The Sacred Ordinary begins dramatically with "Icon," a ticking clock of mid-tempo sequencing that cascades prettily and progressively, with a deep low end punctuating the crystalline shimmer. A synth flute solos in tune with the sequencing, bringing a sylvan theme to the proceedings. This is dramatic electronic music, paced well and with ever-changing sequences that feel like gentle showers brushing over the listener's body. Ellis is careful to intersperse the track with many random tones and sounds to keep the listener actively involved--it's a strength that prevents the sequencing from getting too repetitive. "Shining" starts with low, deep gurgling, eventually cut with a slow sequence and phased synth. The sequence begins to build into a more complex pattern as notes are added. A second sequence arrives, this one more frenetic, and the tone is set. More and more sequences are built upon the track until we are placed straight in the middle of an artery; we become a blood vessel furiously tumbling through the circulatory system. Any ambient tendencies from the first track are tossed out the window, as full on sequenced, phasing patterns shift and morph over eleven minutes. The next track, "The Sacred Ordinary," is an almost jarring about face, presenting a gorgeous nine-minute ambient drift piece. Fans of Vir Unis's drift work will especially enjoy this piece, which could find a artistic brother in VU's The Drift Inside. Ellis proves to be no slouch in creating evocative soundscapes; this is a slowly gliding journey, and one that I was happy to listen to on repeat for a while. A surprisingly ambient highlight. "Blue Heron" sounds almost jazzy with a repeated synth phrase met by vibraphone sounds and scattered synth noises. It's times like this that I wish I had a musical vocabulary to describe what the separate elements are doing, because I'm sure it's called something in particular. Needless to say, all the elements build to a tuneful melange of different synth passages. "The Still Center of a Turning World" has an Eastern flavor as if one is walking through a bustling bazaar run by mechanical beings. This song reminds me very much of Roedelius's musical sensibility, and is a light confection of progressive synthwork. "Oresence" begins low and deep, but explodes into dynamic sequencing with a refreshing Indian tonality provided by synths that sound like processed sitar or sarod. The sequences and more traditional sounding instruments (though altered and virtual) don't quite fit, but this is an interesting experiment in East meets West that surprises at every turn. "Cascade" brings harmonic singing into the milieu--always a wonderful sound--and effectively an introduction to Ellis's sacred sequencing which bubbles along as intense as the vocals. The synths are psychedelic and progressive here, reminding me more than a little of Tangerine Dream, though in a far more modern context. The sequencing gets more intense by track's end, eventually hushing into near silence. "After All" returns us to ambience, with an Eno-esque zone of stillness. This is a great, though short, track with melancholy synth that echoes Harold Budd or James Johnson. Gorgeous and a highlight of the disc. "Turning Towards the Sun" is more active, but pursues a similarly meditative mien, with trance synths straight out of the Fax catalog mixed with the flute from "Icon." Finally, "Slowly Beating Wings" begins with a lovely mellotron and opens out into an infinite vista of electronic arpeggios and synth harmonies. This is the most dramatic track on the album, bringing thoughts of ancient earth, early humans, and bright sunlight over desert.

Ellis makes an intrepid attempt to bring the spiritual into sequencing, with varying results on The Sacred Ordinary. While the successful tracks are active and interesting, the spiritual flavor often seems to be no more than another instrument or sound in Ellis's arsenal. Naturally, the sequences tend to overpower other characteristics on the album, which is fine for work of this type, but seems to lessen the impact of elements like the harmonic singing on "Cascade." That said, the sequences and synthwork here are top notch--sure to please any fan of modern synthesis. While The Sacred Ordinary is not quite a seamless blend of ambient and Berlin School, there are more than enough touches of each to please fans of both styles (though the tone of the album tends to favor sequencing over atmospherics). For my own part, I'd love to see Ellis branch into pure ambience--the few tracks in this style here are a fine taster of what an album of that nature would be like. As with the previously mentioned Life Sequence, there is little on The Sacred Ordinary that will convince naysayers of the Berlin School to change their opinions. However, they'd also be missing a very entertaining and diverse work that often manages to transcend the boundaries of its genre as it attempts to reach ever higher into the stratosphere.