Gary Mulford, recording under the name Streamline, has created music in a variety of genres. Beyond the Horizon is one of two recent self-released albums (previous albums were released through MP3.COM and D.A.M) and sees him focusing on spacey ambient soundscapes. The sonics take the listener into outer space and also to Earthbound environments, in some places they are even quite calming, a la Liquid Mind. Though some tracks are of the floating/drifting variety this artist has eschewed the longer minimalist form of ambience to explore a variety of moods and atmospheres in ten tracks all coming in under ten minutes long. The opening track "Ptolemy's View" uses a classic ambient drifting structure with glassy synth lines and other varied tones, including a soughing tone with a vocal hint, breezing on by like bright white sonic clouds. It's genteel in delivery and calming in a slightly faster manner than Liquid Mind's music. Another soothing track is "Adrift" on which drawn out low panpipe kind of tones mix with reverbing synths and the distant sound of moving water and occasional animal noise. Close your eyes and imagine being adrift in a balloon low over a lush landscape with a river not too far away. Changing the mood is "Peyote Sunset". Here wintry tones and strange distant rustling combine with resonant plonking sounds and various effects and refrains to create a sense of mystery and partially glimpsed activity. Then in the next track "The Game" the mood becomes lighter with sunny drones, shiny tinkling, brief snippets of children at play in the background, and for a short time a barely heard percussive rhythm. In the penultimate track "Forlorn" we again hear an ephemeral percussive rhythm, this time alongside haunting piano refrains, light and heavy drones, and different tones gliding by. This is one of those albums that needs a concentrated listening session to get the most out of it, though it could provide good sonic wallpaper in the right circumstances. It mixes tones and drones to create atmosphere in such a way as to compare well with Matthew Florianz's work. I tip my metaphorical hat to Gary. Beyond the Horizon is an ambient album that won my respect after the first listen thanks to its polished delivery and evocative qualities.