"Sitting on par with the greatest ambient-electronic works ever recorded..." - Candice Michelle, Journeyscapes on Prayer To The Energy
"Fans of Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream, etc.- yes, that is me- will love this recording. It is intimate, beautiful, diverse, and, most of all, so creative and ambitious. Sacred Places will be a regular listening experience for people who appreciate this music. On the other hand, for those who love it, you will be very pleased."
Hollan Holmes has created an electronic ambient classic with Sacred Places. - Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck
January 25, 2024
John Shanahan on "Sacred Places"
I am willing to bet that in years to come, when someone is asked which album got them into electronic music, they’ll say Hollan Holmes’ “Sacred Places.” Holmes’ ninth outing is a confident, powerful blend of brightness and vivacity, energy and thoughtulness that gorgeously captures the deeply personal tone of the composer celebrating meaningful places in his life. With glittering arpeggios paired against melodic washes and even a touch of primal rhythms and throat singing, “Sacred Places” captivates over and over. If this isn’t on every “Best of” list in 2024, someone is lying to you.
John Shanahan - January 30, 2024
"Sacred Places, Hollan Holmes's third release on Spotted Peccary Music, shows the Texas-based electronic-ambient artist to be a sound designer of the first rank..." - Textura
I can't remember a time when I wasn't fascinated with music. I grew up with a piano in my home, so my hands-on relationship with a musical instrument began at a very early age. My first exposure to synthesizers was during my high school years when I started seeing them showing up in music stores. By 1981, I had my first synth, a Moog Prodigy. I still own and use that same machine, if that tells you anything about my unwavering addiction to electronic music and the world of sound design. While the real beasts like the Oberheim Matrix 12 and the Sequential Prophet 5 were way out of my financial grasp, it didn't stop me from spending hours in the stores playing with these magical machines. I got kicked out more than once.
Today, there are a staggering number of tools available to the musician and, in my case, composer. Hardware analog modular synths, software synths, digital, hybrid, subtractive, additive, you name it, it's probably out there. None of these tools, however, mean much unless the user possesses the knowledge and creativity needed to do something interesting with them. I've been trying to do just that for almost four decades and professionally for the last fourteen years. It is this last fourteen that I wish to share with you here.
Welcome and thank you for your interest in my work.
Hollan Holmes