Mark Van Hoen, also known as Locust, occupied the shadier, more melancholic side of contemporary ambient, assembling records of unmistakable beauty out of shards of dark, somewhat foreboding textures and arrangements. A London native active in the film and commercial music business before concentrating full-time on recording for release, Van Hoen quoted Steve Reich, David Sylvian, Kraftwerk, and Brian Eno as early influences and later pursued paths of creative conception opened up by John Coltrane and Karlheinz Stockhausen. Although earlier releases focused on sprawling, mostly beatless experimental soundscapes, he eventually incorporated elements of breakbeat styles such as trip-hop and jungle -- mostly in terms of production techniques, as opposed to aesthetic qualities, and with a decidedly Locust flair. ~ Sean Cooper