.

RAMP: Nodular (CD on Manikin Records)

Ramp is Frank Makowski, Steve Parsick and Lambert Ringlage (with Martina Fantar on infrequent vocalization on one track). Besides being a term from synthesizer technology, "Ramp" is also the Dutch word for "mischief," "disaster" or "catastrophe".

The nature of the music? Textural with strong harmonics and surging qualities. Dense waves of rhythmic chords, gathering like sentient stormclouds to circle the listener. Sparkling discharges fired through complex circuitry to produce melodic tones, propelled by cyclic tempos and swimming with dynamic sequencer rolls.

The melodies begin innocently enough, washing like an electric surf on a metallic beach. Soon, though, the interplay of synthetic sounds develop a predatory nature, weaving and dodging through the air in search of organic prey. As sneaky e-perc surfaces in the mix, the hunt is on. The riffs hone in on their prey, cavorting with unseen glee and mingling to produce greater riffs.

This music is hunting--and you are the prey. Fortunately, Ramp is in control of these hungry electronics, channeling them into an aerial spiral for your enjoyment. Once you are at ease, you will appreciate the sinuous patterns and diving tuneage. The pace accelerates as the sounds crest and wash over you. Under Ramp's guidance, these sonic beasts revert to their primary function: engaging music that will take your breath away (but in a good manner).

UNDER THE DOME: The Demon Haunted World (CD on Neu Harmony Records)

This British band achieves some highly memorable electronic music on this 69-minute CD -- dense and lively.

Synthesizers predominate the sound with their deep growl and rolling sequences. Once generated, melodies overlap with other new passages, growing busier and more dramatic with each addition. The pieces fairly shine with a carefully restrained urgency as the notes plummet after each other. The tempos of these songs can build to rather epic velocity, as the unity of patterns cascades together in tasty compositions.

There are nice cameos by somber piano (to chill the frenzy) and distantly shrill guitar (to fuel the passion) augmenting these electronics.

Patterned in the mold of Vangelis or Tangerine Dream's music (circa the late '70s), these pieces are energetic and fresh, bearing similarity only in sound not content. The content of Under the Dome's music is thoroughly modern and highly passionate.

WAVE WORLD: Species (CD on Quantum Records)

Originating in the Netherlands, Wave World is Harry Kessels and Gert van Santen.

The journey begins with a growling ambience, rumbling with geological distress. Tempered electronics wind along atmospheric paths, punctuated by sharply gleaming synthesizer chirps. Slowly, the dense droning is overtaken by keyboard melodies that drift with comforting vibrations. Delicate E-perc enters the auralscape, steering the music towards the sky.

Once the tuneage has broken from the stratosphere, it soars, plunging into the dark void with brave intentions. Here, the ambient melodies can unfurl, stretching to more distant horizons. Here, the percussive rhythms can set a languid tempo to support the spiraling electronics and heavenly-styled vocals. The achieved result is highly trancey, with just the right touch of a beat. Dreamily melodic, the songs flow together to form a 64-minute excursion into space that is dynamic and elegant.

The surprise comes when the listener realizes that the destination for this interstellar voyage is -- Earth. Traveling from a distant world, plant-life has discovered that the Earth harbors lifeforms of its own. The alien seeds are not alone in the universe.