Bruno Bavota - La Casa Sulla Luna (Review)

La Casa Sulla Luna is an album by Naples, Italy based pianist Bruno Bavota which was released in February this year. It sits comfortably within the modern classical genre with the press release likening to artists such as Dustin O'Halloran, Nils Frahm and Olafur Arnalds. However, whilst Bavota's work fits comfortably alongside these talented musicians - his sound is perhaps less modern classical, in the sense that there is no electronic processing or experimental trickery. Instead, it strives for a purer sound with the piano obviously placed at the fore. Unlike the scratchy, scuffling textures to be heard on Nils Frahm's Felt or Goldmund's Malady Of Elegance, La Casa Sulla Luna is rich classical music.

A first glance at the album packaging, you will notice the tracklist is in Italian. and it also seems by little coincidence that the cover artwork is predominantly in Italian blue. La Casa Sulla Luna manages to retain the heritage and culture of the artist whilst also offering a universal tapestry of wordless recordings. The tracks are positive, filmic and breathe a sense of nostalgia, as if recalling long-forgotten day-dreams during hymn practice at a school assembly.
The album is presented simply, with Bruno's piano always in focus and at times, accompanied by cello and violin by Marco Pescosolido and Paolo Sasso respectively. The opening tracks are solo piano and gradually, the strings fade in and out as the tracks pass by. There is an undeniable sense of melancholy throughout this album, but somehow it avoids being maudlin. The recordings are also playful without being sickly-sweet.
For me, the album is at its best when Cielo Blu Notte comes in - a piece which begins slowly, with deep cello riding underneath the atmosphere before the violins drive the track home.

In terms of a theme, La Casa Sulla Luna means the house on the moon. Without researching further into translating the tracks from Italian and working from the album title alone, it hints at an otherworldly, out of this world encounter. However, the record feels like an inherently human, firmly earthly experience. Perhaps the house on the moon is a metaphor, to allow you to imagine your own living space becoming detached from the world. As if our daily struggles were left at the door so that our homes may float up into the atmosphere whilst we consider our earthly problems from an outside perspective; La Casa Sulla Luna provides the perfect soundtrack. {LISTEN / BUY}



Bruno has recently given further insight into his musical influences on Grounding Sounds and it comes as no surprise that O'Halloran, Arnalds and Helios are all included. There are many other interesting inclusions crammed into his show - check it out by clicking the Mixcloud player below

Grounding Sounds #008: Bruno Bavota by Groundingsounds on Mixcloud

Sima Kim & Elintseeker - Café Air [Audio Gourmet]

As there are not quite so many free EPs coming out on the Audio Gourmet netlabel now, I thought that it would really make sense if I started posting links to them on this blog...here's the latest; click play above to listen or download, at your leisure! It's a pay-what-you-like download - so if you feel like donating, to keep everything ticking over then a huge thanks! Otherwise, feel free to grab it.

-PRESS RELEASE-

AGN071 Sima Kim & Elintseeker - Café Air

"Café Air EP is the result of a collaboration between Far Eastern artists Sima Kim and Fuzz Lee (Elintseeker) who hail from South Korea and Singapore respectively. Both artists have previously had material released via Somehow Recordings and Mu Nest and their differing approaches to sound art join as one in this EP. 

Both artists are used to performing live and this experience is not wasted on their combined studio effort, which uses the space sensitively. Café Air was recorded with Sima writing and arranging the piano melodies which were passed to Fuzz, who added guitar, field recordings and additional processing. 

A café is usually a meeting place, where conversation fills the room. Café Air strives to create an atmosphere familiar to anyone who has visited a small café alone to find it empty, as accidental sound fills the room and the vacated space gives way to empty thoughts. 

Throughout the three recordings, the delicate sound of the piano is gently cradled with atmospheric detail, allowing the mind to haze over into a day-dream state. The fifteen minute restriction imposed by an Audio Gourmet EP does little to force Café Air along its path at pace. Instead it lies unhurried; time stands on end, emptiness prevails"

credits

released 18 June 2013
Written and produced by Sima Kim and Fuzz Lee
Artwork by Harry Towell
www.audiogourmet.co.uk

Flying Ibex - Habits [Bomb Shop]

Habits is London based band Flying Ibex’s sophomore album, released by the Bomb Shop imprint. It seamlessly blends exotic musical influences from African, Brazilian and Reggae with pop and indie-rock sounds. Habits is characterised by complex drum rhythms, licks of guitar fed through delay pedals and lead singer Barnaby Keen’s unique and unmistakable voice. 

From the offset, the warm and catchy Maracatu-infected vibes of ‘Two’ are a clear nod towards simple, playful Pop before the brilliant ‘You Dared Me’ changes tact with delay-drenched dub reggae. Throughout the record, the blend of styles and influences shuffles to the fore; each battling for the lead without ever throwing the music off its course.

As Habits negotiates its eleven tracks, you’ll note how bright the music feels without ever becoming saccharine, for this is a record that fits perfectly with summer and warmer climate. 

The tracks that stand out as immediately strong on first listen are ‘You Dared Me’, ‘Something Was Cured’ and the longer, more subdued ‘4^th of May’. With no more than a couple of listens to the album in sequence, you may well find yourself hooked. The track order is arranged in such a way that the at first less obvious pieces become firm favourites and a thoroughly engaging listen from start to finish; always retaining your interest and attention.

You can check out samples of all tracks from the album and purchase either as a CD or download via the Bomb Shop: {LISTEN / BUY}

Updates!

The blog hasn't been particularly active these last couple of months, as I've been busy. So I thought I'd make a post updating on some new projects I have been setting up.

Firstly, not a particularly new project - I've recently revived the Tessellate Recordings label which I considered folding last year after redundancy. Last month, we released a massive 2 hour compilation which was curated as an attempt to raise money to 'save' the label. Well we have reached the target and now have the funds required to press forward with a series of limited edition CDs! Work has already started on the first of these and we've also spruced up the web-page too to prepare for it. You can check out Tessellate Recordings by clicking the following link: www.tessellate-recordings.com

Secondly, I have set up a new digital label called Warehouse Decay Recordings, which I am curating alongside Pleq. It is a big tangent from my usual involvement with the Ambient music scene, as the label will be dedicated to various forms of Deep House and Techno. However, several of the releases will be by artists you'd normally associate with ambient music, operating in a different mode. We began releasing at the beginning of April and already have a busy schedule going forward.
Check it out here: http://warehousedecay.com/

With all of these projects, I have made the obvious decision of steadying the release rate at the Audio Gourmet netlabel. I am still passionate about making free EP releases and the label is very much alive, but releases will be much less frequent than in previous years. We've got some real quality lined up for release this year so stay tuned! Most recently, we released the superb 'Cadder Falls' by Caught In The Wake Forever. Take a look at Audio Gourmet here: www.audiogourmet.co.uk

I have been working on a new project called Grounding Sounds for the last year and I've finally decided to buy a proper domain name and make a go of it, after strong initial interested. The series sees artists, musicians and labels presenting a 1 or 2 part mix of their all-time favourite music across all genres. It is aimed primarily as a bit of fun - something different and interesting to listen to as you surf the web. It is hoped that it will point people in the direction of obscure music they might not have heard before.
You can get stuck into the shows here: http://groundingsounds.com/

Finally, with all of these new projects, you might be wondering what is happening with my solo work as Spheruleus? Well I have been working on some exciting material for the future but in the meantime, I decided to revisit some odds and ends on my hard-drive to see whether I could put some of it together as an album. I wasn't sure any of it would fit, but somehow, I managed to edit/sequence them to be pretty coherent as a collection. I recently set up a Spheruleus Bandcamp account so that I could host my full discography in one place, so I wanted to make something exclusive for it. You can check out 'Clearings' by clicking play below:

Bruno Fleutelot - Ozo Viv [Eglantine Records]

We see reissues occur regularly in all styles of music and often, already widely known records are re-packaged, re-branded and re-contextualised to drive further sales.
However, the limited nature of low-run CD and vinyl pressings coming out of small labels means that very few people on this planet will be likely to hear the recordings. Sometimes, old releases can drop off the radar as labels close down or move forward and there can be little trace of them ever having existed.
Fortunately in the case of Bruno Fleutelot's 'Ozo Viv' originally released on Im Lauf Der Zeit in 2005, Eglantine Records have decided to re-issue the album - giving it another chance to have its say, with a new audience.
Fleutelot's discography spans back to 1998 with 'Private' and his work as a musician even longer. Bruno is a man of multiple projects whether it be flying solo or as part of duos and bands. For the last ten years, he has plied his trade in producing soundtracks for short films and documentaries as several live performances.

The atmospherics in Ozo Viv's opening track Mare Moscoviense would imply a heavy listen lies ahead. Do not be fooled from this first glimpse! What lies ahead is a magnificent set of recordings that come highly recommended. There is a wealth of texture and differing moods that will retain your interest if you allow yourself to listen in full. Such is the diversity of the palette, several other artists come to mind as I listen
After a briefly pensive moment that opens the record -littered with guitar effects - scrapes, screeches and sustained electric guitar texture, a clearer guitar sound is welcome in Mare Fecunditatis. The press releases cites Labradford as an reference and I certainly felt this here, and in other areas of the record. Palus Nebularum is no exception from this, returning with more of the atmospheric guitar effects, this time given warmth by deeper drones underpinned with a paralysing sense of melancholy. Once the subtle haunting female vocal comes in, I was reminded of Svarte Greiner's fabulous Knive album and from here, Ozo Viv truly has its grip on my ears.
Mare Marginis allows the guitar to return to focus - with Bruno's playing feeling a little sinister, especially with the electric guitar feedback creeping in and out. Onto track five and the monolithic Mare Smythii carefully adds a brooding presence to Ozo Viv. It is hard to believe it is just three minutes long - perhaps attributed to the slow guitar playing and the sheer level of attention to detail. Sinus Roris adds a darker tone to the album and here I was reminded a little of Johann Johannsson's Miners Hymns - with the feel of the distorted feedback and static.
The noise and power is turned down to allow some silence to creep in at times in Mare Humorum; a respite that does not detract to the prevailing effect of the record. In the second half of the track, a drum and louder guitar sound kick in suddenly, adding a well-timed, well-executed twist to breathe life back into the steadily decaying ship that we had been sailing. It doesn't last long and the closing moments end quietly to carefully introduce the beauty of Oceanus Procellarum, the album's shortest piece.
Enter Mare Australe, a piece which opens out with flickering vintage ambient synths before taking you on a  journey mapping the sounds of a decaying piano. Here, Sylvain Chauveau came to mind for a moment before I stopped trying to compare this fabulous record to that of others. The power and effect of this album strikes me hard here - it is made all the more powerful by listening to the full spectrum of sounds preceding and it feels like an epiphany. Mare Tranquillitatis opens with sounds of crashing waves and the lightest moments of guitar on the album. This is very well placed indeed following the heights of the previous track. French spoken whispers pan in either ear as it lushly plays through. In Marc (Pt 1, 2 & 3), this record must end. This piece is included as a bonus track not on the original record and since listening to Ozo Viv for the first time is in this configuration, it does not feel like a bookend at all. I remember Aidan Baker's For The Sea And Shore as I listen to these closing moments and glance back at the titles of the tracks that make up Ozo Viv.
I notice a prevailing link to the ocean, assuming my dormant mind informs me correctly that 'Mare' is sea in Latin. There is no reference to a theme or concept in the press release and I am too lazy to take a crash course in Latin for me to work out the track titles. Here lies a true sign of a powerful, well produced album - it has an ability to translate the artist's ideas and concepts through the compositions. Without the faintest knowledge of what Ozo Viv is about, I am able to understand fully and connect with it.

Bruno Fleutelot's Ozo Viv comes with my highest recommendation. There is so much to it, that I could write for hours about it. Already, I feel I have missed some key points - not least the stunning artwork and packaging that Eglantine have put together in collaboration with Aurélie Brouet.
As I touch upon the physical aspects of the record for a moment, I return to where I began this review...it is available in another limited run of just 300 copies! {BUY / LISTEN}

Darwin Raymond - Somewhere The Sun Shines Brightly [Analogpath]

http://analogpath.com/main/somewhere-the-sun-shines-brightly/

Analogpath have developed a knack of consistency in their approach to releasing high quality ambient and experimental music. Not only is their standard hand-stamped recycled packaging and artwork printed to traditional Japanese rice paper a tried and tested format, the music contained within each disc is always of high quality. The label has not been active for long but already they've managed to deliver us excellent albums by the likes of Pillowdiver, Celer and Stray Ghost to name but a few.

The latest album out on this fabulous imprint is by Darwin Raymond, entitled 'Somewhere The Sun Shines Brightly'. Having spoken to Darwin when he assembled a fifteen minute EP for Audio Gourmet, I had an inkling that once Tetsuo had signed him up to Analogpath, his work was likely to be good. Not least because  I associate quality with both, having worked with them.
I was lucky enough to get hold of a reviewer's copy and I have to say whilst I enjoyed the sample on the label's website, I was bowled over by the sheer excellence contained within the eight tracks that make up Somewhere The Sun Shines Brightly on first listen.
For some reason, I had expected the murkier, dark drones that Darwin had concocted for his EP on Audio Gourmet so when I first played the CD, I was struck by the great beams of light that emanate from the music.

Somewhere The Sun Shines Brightly implies a longing for the sun, for warmth and better days. It hints that the conditions in which it was recorded were not so bright. However, this record is so full of warmth and radiant brightness that it is difficult to imagine that it might have been created under a dark cloud, during dull weather or at the depths of despair.
The guitar is nearly always a warm instrument, and this becomes the focal point for this album. Darwin's playing here is used in several different approaches - for warm droning texture, as discernible passages of melody and as bent or slide notes. These give a great diversity to the album, to set it apart from others who have attempted similar themes. The tinge of melancholy throughout keeps it from being saccharine. The all-round execution is so good, that it's difficult not to draw comparison to one of the all-time great ambient albums 'I Could Not Love You More'. Of course, it is different in many ways and has its own voice but I felt reminded of it at several points during the album.

In summary, this is an album that will fill the room with its light, with or without the sun. I have a feeling I will be listening to this all summer long and likely returning to it some more once winter returns.
 {LISTEN / BUY}

Ben Fleury-Steiner - Clearings [Rural Colours]

'Clearings' is the latest release on the Rural Colours label and their first outing of 2013. A glance at the three pieces in the tracklist and you'd be forgiven for assuming that this one is another of the label's excellent 3" CDr releases. On closer inspection of the track lengths, you'll notice that it is in fact an album released on CD, in a limited run of just 150 copies.

Like most of the highly collectible Rural Colours releases, this will not hang around for long - especially given the quality of the work. Ben Fleury-Steiner is an artist that I've kept an eye on for years, with his 'As A Means Through Which I Can Speak' album being a fond favourite in my collection. He has also released an album on Low Point called 'The Places That Find You' in 2011. Now for Rural Colours, he returns with a set of three tracks in which he strives to let go of what he calls his 'anal retentiveness' in the studio. One can assume that he was trying to overcome the urge to use his tried and tested production methods in favour of creating something with new techniques. A first listen through and there is still the evident hallmark of power in the bass frequencies, which I associated in previous Fleury-Steiner records. This makes his work ideal for play on good quality sound systems, turned up loud so that the full benefit can be heard.
I tend to listen to music with headphones, a listening setting in which you can uncover the other key trait to Ben's work - his meticulous attention to detail. Despite any difference in approach and tone through the three tracks, there are carefully woven layers of detail in each.



The album's opening track is the imaginatively titled 'Wind Up Bird's Lament', in which you can make out traces of acoustic instrument sources flowing on a bed of droning mulch. This piece reminded me a little of the work of Christopher McFall or Philip Sulidae in the way that it was quite sinister with an underlying element of power to it, without ever boiling over.

Second track 'Parallax' explores what you might call purer drone territory, although again, the great attention to detail and texture help it stretch beyond that. Like the term or not, I think this is evidence as to why some 'ambient' music is often called sound design, as opposed to drone - with the dense layers of detail setting it apart from being a mere chord drenched in delay. The beauty in Parallax is how it twists and turns in many directions; never staying static; holding your interest. At one point, it builds to reflect the breathlessness you might feel when confronted with a dramatic landscape and then a few moments later, this transforms effortlessly into feelings of doom and horror.

Closing piece 'Glade' initially feels like a second movement to Parallax, deploying a similar technique - which after being so immersed in the previous track is no bad thing. If you listen carefully however, Glade is a more linear piece, with the drone sounding suspended - looping and twisting only slightly but just enough to appear different. It hangs in the balance for a few minutes, with Fleury-Steiner dropping detail in and out to accent it.  The piece is highly meditative and of epic beauty. Towards the final third however, Glade adopts a new tone for just a moment only to sweep delicately back to the original, to reassert itself. It is surprising just how refreshing it feels when it returns, as if the main drone to Glade had become a part of you somehow.

All in all, this is solid work from Ben Fleury-Steiner and highly recommended. The packaging features art direction from Ian Hazeldine and stunning photography from the talented Jürgen Heckel. {LISTEN / BUY}

Stafrænn Hákon - Prammi [Sound In Silence]

The first label to approach this year since my intentions of increasing the posts on Audio Gourmet for 2013 is Sound In Silence. They kindly send over their two latest releases for review, by Stafrænn Hákon and J.R Alexander.

So first up, I present my thoughts about the latest Stafrænn Hákon album 'Prammi', which has already been reissued due to popular demand. Stafrænn Hákon is the pseudonym for Icelandic artist Olafur Josephsson, the work of whom I have been following for a few years now. For those new to his sound, you'd be forgiven for thinking he'd fall into a similar category as the likes of Olafur Arnalds and Johann Johannsson, since Iceland is renowned for producing quality modern classical music. However, Josephsson is perhaps most known for his post-rock sound, active since the late nineties.

Before I began to listen, I took a glance at the tracklist and noticed something familiar - the inclusion of a piece named 'Hvarf 12' and having listened, it seems to be a 2012 adaptation of a track included on Stafrænn Hákon's 'Í Ástandi Rjúpunnar' album.
Josephsson's more recent material has been increasingly veering to a purer rock sound, with the additions of upbeat drums and guitar patterns and vocals. Whereas his earlier works were perhaps more subdued instrumental post-rock. Where 'Prammi' is particularly effective is that it draws on this artist's years of experience and through all of the different sounds in his albums. It is evenly spaced using the careful placing of these different styles through each track.


Prammi opens out with what you might describe as the classic Stafrænn Hákon sound before moving towards his more recent work in the second track 'Klump', which hints at the work of Boduf Songs, which is never a bad thing! On from this, we here the re-interpretation of Hvarf which then moves onto something new to broaden the album's palette...a piece of pure droning texture.
Whilst 'A Personal Voyage To Meat Planet' is oddly titled, it does offer respite from the pleasant, largely upbeat post-rock sound that preceded. Not only this, its minimalism offers a pause in which anticipation for the rest of the album heightens. I gather that fans of pop and rock genres would skip the drone pieces but in doing this, we rid the album of its most effective part.
When I used to DJ, I would often play a couple of tracks that were largely percussion, stripped back and minimal. I would then follow this with something melodic and with a lot of atmosphere, with the impact heightened by the few minutes of minimalism that went before it.

Sure enough, the melodic post-rock returns and with impact. This is then followed by another short interlude of textured ambience aptly titled 'Passage'. I can't help thinking here, that perhaps it would be more effective to swap this with the following track 'Hoff', which would space the tracks and their differing sounds apart a little. That said, this point is of such little bearing on the overall effect of Prammi and who am I to question Josephsson's ideas. Prammi continues along with the effective formula of post-rock, both instrumental and vocal interspersed with short drones to great effect.
By the time we hit tenth track 'Lusher', a more laid-back and vibe sets in, followed by the fractured music box tones of 'Before'. For me, the album is at its most beautiful in its final quarter which is rounded off with 'Wait', the album's darkest piece. Again, its placing is apt - it makes sense to include this as the last track; a final reflective moment as this remarkable album draws to a close.

Physical copies are still available at the time of writing, hand-made and hand-numbered by this excellent emerging label. Their current roster of artists is more than enough to make their Bandcamp page a regular haunt amongst fans of quality experimental music.
I've been a long-term fan so I feel qualified to issue this bold statement: Stafrænn Hákon's 'Prammi' is perhaps his most accomplished body of work to date and rewards a listener that gives it the time to play out in full. The way that Olafur Josephsson positions the tracks whether upbeat, laid-back, instrumental, vocal or glacial is what sets everything off here. He has shown great restrain in creating this album, which will shine whatever the weather. Highly recommended {LISTEN / BUY}

Revised ambitions for 2013!!

Barely two weeks into my ridiculously ambitious idea of posting about an album every day in 2013 had failed, after I'd had a few ales the night before and no sleep. The reality had kicked in that this was going to be more an occasional thing than regular, since I just have too many commitments to sustain it.

This is not to say that I don't see posting on the Audio Gourmet blog as important, however. My intentions were at least good - helping direct people to experimental music that they might not have heard before, helping artists and labels gain new fans - even if it's only just a couple!
So, I will continue to post about albums old and new whenever I get the chance, albeit in a more irregular pattern...

Since this year I find myself rather skint and unable to plump for the preferred vinyl or lavishly packaged CDs, I am currently relying on the following to build my record collection:
(1). Buying mp3s instead
(2). Friends sending me their records
(3). Buying odd tracks on iTunes/Boomkat - selecting only my absolute favourites from an album
(4). Immediately re-investing any slither of royalties from my own albums
(5). Listening to my existing record collection
(6). Streaming albums on Bandcamp - longing for the day when I can afford to download it for my iPod!

This may sound like a bit of a public plea for promos, press advance records etc...well, maybe it is, a little! But I promise, providing I enjoy the record, I will put something back and write a few words about it - sharing the links to the release page here on the Audio Gourmet blog. My write-ups or reviews won't be as eloquently written as the likes of Fluid Radio or A Closer Listen but like them, my passion for good music will shine through and hopefully introduce people to it new things.

I was very pleased to hear personally from a few people that had bought albums featured in my end of year show last year. I said before I made the show - it might take up a great deal of my time in putting it together but if it gets just one person to check an artist out and buy their record, then it has been every bit worth the effort on my part.

Day #0008: Richard Skelton - Landings [Sustain-Release/Type]

RICHARD SKELTON - LANDINGS

[Sustain-Release/Type] 2009

I've made no secret of my fondness for Richard Skelton's work and I dare say that most readers of this post will already be very familiar with his excellent music. For you people, give your eyes a rest and dig out your copy of Marking Time, Verse Of Birds or Landings - sit back and enjoy the show.

For those unfamiliar to the work of Richard Skelton, I will attempt to write a few words but really, just hit play below and you'll quickly arrive at your own decision.



Despite having been a long standing fan of his work, I often find it quite difficult to describe it. I have even got the accompanying book to Landings and have read it many times whilst listening and without just copying the book, it is difficult to try and write a quick snapshot of it. Landings is an album and subject of depth, whilst being simple at the same time.

Richard Skelton produces raw, rustic and emotional music, usually inspired by the landscape around him. When he produced 'Landings', he was living near to Anglezarke in the Lancashire moors, UK. The album is a result of four years spent recording during which, Richard immersed himself in the area. He and his music almost became one with the landscape and the more you listen, you will too. This may sound a little corny but genuinely, if you listen to Landings, it is literally tied to the landscape from which it was inspired.

There are a few versions out there - with a little digging around, you should be able to get the edition on Type, in either vinyl or CD. The vinyl is absolutely wonderful, somehow adding yet more depth to this body of work. If you can get hold of a copy, it will be well worth what ever you pay.
Then of course, there is Richard's Sustain-Release platform, in which he makes special limited runs of his work, with a personal touch.
I have run a quick check and he has some copies of Landings available: {BUY}

Finally, you'll definitely be able to buy the album in mp3 format. You can go for the Type release on the likes of Boomkat and iTunes, I'm sure but the best experience would be direct from Richard Skelton's Bandcamp page. In this special edition entitled 'The Complete Landings', he includes a wealth of bonus material:
{LISTEN / BUY}

The Almost Noteworthy Adventures of Mick Stape

Today there is no album post, because instead I have spent the whole day putting together a new 2 part mix.

I decided this week to put together a playlist of all my favourite post-rockish pieces for casual iPod listening. Years ago of course, playlists were mixtapes. - so I started whittling down the 250+ tracks I’d selected to just a few favourites, as if I were creating an old-school mix tape for friends. The result is a 2 part showcase of my favourite records leaning towards the experimental rock and folk genres.

When I used to DJ, I would name my mix CDs ridiculous things to try and get people to at least listen, so along that school of thought…I arrived somehow at: 'The Almost Noteworthy Adventures of Mick Stape'. The main reason being, that these two parts almost sound like the soundtrack to a film and so I got thinking about what my film would be called. Whilst initially appearing like a real life person, Mick Stape is actually a play on words using Mixtape. Clever.

*Huge thanks to Beth for the artwork; a sketch of me slumped at the sofa watching TV!

PART ONE:

The Almost Noteworthy Adventures of Mick Stape (Part 1) by Audio Gourmet on Mixcloud

The Late Cord – The Late Cord

Zelienople – Little Little Eye-Full

Lilium – Lily Pool

Felix – Where Is My Dragon

Midlake – Rulers, Ruling All Things

Shearwater – The Kind

Home Of The Lame – Habitat

Giraffe – The Fifth Wheel

Sam Prekop – So Shy

Tunng – People Folk

Boduf Songs – I Am Going Away And I Am Never Coming Back

Thom Yorke – Black Swan

Tarwater – 20 Miles Up

De La Mancha – Ursa Minor

Hood – L.Fading Hills

Real Estate – Green Aisles

Deerhunter – Twilight At Carbon Lake

Radiohead – Give Up The Ghost

PART TWO:

The Almost Noteworthy Adventures of Mick Stape (Part 2) by Audio Gourmet on Mixcloud

Talons’ – Lost Ships

Finglebone – Forgotten Again

Black Eagle Child – The Bee’s Nest

Tiny Ruins – Bird In Thyme

Neil Halstead – See You On The Rooftops

Billy Mahonie – A Part Of Me Floats To The Sea

Studiocanoe – Soothe

Aerial M – Skrag Theme

Silencio – No Memories, No Ghosts

Little Phrase – Time Is Golden

The Gentleman Losers – Light Fandango

Mogwai – Kings Meadow

Kiln – Swung Rusted Open

Pullman – Narrow Canyon

Foreign Fields – So Many Foreign Homes

Chris Weisman and Greg Davis – New Americans

Day #0007: Clem Leek - Through The Angular [Schedios]

CLEM LEEK - THROUGH THE ANNULAR

[Schedios] 2010

Clocking in at little over eleven minutes, 'Through The Annular' was Clem Leek's first physical release, out on his own Schedios imprint in 2010. It preceded his debut album 'Holly Lane' on Hibernate, which was one of that year's best records to the ears of most who bought it. Holly Lane saw this talented young artist assemble a rich suite of modern classical material which centered around the texture of strings.

Showing his diversity, 'Through The Annular' is instead a snapshot of Clem's piano playing. The short tracks are set to the beautiful crackle of 78rpm records which is an often used technique in modern classical music. It must be pointed out, however, that his use of crackle on this record is the best I have heard. This seems like a very strange thing for someone to comment on but if you pay attention to it, you'll hear how he manages to get just the right levels, frequency and feel to it.
Immediately, new listeners will be drawn to the beautiful piano compositions for a while but after several repeated listens, the crackle just seems to become more and more noticeable. For me, I often find myself allowing it to be the focal point as I listen, which automatically pushes the piano to the background. This was probably not the artist's intention but what it does is leave the album prone to repeated play as you start to feel as if you have missed the passages of piano.

The fleeting briefness of this mini album or EP if you prefer, is what really makes it special. The four compositions do feel broadly similar and there are no stark contrasts as the tracks change but because this set is so brief, it feels like a single movement of four parts. And surely, a movement you will return to time and time again - usually in the same sitting!

Day #0006: Nicola Ratti - èsope [Zymogen]

NICOLA RATTI - "ESOPE"

[Zymogen] 2009

As mentioned in a previous post, I began to develop my taste in ambient, electro-acoustic, drone etc through downloading free music from netlabels. There were several labels that I'd visit regularly and there's some great free material up for grabs out there but there are some albums that I listen to regularly even now, a few years later.

èsope is quite possibly my favourite netlabel release of all-time, by Italian artist Nicola Ratti. It was released back in 2009 on Zymogen and followed his collaboration with Giuseppe Ielasi and his marvellous 'From The Desert Came Saltwater' album on Anticipate. At that time, for me this was the first I'd heard of his work and I've been a fan ever since.

èsope is a single mid to long-form piece that includes the environmental sounds of field recordings with chimes, drones, voice and Ratti's signature use of guitar. Rather than his more instant work, this piece takes time to develop from almost nothing and it becomes a real joy to listen to in a most gradual way. When the guitar comes in, you will hope that it never ends. Obviously it does, but it is this tranquil state and yearning for more that will keep you listening until the very end. Although the guitar is the main focus of the track and of course, the sounds of sheep that have influenced the cover art - there is a brassy sound that closes èsope that completely contrasts everything, that will soon be as enjoyable to your ears as the rest of this magnificent piece.

Zymogen as a label has married consistent high-quality curation with a slow release rate, which really builds your anticipation for their next release.

To download Nicola Ratti's 'èsope'

 for free, please visit the release page here: {LISTEN / BUY}

DAY #0005: Foreign Fields - Anywhere But Where I Am

FOREIGN FIELDS - "ANYWHERE BUT WHERE I AM"

[2012]

I'm afraid I'm about to harp on some more about year end lists from 2012 but this time, not mine. End of year lists are a great way of discovering music you missed and by far the best thing I've come across so far is an album that would have done well in my list for last year, had I found it. 'Anywhere But Where I Am' is an album by the band Foreign Fields and it was featured by Helio Camacho's (Own Records) top 5 records of the year. I had already come across most but this one was completely new to me and it was love at first click.

I was looking for something new to listen to as I enjoyed some time off by myself just after Christmas whilst my family had all returned to work. I literally had it on repeat, every day and even now that I have returned to work, I am still listening - in the car there and back. What's so good about it? Well firstly, there are plenty of tracks and then secondly, there is great variety to them. Most moments are beautiful, rich and deep but the way in which each is executed varies from track to track. It has a folk feel to it one minute, a post rock feel the next and at times, the lush droning guitar textures point to ambient; some parts are even slightly poppy or electronic. As a whole, it is a very playable, pleasant listen from start to finish. Even the tracks that don't grab you the first time will win you round after a few listens. This is set to become one of my favourite records of all time... thank you Helio!

Hit play below and hear for yourself...

Here's a live video of the track 'Taller' that I found after a quick Youtube search:

Also, don't forget to check out the official video to 'The River Kings' here:

Day #0004: Caught In The Wake Forever - Against A Simple Wooden Cross [Hibernate]

CAUGHT IN THE WAKE FOREVER - "AGAINST A SIMPLE WOODEN CROSS"

[Hibernate] 2012

I've not long put down my 2012 end of year list to rest and a glaring omission that I really wrestled with was Caught In The Wake Forever's 'Against A Simple Wooden Cross', out on Hibernate. I have already noticed that it has ranked highly with various bloggers and sites across the net and whether I included it or not, it really is a year end highlight from 2012.

Opening with beautiful field recordings and gentle guitar notes before warm drones unfold over it, 'Scottish Grief' gets this emotional roller-coaster of an album off the mark. This is what really makes this record - Fraser McGowan who is behind the project really lays out all of his struggles for us to hear for ourselves, in one of the most open and honest records I've ever heard. I won't go into great detail but it documents his fight back to recovery after suffering a complete mental breakdown which resulted in him facing his struggles alone. For these six months, Fraser threw everything he had left into the production of Against A Simple Wooden Cross and although there is a sense of loneliness and despair throughout, there are also parts that tread a positive path as he finds his road to recovery.

At the above link, you can hit play and listen to the album and grab a copy for yourself. Also, at the time of posting, there are still some copies left in the Hibernate store, so here is the link:

{LISTEN / BUY}

Jonathan Lees, the man who runs Hibernate has put together a video to closing track 'Point Sands'. Click play to check it out: 

DAY #0003: The Green Kingdom - Twig and Twine [Own]

THE GREEN KINGDOM - "TWIG AND TWINE"

[Own Records] 2009

I've been following The Green Kingdom since I first started getting into the modern 'ambient music' scene in the mid 2000s. It was in the 'netlabel days' of my music taste, when I first discovered internet based labels giving away free music. At around that time, impulse consumption of music for me was done in the form of vinyl orders as I was still DJing and always needed new and fresh records but discovering netlabels like EKO, Resting Bell and SEM meant that I could nurture my developing taste in ambient music for free.
I have a lot to thank the netlabel scene for as it really helped form the backbone of my thirst for ambient, experimental and electro acoustic music. I don't listen to very much netlabel music these days as my DJing days are since gone and I don't put in £100 vinyl orders. Instead, I tend to buy commissioned releases in the experimental music scene, whether digital, CD or vinyl. So I still have that same thirst for music that was developed through trawling netlabels, just I don't spend as much time keeping up to date with them.

Twig and Twine has sold out at Own Records. This link will take you directly to the digital album on Boomkat, where you can read the press release stream samples and buy: {BUY / LISTEN}

I have noticed that many of the artists from the netlabels I followed have gone on to release CD releases on bigger labels and one such is Michael Cottone who is behind The Green Kingdom. I have bought nearly all of his releases since 2008's Laminae and looking back, one of my favourites will always be Twig and Twine.
I guess downloading his work on the likes of EKO and SEM in the years prior had given me a strong background into his sound and by the time Twig and Twine was out on the fabulous Own Records label, there was no way I could miss out. Although I'd always enjoyed his music, I never forget when I first heard Twig and Twine - it felt like Michael had really developed his sound since those early netlabel releases.
In the early days of my taste for Ambient music, I looked to the likes of Brian Eno, Steve Roach and Robert Rich as my favourite artists and listening to Twig and Twine, I instantly started to prefer the more textured approach, using hiss, crackle, glitches and acoustic instruments.

DAY #0002: Sophie Hutchings - Becalmed [Preservation]

SOPHIE HUTCHINGS - "BECALMED"

[Preservation] 2010

For anyone that has seen my end of year list for 2012, you may have noticed that I included 'Night Sky' by Australian pianist/composer Sophie Hutchings. It was the follow up to her debut in 2010 - 'Becalmed', which is an album that I named as my number one that year.

This link will take you directly to the release page on the Preservation website, where you can read the press release, stream samples and find out where to buy: {BUY / LISTEN}

I listened to this record again and again throughout 2010 and I still return to it regularly. I think solely because I have listened to it so many times, I even prefer it to the richer Night Sky album. 'Becalmed' has a coldness to it that is difficult to put into words. Opening track Seventeen sets the scene and takes its time, as a mid-length piano only composition. It gives a magical feel to it that reminds me a little of John Cage's In A Landscape although, I told myself I wouldn't name drop comparisons here - as Sophie has a sound all of her own.
Shorter pieces follow, where Sophie is joined by friends and family, adding strings and percussion. A couple of real highlights on this wholly complete album include 'Portrait Of Haller', which is incredibly beautiful with the way the melody picks up speed towards the end along with percussion. Another is the imposing 'Toby Lee', which has a dark touch to it. It is easily my favourite track on 'Becalmed' although every track is a masterpiece in its own right.

The official video to 'Sunlight Zone' follows as well as a live performance of both Sunlight Zone and Toby Lee...

Day #0001: Mark Templeton - Standing On A Hummingbird [Anticipate]

In January I tend to get more organised in all aspects of my life and obviously, this has included my musical projects. Rather than consolidate and finish loose ends, I've done what I do best and have started another one. Following on from my end-of-year 'best of' list for 2012, I have received messages from people who have purchased records off the back of it. For some, the end of year list is a long, laborious task that you'll look back on 6 months later having changed your mind completely on selections. But for me, the whole point is sharing the great music I discover with others. If the silly little list that took me forever to put together gets someone else to buy a record, then it is every bit worth it.

Doing the end of year list also highlighted just how little I'd used the Audio Gourmet blog in 2012 and this disappoints me, since it was set up purely to share links to music to encourage others to listen. So, for my latest project, I intend to post up an album every day wherever possible with a brief commentary, links, imagery, videos etc.
To clarify for any worried artists/labels out there - there will be no free download link here of course, since I am completely against illegal sharing. Not only do I support all sorts of weird and wonderful music - I also support the purchasing of it, whatever the format.

In doing my end of year list, I realised how much of the year I had spent listening only to the latest releases. I only spent a very small proportion listening to the rest of my record collection, so the posts on here can be from any year. I will randomly select an album for using iTunes shuffle, spend some time listening and then post about it here. Sometimes I will post about new releases as they come to my attention and I may throw in the occasional post about my own work.

MARK TEMPLETON - "STANDING ON A HUMMINGBIRD"

[Anticipate] 2007

Mark Templeton is an artist that I've collected a few records by and I have been equally impressed with each. I think the first ingredient to his success, to my mind, is that his tracks are nearly always short sketches rather than long drawn out passages which makes their effect more instant. Add to this his unique production methods and we arrive at the foundations to why this artist has been so successful with his releases.

2007's 'Standing On A Hummingbird' is not only wonderfully titled but it lives up to the stories its name evokes. Standing on a hummingbird would be wrong, sad and downright cruel but Templeton selects the title for his album on Ezekiel Honig's Anticipate label with an air of humour. If the standing on a hummingbird were to be shown in an animation, it could be executed safely and harmlessly. It could even be quite amusing as to the sounds it might throw out whilst held under foot.
Mark Templeton clearly prefers to represent his ideas in the form of music, or experimental sound and he executes his theme to perfection. 'Standing On A Hummingbird' takes a wide palette of acoustic instrument sounds from guitars, a vibraphone and cymbals and sets them alongside the jittering pressure of electronic treatment. Templeton doesn't just add electronics to acoustic composition - he painstakingly rearranges all of his sounds into glitching, stuttering songs of beauty.

Indeed, the hummingbird's song sounds just as beautiful when he is being stood upon. In fact, I prefer it this way...
This link will take you directly to the release page on the Anticipate website, where you can read the press release, stream samples and find out where to buy: {BUY / LISTEN}

Below is a music video for the track Tentative Growth from the album, created by Aron Munson