Trance to the Sun is the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Ashkelon Sain. In 1989 he began to compose his trademark atmospheric soundscapes which resulted in two selfreleased cassettes: 1990's Volcano and 1991's Dusk. This project matured in 1993 when vocalist Zoe Alexandra Wakefield joined. With 1994's debut album Ghost Forest a very fertile period for the band began. Despite various line up changes (each album featured different guest musicians and three vocalists fronted the band) the sound remained the same all along. Ashkelon was in firm charge of the songwriting, each composition was clearly the fruit of his mind. He combined elements of dreampop, dark ambient, psychedelia, goth, industrial and darkwave into an attractive blend.

Spiders, Aether & Rain is an overview of the finest works that this band has brought about. Elongated tracks dominate this compilation, only two are under four minutes, one even lasts a full ten minutes. Repetitive, mind-inducing patterns play an important role and they work better when stretched over a longer period of time. The songs waver from dreamy, delicate listening stuff to tracks with dense walls of distorted guitars. From the futuristic, floating synths of "Olive the Slut" to the warm, airy strings-and-voice of "August Rain Volume 3". The female vocalists need some extra consideration because their distinctive voices have a considerable impact. Zoe Alexandra Wakefield's voice is comforting and musing that's why she appears on the more meditative songs while Ingrid Blue sounds like a little serpent. Her voice fits better to the firmer tracks. The only track on which Dawn Wagner lends her luring vocals on this CD is the previously unreleased "Winter Furnace Winds". Ashkelon Sain weaves a nebulous web of ingenious ethereal sounds. All kinds of ominous electronic sonances are combined with a considerable array of gloomy guitar tunes. It all seems to fit very logically, the sequence has an agreeable flow. Some hightlights:
"Homewrecker" is a perfect shoegaze track: a slow, stately tempo, a texture of blurry, dismal guitars and doleful, aloof vocals. The steady percussion of "Execution of the Stars" in combination with the surging, swirling guitars makes for something fetching. A rendition of the Cocteau Twins' song "When Mama Was Moth" doesn't come as a surprise, Trance to the Sun resembles that band to a significant extend. On "Slave" Zoe Alexandra's voice could even be confused with that of Elizabeth Fraser. "Thistle Lurid" is the most intense track with its  thick, harsh guitars and austere vocals. Spiders, Aether & Rain is an excellent summary of the career of this Californian band. For all those who want to get acquinted with their music: this compilation clocks in at nearly eighty minutes, so you are getting value for money.