Audio Gourmet

Great Big End Of Year Review, 2011 [PART TWO POINT ONE]

2012-01-18T13:38:00.000-08:00

TOP 10 DRONE/MINIMALISM ALBUMS OF THE YEAR

Much of the material in my top albums of the year is highly musical, with the likes of the modern classical and folk scenes forming much of my playlist for 2011.
But, being a huge part of my musical taste, there was a lot of terrific minimal, more abstract or drone based works released throughout the year so I decided to do a second end of year list for albums. I don't like to talk too much about genre as it's not normally relevant to my music taste, but the following list of ten are my favourite minimal records from 2011. As usual, there were many more that are really worth a mention but I've forced myself to whittle it down to just a few that were particularly special to me.
They will often take a little time to have their effect on you, but there is great beauty in their subtlety. You will be rewarded for your patience - it is my guarantee!

1). JASPER TX - THE BLACK SUN TRANSMISSIONS
[Fang Bomb]
http://www.fangbomb.com/FB016/index.html
Practically the reason that I decided to do a second chart - 'The Black Sun Transmissions' is a real labour of love from talented Dag Rosenqvist, the man behind Jasper TX.
I guess strictly speaking, there is more than enough going on in this marvellous record for it to be classed as minimal, at least in the 'ambient' circles. However, this record took time for me to get to grips with properly. It is something that provides a powerful intrigue that encouraged me to go back to it time and time again, which is a very special ingredient to an album that is not to be underestimated. Yes, its appeal is not necessarily instant - but then, we're not into hooky pop music, are we?

What will strike you on your first listen is just how carefully Rosenqvist builds up the atmosphere over the first piece 'Signals Through Wood and Dust'. Mere rattling creaks of noise give way to tensioned drones that lay down the path that follows. Into 'Weight Of Days' and it seems that we have more of the same; Dag is in no rush to win us over. And why should he be? A great deal of time was invested in The Black Sun Transmissions by the artist, and whilst digitally manipulated modern classical suites are all the rage at the moment, he has draped the full spectrum of his artistic ability into one album and allows it to carefully unfurl.
On the modern classical tip and back to 'Weight Of Days', we have a cello performance from Aaron Martin to expand the pallette a little. It's the obvious choice as favourite track for me but its inclusion as the second piece rather than first is effective in heightening its reception, after the murk of opener.

Continuing with further explorations of melodic drone, noise and static, this record takes its time to play out. The drones are a mixture of relaxed and melancholic, whilst the noise adds an element of tension. Final piece 'White Birds' welcomes back the more acoustic source of melody, in the form of gentle piano. Melancholy is a prominent feature as the album draws to a close.
'The Black Sun Transmissions' is a classic already. Not only this, we've possibly witnessed Jasper TX's finest work to date - and that's really saying something!

2). RICHARD GINNS - SEA CHANGE
[Slow Flow]
http://slowflowstore.limitedpressing.com/products/14242
I don't often make reviews on this blog but earlier in the year, Richard Ginns' Sea Change was one of the hand full or so albums that I put pen to paper about. Released on Ryo Nakata's excellent Slow Flow recordings, its sound is reminiscent of some of the output you might have heard on 12k. It doesn't dip in quality and could easily been snapped up by Taylor Deupree. It reminds me a little of Marcus Fischer's 'Monocoastal' on 12k in 2010...and we all know how terrific that is!
Read my review here, for more of my thoughts:
http://audiogourmet.blogspot.com/2011/08/review-richard-ginns-sea-change-slow.html

3). HERZOG - YOUNG LUNGS AGAINST THE SEA
[Bedside Table]
http://herzog.bandcamp.com/album/young-lungs-against-the-sea
Another album I reviewed this year was Herzog's first self-released album. After several years plying his craft in the netlabel scene, Bill Bawden has made a leap this year to physically released music, using the popular Bandcamp interface. Bill has released some of my favourite netlabel music over the years, for labels like Resting Bell and I was also delighted when he made a fifteen minute EP for my Audio Gourmet netlabel.
So, when I heard he was working on an album, I was extremely excited to say the least. And, it doesn't disappoint. All the tricks of the trade that Herzog has picked up over the years are applied beautifully in this exceptionally strong album. Musically, conceptually and in design, Young Lungs Against The Sea is a masterpiece.
Read my review here, for more of my thoughts:
http://audiogourmet.blogspot.com/2011/04/review-herzog-young-lungs-against-sea.html

4). CINDYTALK - HOLD EVERYTHING DEAR
[Editions Mego]
http://editionsmego.com/release/eMEGO+122
Late on this year, I purchased an album I'd seen rave reviews on and from an artist that I am unfamiliar with. Cindytalk has been in operation for decades now and it shows in 'Hold Everything Dear', a twelve track masterpiece of detailed minimalism. Shards of noise, warm washes of drone and delicate piano are just a few of the ingredients that form this feast for your ears. It is beautifully paced throughout - some pieces are short, some are longer and the sonic pallette is as wide as it comes here. The album is at its strongest when the lighter moments of piano are in focus but the effect of these moments is all the better for the waves of light distortion, feedback and static that envelope them.

5). HAKOBUNE - I DISCOVER I'M MISSING
[Apollolaan]
http://apollolaan.blogspot.com/2011/09/hakobune-i-discover-im-missing.html
In an album that I have often retreated to in times of struggling to sleep, 'I Discover I'm Missing' is possibly Hakobune's best piece of work. Whilst previous excursions have registered strongly, this manages to go a notch or so better in my mind. I'm not sure whether it is because I prefer the tone to the drones or whether it is something else, but it is an incredibly successful piece of work in my mind.
I open by referring to it as a sleep album and although this is an excellent listening scenario for it, it is not where it is limited to. Conceptually, this album gives plenty of food for thought during conscious listening. The stunning artwork portrays gardens and some kind of dwelling - colourful and incredibly beautiful. Yet there is a lack of human presence. This is interesting to focus upon as you listen and soon, you will discover that you are missing from your own environment as you try to fathom this thought provoking subject matter.

6). EZEKIEL HONIG - FOLDING IN ON ITSELF
[Type]
http://typerecords.com/releases/folding-in-on-itself-2-2-2
As always, the forward thinking Type label continued to impress this year with open minded music policy. They refuse to be put in a box in terms of genre and this is to their credit. There were all kinds of fascinating albums out on Type in 2011 but the real stand out for me was in the form of field recordings based minimalism from Anticipate boss Ezekiel Honig. Available on vinyl and CD, Folding In On Itself is centered around field recordings whilst also including quietly fractured minimal kickdrum rhythms, drones and even some acoustic sounds provided by people such as Nicola Ratti, to name but a few.
The field recordings are densely layered, which is perhaps the source of the album's beautiful concept and are a joy to listen to. There is so much to this record, which presents itself in such a subtle way.

7). SIMON WHETHAM - PRAYERS UNHEARD
[Dragon's Eye]
http://www.dragonseyerecordings.com/catalogue/de5032.html
With a set of field recordings taken in Poland, Bristol, UK based sound artist Simon Whetham released some of his finest work on Dragon's Eye, in early 2011.
'Prayers Unheard' gives way to thoughts of how many people were killed in concentration camps during the horrendous Nazi regime.
Dark as the subject matter may be, this album is some of the lightest, more music work I have heard from Whetham. After the carefully constructed minimalism of the opening piece, Part Two delves carefully through beautiful musical passages that sound incredible. It is a longform piece, presented as chamber music and is easily the best of this three-part album. However, the field recordings and minimalism eitherside are crucial in heightening its effect as well as providing more for your ears to explore the more time that you invest in it.

8). UNTITLED - UNTITLED 02
[Unknown]
http://boomkat.com/cds/478164-untitled-untitled-02
You may think here that I have gone either slightly mad or just a bit forgetful. Not in fact the case (well, debateable!). I discovered this year through distributor Boomkat that there is a label out there operating completely covertly, with the artists releasing through it following suit. I was incredibly intrigued by the first release although, I missed out - it sold out in no time. That is unfortunately the case with this, the second release in their mysterious catalog. It does seem that this series is being well received, despite the fact that we have no idea who is behind either the operation nor the sound art that it is its subject.
With the huge level of intrigue aside, the music is terrific too. I seem to remember the first release being more modern classical but the second is in a much more minimalist vein. Perhaps it could be Machinefabriek? Or Jasper TX? Who knows and does it even matter? It is absolutely terrific. I'd best stop there, as they've all sold out and I'd hate to rub it in. Just be sure to keep your eyes peeled for these - they'll be gone in a shot.

9). CHIHEI HATAKEYAMA - MIRROR
[Room40]
http://room40.org/store/HATAKEYAMA_MIRROR
I've long been a fan of Japanese artist Chihei Hatakeyama and his magnificent The River, which kicked off the Hibernate label, is one of my all time favourites. His latest effort 'Mirror' follows up his 2009 release 'Saunter' on the mighty Room40 label and showcases all the reasons why he is one of the best around at what he does. Swarms of light drones will lull the mind into a relaxed state and opener 'Ferrum' is as good an example of this as you will find. Interestingly, Hatakeyama has followed each piece with a short field recording, which serves to clear the mind ready for the next piece of textured droning soundscape. Superb as a sleep album and great in the day time too, preferably when the sun is out.

10). DARREN HARPER - FALLS
[Childrenplay Records]
http://darrenharper.bandcamp.com/album/falls
There were a few new labels in 2011 and one of the smaller operations coming to the fore was Childrenplay Records. With tiny batches of limited edition CDs backed up with a digital download option and a strong line-up of emerging artists, it particularly caught my attention when they announced that Darren Harper was to release with them. I've long been a fan of Darren's work ever since I got into ambient music and 'Falls' is a solid example of his excellent talent.
Read my review here, for more of my thoughts:
http://audiogourmet.blogspot.com/2011/07/review-darren-harper-falls-children.html

TOP 5 LABELS OF THE YEAR

1). ERASED TAPES

www.erasedtapes.com

2). TIME RELEASED SOUND

www.timereleasedsound.com

3). GIZEH

www.gizehrecords.com

4). DESIRE PATH RECORDINGS

www.desirepathrecordings.com

5). HIBERNATE

www.hibernate-recs.co.uk

Great Big End Of Year Review, 2011 [PART ONE]

2011-12-22T01:42:00.000-08:00

As another year draws to a close, I'm left to reflect over another great year of music and ponder the releases that I have been particularly fond of. This year, I decided to take on the arduous task of dramatically extending my coverage from the usual top ten, to include the following:

Top 10 free/netlabel releases [PART ONE]
Top 10 EPs [PART ONE]
Top 5 compilation albums of the year [PART ONE]
Top 5 labels of the year [PART TWO]
Top 10 minimalist/drone/abstract albums [PART TWO]
Top 30 albums of the year [PART TWO]

I will also outline what I've been up to myself, with solo projects, collaborations, remixes and also, a list of the free Audio Gourmet EPs that I released this year at http://www.audiogourmet.co.uk/ in PART THREE
2011 has been such an incredible year for the ambient/modern classical/electro-acoustic music scene.
I was originally intending on practically writing an essay to introduce this section but I've ran out of time. At least it leaves room for improvement for next year and the lack of unnecessary waffle from me stops anything getting in the way of all this excellent music.
I hope that these lists will help direct people towards new and undiscovered music and that there will be something to discover for all. The lists are all subjective of course and are based on my own personal taste.
Where a release has become out of stock, I've either linked to the digital version or to the release page. Unfortunately, due to popularity, some releases are snapped up very quickly. If you like the sound clips or are intrigued, you might be able to find one for sale at www.discogs.com

So, without much more hesitation, I'd best get on with it as there's so much to write!

TOP TEN EPs /3" CD(rs)

1). Nest - Body Pilot [Serein]
http://www.serein.co.uk/releases/sere11-3/nest-body-pilot
Serein front-runner Huw Roberts rejoins collaborator Deaf Center's Otto Totland as Nest, contributing a stunning set of 4 pieces for 10" vinyl. There's lots of beautiful moments in Totland's piano as well as the usual stormy drones and additional musical instrument tones that won us over with last year's Retold album.
'Body Pilot' is part of Serein's magnificent Seasons series, which includes 4 pieces of 10" vinyl released this year. Nest's contribution is my personal favourite but it is strongly recommended that you delve through all four if you like what you hear.

2). Shaula - The Girl In The Clock [Time Released Sound]
http://timereleasedsound.com/releases/shaula/
You'll read a fair bit about Time Released Sound in end of year posts as their debut year has been simply solid. 10 exquisite releases, all beautifully designed and packaged. I own the very first edition - a lavishly designed book-sized encasing which contains a 3" disc by Shaula called 'The Girl In The Clock'. I've long since enjoyed Shaula's work - more recently on Somehow recordings and also the magnificent 'Haze' album on Under The Spire, released at the beginning of last year.
I hate to tease - but this one's likely near impossible to get hold of, due to the nature of TRS' limited edition releases practically being over-night hits.
You'll really struggle to get hold of one of these - but if you do stumble across it anywhere, hit buy instantly. This is without doubt Shaula's finest work and it has been represented with the kind of packaging that has won Time Released Sound so much acclaim this year.

3). Offthesky - The Boy With The Golden Cough [Rural Colours]
http://noise.offthesky.com/album/boy-with-the-golden-cough
It's been another good year for one of my favourite artists, Offthesky. With stunning 12" album The Beautiful Nowhere out on Hibernate in the summer and album Endless Yonder on SEM, Offthesky's Jason Corder also managed to get out a couple of EPs this year and this is the pick of the bunch for me. It was part of Hibernate's sister label Rural Colours 3" CDr series and as was often the case with these, it sold out in no time at all. 'The Boy With The Golden Cough', whilst being a short EP-sized release, explores dense electro-acoustic textures carefully during its brief duration.
The first piece delves through treated string sections with a subtle and percussive undercurrent. The second piece includes that signature Offthesky sound that was much enjoyed throughout The Beautiful Nowhere.
You'll struggle to snap up one of the limited edition 3"CDrs, but please do yourself a favour and spare a couple of quid for the paid download. The meagre amount will go straight to the artist and you'll be getting a couple of his finest pieces to enjoy in return.

4). Richard Moult - Celestial King For A Year [Second Language]
http://www.secondlanguagemusic.com/SL10.html
'Celestial King For A Year' sees Richard Moult embark on his most elaborate solo project to date and where better to release such a beautiful set of sounds? The wonderful Second Language label of course. It opens with a superb modern classical string section that sets the scene for this fantastic three-part affair. 'Part II' is perhaps the most unique and interesting, featuring some of the most haunting vocals I have ever heard. They are both beautiful and dark, set as a complete opposite to the majestic opener. The piece starts quietly and then ebbs and flows in its intensity for its remainder. Drawing things to a carefully considered close over nineteen minutes, Moult takes his time to set the final scene. The strings return, joined with a little more soundscaping than in Part One, although this never overwhelms or envelopes them. It's a slow and careful piece, full of overtones and undertones - it's just mesmerising.
Again, sold out I'm afraid. A quick check on Discogs and I see there's a copy up for sale for 80 quid! The seller is one of these kind people who over-price limited edition records deliberately, in the hope of making a few quid. If you have money to burn and fancy making someone's day, you could do a lot worst than 'Celestial King For A Year'...

5). Simon Bainton - Sun Settings [Hibernate]
http://simonbainton.bandcamp.com/album/sun-settlings
Hibernate's maginificent 3" CDr Postcard series has brought us some fantastic sounds this year and in a highly collectible guise. I was particularly excited when one half of Pausal stepped up to the plate with an EP called 'Sun Settings'. Simon Bainton's work here includes everything from piano, strings and extending to moments of lulling drones. It was a real highlight when it came out this summer.
The duration may be short, but Bainton decided to explore it through a total of seven tracks - which is something I really like, if done properly. Simon Bainton doesn't allow his ambitions to rush him through the tracks that make up Sun Settings. Instead, they are carefully assembled and shine bright as you listen. I absolutely love the choice of photography for this one too, which really adds something to the set.
And again, you guessed it, sold out...but Simon has kindly made it available digitally for a mere £2.50 through Bandcamp. Less than the cost of a pint of beer, is that.

6). Part Timer - Undead [Hibernate]
http://parttimer.bandcamp.com/album/undead
I'm very much a fan of John McCaffrey's work in all its guises - from the brilliant Real To Reel to his Upwards Arrows work for Under The Spire, the man is a genius. So I was understandably excited to see his name crop up on the Hibernate website, under their limited edition postcard series.
Beautiful piano, teamed with subtle strings, drones, light noise and glitches make for one hell of a listen. For the physical EP, John mixed together the four parts to make a continuous listening experience. As is the trend for these Hibernate postcard releases, it sold out in absolutely no time at all. Grab yourself a digital copy from the above link and you'll get slightly more than we did in the physical version - the tracks, unmixed in their original individual parts. PLUS! The original mix, as we have it.

7). Gimu and Darren Harper - Field and Fern; Mountain and Sea [Rural Colours]
http://ruralcolours.co.uk/news/?page_id=489
Two friends and artists who I have worked with on Audio Gourmet, Gimu and Darren Harper collaborated for a 3" CDr release on Hibernate sister label Rural Colours.
I've been following Darren's work for years and he's a massively under-rated artist as I've said before. His work is always crystal clear, well produced and utterly beautiful.
Hailing from Brazil, Gimu's work is unique and has been turning heads since I first released his EP on Audio Gourmet. He's gone on to work with Somehow Recordings and Childrenplay records and is an emerging artist of genuine quality.
Together, these artists combine to provide the full spectrum. With this, I mean that Darren's work usually leans on the lighter side and Gimu's is often darker and slightly noisier.
'Field and Fern; Mountain and Sea' feels like a brief and wonderous journey round the whole earth in just a short space of time. This is at the moment impossible - but with this EP, you will get that little bit closer. It is just marvellous and highly recommended.
It has sold out at source, as expected. But Darren and Gimu have kindly given permission for it to be made widely available for free. So if you haven't done so already, click away at the above link and search for the link that has archive.org in it....

8). Damian Valles - Old Tin Will Cry [Twisted Treeline]
http://damianvalles.bandcamp.com/album/old-tin-will-cry
With the extensively detailed album 'Skeleton Taxa' out this year, it is astonishing that Damian Valles found time to make anything else this year. But he did - a couple of outstanding EPs for a start. One was part of Hibernate Recordings' postcard series and the other came out on Somehow Recordings' new offshoot label Twisted Treeline, which also specialises in 3" postcard releases. 'Old Tin Will Cry' is a two part EP of carefully unfurling drones - full of texture, as you'd expect from Valles. It moves slowly and gathers momentum from time to time and is a truly terrific listen from start to finish. It has plenty to say over its duration and will reward those who listen patiently. There's still some physical copies left, at the time of writing, too...

9). Anna Rose Carter and Pleq - My Piano is Broken [Rural Colours]
http://pleq.bandcamp.com/album/my-piano-is-broken
My good friend and regular collaborator Pleq teamed up with pianist Anna Rose Carter for this fantastic but short piano suite. Pleq has been nothing short of prolific this year, particularly with his collab work. This in my view is his best, of a truly terrific bunch.
Anna Rose Carter was deservedly the winner of Fluid Radio's album of the year in 2010, with Silver Lines. She returns with another set of typically well performed compositions, underpinned by the sorts of glitchy shuffles, rustles and crackles that we've come to love from Pleq this year.

10). Listening Mirror - Spires, Spirals and Stones [Heat Death]
http://listening-mirror.bandcamp.com/album/spires-spirals-and-stones-ep
More excellent output this year from Listening Mirror, who established himself last year and collaborating with Kate Tustain. Listening Mirror has since gone solo and Jeff Stonehouse, the man behind the project has released works on the likes of Audio Gourmet, Entropy, Hibernate and Bathetic this year, not to mention a self released postcard EP.
In Spires, Spirals and Stones, we've an EP written in tribute to the late Throbbing Gristle legend Peter Christopherson and in collaboration with pianist Sophie Kazandjian. The two pieces are filled with beauty and are as good an example of the sorts of well-programmed soundscapes that we've come to expect from Listening Mirror

TOP FIVE COMPILATION ALBUMS

1). Various - Kanshin [Hibernate/Fluid Audio]
http://www.kanshin.co.uk/
The brilliant respective teams at Hibernate and Fluid Radio team together for this album to raise money for victims of the earthquake which struck in March this year. Musically, it features work from some of the best names in the scene and serves as a great introducer to it. The link above features all the information you need to find out more and also, the links to where to purchase. I believe the physical CD has sold out but the download should serve you well enough, especially given the cause.

2). Various - For Nihon [Unseen Records]
http://www.unseen.bigcartel.com/product/for-nihon-various
In another fantastic compilation to raise money for Japan after the earthquake, Keith Kennif got together a group of friends to produce a double disc compilation album. And what talented and well established friends they are too...names including Peter Broderick, Clem Leek and Harold Budd to name but a few should get you interested if you've not already sent over your donation, in exchange for this one. There's some stunning pieces on here and it comes with my highest recommendation. Again, finding a CD copy will be tough business but your money for the downloadable version will still go in the right direction to the cause.

3). Various - SMM: Context [Ghostly International]
http://ghostly.com/releases/smm-context
In an all star line-up of some of the finest names around, huge US label Ghostly International serves this superb compilation album that was released in CD, vinyl and mp3 formats. It's a reasonably short single disc affair, comprised of just eleven tracks. Stand outs include Svarte Greiner's brooding 'Halves', Jacaszek's beautiful but epic 'Elegia' and closing piece 'Pause' by Peter Broderick. Having said this, the others certainly aren't fillers...how could they disappoint when they include the likes of Goldmund, Rafael Anton Irisarri and Leyland Kirby?
The best news is, this beautifully packaged released should still be available, thanks to the higher unit count that Ghostly have made available...

4). Various - Minute Papillon [Second Language]
http://www.secondlanguagemusic.com/SL09.html
There's been a few one minute track compilation albums about over the last couple of years, including SEM's One Minute For The Stars/Sun and then I've curated one called 'Just A Moment' to raise money for the JEERS charity in Japan, after March's earthquake.
The tremendous Second Language label have been the first and only in the scene to make such an elaborate compilation into a physical package, as far as I'm aware. Not only did they put much time into curating 60 pieces of music from 60 artists, they also went all out with the packaging, as you'd expect from them. How do you fit a credit for 60 tracks and their artists onto a CD package? Well you could oversize the packaging. Or, you could always design an inch square butterfly, print the text onto it in tiny font and provide the listeners with a magnifying glass to read it. Fantastic idea.
Musically, it's a juxtaposed set of ambient, modern classical, folk, pop, electronica and absolutely everything in between. There's something for all, as it is always changing by the nature of the short pieces. So you probably won't even bother skipping the pieces you're not so keen on and, even start to love them!
My personal favourite piece and my most listened to piece from the album, on repeat, is Hannah Peel's 'Dareh Meyod'.
Unfortunately, it has sold out, like much of the material on Second Langauge. So you'll struggle to get hold of a copy. Unless you're prepared to shell out fifty quid on Discogs, that is...
5). Various - The Clyde Parker Project [Self-Release]
http://www.monolyth-cobalt.com/the-clyde-parker-project-session--4-upco /
In an elaborate and ambitious project, Monolyth And Cobalt has spent a long while collaborating with 32 artists in this massive 4 disc album. It's not strictly a compilation album, but it did require a great amount of curation and care from the artist. Not to mention, the highly limited CD album has been handmade too!
There's some great artists in there, including the likes of Birds Of Passage, Pillowdiver, Orla Wren and Pleq and everything has a unique feel to it too, thanks to Monolyth and Cobalt's great production skills.

TOP TEN FREE/NETLABEL ALBUMS/EPS
For this next section, I'll run down my favourite free/netlabel releases. It will exclude anything on my own netlabel Audio Gourmet - because A. I'll be doing a discography list of everything out on AG in 2011 and B. because I don't want to show any preference to them, as I love them all.
There has been some great stuff out in the netlabel scene this year and although I've spent a lot of time focussing on buying physical releases this year, I've stumbled across a few free gems that I'll share with you here.

I won't go into great detail with the write up - perhaps just a sentence or two as a tagline to help you decide if it might be your thing. Frankly, if you need a full 3 paragraph review to persuade you to download something that is free, then I give up. It's free!!!!!

1).   Ed Cooke - Spirit House [Rural Colours]
http://edcooke.bandcamp.com/album/spirit-house
Terrific four track EP on Rural Colours by guitarist Ed Cooke. Borders on the kind of folk/electro-acoustic sounds that I've absolutely fallen in love with these last couple of years. It features Stephen Lewis on one piece, who also plays for Rameses III and Padang Food Tigers. Two of my favourite artists of all time, so that goes some way to explain how excellent this is...

2).   Tanner Menard & Entia Non - Never Expected Your Decays [Rural Colours]
http://www.archive.org/details/ruralcolours029
Part one of a collaborative series between these two well established artists. I've been following both for sometime and it's great to see them make such excellent music and give it away for free. Tanner Menard's piano compositions set to the murky undercurrent of Entia Non's intelligent soundscaping reminds me a little of 'Bewilderment' by Sylvie Walder and Entia Non on Resting Bell. With that being one of my favourite netlabel releases of all time, this will help draw some perspective on how good this is.

3).   Devin Underwood + Marcus Fischer – Correspond [Distance Recordings]
http://distancerecordings.com/dist020
Disrupting a first, second and third finish from the Rural Colours label is this collaboration between Specta Ciera's Devin Underwood and Marcus Fischer. Devin's work has oft been made available for free, but it's refreshing to see that Marcus Fischer, after all his success on 12k has been willing to give this collab project away for nothing. 'Correspond' could easily have been lavishly packaged and released on any one of the DIY labels and sold out in no time. Instead, this set of beautifully textured drones is available to anyone for absolutely nothing. Incredible.

4).   Arboretus - Soundscape De Nostalgia [Hawk Moon]
http://hawkmoonrecords.bandcamp.com/album/soundscape-de-nostalgia
As many will be aware, I love short musical releases and this brief set from Arboretus really turned my head recently. The three pieces involve polished guitar drones, rumbling undercurrents beneath them, subtle field recording texture and also, an occasional glimpse of guitar performance. This comes to the fore in my favourite piece 'Cloudy Sunday', which is the second track of the three.
It's possibly one of the lesser known netlabel releases from this year but it is one of the finest, at least to my ears.

5).   Widesky - Floating In Being [Rural Colours]
http://www.archive.org/details/ruralcolours025
More goodness from Hibernate's sister label Rural Colours, in the form of Floating In Being by Widesky. Widesky's Seth Chrisman has released a few free EPs this year, including a 15 minute excursion on Audio Gourmet. We are told that he has an album out on Hibernate next year, so that's something to look forward to. If you're unfamiliar with his work, then there's plenty of time to familiarise yourself with it before the album arrives. 'Floating In Being' is possibly his finest work and is highly recommended - but given that they're all free, it would be well worth exploring his other excellent free EPs.

6).   Heu{s-k}ach & Pedro Sousa - I Know Not What Tomorrow Will Bring [Resting Bell]
http://www.restingbell.net/releases/rb099-i-know-not-what-tomorrow-will-bring
Superb improv/experimental guitar Ep from this trio on Resting Bell. It's a full album of four mid-length pieces, that feature minimal improvised guitar sessions set to an array of finely detailed noises and sound effects. Resting Bell have slowed down their release output this year, in favour of careful quality control. And it shows...

7).   Coldstream - Drown/Lights [Rural Colours]
http://www.archive.org/details/ruralcolours027
London based artist Dan Mumford has treated several instruments, including guitars, piano, melodica and many more into two beautiful soundscapes that were given away for free on Rural Colours earlier this year. As well as Mumford's carefully constructed soundscapes, there is an array of subtle detail underneath that was recorded in the Cascade Mountains in America, which includes field recordings and treated AM broadcasts from the area.

8). Monolyth & Cobalt - La Température du Feuillage Entre Deux Saisons [Feedback Loop]
http://www.archive.org/details/fbl011MonolythAndCobalt-LaTempratureDuFeuillageEntreDeuxSaisons
Another port of call for good netlabel music is the wonderful Feedback Loop label. With another solid year's output, the pick of the bunch for me is this set from Monolyth and Cobalt, which was released at the beginning of the year. It's an outstanding recording throughout and through variation of sounds, gives something for all. There's noise, hiss, static, dark ambience and then lighter, more melancholic moments of piano, strings and soft drones.

9). Gareth Davis / Jan Kleefstra / Romke Kleefstra - Sieleslyk [Rural Colours]
http://www.archive.org/details/ruralcolours031
The Kleefstra brothers team up with clarinetist Gareth Davis in this freebie on Rural Colours. It's a single, 21 minute piece composed for 3" CDr which comprises guitar, spoken word and Davis' clarinet, of course. The guitar is beautifully played, the clarinet adds an eeriness and the spoken word soothes. It's mesmerising stuff.
I'd also recommend checking out their recent album on Hibernate too...

10). Edu Comelles - Orange Country [Impulsive Habitat]
http://impulsivehabitat.com/releases/ihab020.htm
Another of my favourite netlabels is Impulsive Habitat, which is an offshoot of the more musical Test Tube label. Impulsive Habitat is purely for field recordings based releases and is a regular haunt of mine for subtle, quiet listening. Picking my favourite from the label is difficult but I've gone for Edu Comelles' 'Orange Country' which was released in March this year. Comelles, also responsible for the Audiotalaia netlabel put together this 13 piece headphone journey through Valencia and Tarragona in Spain during 2009 and 2010. Lots of beautiful sound to listen to, with the recommended environment being complete silence, whilst sat indoors.

MDAC034 - Top Ten Releases Of The Month, October 2011

2011-11-01T06:28:00.000-07:00

Another incredible month crammed with fantastic new releases...As usual, it was a tough job whittling it down to just ten. I missed a couple of great releases out, including the new one from Inventors Of Aircraft out on Rural Colours. I also had to shuffle a couple of big albums I received today for next month's list - let's just hope it's a quiet month for Novemeber, for the sake of my wallet and for November's top ten.
Long standing German based netlabel Resting Bell celebrated their 100th release with FOUR highly limited CD albums. They're all available for free download of course, but if you can quickly grab one of the remaining copies you'll own a piece of history. These will be a well sought after rarity in no time. More importantly, they sound excellent. My personal favourite has to be Oskar Hallbert's double disc effort.
Elsewhere, Hibernate/Rural Colours were busy as usual with four stunning 3" CDrs. They'll sell out in no time too, so act quick if you see them for sale anywhere. Oh, and *cough cough*, my first solo physical release of the year came out on CD via Hibernate at the beginning of the month. These are still in stock here and there for now, so if you see 'Spheruleus - Voyage' up for sale in any shops, then that's me!
Ian Hawgood's well-run label empire continues in great form with a new batch of Nomadic Kids Republic albums up for grabs. Ian has made sure these are ready available in a generous run, but this is mainly due to demand in Japan and the world alike. I am particularly fond of both Maps and Diagrams albums. It is recommended by the press release that you buy both - the label aren't just after your cash, it's because they're both really very good. And what else would you expect from Mr Diagram?
Time Released Sound continue a solid year with a new release from 5turns25. It's a quintessentially American guitar based affair that'll sound good all year round but particularly lend itself to the summer.
Finally, at the bottom of this list, I've listed a freebie that I'll be writing a review about soon. Arboretus' 15 minute EP on Hawk Moon records is a solid effort and it comes with my strong recommendation.

Oh, and before I go, Nils Frahm, Simon Scott and David Wenngren have new albums out!!!! Shows what a great month it's been...

Nils Frahm - Felt
[Erased Tapes]
http://www.erasedtapes.com/Store/Index/ERATP033
Limited edition 12" Vinyl, CD and digital album

Simon Scott - Bunny
[Miasmah]
http://www.miasmah.com/recordings/cat.html#MIACD017
Vinyl, CD and digital album

David Wenngren and Christopher Bisonette - The Meridians of Longitude and Parallels of Latitude
[Home Normal]
http://www.homenormal.com/releases/david-wenngren-christopher-bissonnette-the-meridians-of-longitude-and-parallels-of-latitude
Limited edition CD and digital album

Maps and Diagrams - Lights Will Call On You / The Town Beneath The Sea
[Nomadic Kids Republic]
http://store.homenormal.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=419
http://store.homenormal.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=420
Limited edition CD and digital albums

Oskar Hallbert - Utflykter/Promenader
[Resting Bell]
http://www.restingbell.net/releases/rb100-3-promenader-utflykter
Limited edition double CDr album in a run of 30 copies, free digital download

5turns25 - Evolution Of The Human Heart
[Time Released Sound]
http://timereleasedsound.com/shop/releases/5turns25/
Limited edition hand-made CD album in a run of 100 copies

Offthesky - The Boy With The Golden Cough
[Rural Colours]
http://noise.offthesky.com/album/boy-with-the-golden-cough
Limited edition 3" CDr in a run of 75 copies, Digital EP

Arev Konn - Norbotten
[Hibernate]
http://store.hibernate-recs.co.uk/products/13560
Limited edition 3" postcard CDr in a run of 100 copies

A-Sun Amissa - Beneath The Heavy Tides
[Hibernate]
http://www.gizehstore.com/products/13514
Limited edition 3" postcard CDr in a run of 100 copies

Arboretus - Soundscape De Nostalgia
[Hawk Moon]
http://hawkmoonrecords.bandcamp.com/album/soundscape-de-nostalgia
Free digital EP

MDAC033 - Top ten releases of the month, September 2011

2011-09-27T03:57:00.000-07:00

"In September, I had a week on holiday away from music and work, to recharge the batteries in the Peak District. I didn't miss out though and made sure I got my orders in for many of the top albums out through the course of the month. There's just so much good stuff out there across the board that it can be difficult to keep track...here's my list of highly recommended additions to your personal collection. Most are highly limited and selling fast, so be sure to get in quick!"
-Harry, Audio Gourmet

Taylor Deupree and Marcus Fischer - In A Place Of Such Graceful Shapes
[12k]
http://www.12k.com/index.php/site/releases/in_a_place_of_such_graceful_shapes/
Limited edition CD and 7" record in a run of 500 copies

A Winged Victory For The Sullen - A Winged Victory For The Sullen
[Erased Tapes]
http://www.erasedtapes.com/Store/Index/ERATP032
CD and 12" Vinyl Album

Hauschka and Hildur Guðnadóttir - Pan Tone
[Sonic Pieces]
http://www.sonicpieces.com/sonicpieces012.html
Limited edition 12" album in a run of 350, Limited edition CD in a run of 450 copies

Lawrence English - The Peregrine
[Experimedia]
http://www.experimedia.net/index.php?main_page=product_music_info&cPath=1&products_id=3954
Limited edition 12" Album in a run of 500 copies

The A.Lords - The A.Lords
[Rif Mountain]
http://www.normanrecords.com/vinyl/126119-the-a-lords-the-a-lords
Limited edition 12" Vinyl + CD album in a run of 300 copies

Félicia Atkinson – O-RE-GON
[Home Normal]
http://www.homenormal.com/releases/felicia-atkinson-o-re-gon
Limited edition CD in a run of 500 copies

Hakobune - I Discover I'm Missing
[Apollolaan]
http://www.store.fluid-radio.co.uk/2011/09/hakobune-i-discover-im-missing-cd/
Limited edition CD album in a run of 100

Janek Schaefer - Phoenix & Phaedra Holding Patterns
[Spekk]
http://naturebliss.bandcamp.com/album/phoenix-phaedra-holding-patternsjanek-schaefer
CD album

Gareth Davis, Jan Kleefstra, Romke Kleefstra - Tongerswel
[Home Normal]
http://www.homenormal.com/releases/gareth-davis-jan-kleefstra-romke-kleefstra-tongerswel
Limited edition CD album in a run of 500

Natalia Noelia Siebuła & Bartosz Dziadosz - Ferðast um Ísland
[Heat Death]
http://heatdeath.limitedpressing.com/products/12197
Limited edition 3" CDr in a run of 75

Marta Mist - Ain't No Mountain
[Heat Death]
http://heatdeath.limitedpressing.com/products/12196
Limited edition 3" CDr in a run of 75

Part Timer - Undead
[Hibernate]
http://store.hibernate-recs.co.uk/products/12695
Limited edition 3" postcard CDr in a run if 100

Spheruleus - Voyage [Hibernate Recordings]

2011-09-18T11:32:00.000-07:00

CD VERSION DIRECT FROM THE LABEL:
http://store.hibernate-recs.co.uk/products/12687

DIGITAL/STREAMING AND CD DIRECT FROM THE ARTIST:
http://audiogourmet.bandcamp.com/album/voyage

'Voyage' is the latest album from Lincolnshire based sound designer Harry Towell. Released under his Spheruleus guise, this album utimately provides a soundtrack to a doomed sea-voyage. Through eight different movements, 'Voyage' chronicles everything from the immense pride felt as the ship sets sail to depicting the horror and heartache of its sinking. The album then closes with detailed passages that portray the decomposition of the ship as it begins to rot deep under sea.

This album is well researched with Harry having explored his chosen subject thoroughly. For the two years in which the album has been in the making, the young sound designer studied the history of great sea disasters and also took inspiration from soundtracks such as Gavin Bryars’ ‘The Sinking Of The Titanic’ and Gareth Hardwick's 'Of The Sea And Shore'. Although the Titantic's infamous fate was naturally a strong influence on the project, 'Voyage', does not refer to any particular sinking ship. Instead, its purpose is to sonically depict the various emotional aspects that lie within a failed sea voyage, as felt by all those who are affected by it.

Spheruleus: Set Sail by hibernate

Once the concept for 'Voyage' had been born, Harry revisited one of his old demos from early 2010 and decided to make this the spine of the album. He then used his instrument collection including; guitar, violin, trumpet, bugle, zither and keyboard to add several layers to the demo. In doing so Harry has been able to develop his chosen theme and create the character required to turn this forgotten treasure into the album it is today. As a poignant exaggeration of the events that unfold through the track 'She Sinks', there is a contribution from Russian pianist Alex Tiuniaev that opens and closes this dramatic track. He also performs on the track 'Clouds Swarm', as it heads into a crescendo.

Spheruleus: Clouds Swarm by hibernate

Aside from his solo production work, Harry also records with brother Stuart under the name Paper Relics and runs the Audio Gourmet netlabel, which specialises in 15 minute EPs designed for shorter 'tea-break' listening. His work as Spheruleus has seen him release through netlabels such as Test Tube, Resting Bell, Earth Mantra, Audio Gourmet and in March 2010, his first physical album 'Frozen Quarters' was released on CD format by the Under The Spire imprint.

Mastered by Rudi Arapahoe

Photography by Richard Outram and Daniel Crossley

Limited edition CD pressing of 200. Release date: 07/10/11

REVIEW: Nest - Body Pilot [Serein]

2011-09-06T02:43:00.000-07:00

http://www.serein.co.uk/releases/sere11-3/nest-body-pilot

Serein's Seasons project continues - a four piece set of limited edition 10" records released periodically throughout the year. The penultimate installment sees a four track highly anticipated EP called 'Body Pilot' from Nest; their first excursion since the magnificent Retold album out on the same label last year.

Given the short duration of the format, their return is a brief affair - just a fleeting twenty minutes of beautiful sound inspired by themes of air travel. If you were lucky enough to have picked up a copy of Retold (which sold out very quickly at source), or you are one of the 25,000+ people that downloaded the first part of the album during Serein's netlabel days, your expectations will rightly be high and I will do little to encourage you to purchase 'Body Pilot'.

For those unfamiliar with Nest and in need of a little background information, they consist of Serein label owner Huw Roberts, based in Wales and Norwegian Otto Totland, who is one half of Deaf Center. The duo are both excellent pianists for starters and together they weave the sound of ivory keys with a collection of acoustic instruments and sound sources to create incredible pieces of modern classical tinged music. Although the music hints lightly at a traditionally classical background through the piano and orchestrated walls of sound, their collaboration yields a unique result that goes some way to establish the duo as a cut above many. Perhaps if the stormy but highly melodic debut 'Retold' were to serve as the ideal introduction to their sound, 'Body Pilot' would indeed be an artistic exploration that delves much deeper and allows the melody to draw out for longer. Seemingly, at least. What is interesting about 'Body Pilot' is that Nest are presented with a time restriction, by the nature of the 10" vinyl format yet they decide to take this time and draw it out to the maximum, instead of rushing through a collection of short melodic extensions of Retold. Through the four movements, time stands on end and this is where the loose concept of flight comes into play so poignantly for the listener. It gives a sense of free-falling through the sky at speed, but at a gently drifting, semi-conscious pace thanks to the sheer marvel and wonder of it. It is literally happening so quickly, yet it seems to move so slowly. If we look down from the sky that is 'Body Pilot' we can almost see 'Retold', an album that felt very much 'of land'. We have an aerial perspective of it now.

'Body Pilot' shows great ambition and marks a welcome artistic development for Nest, whilst still retaining the depth and character that they have become so well acclaimed for. It comes with my highest recommendation and is not to be missed by anyone. For new listeners, I'd recommend hunting down a copy of Retold too, if you can, or at least purchasing a digital copy

MDAC032 - Top Ten Releases Of The Month, August 2011

2011-09-02T07:42:00.000-07:00

RICHARD GINNS - Sea Change
[Slow Flow]
http://slowflowstore.net/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=80
Limited edition CD album in a run of 300, digital album

KINDER SCOUT - The Writing Life
[Preco]
http://www.normanrecords.com/cd/127641-kinder-scout-the-writing-life
CD album

KEITH FREUND - Constant Comments
[Experimedia]
http://www.experimedia.net/index.php?main_page=product_music_info&products_id=3668
Limited edition vinyl album in a run of 300, digital album

TALVIHORROS - Decent Into Delta
[Hibernate]
http://store.hibernate-recs.co.uk/products/11806
Limited edition CDand vinyl album , digital album

DAMIAN VALLES - Skeleton Taxa
[Drifting Falling]
http://store.driftingfalling.com/product/damian-valles-skeleton-taxa
CD and digital album

PLEQ & LAUKI - The Gravity Lens
[Ephre]
http://www.ephreimprint.eu/releases.htm
Limited edition 5" CDr EP, Digital download through artists' Bandcamp page

VARIOUS ARTISTS - SEQUENCE1
[Futuresequence]
http://www.futuresequence.com/sequence1/
Compilation, Free Digital Download

ADAM A. WILLIAMS - Another Day The Same
[Hibernate]
http://store.hibernate-recs.co.uk/products/11708
Limited edition 3" Postcard CDr in a run of 100 (Out Of Stock), digital download

DAMIAN VALLES
[Twisted Treeline]
http://www.twistedtreeline.co.uk/
Limited edition 3" postcard CDr in a run of 100

HEU{S-K}ACH & PEDRO SOUSA – I Know Not What Tomorrow Will Bring
[Resting Bell]
http://www.restingbell.net/releases/rb099-i-know-not-what-tomorrow-will-bring
Free digital netlabel album

REVIEW: Richard Ginns - Sea Change [Slow Flow Recordings]

2011-08-25T03:45:00.000-07:00

Thanks to an earlier digital version of Sea Change being made available through Richard Ginns' Bandcamp account, I have had the luxury of familiarising myself with this excellent body of work before my CD copy arrived in the post via Slow Flow recordings.
The album itself is presented with a concept that straddles themes of both the resonance of memory and an overall nautical aesthetic, whilst allowing lots of scope for individual listener interpretation. The inspiration for the project was drawn from Ginns' personal memories of childhood visits to the seaside and the sentimental memories that he attaches to these. Other than sound, another key ingredient he uses is polaroid photography which is something often associated with memory. Both the Bandcamp mp3 version and the Slow Flow CD copy sport different but equally effective images, although it has to be said that the effect is much better received in the physical format.

I have to say that Richard Ginns is a new one on me. I was alerted to his work through social networking and a glance at his past discography reveals that he is relatively new to the scene with just one other release on the 12x50 imprint. It's interesting to learn that this artist hasn't even had an early foray into the netlabel scene, which is where lots of artists begin treading their path to sort of test the water. Upon listening to 'Sea Change', you will likely be struck by how beautifully crafted this body of work is for such a new name...this could perhaps be attributed to time spent studying music technology at the universty of Huddersfield in the UK. Regardless, Ginns' work will plant him firmly on my radar; 'Sea Change' is a fine body of work.
Minimalist, yet brimming with detail, this is something that warrants and subtly encourages repeated listens. It is so considered, careful and explorative, conveying a strong but loose collection of half remembered childhood memories at the sea-side...something that is close to the hearts of most individuals. Even if you don't have any early sea-side memories...this album will have you dreaming of them, as if they actually happened.

Timescale and track placement-wise, Sea Change is set out perfectly. The opening piece 'Riverbank' is mid-length and is a subtle lulling piece to initiate the events to follow. From then, a collection of three shorter pieces break things up a little. Second piece 'On Lakes' is outstanding, 'Mossbank' fuses textured drones with jittering glitchy tones before 'Point Dunes' adds a real sense of wonder as you listen. In 'Looking North', we have the longest composition on offer, clocking in at fifteen minutes. The sheer level of detail will hold your interest, as the soothing atmosphere ebbs and flows like the sea. Things draw to a close with the soothing chimes of the title track 'Sea Change', which really eek out those nostalgic moments. The whole album has a wonderful helping of nostalgia-inducing ingredients to it, but never more so than in the closing piece. Maybe this is because as you listen, you know that the experience is drawing to a close and this ties in well with your own realisation that those past memories have gone and are fading with the passing of time.
The album has been released through Slow Flow recordings in Japan and is a wonderful record as part of a solid roster of releases, including work from the likes of Fabio Orsi and Ian Hawgood to name but a few. It'll obviously appeal to fans of the label but for those of you unfamiliar with Slow Flow but like anything by the likes of Marcus Fischer, Taylor Deupree, Offthesky, The Green Kingdom or Asuna and Opitope, you know what to do... Highly recommeded - here's where to get yourself a copy:

FROM THE LABEL (JAPAN):
http://slowflowstore.net/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=80

UK:
http://www.normanrecords.com/cd/127160-richard-ginns-sea-change
http://boomkat.com/cds/435067-richard-ginns-sea-change

DIGITAL ONLY FROM THE ARTIST:
http://richardginns.bandcamp.com/

MDAC031 - Top ten releases of the month, July 2011

2011-08-02T06:35:00.000-07:00

Offthesky - The Beautiful Nowhere
[Hibernate]
http://store.hibernate-recs.co.uk/products/10882
Limited edition 12" Vinyl in a run of 250, Limited edition CD in a run of 200, Digital album

Two People In A Room - Wrapped In Plastic
[Home Normal]
http://www.homenormal.com/releases/two-people-in-a-room
Limited edition CD in a run of 500, Digital album

Y0t0 - Uriarra Road
[Facture]
http://facture.bandcamp.com/album/uriarra-road
Digital only album

Field Rotation - Regenzeit
[Denovali]
http://denovali.com/shop/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=regenzeit
Limited edition 10" Vinyl (100 Gold, 200 Black), Digital EP

Anna Rose Carter & Pleq - My Piano Is Broken
[Rural Colours]
http://ruralcolours.co.uk/news/?page_id=601
Limited edition 3" CDr in a run of, digital EP

Darren Harper - Falls
[Childrenplay]
http://childrenplayrecords.bandcamp.com/album/falls
Limited edition CDr in a run of 20, Digital album

Black Eagle Child - Pages On A Plane
[Under The Spire]
http://www.underthespire.co.uk/releases-buy/black-eagle-child-pages-on-a-plane/
Limited edition 12" marbled vinyl in a run of 250

Gimu - Crestfallen
[Childrenplay]
http://childrenplayrecords.bandcamp.com/album/crestfallen
Limited edition CDr in a run of 20, Digital album

Darren Harper and Gimu - Field and Fern; Mountain and Sea
[Rural Colours]
http://ruralcolours.co.uk/news/?page_id=489
Limited edition 3" CDr in a run of 75, Free digital download

Christopher McFall and David Velez - Credence

[Impulsive Habitat]
http://impulsivehabitat.com/releases/ihab025.htm
Free digital download

Nigel Samways - Mirror
[Audiotalaia]
http://www.audiotalaia.net/at043.html
Free digital download

Audio Gourmet Presents... Various Artists - 'Just A Moment'

2011-07-28T02:33:00.000-07:00

I'm delighted and excited to announce that Audio Gourmet will be releasing a special digital only compilation album to raise funds for the on-going recovery project in Japan following March's earthquake.

There has been great progress in the rebuilding project since the disaster earlier this year but still much work remains. So Bartosz Dziadosz (Pleq) and I (Harry Towell) decided that we would put together something special to be released through Audio Gourmet to raise money for the cause and donations will be sent via Ian Hawgood, who's wife is currently working directly with some of the people affected.

There have been some excellent compilations put together already that have raised hundreds of pounds for Japan, including Kanshin, For Nihon and 31 Songs For Japan to name but a few.

We wanted to try and do something too and between the two of us, we invited 60 artists to put together a short track of roughly a minute's length.

As a result, we've a global effort of short pieces spanning many of the sub-genres that make up what some might call ambient music. It fits perfectly in line with the Audio Gourmet aesthetic and is perhaps a shining example of the sorts of sounds we seek to release within our 15 minute EP section.

Conceptually, the sixty 'moments' that make up this hour-long compilation album fit together neatly with the intention of stretching out your recess periods from 15 minutes to an hour. The netlabel section of Audio Gourmet is specifically for short 'working' tea breaks, when time is of the essence. The Just A Moment compilation has been put together for when you have the time to enjoy a longer tea break and the quick changes of the many tracks should see that your listening experience remains a conscious one throughout the hour.

We are grateful to Gerry McDermott who provided the stunning cover art for this, taken whilst travelling in Luxembourg. The cafe shot perfectly captures the essence of the album and conveys a great example of a potential listening environment.

We would like to offer a huge thanks to Byron from the Felt Collective who has kindly agreed to master this album, which I'm sure given the sheer amount of tracks was no easy task!

We'd also like to thank all of the artists who have agreed to take part in this project. Without them, this project could not have taken place.

I would like to offer a personal thanks to Bartosz (Pleq) for his invaluable help and patience in organising this with me.

FULL LIST OF ARTISTS:

Alex Durlak

Alex Tiuniaev

Alvari Lume

Antonymes

Autistici

Bartosz Dziadosz and Shintaro Aoki

Bengalfuel

Byron Felt

Danny Clay

Damian Valles

Darren Harper

David Velez

Deep Into Perspectives

Dentist

Duncan ó Ceallaigh

Elintseeker

Felicia Atkinson

Field Rotation

Flica

Fraqsea

Gimu

The Green Kingdom

Hajimeinoue

Hakobune

Hior Chronik

Hiroki Sasajima & Ami Yamasaki

The Inventors Of Aircraft

Jacaszek

Josco

Julien Demoulin

Lauki

Leonardo Rosado

Lights Dim

Listening Mirror

Marihiko Hara and PolarM

Mark Harris

Monolyth and Cobalt

Nicolas Bernier

Offthesky

Paper Relics

Philippe Lamy

Philippe Petit

Pjusk

Quinn Walker

Raul Fuentes

Segue

Shota Hirama

Silencio

Specta Ciera

Spheruleus

Spyweirdos

Strom Noir

Szymon Kaliski

Talvihorros

Tim Noble

Tone Color

Visionary Hours

Widesky

Wil Bolton

Yukitomo Hamasaki

REVIEW: Darren Harper - Falls [Children Play Records]

2011-07-12T03:59:00.000-07:00

http://childrenplayrecords.bandcamp.com/album/falls

An entirely non-profit label, Children Play Records came onto my radar recently with two solo releases from past Audio Gourmet netlabel contributors Darren Harper and Gimu. The pair are fresh from a stunning long distance collaboration which resulted in a physical 3" EP on Rural Colours.

Darren Harper is an artist that I have been following ever since I got into ambient music, with his early album releases on Earth Mantra. Patient and modest, Darren has quietly amassed several releases which span netlabels Earth Mantra and Audio Gourmet as well as his own self-released material via Bandcamp.

Through each of these beautiful ambient projects, Darren has displayed a gradually building arsenal of production techniques and has laid them out for all to hear. Now approaching the physical format, armed with years of fine-tuning and experimentation, he is quite the refined producer. Incorporating subtly glitching electronic tones, chimes, field recording, light noise, drones and various instrument sounds, Darren's varied palette is rich in texture.

'Falls', his latest production, delves through six perfectly weighted slices of soundscaping that should firmly place Darren Harper on your radar if you haven't already discovered his work. Opening out with 'Floating Filigree', a simple jittering of shimmering digital tones presents itself as being surprisingly organic despite its roots lying predominantly with the electronic. Minus the piano, echoes of M'Ostermeier's 'The Rules Of Another Small World' filter into thought whilst listening to this piece.

Evocatively titled 'A View FromWithin A Smaller Space' continues where the first piece left off, opening with what sounds like a digital wind chime backed by the hum of machinery. This hum gathers with intensity, unfurling slowly through an 8 minute duration. 'Reflective Shards; Filaments Of Light' return the listener to a slightly lighter state, with a lush drone bed forming the back drop for a more sparse arrangement of digital tones, all lightly affected by the sort of gentle noise application that we might hear on a Herzog or Hessien record.

Onto the second half of the record, or the flip-side if you will, this masterpiece fittingly opens with what sound like vinyl crackles. Here we find Harper spreading his sound design into a more open electro-acoustic territory, with the use of a simple and short guitar ditty accompanied by reversed samples of it. Following on is another short piece, the title track, which is a textured stormy affair littered with lots of tiny and barely discernable details. A strong sense of marvel is apparent here as I listen - it's one of those tracks that really heighten the impact of the landscape or hark the mind back to an early school science VHS.

Lots of albums tend to leave the longest track until last, to draw out those final moments and to allow the artist time and space to develop one final 'act'. This one, 'Solace and Sines; a Walk Through the Garden' opens out with the most clearly discernable natural element featured in 'Falls', some light bird chatter, presumably in the garden. The feint dischordant shrill of sine waves punctuate a truly beautiful and otherworldly texture of droning sound. This develops for the duration of the piece allowing the listener to really drift off into a dreamy state. This is an often cliched phrase for the ambient music reviewer, although rarely truly captured as perfectly as Darren does so here.

All in all, a really solid and mesmerising piece of work from Darren Harper for his first full length CD release. There were only 20 physical copies produced so get in quick to avoid disappointment. Otherwise, the label have made it available digitally through their Bandcamp account. It comes with my highest recommendation if you are feeling that there are few new and challenging ambient artists developing at the moment. Darren may be a new name for many, but as I mentioned earlier he has been gradually honing his techniques for years and is a noticeably talented artist. Never more the case than on 'Falls', which could be his finest body of work to date...

NEW ARTIST RELEASE: Paper Relics - Over Exposure [Time Released Sound]

2011-07-07T04:49:00.000-07:00

http://timereleasedsound.com/shop/releases/paper-relics/

I'm delighted to announce that after several months spent collaborating with my brother Stuart, our debut full-length album is out now on Time Released Sound.

In January this year, we released an EP called Recovered Artefact on Audio Gourmet to test the water as we were busy recording 'Over Exposure', an album with lots of underlying detail, centered around nostalgia and loss.

The cover photograph was taken by our father back in the late seventies when he was young. To the rear of the tractor sporting a flat cap, stands our grandfather with his colleagues.

This is the centre piece to an ode to generations of family up-bringing on a farm in Rutland, the smallest county in Britain. The farm itself is set for a housing redevelopment and between Stuart and I, we have come up with a package of sound and art working closely with Colin Herrick (Time Released Sound) that serves to preserve the memories we cherish from our childhood, before the physical reference points get swiped away in favour of something new for the next generation.

The album is riddled with nostalgic references for us as we attempt to capture the fading memory of past events.

A glance at the packaging, as mentioned, the cover shot was taken by our Dad as well as the back cover. On both, illustrations captured from 100 year old botanical prints creep into focus, signifying the passing of the fading memories beneath. Inside, the credits are printed onto a scanned image of some discareded building plans I found lying in a puddle one day, which tie in with the iminent redevelopment that lies ahead. These have been stained with tea, just for extra effect. There is also some apt words of poetry written back in 1749 by Thomas Gray:

"The curfew tolls the knell of parting day,

The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea

The plowman homeward plods his weary way,

And leaves the world to darkness and to me."

This short poem ties in perfectly with the references to time passing and helps further imbue the prevailing pastoral theme.

The CD itself has a print of an old map of the area we live, just a few miles away from the farm.

There was also a deluxe version, as with all Time Released Sound releases, in which Colin really went to town on as usual.

All kinds of things can be found within the package, which has been stamped and addressed with the farm itself. The disc lies inside a sleeve with another old photograph printed to it - this time of the family home which will still stand, despite the housing development plans. Separately to this, there is a hand sewn booklet that has been carefully assembled, fusing all sorts of ideas together. A kind of scrap-book, if you will.

All of these are unique, with no edition being the same.

That cover photograph is printed onto an actual piece of the hundred-year old botanical print. Inside, page one introduces the album with the catalog number and TRS logo. Next up is a print of the old local map on the back of a vintage wall-paper piece. To the rear there is obviously the retro wallpaper design lying clear for all to see. You should at this stage find a foam cut-out of some form of animal which sits opposite another old family photograph printed to more of the botanical diagram paper. Next up is Thomas Gray's poem - either written in short or full. This is alongside a section of an old map, littered with stamps and text. In the centre of the book, the references move from nature and location onto music. Part of an old manuscript and text cover the next few pages. Then we move back to nature, with anatomical diagrams of sea-creatures or flowers. On the flip is a Paper Relics cover page which lies opposite of a hand-stencilled/spray painted farmyard scene.Then next is a hand-written nature account on lined-paper which houses a 3" bonus CDr copy of our EP Recovered Artefact. Opposite is a decorated wallpaper piece and then the final page is the edition number with the credits page closing this short booklet.

The digi pack copies are still available from Time Released Sound here:

http://timereleasedsound.com/shop/releases/paper-relics/

The ultra arty edition that I just described sold out within a day on Time Released although there are a couple of copies available here at Stashed Goods:

http://www.store.fluid-radio.co.uk/2011/07/paper-relics-over-exposure-limited-edition-3digipak-cd/

There will also be a few copies at Norman Records and other distributors over the next week or so but these will sell quick so act fast to avoid disappointment.

The music itself focusses around Stuart's guitar composition, with all kinds of instrument and field recording accents to create a blurry nostalgic soundtrack for a soon to be destroyed farm.

For more information and further reading, you may be interested in taking a look at our recent interview on Fluid Radio:

http://www.fluid-radio.co.uk/2011/07/paper-relics/

MDAC030 - Top ten releases of the month, June 2011

2011-06-29T05:09:00.000-07:00

VARIOUS ARTISTS - Kanshin
[Fluid Audio/Hibernate]
http://www.store.fluid-radio.co.uk/2011/05/kanshin-cd-9-99/
2 x CD album, Digital album (All proceeds go directly to the on-going recovery project in Japan, following March's earthquake.)

ESMERINE - La Lechuza
[Constellation]
http://cstrecords.com/cst080/
12" Vinyl LP, CD album, digital album

TOKYO BLOODWORM - Palestine
[Moteer]
http://www.store.fluid-radio.co.uk/?s=Tokyo+bloodworm
CD album

BvDUB AND IAN HAWGOOD - The Truth Hurts
[Nomadic Kids Republic]
http://store.homenormal.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=51&product_id=404
CD album, digital album (All proceeds go directly to the on-going recovery project in Japan, following March's earthquake.)

MAPS AND DIAGRAMS - The Voices Of Time
[Handstitched*]
http://handstitched.bandcamp.com/album/the-voices-of-time
Limited edition CD album, digital album

PETRELS - Haeligewielle
[Tartaruga]
http://www.tartarugarecords.com/tartaruga/releases/ttrcd010
Limited edition CD in a run of 100, digital album

DONATO WHARTON - A White Rainbow Spanning The Dark
[Serein]
http://www.serein.co.uk/releases/sere11-2/donato-wharton-white-rainbow-spanning-dark
10" Vinyl EP, Digital EP

OFFTHESKY - Endless Yonder
[SEM]
http://shop.semlabel.com/album/endless-yonder
Limited edition CDr in a run of 100, digital album

DAVID NEWLYN AND YELLOW6 - Miniatures
[Hibernate]
http://davidnewlyn.bandcamp.com/album/miniatures
Limited edition postcard CDr in a run of 100 (Out Of Stock), digital EP

OHAYO - The State We Are In
[Hapna]
http://www.hapna.com/H45.html
CD album, digital album

REVIEW: Josco "0611" [Somehow Recordings]

2011-06-06T11:49:00.000-07:00

http://www.somehowrecordings.co.uk/

www.soundcloud.com/josco

Enter Gerard McDermott, an Irish electronic artist who is currently based in
Thailand. Perhaps based on the sound samples, mastering duties by Ian
Hawgood and the extremely limited nature of Somehow Recordings releases,
this has already sold out and in record time too. Having been lucky in
getting my order through quick enough, I thought I'd put pen to paper to
give something back and to lend my approval of any future output.

The all too brief 0611 EP starts out as a shrill synth tone that grabs the
listener's attention before it sets out on a three track tension filled
journey.
'Denial/Realisation' is the shortest movement and despite this, it manages
to say such a lot in just over a couple of minutes. This is largely down to
a succession of chord changes accompanied by an occasional and distant fuzzy
glitch. The ever shifting chords give the track a wealth of emotions and
it's certainly reminiscent of some of the vintage ambient pioneers such as
Brian Eno and early Steve Roach.

Next up, the longest piece, 'An Echo' affords us some time and space. With
its nuances concealed by a bed of murky drone, tiny fragments of detail
cancel each other out and bubble away in the mix. McDermott is in full swing
with this piece; those chord changes continue to feature, expanding and
contracting in ghostly fashion. The atmosphere builds and builds before
stopping suddenly, keeping the listener alert and fixed upon the unnerving
film-score-style tension that this artist so deftly explores.

The EP draws to its close with Epilogue, a quieter piece that true to form,
instates a constant level of unease amongst its listener. A dull bass drone
accented by twisted synth stabs and shifting pads leaves the story to this
brief and haunted soundtrack unresolved, leaving things wide open for the
sequel...
Having been in touch with the artist, plans for future projects are aplenty,
with ideas for EPs and collaborations already afoot.
In the meantime, if you can somehow grab yourself a copy, 0611 is certainly worth getting

yourself acquainted with.

MDAC029 - Top ten releases of the month, May 2011

2011-05-28T03:15:00.000-07:00

ARGH!?!?!!?!? For the first time in over two years of doing a monthly top ten, I am simply unable to whittle the albums I have added to my collection this month down to a 'favourite ten'. Absolutely impossible this month and it's largely down to the fact that I have ordered practically everything available. So much sheer quality out there at the moment, it's difficult to give anything a miss.

JOHANN JOHANNSSON - The Miners' Hymns
[Fat Cat]
http://fat-cat.co.uk/fatcat/release.php?id=355
2 x 12" Vinyl album, CD album and digital album

JASPER TX - Black Sun Transmission
[Fang Bomb]
http://www.fangbomb.com/FB016/index.html
CD album

MAPS AND DIAGRAMS - Get Lost
[Time Released Sound]
http://timereleasedsound.com/releases/maps-and-diagrams/
Limited art edition and digi-pack CD album

KYLE BOBBY DUNN - Ways Of Meaning
[Desire Path Recordings]
http://www.desirepathrecordings.com/releases/kyle-bobby-dunn-ways-of-meaning/
Limited edition 12" vinyl album in a run of 500, digital album

HALLOCK HILL - The Union
[Hundred Acre Recordings]
http://hundredacrerecords.greedbag.com/buy/the-union-1/
CD and digital album

MICHAEL TANNER and SHARRON KRAUS - In The Rheidol Valley
[Morc Tapes]
http://www.morctapes.com/skmt/rheidol.html
12" vinyl and CD album

FIELD ROTATION - And Tomorrow I Will Sleep
[Hibernate]
http://store.hibernate-recs.co.uk/products/9887
Limited edition CD in a run of 100, digital album

RICHARD MOULT - Celestial King For A Year
[Second Language]
http://www.secondlanguagemusic.com/SL10.html
Limited edition CD album in a run of 300 copies

EZEKIEL HONIG - Folding In On Itself
[Type]
http://typerecords.com/releases/folding-in-on-itself-2-2-2
12" Vinyl album, CD album
TIAGO SOUSA - Walden Pond's Monk
[Immune]
http://immunerecordings.net/catalog/walden-ponds-monk/
Limited edition 12" Vinyl album in a run of 500 copies, CD album and digital album
M.OSTERMEIER - The Rules Of Another Small World
[Tench]
http://www.tenchrec.com/TCH04.html
CD Album
SIMON BAINTON - Sun Settings
[Hibernate]
http://store.hibernate-recs.co.uk/products/9581
Limited edition 3" CDr Postcard in a run of 100 (SOLD OUT), digital EP
ED COOKE - Spirit House
[Rural Colours]
http://ruralcolours.co.uk/news/?page_id=167
Free netlabel EP
OFFTHESKY - Subtle Trees
[Nomadic Kids Republic]
http://nomadickids.com/releases/
CD album
MYRMYR - Fire Star
[Under The Spire]
http://www.underthespire.co.uk/releases-buy/myrmyr-fire-star/
Limited edition vinyl and CD album

TEN AND TRACER - Friendless Now
[Nomadic Kids Republic]
http://nomadickids.com/releases/
CD album

Various Artists - In The Bleak Wilderness Of Sleep

2011-05-20T03:21:00.000-07:00

http://music.audiogourmet.co.uk/album/in-the-bleak-wilderness-of-sleep

1. Michael Trommer - Pushing Through Gray
2. Simon Whetham - Cold Shoulder (Part 1.2)
3. D'Incise - Octobre-Septembre
4. James McDougall - Scarborough
5. Specta Ciera - Under Cool Air
6. Deep Into Perspectives - Home
7. Francisco Lopez - Untitled #264
8. Spheruleus - Overcast
9. Small Things On Sundays - Harbour
10. Philip Sulidae - Aher
11. Natalia Noelia Siebuła & Bartosz Dziadosz - Ótta og kvíða
12. Julien Demoulin - Dull Ache
On the 17th of May 2011, Audio Gourmet is precisely a year old. To celebrate this, we have been busy putting together a couple of compilation albums. One of which is 'In The Bleak Wilderness Of Sleep' available for purchase here as either a multi-format digital album or as a limited edition CDr.

The compilation features 12 tracks from some of the globe's most talented sound-designers. It is a subtly rewarding headphone listen from start to finish; curated and ordered to purposefully induce a state of sleep. Starting off minimally, gradually gathering tone and atmosphere, the experience goes on without ever boiling over or reaching a crescendo. Parts of the album are light and restful whereas traces of it tread darker territory. All in all, the imagery that the album conjurs sits perfectly as a soundtrack to the dreams one experiences during a nights sleep.

The artwork was put together by French artist Eric Lacombe (Monstror) who some may remember for his cover art collaborations for Spheruleus releases in the past. Here for 'In The Bleak Wilderness Of Sleep', his surreal imagery lends itself perfectly to this mysterious dream invoking soundtrack.

The limited edition CDr release comes housed inside a recycled card case with the cover artwork slipped inside and printed to photographic paper. Along with a CDr copy of the album itself, the tracklist will be printed to high quality salmon coloured paper/card. On the front, the album title will be rubber stamped in brown ink and on the back, the Audio Gourmet logo will be cut out by lazers. It will be hand-numbered in brown pen and limited to 200 copies.

*The first 50 copies will include a second bonus image, taken by select friends and photographers. These include:

Gerry McDermott
Harry Towell
James McDougall
Peter Nejedly
Seth Chrisman
Simon Whetham
Stuart Towell

Everyone who purchases the CD version will be entitled to a free and instant digital copy of the album. For those that wish to purchase a digital only version, this can be obtained as usual through the Audio Gourmet Bandcamp account.

MDAC028 - Top Ten Releases Of The Month, April 2011

2011-05-05T04:16:00.000-07:00

ANTONYMES - The License To Interpret Dreams
[Hidden Shoal]
http://agora.hiddenshoal.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=49&products_id=167&zenid=9f58663d59e73fcaf30ed51d49171ee6
CD and digital album

WOODWORKINGS - Goodbye Homes
[Future Recordings]
http://futurerecordings.bandcamp.com/album/goodbye-homes
Limited edition CD of 100 copies, digital album

STROM NOIR - Dni Stratili Svoju Farbu
[Hibernate]
http://store.hibernate-recs.co.uk/products/8031
Limited edition CD of 200 copies, digital album

FELICIA ATKINSON - The Driver
[Hibernate]
http://store.hibernate-recs.co.uk/products/8007
Limited edition vinyl of 200, limited edition CD of 50 (Sold Out), digital album

HERZOG - Young Lungs Against The Sea
[Bedside Table]
http://herzog.bandcamp.com/
Limited edition CDr of 100 copies, digital album

TIM NOBLE - Diffaith
[Hundred Acre Recordings]
http://hundredacrerecords.greedbag.com/buy/diffaith-0/
Digital only album

QUINN WALKER - Kwichon
[Heat Death]
http://www.heatdeathrecords.co.uk/
Limited edition 3"CDr of 75 copies, digital album

BENGALFUEL - Sprague
[Hibernate]
http://store.hibernate-recs.co.uk/products/8033
Limited edition 3"CDr (part 1/4)

LISTENING MIRROR - Even In The Quietest Moments
[Self-released]
http://listening-mirror.bandcamp.com/track/even-in-the-quietest-moments-2
Limited edition 3" postcard CDr of 100 copies, digital track

GARETH DAVIS/JAN KLEEFSTRA/ROMKE KLEEFSTRA - Sieleslyk
[Rural Colours]
http://www.ruralcolours.co.uk/releases/rc031/rc031.html
Free netlabel download

REVIEW: Kyle Bobby Dunn "Ways Of Meaning" [Desire Path Recordings]

2011-04-19T05:53:00.000-07:00

http://www.desirepathrecordings.com/releases/kyle-bobby-dunn-ways-of-meaning/

In short, the title for this new album by Brooklyn based ambient music composer Kyle Bobby Dunn leaves everything wide open for listener interpretation. At a single glance, it encourages you to strive to understand the album in its concepts and leaves you wanting to fully explore its intentions.
Perhaps it hints that the concept might be multi-dimensional with several hidden meanings and almost comes across as a sort of interactive listener challenge?

Upon closer inspection and after a skim through the press-release on the Desire Path Recordings website, it becomes apparent that the album refers to the actual resonance of memory itself. It is a complex subject concerning time and circumstance and many artists have explored this through great lengths of careful study and theory. Perhaps when this is allowed to take centre stage when presented as a record, the listener can become overwhelmed?
Instead for Kyle Bobby Dunn, 'Ways Of Meaning' is intended as a deeply personal recording: dealing with particular moments and circumstances throughout his life, offered out as a listening experience that can be related to in different ways by its consumer. With 'Ways Of Meaning', Dunn is affording the listener time and space to pick up and relate it to their own individual circumstances, at any given time.

In reference to the duration of sounds on offer, Dunn has condensed the epic proportions that we enjoy in 'A Young Person's Guide To Kyle Bobby Dunn' to a single piece of vinyl, over two sides. The sounds find Dunn exploring an even more lulled and restful palette than previous excursions, which is really quite something! It's really quite hard to believe that based on Dunn's choice of titling for a particular track, something as tranquil as this would have a 'parental guidance, explicit content' sticker slapped on it if sold in a commercial record shop...
Through six peaceful movements, time stands on end whilst your mind wanders, reflecting on a shuffling collection of personal memories. In structure and tone, the music does seem to go back to basics; eminating the sorts of sounds that the pioneers of ambient music might have produced. It also seems to stand akin with the ambient sounds of the 1990s and early 2000s, which is why it seems apt that legendary producer James Plotkin has overseen the mastering of this record.

Desire Path are a fairly new label in the scene and were responsible for giving us Solo Andata's 'Ritual' last year and although albums are available digitally, it is vinyl editions that they specialise in.
With 'Ways Of Meaning', digital listeners will have the 'sleep tape' to end all sleep albums. But you have to feel here that the real reward on offer is to those who purchase the vinyl edition. Years of repeated listens for quiet reflection over a hot cup of coffee; each time with something new to contemplate.
Contrary to a sleepy night-time headphone journey or a dozy bus commute listen, the vinyl edition is a companion in which listeners can take their thoughts to. The record oozes warmth from the stylus and the emanating sound is assuringly positive...

Highly recommended, but it is particularly for those with a turntable who will enjoy the full effects of 'Ways Of Meaning'

REVIEW: Herzog - Young Lungs Against The Sea

2011-04-19T05:14:00.000-07:00

Dusting off my trusty little book of adjectives, I've decided to selectively review the odd release. Not necessarily reviewing my favourite records - just the odd release that compells me to write a few sentences. This perhaps isn't the best idea as the reason I'd stopped blogging about music was the sheer time it used to take up. Especially since now I have even less spare time at my disposal than ever before!

http://herzog.bandcamp.com/album/young-lungs-against-the-sea

First off, I've decided to take a stab at the recent self-released album by Herzog 'Young Lungs Against The Sea'. The reason being that there's such a lot to talk about, with the wealth of thoughts that the album title encourages and onto the superb music itself; I just had to post something about it.
Herzog will need little introuduction, particularly to the netlabel world. Releases on the mighty 12rec, Berlin's Resting Bell, the now defunct Serein netlabel and of course, the recent EP 'Small Loves' here on Audio Gourmet. It's hard to believe that after such a solid few years of activity, this is the first physical release from Herzog. Rather than leaving it up to a label to organise all the hard-work of designing and printing the CD, Bill Bawden, the man behind the project has taken it upon himself to do this. It is released as a digital download through his Bandcamp account and there is an option to buy a handmade CD; copies of which are limited to just 100. Both are modestly priced too...

Onto the record itself, in the press-release there isn't a clearly written out concept as such. I do tend to gravitate more towards material where there is a clear and full written concept to accompany an album. However, once I'd taken advantage of the free instant digital download that accompanied my CD purchase and began to listen I was struck by a concept that was evoked purely through the album title and the sounds that comprise it.
On paper, Bill's chosen formula of marrying piano with glitchy electronic effects and treatment is less than pioneering. It is often a pleasant result when these are paired but it does seem to be a pretty saturated sound these days and can often sound unoriginal.
Having said this, Bill doesn't simply rely on the obvious beaty that impeccable piano playing gives off, resting it on a light bed of static. He decides instead to treat his chosen instrument into complete obscurity, coaxing it into subtle electronic-sounding passages that mark a stark fragility against such a wall of noise. It is this chosen formula that really encapsulates the album title and bring this record to life.

To me, the whole record is presented almost as a battle between the piano/melody (young lungs) and the host of electronic sounds, static, noise and rustles (the sea). The fragile young lungs are obviously no match for the sea but they naievely set about trying to come out on top anyway. Through more gentle and calmer moments, it almost seems as if they have done just that - only to be swept away by the prevailing waves of the sea.
It's such a marvellous listening spectacle and is riddled with metaphors that allow this content to be applied to many situations. Perhaps it could simply portray the innocence of a child, crossing paths with the ugliness of the world for the first time? Maybe it refers to an artist fighting for a voice in a world of commercial saturation? Perhaps it teaches a respect for nature, in that we are powerless to fight it?

It is all in all a minimal record, favouring the actual tone of the piano when it has been treated rather than an obvious melody. Yet, given the endless listener application that can be explored and the food for thought it provides, this could very well be the finest piece of work that we have heard from Herzog.
Highly recommended.

MDAC027: Top Ten Albums of the Month, March 2011

2011-03-31T04:51:00.000-07:00

DUSTIN O'HALLORAN - Lumiere
[Fat Cat]
http://fat-cat.co.uk/fatcat/release.php?id=350
Vinyl album, CD and digital download album

PETER BRODERICK & MACHINEFABRIEK - Mort Aux Vaches
[Staalplaat/Mort Aux Vaches]
http://www.staalplaat.com/search/catalog/19821
Limited edition CD of 500 copies

FEDERICO DURAND - El Éxtasis De Las Flores Pequeñas
[Own]
http://ownrecords.bandcamp.com/album/el-xtasis-de-las-flores-peque-as
CD and digital download album

VARIOUS ARTISTS - SMM: Context
[Ghostly International]
http://ghostly.com/releases/smm-context
Limited edition LP of 800 copies, CD and digital download album

LISTENING MIRROR - Outside Heaven
[Hibernate]
http://listening-mirror.bandcamp.com/album/outside-heaven
Limited edition 3" postcard CDr of 100 copies, digital download album

DAMIAN VALLES - The Waves That Destroy
[Hibernate]
http://store.hibernate-recs.co.uk/products/8513
Limited edition 3" postcard CDr of 100 copies

ISNAJ DUI - Circle Of Sleep
[fBox]
http://www.fboxrecords.co.uk/releases.html
Limited edition CD, free digital download:
http://www.archive.org/details/CircleOfSleep

VARIOUS ARTISTS - Minute Papillon
[Second Language]
http://www.normanrecords.com/artists/21774-various-jasper-tx-drradio-boats-everyone-in-the-world-ever
Limited edition CD

LISTENING MIRROR - Spires, Spirals and Stones
[Heat Death]
http://listening-mirror.bandcamp.com/album/spires-spirals-and-stones-ep
Limited edition 3" CDr and digital download album

TANNER MENARD & ENTIA NON - I Never Expected Your Decays (Part One)
[Rural Colours]
http://www.ruralcolours.co.uk/releases/rc029/rc029.html
Subscriptions only 3" CDr series, free digital download

MDAC026 - Top Ten albums of the month, February 2011

2011-03-01T06:16:00.000-08:00

DEAF CENTER- Owl Splinters
[Type]
http://typerecords.com/releases/owl-splinters-2
Limited edition vinyl, 100 copies (2xLP), CD album, digital mp3

SHAULA - The Girl In The Clock
[Time Released Sound]
http://timereleasedsound.com/html/releases/shaula/
Limited edition 3" CDr

CLEM LEEK - Home Outside
[Rural Colours]
http://clemleek.bandcamp.com/album/home-outside
Limited edition 3" CDr, digital download

AREV KONN - Nospelt
[Humming Conch]
http://www.hummingconch.net/releases/conch-008-arev-konn-nospelt
Limited edition CD of 250 copies
SHAULA - Yona
[Somehow Recordings]
http://www.somehowrecordings.co.uk/
Limited edition CDr

ANNE GARNER - Trusting A Twirled World
[Slowcraft Records]
http://slowcraft.bandcamp.com/
Limited edition CDr

Coldstream
[Rural Colours]
http://www.ruralcolours.co.uk/releases/rc027/rc027.html
Subscriptions only limited edition 3" CDr, free digital download

DARREN HARPER - Suspended Memory
[Self-Release]
http://darrenharper.bandcamp.com/album/suspended-memory
Free digital download

Monolyth and Cobalt
[Feedback Loop]
http://www.archive.org/download/fbl011MonolythAndCobalt-LaTempratureDuFeuillageEntreDeuxSaisons/fbl011MonolythAndCobalt-LaTempratureDuFeuillageEntreDeuxSaisons_vbr_mp3.zip
Free digital download

WIDESKY - Floating In Being
[Rural Colours]
http://www.ruralcolours.co.uk/releases/rc025/rc025.html
Subscriptions only limited edition 3" CDr, free digital download

Devin Underwood and Marcus Fischer - Correspond
[Distance Recordings]
http://distancerecordings.com/dist020
Free digital download

Time Released Sound...

2011-02-15T16:31:00.000-08:00

What's this...an actual blog post with real hand-typed words? Surely I'm too busy to write anything on this oft neglected blog? Well it's obviously because I have something particularly exciting to share with you all - a new label called Time Released Sound:

www.timereleasedsound.com

As you'll see by exploring the Time Released Sound website, this label is going to be something really special thanks to its wonderfully outlandish hand-craft art aesthetic and superb roster of artists...this is to be a regular port of call for anyone into ambient, drone, modern classical and experimental or folk based music; highly recommended.

MC025: Top Ten albums of the month, January 2011

2011-01-26T03:30:00.000-08:00

I seemed to have stopped 'blogging' for much of the second half of 2011, simply due to being outrageously busy, tinged with a gentle helping of laziness. As it's the first post of the year though, I thought that I at least ought to type something as to show that the blog isn't being run by a robot that just lists my favourite releases of the month...

I was thinking that at the beginning of the year things might dry out a little music-wise, with a lot of artists trying to squeeze something out at the end of the year and others having a bit of a festive break. As I've discovered this year, any attempt at trying to second guess the movements of such artists are to be completely cast aside, since the list below proves that the year is up and running with a bang...
I won't be able to offer a review for each release, but I shall put a link to download/listen to each album and also list its genre. I'll also put the format there too, as all too often I'll blog about something that's near enough sold out and also, there are some quality free download releases out there for

VARIOUS ARTISTS - Hidden Landscapes
[Audio Gourmet/Hibernate]
http://music.audiogourmet.co.uk/album/hidden-landscapes
Limited edition 200 CD + Download through Bandcamp

DAKOTA SUITE & EMMANUELE ERRANTE - The North Green Down
[Lidar]
http://boomkat.com/downloads/364008-dakota-suite-emanuele-errante-the-north-green-down
Modern Classical/Electronic
Digital download

CLEM LEEK - Home Outside
[Rural Colours]
http://shop.hibernate-recs.co.uk/product/clem-leek-home-outside
http://www.ruralcolours.co.uk/releases/rc024/rc024.html
Modern Classical
Limited edition 3" CD-R + Part of the Rural Colours subscription package

AR - Wolf Notes
[Corbel Stone Press]
www.corbelstonepress.com
Modern Classical
Limited edition 200 CD

MARK TEMPLETON - Sea Point
[Anticipate]
http://www.anticipaterecordings.com/releases/ANT_007/ANT_007A/index.php
Electro-Acoustic/Glitch/Electronic
Limited edition 12" Vinyl + Free digital download code

SIMON WHETHAM - Prayers Unheard
[Dragon's Eye]
http://www.dragonseyerecordings.com/catalogue/de5032.html
Field Recordings/Sound Design
Limited edition 200 CD-R

HAKOBUNE - Away From The Lunar Waters
[Hibernate]
http://www.hibernate-recs.co.uk/releases/hb24/hb24.html
Ambient/Drone/Soundscape
Limited edition 200 CD + digital download through Bandcamp

SUBLAMP - In Our Hiding Voice
[Hibernate]
http://www.hibernate-recs.co.uk/releases/hb23/hb23.html
Drone/Noise/Electro-Acoustic
Limited edition 200 CD + digital download through Bandcamp

JUANJO PALACIOS - Portuario
[Audio Talaia]
http://www.audiotalaia.net/at037.html
Drone/Sound Design/Field Recordings
Free Download

SAFFRON SLUMBER - Somnogen
[Resting Bell]
http://www.restingbell.net/releases/rb092-somnogen
Ambient/Drone/Soundscape
Free Download

TOP TEN ALBUMS OF 2010...

2010-12-03T01:36:00.000-08:00

(1). SOPHIE HUTCHINGS "Becalmed" [Preservation]
http://www.preservation.com.au/releases/sophie-hutchings/

(2). TAPE AND BILL WELLS "Fugue" [Immune]
http://immunerecordings.net/fugue/

(3). HESSIEN "Home Is Where The Ghost Is" [Handstitched*]
http://www.handstitched.net/

(4). NEST "Retold" [Serein]
http://www.serein.co.uk/releases/sere001/nest-retold

(5). CLEM LEEK "Holly Lane" [Hibernate]
http://www.hibernate-recs.co.uk/releases/hb19/hb19.html

(6). DANNY PAUL GRODY "Fountain" [Root Strata]
http://rootstrata.com/release/RS57

(7). OFFTHESKY "Hiding Nature" [Home Normal]
http://www.homenormal.com/releases/offthesky-hiding-nature

(8). ERIK K.SKODVIN "Flare" [Sonic Pieces]
http://www.sonicpieces.com/releases/sonicpieces009.htm

(9).MARCUS FISCHER "Monocoastal" [12k]
http://www.12k.com/index.php/site/releases/monocoastal/

(10). TALVIHORROS "Music In Four Movements" [Hibernate]
http://www.hibernate-recs.co.uk/releases/hb13/hb13.html

MDAC024: Monthly Discerning Audio Chart, November 2010

2010-11-30T01:41:00.000-08:00

Marta Mist - Fawn/Marta's Lament

http://martamist.bigcartel.com/product/fawn-martas-lament-cd

Danny Saul - Kinison-Goldthwait
http://www.hibernate-recs.co.uk/releases/hb21/hb21.html

Marcus Fischer - Monocoastal
http://www.12k.com/index.php/site/releases/monocoastal/

Darren Harper - Receding Edge
http://darrenharper.bandcamp.com/album/the-receding-edge

Machinefabriek - Toendra
http://boomkat.com/downloads/360611-machinefabriek-toendra

Philip Sulidae - Lux
http://impulsivehabitat.com/releases/ihab015.htm

Alessio Ballerini - Blanc
http://www.zymogen.net/releases/zym026/
Hessien - Home Is Where The Ghost Is
http://www.handstitched.net/

Greg Davis and Machinefabriek - Drape
http://www.homenormal.com/releases/gareth-davis-machinefabriek-drape
Wil Bolton
http://www.hibernate-recs.co.uk/releases/hb22/hb22.html

MDAC023, Monthly Discerning Audio Chart, October 2010

2010-11-03T06:37:00.000-07:00

Library Tapes - Like Green Grass Against A Blue Sky
email: librarytapesorders@hotmail.com to order a copy

Erik K. Skodvin - Flares
http://www.sonicpieces.com/releases/sonicpieces009.htm

Ithaca Trio & Machinefabriek - Par Avion
http://boomkat.com/downloads/336370-machinefabriek-ithaca-trio-par-avion
Chihei Hatakeyama - Variations
http://www.soundscaping.net/releases/304/variations

Upward Arrows - Upward Arrows
http://www.underthespire.com/

Listening Mirror - RIN
http://www.somehowrecordings.co.uk/shop.html

Hessien - Stelea/Obelisk
http://fluidaudio.bigcartel.com/product/006-obelisk-stelea

Ennio Mazzon - Celadon
http://impulsivehabitat.com/releases/ihab013.htm

MDAC22 - Monthly Discerning Audio Chart, September 2010

2010-10-05T04:12:00.000-07:00

The Green Kingdom - "Prismatic" [Home Assembly Music]
http://www.homeassemblymusic.com/releases%20-%20HAM004.php

Solo Andata - "Ritual" [Desirepath Recordings]
http://www.desirepathrecordings.com/releases/

P.Jorgensen - "Soundtrack_Remixed" [Under The Spire]
http://www.underthespire.co.uk/releases-buy/p-jorgensen-soundtrack_remix/

Andrea Ferraris and Matteo Uggeri -"Autumn Is Coming, We're All In Slow Motion" [Hibernate]
http://www.hibernate-recs.co.uk/releases/hb20/hb20.html

Joshua Carro - "A Cyclic Symphony" [Somehow Recordings]
http://www.somehowrecordings.co.uk/shop.html

Seaworthy and Matt Rosner - "Two Lakes" [12k]
http://www.12k.com/index.php/site/releases/two_lakes/

Sophie Hutchings - "Becalmned" [Preservation]
http://www.piccadillyrecords.com/products/SophieHutchings-Becalmed-Preservation-70224.html

Clouwbeck - "From Which The River Rises"
http://www.fluid-radio.co.uk/2010/08/clouwbeck-from-which-the-river-runs/

The Gentleman Losers - "Rural Route Number Five" [Rural Route/Standard Form]
http://thegentlemanlosers.standardform.org/

The Inventors of Aircraft - "As It Is" [Resting Bell]
http://www.restingbell.net/releases/rb088-as-it-is

MDAC021 - Monthly Discerning Audio Chart, August 2010

2010-09-02T05:35:00.000-07:00

Clem Leek - "Holly Lane"
http://www.hibernate-recs.co.uk/releases/hb19/hb19.html

M.Ostermeier - "Chance Reconstruction"
http://shop.hibernate-recs.co.uk/product/m-ostermeier-chance-reconstruction

Machinefabriek - "The Hilary Jeffery Tape"
http://mim.io/64705

Various Artists - "Hibernate Sampler Volume 2"
http://www.hibernate-recs.co.uk/releases/hbfs02/hbfs02.html

Tomas Philips - "Quartet For Instruments"
http://www.hummingconch.net/releases/conch-007-tomas-phillips-quartet-for-instruments

Loren Chasse & Michael Northam - "The Otolith"
http://boomkat.com/downloads/328475-loren-chasse-michael-northam-the-otolith

Frequent Sync - "Coalesce"
http://www.earthmantra.com/release-detail.php?id=139

Spectra Ciera - "Accumulation Section"
http://www.earthmantra.com/release-detail.php?id=141

Nobuto Suda - "Bottom Of Pocket"
http://www.ruralcolours.co.uk/releases/rc006/rc006.html

Audio Gourmet present...Various Artists "Hidden Landscapes"

2010-08-10T05:46:00.000-07:00

Audio Gourmet netlabel venture has gone from strength to strength over the last few months since its creation - with a series of 15 minute 'teabreak' EPs by talented sound artists from accross the globe:
http://music.audiogourmet.co.uk/

I myself put together a full album release up for sale via the 'full albums' tab on the website:
http://music.audiogourmet.co.uk/album/decompose

I've also been working on mixes throughout the year, supporting lots of my favourite artists with my giant tracklists:
http://www.audiogourmet.co.uk/Mixes.html

And now, my attention turns towards winter with a new venture - the curation of an Audio Gourmet compilation album featuring some of the finest ambient/drone/electro acoustic/sound design artists from around the world.

So far, the provisional line-up is as follows:
Christopher Hipgrave
Damian Valles
Fabio Orsi
The Green Kingdom
Hessien
Ibreathefur
M.Ostermeier
Maps and Diagrams
Martin Herterich
Nicola Ratti
Offthesky
Philip Sulidae
Pillowdiver
Spheruleus

This line-up is subject to change, although hopefully everyone will be able to get a track in to make for one of the best ambient compilations on the market...

Kyle Bobby Dunn - "Rural Route Number 2"

2010-08-09T04:54:00.000-07:00

After the breathtaking recent release of the mighty 'A Young Person's Guide To Kyle Bobby Dunn' on Low Point, Kyle Bobby Dunn returns via Damian Valles' Rural Route imprint. With the lengthy 'AYPGTKBD' adopting a light and refreshing pallette of sound throughout much of its duration, here we are transported to somewhere different, through this much more mysterious listening environment. Dunn's work for Rural Route delves through its two ghostly tracks to haunted horizons, intended to sonically depict his personal experiences and memories of various places he has visited.
I for one thoroughly enjoyed his Low Point album and find myself going back to it regularly for repeated listens. Here with Rural Route number two, I am overwhelmed by this talented and emerging artist's ability to craft different textures and moods within his soundscapes as each release comes out. Kyle Bobby Dunn is up there with the very best at the moment and it would be foolish to miss out on these two eerie and immersive masterpieces. He is able to weave in such a wealth of depth and attention to detail to what is essentially minimalist music. Both tracks are outstanding as ever but for me, the pick of the pair has to be Senium II with its beautiful melancholy arrangement of softly fading chords. This track could loop to stretch out the remainder of a full CD album and I would still thoroughly enjoy every second of it. The music just seems to hang and gives a sense of time being drawn out.

Thoroughly impressive work that comes with my highest recommendation...

MDAC020 - Monthly Discering Audio Chart, July 2010

2010-08-02T04:52:00.000-07:00

A few particularly pleasant listens from the month of July during 2010:

Kyle Bobby Dunn - "Rural Route Number 2" [Rural Route]
http://kylebobbydunn.standardform.org/

Field Rotation - "Why Things Are Different" [Hibernate]
http://www.hibernate-recs.co.uk/releases/hb18/hb18.html
Loren Connors - "Hell's Kitchen Park"
http://boomkat.com/vinyl/317549-loren-connors-hell-s-kitchen-park

Antonymes - "31" [Experimedia]
http://www.antonymes.bandcamp.com/

Saito Koji - "Tokyo Morning Loop" [Resting Bell]
http://www.restingbell.net/releases/rb085-tokyo-morning-loop

Finglebone - "23" [Rural Colours]
http://www.ruralcolours.co.uk/releases/rc003/rc003.html

Sheriff - "Sail, Sail, Sail Away" [Kning]
http://boomkat.com/downloads/318274-sheriff-sail-sail-sail-away

Spheruleus 'Play My Tape' Mix

2010-07-13T06:57:00.000-07:00

http://www.mixcloud.com/spheruleus/spheruleus-play-my-tape-mix/

Track List:

Saddleback – Gerroa Thursday

Shaula – Gate Of Fulfil

Takeshi Nishimoto – Memory 4am

Brunk – Radiostoring

Mark Templeton – Pattern For A Pillow

The Green Kingdom – Into The Magic Light

Offthesky – Desert Poly

Damian Valles – The Rome Walkabout

Manrico Montero – One Minute For The Sun

Tim Hecker – October

Herzog – Lately, I’Ve Been Dreaming Of Drinking Sound From A Fountain

Marcus Fischer – Antarctic 3

Goldmund – The Gardener

Steven R.Smith – Valuska

Loren Connors – Many Miles More

Danny Paul Grody – Fountain (Field Recordings Extract)

Marcus Kuerten – Torcedora

Christopher Mcfall – The Persistance Of A Breakable Memory

Ekca Liena – The More I Add To Another (Spheruleus Remix)

Nest – Trans Siberian (+ Spheruleus Acapella Vocal)

Rafael Anton Irisarri – A Thousand-Yard Stare

Spheruleus – Hanging

Spehruleus – Disintegrate

Text:

After two recent full length mixes 'Marooned' and a mix for Hibernate Records, Harry Towell (aka Spheruleus) tones down the trademark hefty tracklists to create this mixtape for Earzine, a Russian web magazine.

This mix is still CD length as with the others, yet it focusses more on featuring a selection of ambient tracks that have particularly resonated with Harry over the years. The music has become the focal point for this, rather than quick harmonic transitions - although due care and attention has been paid to making it as smooth a mix as possible.

The mix opens with classical piano ambience from Saddleback before heading slowly through occasional guitar moments, most notably a 1993 classic by Loren Connors. Interluding these are various ambient releases and the stunning 'October' by Tim Hecker. The mix closes with Spheruleus pieces and remixes, with a track from recent album 'Decompose':

Enjoy!

MDAC019 - Monthly Discerning Audio Chart, June 2010

2010-07-13T06:53:00.000-07:00

Well, it's all starting to get a bit too much - virtually a part time job! I'm not complaining, because immersing myself in all things 'good music' is what I do best. But unfortunately, this reviews section is going to have to be scaled down a little. I am not going to chop it out of my to-do list all together, as I have always maintained a belief that it is important to show appreciation and support for fellow artists and labels. Just, with the Audio Gourmet netlabel growing, a new release from me and a lot of extra promotion work occupying the bulk of my time, it means I am going to struggle to compile a list of ten albums a month and write a couple of paragraphs for each one.

So, instead of scrapping it altogether, I have decided to list the ten albums/releases as normal and simply link to where you can download or purchase a copy, so that you can form your own opinion. You never know - perhaps this will be better than me rambling on and on about how great an album is! Just one click, and you can make up your own minds!

Anyway, here is June's picks...

CHRISTOPHER HIPGRAVE - Slow, With Pages Of Fluttering Interference [Low Point]
http://www.low-point.com/LP037.html

MAPS AND DIAGRAMS - Cubiclo [Fluid Audio]
http://www.fluid-radio.co.uk/2010/03/maps-and-diagrams-cubiculo/

WARMTH TERMINAL - Getting Close [Hibernate]
http://www.hibernate-recs.co.uk/releases/hb15/hb15.html

BEGINNINGS - Waiting On The Weather [Rural Colous]
http://www.ruralcolours.co.uk/releases/rc001/rc001.html

VARIOUS ARTISTS - Hawk Moon Records: Volume One [Hawk Moon]
http://hawkmoonrecords.bandcamp.com/

LUCETTE BOURDIN - Rumors From Cypress Town [Earth Mantra]
http://www.earthmantra.com/release-detail.php?id=133

VARIOUS ARTISTS - One Minute For The Sun [SEM/IOD]
http://omfts.bandcamp.com/

MARTA MIST - Distance/Skeletal/Union
http://www.hibernate-recs.co.uk/releases/hb16/hb16.html

SPHERULEUS - Decompose
http://music.audiogourmet.co.uk/album/decompose

Spheruleus - "Decompose" Review by Fluid Radio team

2010-07-09T07:29:00.000-07:00

REVIEW ON FLUID RADIO, BY ALEX GIBSON:"When dealing with a release structured solely around the concept of physical disintegration, it would be a fair assumption that the material would be foreboding and gloomy – but not so on the album ‘Decompose’ by Spheruleus, recently released on Audio Gourmet. Based around the idea of organisms of all types breaking down into another form over time, the eight tracks are thematically constructed from what appear to have been carefully built loops and layers of field noise. These are in turn deconstructed in a process of “decomposition”, forming new pieces in their own right.
Proceedings open with “Corroding”, which sets the stage for the hour to follow. Both cavernous and aquatic, it introduces the mood and tone of the layers used in all tracks. The texture sounds are gritty without being abrasive, and are used to good effect in creating an environment best appreciated through headphones late at night. What appear to be guitar notes chime in a circular motif throughout, creating a subtle melody blending with well placed layers that rise and fall in both sides of the speakers.
As the process of disintegration is a long and slow one, most pieces are aptly lengthy, most being the best part of ten minutes each – the size of each track really captures the listener, and the album as a whole represents a real journey that envelops and commands attention. It wasn’t until the third or fourth listen that I even registered the absence of a defined bottom end – which is an entirely appropriate decision by the artist, given the subject matter. An exploration of graceful degradation rightly should not carry too much weight?

A few of the standout tracks are “Decay” – an even and percussive pulse which hints at a crescendo never quite arriving, swaying with well placed guitar flares, micro noise and almost perceptible layers. “Disintegrate” conjures an image of time lapse film of fallen birds becoming one with the earth, and “Recycling” alternates between metallic and organic tones – you can hear the fingerprints on the empty drink cans as they’re sorted to be melted down, moving towards the furnace.

Harry Towell and his brother Stuart have developed between them a statement on the ephemeral and transitory nature of the world we move in today.
Audio Gourmet’s recent releases have been based around the concept of “teabreak” length listens, slices of music that can be digested in 15 minutes or less – this represents a move towards “lunchbreak” length portions of music of an hour or more. The teabreak EP’s have been free downloads, however the “Decompose” project is a paid download due to the seemingly considerable time and effort that has gone into producing it. It’s as good a 5 pound download as one could hope to find as well, with striking cover art by French artist Eric Lacombe (Monstror). It’s available in the multiple file types (lossless included) that you’d expect from Bandcamp. It come up well in the 320k MP3 files I grabbed, but would doubtless shine even brighter as FLAC.
“Decompose” sat well in most environments – it was the first thing I listened to in the morning, and steadied my nerves before a demanding day at work – it wiped it away once I was done, and was also worthy of the complete attention given to it late at night. I’m uncertain as to how it was mastered, but it plays well both in headphones and hitting the air. It also displays one of the traits that good records possess – it changes form with every listen, and by concentrating on one particular part of the spectrum, another part displays itself in a way that it hadn’t previously.
As the tracks have been developed out of musical parts that have been treated and broken down, they retain a hint of their former shape. There’s a lot of implied melody, where after you’ve finished listening you’re left with a phrase that wasn’t actually there, but was a combination of parts operating in tandem to create the part in between your ears.
Can’t wait for the next one."

2010-07-06T05:03:00.000-07:00

http://music.audiogourmet.co.uk/album/decompose

'Decompose' was originally conceived as an album project when I got thinking the about method in which I create ambient music. Typically, I would perform or 'compose' a melody on an instrument and record this take when I was happy with it. Then, the next step is to record another harmonically compatible layer with a different instrument. This will continue with up to four or so compositions and then I would begin to 'decompose' them into an abstract ambient/drone soundscape.

As I began to gather the tracks for 'Decompose' my attention turned to the track titles and that's when the concept of the album began to branch out to reference and portray the seemingly endless cycle of the world around us. When an organism ceases, it decomposes and becomes part of something else - it will rot into the soil and the disintegrating fragments will eventually take form as something else. This is not just the case with living organisms; it is also the case with everyday house hold objects, buildings and seemingly everything. The world will naturally recycle - very little disappears completely.

Special thanks to my brother Stuart, who performed the guitar samples that helped form 'Decay' and 'Rots To Nothing?'

Artwork by Eric 'Monstror' Lacombe. Visit http://monstror.blogspot.com/ to view more of his superb artwork. With the album concept in mind, throughout the recording process I would constantly refer to this album cover image for inspiration. I'd like to thank Eric for allowing me to use his work for this album and also, for the artwork on my albums 'Frozen Quarters' and 'Tales From The Labyrinth".

With extra special thanks to friends, labels and fellow artists that have helped support both the Spheruleus project and the Audio Gourmet label

Rural Colours

2010-07-06T03:14:00.000-07:00

http://www.ruralcolours.co.uk/

Just thought I'd inform of a new netlabel/label run by Hibernate Records owner Jonathan Lees. It will contain free high-quality releases focussing on the exerimental folk, ambient and drone genres, available for free download through the website.

There is also a subscription option available, which will buy you a pack of three 3" CDrs and access to mp3s as soon as the masters arrive!

So far, we've had two superb releases from Beginnings and Listening Mirror...

Movement 1 by Audio Gourmet Netlabel

2010-06-22T06:09:00.003-07:00

http://soundcloud.com/user5563922/movement-1

Forthcoming piece by Spheruleus...artwork by Eric Lacombe (Monstror) http://monstror.blogspot.com

Methods:

Recorded and treated compositions of piano and zither.

Additional accent melodies ran through granular synthesis and treated further to create lulling ambient drones

Spheruleus - Marooned (Volume One)

2010-06-22T04:21:00.000-07:00

http://www.mixcloud.com/spheruleus/marooned-vol1/

Marooned is a new annual mix CD project from Harry Towell, who is also known for running the Audio Gourmet label www.audiogourmet.co.uk and for his sound design work as Spheruleus.

For Volume One, the Marooned series kicks off with a whopping sixty tracks all mixed seamlessly and harmonically into an immersive ambient collage. It features sections of deep drones, glimpses of modern classical and is altogether a sleepy selection of ever expanding ambient moments. For those who are very much interested in ambient music, this will be a great mix of both familiar and unfamiliar works. For those who are relatively new to ambient music, this should be the perfect introduction to this wonderful style of music. Please support and read up about the artists and labels who have formed part of this mix.

TRACKLIST:

01 Vincent Kuhner “First”

02 Pillowdiver “Eleven”

03 Foci’s Left “Regurgitated Impulses” (David Tagg Remix)

04 Rim “Gusts Of Sand”

05 Michael Trommer “Wallace Stevens”

06 Ian Hawgood “The Marbled World”

07 Arcticology “Forest”

08 IJO “Stomm”

09 Darren Harper “Leaves and Piano”

10 Offthesky “Burning Of Pella Soleil”

11 Jannick Schou “Polar Drone”

12 Damian Valles “Ridge and Furrow”

13 Andrew Thomas “Hazer II”

14 Pausal “Fall On Certain Accents”

15 Parhelion “Forgotten Outpost”

16 Stray Ghost “Part Six”

17 David Velez “Lev”

18 Fabio Orsi “Part One”

19 Jacob Newman “Slow Wave Dreaming”

20 Maps and Diagrams “The Melancholy Of The Weavers”

21 Gareth Hardwick “London”

22 Christopher Hipgrave “Go With The Loops”

23 Warmth Terminal “They Sat Down And Sighed Happily”

24 Rafael Anton Irisarri “Hopes and Past Desires”

25 Pawn “Bottom Of Bottle”

26 Ian Hawgood “Sulci”

27 Hessien “Neroli Orange Blossom”

28 Herzog “Congratulations, Here’s Your Mountain”

29 Exuviae “Luminosity”

30 Heezen “Intro”

31 Christopher Willits and Ryuichi Sakamoto “Umi”

32 Richard Moult “Procyon Over Beinn Airigh Charr”

33 Ennio Mazzon “De La Lutte”

34 Robert Fripp and Brian Eno “Wind On Water”

35 Mark Templeton “Pigeon Hurt”

36 Ibreathefur “Waking Up Sync”

37 Olan Mill “An Obedient Ear”

38 Talvihorros “And Then They Walked Into The Sea”

39 Tobias Hellkvist “Sore”

40 Rameses III “Clouds King”

41 Harold Budd and Clive Wright “Damask, Then”

42 Mountains “Below”

43 Carl Sagan’s Ghost “Hallowed and Hungry”

44 Spheruleus “Opaque”

45 Brian Grainger “Brittle Harvest Memory”

46 Oathless “Der Flug”

47 Taylor Deupree “Snow, Dusk, Dawn”

48 M.Ostermeier “Lost Weekend”

49 Jasper TX “A” (Remix by Xela)

50 Ithaca Trio “Catching Monkeyes”

51 Bohren & Der Club Of Gore “Welten”

52 Shaula “Ghost Of Me”

53 Hiroki Sasajima “Roukoku”

54 Chihei Hatakeyama “Under The Sun”

55 Christopher Hipgrave “Bright and Fluid As Mercury”

56 Letna “Jezera”

57 Jasper Leyland “It Swept”

58 Svarte Greiner “Ullsokk”

59 Svarte Greiner “The Black Dress”

60 Spheruleus “The Tide On Blakeney Point”

Audio Gourmet Netlabel - new site!

2010-06-11T04:33:00.000-07:00

Just a very quick announcement - for those who have been enjoying the releases on the Audio Gourmet Netlabel blog...we have a new address! This comes courtesy of Jonathan Lees from Hibernate Records and can be visited here:

http://www.audiogourmet.co.uk/

From now on, the blog will be disused and eventually deleted when the crossover is fully complete. Please use this new address as your first port of call for new releases.

Next up on the label, we've an EP from the SubVersions blog writer under his new production Foci's Left. This features two of his own productions spanning the last three years and a collection of remixes from David Tagg, Darren Harper and Spheruleus.

After this, we have a three track EP from talented experimental jazz guitarist Alvari Lume. This Finnish artist is extremely talented and sees the Audio Gourmet netlabel adding diversity to the music policy as its catalog expands. This EP will be titled 'Ennen', meaning then in Finnish and is a collection of older works from the artist. Forthcoming as a future release will be another EP from Alvari Lume, titled 'nyt', meaning now in Finnish. This is a collection of experimental pieces he is working on now...

Spheruleus Mix for Hibernate Records

2010-06-01T02:55:00.000-07:00

http://www.mixcloud.com/hibernaterecs/hibernate-recordings-the-hole-in-twall-19510/?utm_source=widget&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=flash_links&utm_term=title

Been meaning to post this one up for a while - I spent an awful long time compiling and mixing together this CD length mix for a recent Hibernate Records night that featured performances from Simon Scott, Machinefabriek, Clem Leek and Relmic Statute. This mix was given away for donations towards the artists on the night and has been uploaded to Mixcloud by Hibernate's label owner Jonathan so that all may listen.

The ideas in my head whilst making the mix were to put together a cross section of ambient music styles that I have particularly enjoyed over the years. These include Drone, Modern Classical, Electro-Acoustic and Field Recordings pieces. The next big thing I wanted to include in this mix was harmonic mix transitions, which allowed me to quickly fade between tracks that were harmonically complimentary to one another. This is an approach that I am keen to build on with another mix lined up. The approach has meant that I have been able to maximise the amount of material used. I made sure that a piece from each of the performing artists on the night was used and have also included a few works from my own production catalog.
I'd like to particularly draw attention to my track 'Feldspar' recorded under my Spheruleus production alias. This is part of a forthcoming album 'Clandestine' that will be released on Hibernate Records at the end of the year.

Anyway, enough waffle - here's the tracklist:
01 Spheruleus (Various field recordings)

02 Clem Leek - "Snow Tale #1" [Experimedia, 2010]
03 Pawn "The Creak Of The Chair" [Cotton Goods, 2010]
04 Ithaca Trio - "Dragon Sleeps Well" [Under The Spire, 2010]
05 Nicola Ratti - "Dew and Curfew" [Anticipate, 2008]
06 Damian Valles - "A Wake Pattern" [Resting Bell, 2010]
07 Seaworthy - "Ammunition 2" [12k, 2009]
08 Spheruleus - "Feldspar" [Hibernate, Unreleased]
09 Inverz - "Slow" [Phantom Channel, 2009]
10 Andrew Thomas - "A Dream Of A Spider" [Kompakt, 2010]
11 Sylvie Walder and Entia Non - "Un Soir D'Octobre" [Resting Bell, 2008]
12 Letna - "Crossing The Bridge (Novisad)" [Zymogen, 2008]
13 Dirac - "Bantu" [Spekk, 2009]
14 Offthesky - "Still Water Tear" [Audio Talaia, 2009]
15 Hildur Gudnadottir - "Elevation" [Touch. 2009]
16 Maps and Diagrams - "Savannakhet" [Yuki Yaki, 2009]
17 Hauschka - "Cardiff" [Karaoke Kalk, 2007]
18 Sawako - "Wind Shower Particle" [12k, 2008]
19 Chihei Hatakeyama - "The Dance Of The Sea" [Home Normal, 2010]
20 Julien Neto - "Farewell" [Type, 2009]
21 Jasper TX - "Harrisburg 2" [Under The Spire, 2010]
22 Asher - "14" [Room 40, 2009]
23 Machinefabriek - "IJspret 1" [Self-Release, 2009]
24 Yui Onodera - "Entropy 2" [Trumn, 2009]
25 Sleeping Me - "Cradlesong" [Hidden Shoal, 2009]
26 Zvezdara - "Le Temps Nest Pas Importanti Ici" [Standard Klik, 2005]
27 Offthesky - "Hand Held Lightly" [Home Normal, 2010]
28 Arve Henriksen - "From Birth" [ECM, 2008]
29 Jasper Leyland - "Taken" [12x50, 2008]
30 Rameses III - "Across The Lake Is Where My Heart Shines" [Type, 2009]
31 Mountains - "Interlude" [Apestaartje, 2007]
32 Akira Kosemura - "Guitar" [Someone Good, 2010]
33 Ryonkt - "Toy Camera" [Experimedia, 2009]
34 Tobias Hellkvist - "Sore" [Home Normal, 2010]
35 Pausal - "One Watery Lens" [Barge, 2010]
36 Simon Scott - "The Old Jug and Drum" [Miasmah, 2009]
37 Fabio Orsi - "Part 3" [Slow Flow, 2010]
38 Kyle Bobby Dunn - "The Tributary (For Voices Lost) [Moodgadget, 2009]
39 Spheruleus - "Moss" [Under The Spire, 2010]
40 Andrey Kiritchenko - "Let Oneself In" [Spekk, 2009]
41 Relmic Statute - "Exploratory Notes" [High Linear Music, 2010]

MDAC018 - Monthly Discerning Audio Chart, May 2010

2010-05-25T03:11:00.000-07:00

Obviously this month I've been particularly busy setting up the Audio Gourmet netlabel - which has posed me with an issue for when writing my reviews each month...should I include reviews about E.Ps released on my label in this section? I've thought long and hard, and decided not to do so, since an element of promotional bias will start to creep in and that's not why I write about music. So, here are ten albums/E.Ps/mixes that I've particlularly enjoyed listening to during May.

TALVIHORROS - "Music In Four Movements"
I have known for a few weeks that I would eventually have to sit down to write a review about this magnificent record. I've wrestled with how I can best do it justice for much of the month and it would seem that I am not the only one. If you take a look around the internet, this record out now on Hibernate is getting a lot of deserved attention. And rightly so - this really is a stunning piece of work.
Talvihorros is the project pseudonym of Ben Chatwin and he uses an array of instruments to form the backbone of his work that covers a range of experimental frequencies. The concept behind 'Music In Four Movements' is to provide a musical exploration of studies Chatwin carried out on suicide, particularly drowning, capturing the essence of the thoughts and feelings one might have had whilst embarking on ending their life. A bleak, doom laced concept for an album, but those of you that like your ambient on the lighter side, don't be put off. For this record, despite its obviously daunting theme has plenty of empowering and deeply atmospheric moments. It is at times positive and triumphant amongst all of the murk and gloom.
Most of the tracks that make up these four movements are longer-form, yet not linear in structure or direction. The music of Talvihorros is constantly changing, evolving - full of twists and turns to serve as a truly immersive listening experience. Never does it become a predictable listen, even after having listened several times. The depth of this record is indescribable and I believe that in 'Music In Four Movements', we have a true classic that people will look back on and smile about for decades to come.
One thing is for certain, it is because of magnificent music like this that I am happy to continue my existence on this planet. An album that comes with my highest recommendation.
http://www.hibernate-recs.co.uk/

KYLE BOBBY DUNN - "A Young Person's Guide To Kyle Bobby Dunn"
Spread over two discs, 'A Young Person's Guide To Kyle Bobby Dunn' is an epic and immersive ambient album of the highest quality. Four tracks on the first disc will be pieces familiar to those who purchased 'Fervency', released last year on Moodgadget. The rest of the material are works by this talented New York based ambient music composer, written at around the same time as 'Fervency'.
Dunn arranged for a selection of classical musicians to record for this album and then set about his process of digitally retreating these takes into an environment of soundwashes and delicately crafted drones. The whole album is beautifully restful stuff and will take quite some time for the listener to get to grips with. It is full of charm and requires time to truly get to know it as a whole, which is one of the truly wonderful things about this type of music. The record is mostly quiet and unobtrusive, gentle and softly paced - it is easy to just slump back and daydream whilst listening to these works. My personal favourite piece has to be 'Empty Gazing' - the orchestral rearrangements in this piece epitomise the slumped-back listening state you'll no doubt adopt throughout your listen to 'A Young Person's Guide To...'. This is a stunning collection of some of the very best ambient drones I have heard for some time and you'd be a fool to miss out on this - at just £9.50 for the two discs! Head over to LowPoint now to check it out: http://www.low-point.com/LP033.html

PADANG FOOD TIGERS - "Go Down, Moses"
Another excellent release from the ever consistent Under The Spire label; here we are treated to a three track E.P from a relatively unheard of artist. That is what has been so fantastic about Under The Spire as a label - label owner Chris has been selecting a blend of established artists such as Rameses III, Zelienople and Jasper TX and releasing their work alongside new and relatively unheard of talent. Here with Padang Food Tigers' release, we have a record in the latter category.
This painfully short E.P is evidence that there is still a wealth of superb artists emerging in the scene and things are as healthy as they have ever been. 'Go Down, Moses' opens with the title track , which fuses field recordings with banjo and piano composition. Secondly, 'Wandering Souls' is the track that was originally posted on Under The Spire's Soundcloud account and is a track that sums up the overall demeanour of the E.P - short, sweet and breezy. Closing the record is 'Corn Stem King', my personal favourite piece. More delicate, relaxed instrumentation with an ending that closes using environmental field recordings.
This is just how I like my music - raw and acoustic with the subtlest of electronic treatment. I've been enjoying this all month and if there are any copies left lying around - I strongly suggest you get one purchased. I wonder whether the Padang Food Tigers will be releasing a full album...?
http://www.underthespire.co.uk/

HESSIEN - "Hessien E.P"
May has seemed to be the month of the E.P - I started my Audio Gourmet netlabel, purely focussed on releasing short E.Ps and there appears to be quite a lot of shorter records out at the moment. That said, this eponymously titled excursion by Hessien has been floating around since the beginning of the year and it's only since learning of its existence courtesy of a Fluid Radio that I've downloaded my copy.
Hessien are a duo from Australia and England respectively and have other releases out of equal quality, such as the brilliant 'Skurjn'. Much of their work is available for an attractively priced download from their Bandcamp site or a physical copy can be obtained through Hand Stitched.
The E.P itself flows superbly as a whole and is absolutely full of tonal texture and carefully woven detail. Glitchy vintage crackling and subtle electronic effects punctuate genrle drones and electro acoustic guitar melodies. This is wonderful stuff - short, sweet and very listenable indeed. It would be very silly to miss out on this one...
http://handstitched.bandcamp.com/

OLAN MILL - "Pine"
Serein as a label has had a recent overhaul and moved away from its netlabel roots. It is now a full label, releasing at a slow and steady rate to allow each record to fully sink in. First up, spearheading a big year for the label was Nest's 'Retold' and next is this wonderful collection of modern classical ambient pieces from Olan Mill.
'Pine' is a record full of cinematic soundtrack moments; epic and beautifully paced throughout, it is simply breathtaking. To create these film-score like compositions, Olan Mill's Alex Smalley and Svitlana Samoylenko used piano, violin, pipe organ and guitar. This is so delicately crafted, that I believe it is going to be talked about for some time and is likely to be a classic in many a playlist. Despite its short timeframe of just 35 minutes, it just seems to hang suspended in time and will leave you feeling utterly refreshed. What a stunning debut from this pair of musicians...a must buy for all.
http://www.serein.co.uk/

OFFLAND - "Anniversary E.P"
After particularly enjoying Offland's last release 'The Commute', I was excited to see that this 'Anniversary' E.P has recently come out on Resting Bell. For this release, Tim Dwyer has ditched the longerform piece style used in 'Commute' in favour of this collection of short works capturing recordings made at his wedding.
This capturing sound process is something that I have long been interested in as a sound designer myself. I find it fascinating that you can record a selection of sounds and then have these saved permanently to preserve that timeframe and environment permanently to trigger nostalgia over future listens.
This is at its most powerful for the person making the recording and for those present, as they will be able to distinguish what the different sounds represent.
For those not present at the time of the recordings on this E.P, we still have a collection of ambient pieces that are a relevant listening experience to enjoy - each piece is accompanied by drones and soundscaping to add an extra listening dimension. More great music from Resting Bell and more from Offland. Download here:
http://www.restingbell.net/

HAROLD BUDD and CLIVE WRIGHT - "Little Windows"
Harold Budd has become one of the instantly recognisable figures in ambient music over the years and is famous for his work with the likes of Brian Eno and Robin Guthrie. Here with 'Little Windows', we've a delightful album of many depths, showcasing Budd's work alongside Clive Wright. The album itself is the third part of a trilogy and only one of the tracks is a full collaboration between the two artists. The rest of the album is split between tracks from each artist and it showcases their own individual talents at creating experimental ambient music. Budd has the last three tracks reserved for his minimalist piano compositions that he is so revered for. The main ingredient to this album is the fact that each artist is allowed to express themself individually, which creates a varied palette of sounds for the listener to indulge in. It never becomes samey and is literally full of interesting tones to get your ears round.

OFFTHESKY - "Du Soleil"
Resting Bell have been consistently putting out top quality netlabel music for a few years now and this seems to have intensified over the last couple of months. Release after release has been absolutely spot on - it seems they can do no wrong.
Here we have a re-release of works from the prolific and immensely talented sound designer from Kentucky, Jason Corder. Under his OffTheSky moniker, he has won many fans and admirers over the years and is widely regarded as one of the top sound designers in the world.
This record features some material from an earlier release and is accompanied by a collection of remixes towards the end. The level of attention to detail from Corder is as meticulous as ever - over the course of this record there is just so much to listen to! Drones, dound washes, instrument manipulation, clicks, crackles, noises, field recordings, weird vocals and effects. Despite this level of detail, the works still retain a beautifully immersive feel - hazy, dreamy and at times, otherworldy. It is easy to get lost and ignore the wealth of detail that Corder has painstakingly woven into this record. This is astonishing ambient sound design and the fact that it is free makes it all the more unmissable.
http://www.restingbell.net/

ANDRES KRAUSE - "Move Ground"
Because of its expense, I rarely buy vinyl these days. This is one of the main reasons that I gave up DJing in fact and I felt that simply buying CDJs just wouldn't be the same. Still, I've always loved vinyl and have my turntables set up permanently.
Despite the general expense putting me off, something really drew me towards this record by talented German sound designer Andres Krause, packaged in beautifully designed sleeve artwork. I think in fact, the combination of this stunning artwork, the audio samples on various websites and the write ups all helped clinch the sale. There is an air of mystery about the whole thing that really intrigued me.
Once the record arrived, I stuck it on the platter and allowed the Cologne-based environmental sounds to emanate he room. Field recordings are used an awful lot these days in ambient sound design - but what really has me interested is when they are used to transform the lsitener to a far away environment and give me the sense of actually being there. Krause uses his recordings to do just that.
Whilst field recordings provide the focus for much of this excursion, they are accompanied by the gentle hum of ambient drones used tastefully throughout. This record will have you going back again and again...for years to come. Its subtletly is its appeal...

THE LOWLIGHT MIXES - "Thru The Field"
Despite my blog entry earlier in the month, I thought I'd give this superb mix from the Lowlight Mixes a few words as I am very grateful to Dave for his consistent support of my works as Spheruleus.
This mix is centered around field recordings and environmental sound recordings with vague musical interludes. The mix will transport you slowly to many a far away environment, through subtle tonal moments and occasional drone washes. Another excellent mix from the Lowlight mixes...download here:
http://lowlightmixes.blogspot.com/

The Lowlight Mixes - Thru The Field

2010-05-21T03:44:00.000-07:00

Another wonderful mix from The Lowlight Mixes here:

http://lowlightmixes.blogspot.com/2010/05/thru-field.html

The mix is in the field series - a collection of mixes based on field recordings and recorded sound.
In the mix, Dave has selected a couple of older Spheruleus pieces as well as a new piece featured on the Rust E.P. He also closes the mix with a track from Darren Harper's Momentary E.P, also on the Audio Gourmet Netlabel.

Check it out!

NEW!! Audio Gourmet Netlabel

2010-05-06T14:15:00.000-07:00

http://audiogourmetnetlabel.blogspot.com/

Hello all! I have been exceptionally busy this week - I've only gone and set up my own netlabel haven't I?
I guess this has always been on the cards and a direction I've been increasingly heading towards for some time now.
The main thing that makes the Audio Gourmet netlabel a little different is its release concept:

"To showcase a collection of short albums and E.Ps that can be listened to in full during a standard working tea-break."

Each Audio Gourmet netlabel release will be no longer than fifteen minutes and not much shorter than fourteen. As it says above in the label mission-statement, this has been set so that listeners can download quickly, and listen to the works of talented ambient artists and sound designers all within the time it takes to drink a cup of coffee and have a slice of cake. Many of you will yearn for a refreshing listening experience on occasions when you simply don't have the time to sit down and listen through an entire album-long release. So, let the Audio Gourmet Netlabel be your portal for that quick recess period, and may you feel refreshed and inspired after listening!

The other benefits of this label include:

Quick upload process - means I can get an E.P uploaded during a lunch-hour. Should be two or three releases out a month at the very least.
Short timeframe means artists are able to get an E.P made quicker than a usual release.
Gives artists a window to maybe try something different or collaborate as an experiment
An artist can supplement a full album release with a free E.P to promote their main project. Could serve as the 'bonus material' accompanying E.P
I will do everything I can to promote the artist - the release section will include a 'further reading/links' header, which an artist can supply me with information on anything else they want to promote and also links to biographies, discographies, other releases and general information. I want to build a community and support as many different individuals interested in the ambient music scene as possible.

So there you have it - head over to the netlabel site on the link above, and download its very first release: an E.P from myself, under my Spheruleus guise...

The Lowlight Mixes - Driftage

2010-04-28T05:05:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to inform of this cracking new mix up on the Lowlight Mixes blogspot. The track 'Orchid' from my current Spheruleus album 'Frozen Quarters' has been selected for the mix, amongst good company from the likes of Pausal, Windy and Carl, Fabio Orsi, M.Ostermeier and other great pieces of work.

Here is the link to download this hour of excellent music for free:

http://lowlightmixes.blogspot.com/2010/04/driftage.html

MDAC017 - Monthly Discerning Audio Chart, April 2010

2010-04-25T15:09:00.000-07:00

GARETH HARDWICK - "London 220109"
The ever expanding Under The Spire catalog continues its high-quality output policy with this near half-hour contribution from Low Point label boss Gareth Hardwick. I've only recently received it through the post and have been listening to it an awful lot so that I can include it in this month's review section. I often find that as much as I want to support the label wherever I can, I end up writing a few words about UTS releases when they have near enough sold out! So got in quick with this one.
I didn't need long to decide whether this piece would be included this month, since Gareth is a top artist and I'd already enjoyed listening to the samples on the UTS website. The half hour arrangement of drone washes, guitar sounds, field recordings and carefully drawn out atmospherics is ever-changing and full of slowly evolving detail. Rather than being a linear drone written for background listening purposes, Hardwick has carefully sculpted this piece into something that is interesting and detailed enough to serve for a conscious listening experience. I am aware from the release notes that this is in fact a release of part of a live performance, I gather at London hence the title. It opens up with eerie atmosphere based passages before expanding to that slowly evolving dronescape.
I remember cycling along earlier this week as I listened to this, and being forced to smile that special smile that signifies I'm listening to something that is simply overwhelming. I dare say I'll be coming back to this one a lot over the forthcoming years...

M.OSTERMEIER - "Lakefront"
It only took a few seconds of listening to the samples on the Hibernate Records website before instinctively ordering myself a copy of this superb album. Ostermeier is a new name as far as I am concerned, although I am told that he has another excellent record out on Parvo Art.
I've listened to Lakefront all the way through several times throughout the month and I can vouch that this is a stunning piece of work right the way through. Essentially, you could describe this as an album of piano based moments. Although, such is the painstakingly attentive sound design from this artist there is more than enough additional substance to give it that obvious edge when compared to against many of the piano-based albums that are about. It would in fact be fair to say that this isn't a piano-led album - the piano passages serve as mere moments that are part of Ostermeier's overall sound collage. The album is full of detail and intelligent design - you'll soon get lost in what could easily be one of the releases of 2010. A must buy for any fan of ambient music.

RYONKT - "North Small Town"
Next up on Hibernate is a superb short album from young Japanese artist Ryo Nakata under his Ryonkt banner. This album feels like a miniature sequel to his last release on Under The Spire 'Window To The Room', with its gentle, relaxing collection of drones. However, rather than 'North Small Town' being just a further extention of previous output, it has a couple of unique features.
Firstly, although there are four separate untitled pieces, interestingly they all feel harmonically related. These pieces could perhaps have been arranged into a single longformer but instead, they have been left as four individual segments - each with their own subtle nuances in character.
The drone construction is typical of Ryo's familiar style - deep, atmospheric, but always melodic. He has also used a very slight hint of field recordings as with his Under The Spire release. Although, with this record they heighten as the album draws to a close on 'Untitled 4' with what seems to be a snow footprints recording.
The other key ingredient to this short album is the provision of mastering duties from Jannick Schou. He has brought an element of power to Ryonkt's drones which add a new slant to his work. I found that in 'Window To The Room' the drones were quiet and gentle which would induce a sleepy listening state. Schou has really added that element of power to these works to encourage more constant conscious listening, whilst still allowing the listener to reduce the volume at will for a more restful state.
More superb work from a superb artist. What more would you expect?

TOBIAS HELLKVIST - "Evolutions"
Ian Hawgood's Home Normal label is a trusty port of call for most who are keen on the modern ambient scene as he has a forward thinking music policy and selects works from some of the best sound designers in the world. This is whether they are familiar names like Jason Corder's Offthesky project or works from Hawgood himself, or whether they are new and emerging names. Tobias Hellkvist is more of an emerging name - at least as far as I am concerned, and here he turns in a solid ambient/sound design albums that is up there with some of the best material to come out on the label. Hellkvist has crafted a truly magnificent album spanning from gentle soundwashes, through lush guitar accents and other instrument manipulations. The album serves up a varied palette of sounds that will keep you interested and likely keep you going back for more helpings for years to come. There's been a lot of stuff out on Home Normal this month, and in particular, this for me is a 'must purchase'.

FABIO ORSI - "Winterreise"
Italian drone master Fabio Orsi has had this album out on Slow Flow for a few weeks now. I only got round to downloading it at the beginning of the month and I've been enjoying this one all month. 'Wintereisse' is an album of six parts, fusing unusual and almost choral drones with gentle field recordings and hushed instrument sounds. Orsi is an obviously talented artist with an interesting approach to ambient music, who is able to make his drones feel that extra bit different and unique. The one thing that I am very much looking forward to, is listening to this winter themed album in context later in the year. The one thing with writing a season-based piece of work is that by the time a label can release it, it may come out off-season, as with this. But this is a solid effort anyway - you'll still enjoy it during the summer and my goodness, it will sound excellent when winter eventually comes round again...

RELMIC STATUTE - "Abscon (5.L) Ditus Ianua"
I'm still always keen to keep an eye on netlabel releases, as I know that there are some talented artists out there who are happy to give their music away for free. However, when I discovered that Relmic Statute has an album out on High Linear Music, I was particularly excited. Dave Horner, a British artist, has had releases on a few labels including the likes of Hibernate and is renowned for his live performances. His music is tape-loop manipulation based and fuses finely-woven deep drones with field recordings and instrument takes. This album features four mid-length tracks that span through these sound sources in an exploratory fashion, taking your head through a cloudy, lulling journey as you listen. The opening piece is awash with restful beauty and evolving layers of sound and is a track that I am particularly fond of - but the favourite has to be 'Exploratory Notes' as the guitar use in this is just mindblowingly beautiful. The fact that this album is free means that this really can't be overlooked if you're interested in extremely good ambient music.
SUSTAINER - "Distancia"
An unfamiliar name emerged on the Audio Talaia netlabel earlier this month as this two track E.P from Sustainer is available for free download. The fact that mastering duties were done by Ian Hawgood was enough to seal the need to at least listen. And these two mid-length pieces certainly don't disappoint. Two shimmering ambient drones that are sure to push all the right buttons available free of charge to anyone who should want them in their music collection. I check the Audio Talaia label every couple of months and give the back-catalog releases a listen to see if there's anything I've missed out on - and this release in many ways is amongst the labels finest audio excursions to date. Sustainer is a name I have added fondly to my list of artists to keep watch on and I look forward to future projects from this talented Spanish artist.

ASUNA & OPITOPE - "Sunroom"
'Sunroom' sees the collaboration of the industrious Chihei Hatakeyama and musician Date, treating us to a feast of sunny electro-acoustic ambient pieces. I first listened to this album on a day off, as I cycled through local villages on a hot sunny day. Unfortunately, my tyre burst when I was six miles from home...As I waited for my lift to arrive, I remember wandering around the countryside whilst listening to this album - thinking, this is likely to be my summer listening companion for quite some time.
In parts, this is a light melodic drone affair, delicately punctuated by gentle electro-acoustic instrumentation. At other times, the instrumentation takes the lead to provide almost song-like melodies.
Although with similarities, as far as this record is concerned, this is a different direction for Hatakeyama. With Date, he explores the instrument based route as the main ingredient to this sun-drenched excursion. Only in the last track 'Column Of Air' are we provided with an example of the sort of drone work that is typical of Hatakeyama.
This is a bright, optimistic and summery ambient album that comes with my strong recommendation.

DAMIAN VALLES - "Bow Echoes"
I was aware of Damian Valles' presence in the Under The Spire back catalog and although I have been able to flick through samples of the release on various distribution websites, I have missed the boat in terms of purchasing a copy. If karma exists however, then I must have been particularly well behaved of late, as Valles has released a wonderful album on one of my favourite netlabels, Resting Bell. It's without doubt one of the very best albums to come out in the netlabel scene of all time and it is an album with the strength of character to stand up aside works by the likes of Fennesz, Pillowdiver et al.
The key to a good ambient album could be depth, personality or simplicity; it could be many things. In the case of 'Bow Echoes', it is its varying palette of electro-acoustic tones, drones and recordings. This record is absolutely brimming with character from the sun-drenched opener to the dreamy ambient drones it closes on. The audio speaks for itself and from first listen to this, you'll soon agree that Damian Valles is a name to watch out for in the scene. Even further enhancing this Creative Commons netlabel release is the addition of an accompanying video for the first track.
This is a very very fine netlabel release package overall - it would be criminal to miss out on this one.
PAWN - "A Hum Of The Library"
I'm sure it annoys people that I write a couple of paragraphs that could be enough to encourage a purchase of an album, only for you to find that said album has since sold out. However, how could I not include something as good as this? And besides, when I began writing these mindless ramblings on this very blog some time ago the initial purpose was to basically list the ten albums I have personally enjoyed. Well this has been something of an instant classic and I'm sure it's not just myself who'll be saying this. Pawn is the work of Japanese artist and in this particular album, he teams up with gifted British cellist Danny Norbury for the track 'The Book That Is Never Read'. Norbury's composition is simply beautiful as ever and tinged with the depth of melancholy only the cello can conjur. The rest of the album sees mainly short pieces ranging from delicate piano deconstructions, field recordings and lulling drones. Closing 'A Hum Of The Library', is a nine minute drone with a constant ventilation hum. Overall, the works cover a range of ambient styles and the library-themed narrative is strong and interesting. This album was extremely limited and sold out very quickly - any future output from Pawn is to be met with high expectation if this is anything to go by.

Hibernate Recordings Showcase on Fluid Radio...

2010-04-06T02:35:00.000-07:00

I am just far too late with this post about a live Fluid Radio broadcast from Hibernate Recordings label manager Jonathan Lees, showcasing a selection of tracks from forthcoming releases. Unfortunately, I am that late with my post about it that the mix has since been broadcast live and you will have missed it - that is, if you rely solely on me as the informer of such goings on.
Fear not however, for the mix is still available for listening at the following link:

http://www.mixcloud.com/FluidRadio/hibernate-recordings-showcase/?utm_source=widget&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=flash_links&utm_term=title

It seems that we have a wealth of fantastic material to come out of this already well-established British label. There are some artists on the forthcoming Hibernate roster that will be new to many, and others that are familiar. Either way, the future release schedule is one to look out for as each album comes out. This is a superb collection of music as you'll hear for yourself if you click the link above...

Also, worth me pointing out that a piece from my next album 'Clandestine' is featured as track ten on this mix. Many thanks to Jonathan for taking my album on and for including a piece in the mix.

Spheruleus - Frozen Quarters (Reviews)

2010-04-01T09:20:00.000-07:00

BOOMKAT:
"Spheruleus is an ambient composition project from young Lincolnshire-based sound designer Harry Towell, collecting fourteen pieces that all in some way feature recordings made in and around the artist's locality, making for music that serves as "an attempt to preserve and capture my day-to-day environment". Towell's music fits perfectly within the Under The Spire universe, not only evoking the sort of misty lusciousness that's become the imprint's calling card, but even calling upon the mastering services of previous UTS contributor Ian Hawgood (curator of the Home Normal imprint) who helps cast a frosty sheen over the album. There's a little more instrumental substance running through this edition than on some of the label's prior outings, and opening cut 'Vignette' recalls the scratchy, lo-fi and wintry melodies of Finnish soundscaper Hannu, while 'Solution' provides a similar feel, crinkling through ghostly music box figures. The flow between instrument-focussed content, field recordings and processed drones imbues the record with an especially compelling and varied arc, one that goes to extremes at times: apparently Towell clambered into a skip to record some of this to capture the right sort of natural reverb he was looking for. Now that's commitment for you. Taking an entirely different angle, 'Crescent' and 'Colophon' come close to Leyland Kirby or Caretaker-style looped reminiscences, emerging from an auditory fog - something that only amplifies the stealthily emotive character of the record. If there's one defining factor to these Under The Spire discs it's surely their accessibility, and their tendency to render abstract drone music an approachable and enjoyable experience - often even to the unconverted. This has seldom been more true than in the case of Frozen Quarters, an album full of evocative frequencies and atmospheric designs. Recommended."

SMALLFISH:
I’ve been listening to this new release on Under The Spire a lot in the last week and I have to say it’s not only a fascinating piece of work, it’s also incredibly beautiful - possibly the most beautiful release on the label so far in fact. There’s just something about it that I can’t quite put my finger on and the way it’s lingered in my head long after playing it is testament to the attention that’s gone into it. Essentially the work is a series of mediations on the more naturalistic side of electronic music – the more organic end, if you will. Beginning with a deeply atmospheric and very oriental sounding piece it soon delves into some incredibly lush and fragile sounding tracks that move effortlessly between textured drone and melancholic, melodic works. Each seems to have its own unique micro-fragment of time and, although there are overarching themes here, each track is a work unto itself. Simply a stunningly fine album in my opinion that gets better with every single listen. Mastered by Ian Hawgood and limited to 150 numbered copies… you know what to do! Highly recommended

NORMAN RECORDS:
This is the work of Harry Towell who has used lots of field recordings from his local environment. I've joked in past reviews that records sound like they were made in a skip, but this chap has actually recorded some sounds in a skip, using its natural reverb. This is ultra chilled with some warm melodic elements derived from trumpet, harmonica, zither and guitar. This really is lovely soothing stuff that I guess sort of fails in the ambient category. Post-ambient perhaps??? This guy is talented and he makes some sublime sounds. Ltd hand numbered edition in the usual house style arigato-pak.

Hibernate Recordings presents an evening of dimly lit soundscapes and shimmering melodies...

2010-03-26T06:16:00.000-07:00

Wednesday May 19th 2010 @ Hole In t’ Wall, Hangingroyd lane, Hebden Bridge

8.00pm, free entry.

Simon Scott [www.myspace.com/o3o3o]

Simon is the former Slowdive drummer who puts out international experimental music with integrity on his label KESH Recordings. Through Simon’s dimly-lit soundscapes, we encounter shimmering melodies that gather and disperse through apocalyptic rhythms, surrounded by layers of harmony that hover over found-sounds. Simon has also collaborated under the moniker Seavault (Morr Music) with A.Ryan from Isan, and also goes under the name Televise.

Machinefabriek [www.myspace.com/machinefabriek]

Machinefabriek (Rutger Zuyderveldt from Rotterdam, Holland) is amongst the finest experimental/electronic artists of recent years – his ultra-prolific back catalogue showcases his ability to perfect classical ambience, organic drone soundscapes, electronic minimalism and cathartic noise, and he has been hailed as one of the most interesting new experimental musicians by the Wire magazine.

Clem Leek [www.myspace.com/clemleekofficial]

Clem Leek is a musician & composer from the South East. He has just completed his MA in Music Composition an is now releasing his first E.P, ‘Through the Annular’ on Schedios Records. Clem draws his influence from a number of sources, from the minimalist composers Steve Reich & Philip Glass and also such musicians as Keith Kennif, Max Richter, Matt Hales and many more, creating a beautiful mix of piano melodies and subtle instrumentation, all set to the crackle of a 78" record.

Relmic Statute [http://www.myspace.com/relmicstatute]

Relmic Statute is Leeds-based artist David Horner, who assembles lulling, grainy soundscapes based on the splicing of field recordings collected from cassettes and old 1/4-inch tape.

Spheruleus [www.myspace.com/spheruleus]

Interluding the performances of the artists listed above, Harry Towell (Spheruleus) will be playing some of his favourite ambient/drone/electro-acoustic records from over the years.

AGCD039 - Harry Towell "A Familiar Pattern" (Spring Drone mix)

2010-03-23T07:08:00.000-07:00

The familiar pattern of changing seasons brings us spring - leaves are slowly returning to the trees and new life is upon us. The weather ranges from warm and sunny intervals to outbursts of rain.

Plenty of inspiration for basing an ambient mix around spring - and so here is heady collection of the sleepiest drones you're likely to hear, to serve as the soundtrack to your spring.

This mix opens with a short and musical piece by Tape and Bill Wells, before heading off down a drone based representation of spring. At times, it is bright and cheerful and at other times, it is cloudy and overcast.

The above photograph was taken by myself in Lincolnshire, UK on a pleasant spring afternoon.

http://www.archive.org/details/HarryTowell-AFamiliarPattern

TRACKLISTING:

001 TAPE AND BILL WELLS - "Fugue 4"

002 TAYLOR DEUPREE - "Weather"

003 LEXITHIMIE - "Discolor"

004 JACOB NEWMAN - Strings and Keys"

005 SPHERULEUS - "Untitled"

006 SHAULA - "Sea Of Trees"

007 KYLE BOBBY DUNN - "Mobiles (There Is No End)

008 Tu'M - "Monochromes 2"

009 MORGAN JENKS - "Gemini (It's You)"

010 NEST - "Amroth"

011 TOMASZ BEDNARCZYK - "Shimokita"

012 ANDREW THOMAS - "1000 Pinholes In A Black Paper Sky"

013a CHIHEI HATAKEYAMA - "Jade Green River"

013b JASPER LEYLAND - "It Swept"

014 COUNTERSPARK - "5.28"

015 YUI ONODERA - "Synergetics #2"

Throughout this mix, you will be able to hear various field recordings. Some were recorded myself, others were actually part of the recordings used and others were created by the following artists:

DAVID VELEZ

SCOTT SHERK

HIROKI SASAJIMA

Let me know what you thought of this mix, and whether you were able to stay awake whilst listening...

Cheers,

Harry

MDAC016 - Monthly Discerning Audio Chart, March 2010

2010-03-23T06:58:00.000-07:00

'Review' time again! That monthly blog post where I pretend to be a music journalist. There's been plenty out since the start of 2010 - March is no exception. Not all of this month's material is new however - I've been prompted to revisit memory lane a few times this month and I've also been scouring back-catalogs too, for those gems I may have missed.

JASPER TX "A Voice From Dead Radio" (Remixes)
First up and straight to the top of this month's list is Dag Rosenqvist's new release on Under The Spire. It is a collection of old works remixed by what can only be described as a selection of the biggest names in the scene. Added to this, Dag is of course a big name himself and here, this marvellous 2 x CD release has come out on one of the best labels around at the minute. Under The Spire has decided that for this one, they'd drop their usual Arigato package in favour of this fully printed CD with stunning artwork from Oscar Jacobsson. They really have gone all out with this album and most importantly, the music itself certainly hasn't been compromised. This entire package as a whole is a truly amazing piece of work. You might now struggle to get hold of it, since it's more or less sold out already...
For me personally, the highlights of this tremendous release are the remixes by Pillowdiver, Simon Scott and Steinbruchel. Seaworthy and Zelienople have turned in superb reinterpretations too, as the two longer tracks on this remix CD.
Potentially a candidate for album of the year...

ITHACA TRIO - "Tesla Versus The Night"
As many are becoming increasingly aware, Under The Spire are a label releasing consistently top-notch material as each month passes. This label is really starting to turn heads throughout the scene and upon a purchase of any release, it is easy to see why. This release by the Leeds based collective is no exception - it stands proudly in the label's catalog and is every bit the shining example of the sort of fine music we have come to expect from Under The Spire.
Opening with 'Dragon Sleeps Well', we are treated to a laidback and gentle arrangement of carefully treated electro-acoustic manipulation that is a perfect example of just how talented the Ithaca Trio are. There are many passionate ambient music enthusiasts that have never heard of them - which is difficult to grasp, as upon first listen this sounds as good as the work you'd associate with established scene heavy-weights and seasoned veterans of the genre.
Unfortunately, it looks like Under The Spire have more or less sold out of this one - but I strongly recommend keeping an eye on the Ithaca Trio. If Tesla Versus The Night's anything to go by, they have a bright future ahead of them...

NICOLA RATTI - "From The Desert Came Saltwater"
This is by no means a new piece of work, but often I find myself scouring label back-catalogs and artist's previous works to see whether I'd missed something special.
Missing this 2008 masterpiece until now is not something that I'm proud of - especially since Ratti's 'Esope' released the same year by Zymogen has been such a firm favourite for me, even to this day.
So, this aside, I now have the album and can confidently recommend this as another Nicola Ratti masterpiece and as a prominent feature in my record collection.
This record is just full of detail - it is almost song-like in tone and structure at times, although before this becomes too familiar it treads forward to take on yet another twist in a different direction. There are field recordings littered carefully underneath a bed of electro-acoustic manipulation and composition and before long you'll hear for yourself that Ratti is a genius sound-designer - carefully manipulating a host of sounds into a gentle and relaxing listening environment. I'm not sure whether he has anything new in the pipeline - but for now, if you're not already familiar with his work, then this one is not to be missed.

TAPE AND BILL WELLS - "Fugue"
This short, sweet record sees the collaboration of two extremely talented sets of musicians. Swedish post-rock band Tape join forces with folk musician Bill Wells to blend a selection of relaxed acoustic/electro-acoustic compositions.
The four-track release features guitar, an organ, other instruments and some gentle appliance of electronic effects. It is difficult to tell by listening who plays what - but I think this is irrelevant. I am a fan of Tape as a band - but at times their output can be a little saccharine in places for my taste.
Here, with Bill Wells, they allow their work to adopt a more low-slung and melancholy approach - which suits me fine! All four pieces are absolutely beautiful, none more than 'Fugue 4', which serves as a crescendo piece to close this short album. I have been bowled over by this superb release and I dare say you will be too...A must, is this.

MACHINEFABRIEK - "Ijspret"
It is dificult to write anything about Rutger Zuyderveld without instinctively using the term prolific or anything vaguely synonymous with the word. I, like many interested in the experimental electronic music scene am indeed familiar with most of his consistently interesting work.
The reason I have this month chosen to highlight this older release of his is that he is performing in May at the Hole In The Wall pub in Hebden Bridge and I myself shall be in attendence. So as that exciting prospect draws nearer as each day passes, I have spent much of the month checking back over some of his releases. This little masterpiece stood out more than most - I like the way it is such a short album yet full of tiny detail. It says so much in such a short space of time, without ever feeling hurried. I like how I am able to spend a 15 minute break at work, listen to the album in full and feel completely refreshed as a result.

ELAN MEHLER QUARTET - "Scheme For Thought"
In recent weeks, my side-project search for late-night ambient jazz has been leaking into my review sections with the recent addition of Bohren & Der Club Of Gore et al to my record collection.
So, here with 'Scheme For Thought', I can present the perfect example of the sort of sounds I am collating as I near a collection large enough for me to construct a mix. This album represents exactly the style of jazz I am particularly fond of. As a record, it is certainly not new to me. I first heard it played a few years back on a Gilles Peterson radio show and I have been thoroughly enjoying it ever since.
It is a few years old and many will already know of this delightfully relaxing jazz record. My recent inspiration to craft an hour-long jazz mix ha urged me to dig this classic out again. And a real classic indeed it is...

ASHER - "Landscape Studies"
Another album I'd missed somehow - despite the fact that I am familiar with the artist. This album of mid-length minimal drone soundscapes is one of the sleepiest, most restful albums I've heard - and that's saying something! The drones are gentle, lightly atmospheric, feature gentle hiss and subtle unobtrusive field recordings. It reminds me in some ways of the sort of minimal ambient drones you'd expect to hear from recent Ryonkt output, such as his 'Window To The Room' release on Under The Spire. I strongly recommend picking up a copy of this album - especially if you're in need of a good rest! The real beauty with 'Landscape Studies' is that it is very difficult to concentrate fully on it and you're likely to fall asleep before hearing the album consciously in full. So it will take a lot of listens to really get to know the album fully. Which, given its simplicity and minimal approach is a really special thing.

FENTON - "Pup"
Under the pseudonym 'Fenton', Shuttle 358 wrote the album 'Pup' some time back with a view to focus on sound design centred around guitar. I was still thrashing out techno back in the days that this was released, so I missed it. No harm in checking back down the back-catalogs to see what I'd been missing out on...I think the main reason I've not given this album a good listen before now is because of the less than evocative track titles. The album is called 'Pup', there are tracks entitled 'Bunny' to name but two examples. But what's in a name?
'Pup' is actually an album full of exactly the kind of lazy ambient sounds I'm constantly searching for. And it has been there all along, throughout my search for fine ambient music. So I have made a resolution to try and judge less by its proverbial cover...

Spheruleus - "Frozen Quarters" Available now!!!

2010-03-16T05:05:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Just thought I'd send out a message to inform that the new Spheruleus album 'Frozen Quarters' is available now from Under The Spire Records.

The album consists of 14 short tracks of electro-acoustic music spanning various moods and tones. It features field recordings of everyday sounds, instrument compositions from various sources and moody treated ambient drones.
It can be purchased as a pre-order from Under The Spire now fom the following link:

www.underthespire.co.uk

Thanks to everyone who has supported me over the years, to Chris at Under The Spire for releasing this, Eric for the stunning artwork and to Ian Hawgood who's done an excellent job mastering these works.

TRACKLIST:
001 Vignette
002 Moss
003 Green
004 Solution
005 Mist
006 Appliance
007 Orchid
008 Crescent
009 Hanging
010 Autumn
011 Glass
012 Gossamer
013 Frozen
014 Colophon

MDAC015 - Monthly Audio Chart, February 2010

2010-03-02T03:59:00.000-08:00

Onto the second month of the year and yet more irresistable music has been resonating my eardrums. I've been particularly poor this month - perhaps as a direct result of purchasing 'too much' music at the beginning of it. If there is such a thing...
Onto the reviews then - I've unearthed some big albums throughout February. Albums I am likely to enjoy for as long as I shall live...

NEST - Retold
First up, an album that's likely at the top of many people's 'February list'. Throughout the net, much has been fondly written about this album, which sees Deaf Centre's Erik Skodvin team up with Huw Roberts, the Serein label owner. The album concept was born out of an eponymously titled netlabel E.P by the duo which has likely been one of the best netlabel releases to date. Nest have reconvened to craft 'the rest of the album' some years later, and what a treat we are in for too. Anyone who isn't familiar with Nest at all will be delighted, as it will be a real treat getting acquainted with the entire project as a new album. I like many however, have been lovingly soaking into the original tracks for a couple of years now, particularly Trans Siberian and Charlotte. So with the addition of the new and equally excellent material, the album feels refreshing and complete and well worth every fraction of a penny.
This one is not to be missed...

BOHREN & DER CLUB OF GORE - Dolores
A bit of a side project of mine is slowly building a collection of jazz influenced ambient music and general lazy, late-night jazz. Here, I have discovered Bohren & Der Club Of Gore, a collective that more or less sum up the direction this side project is heading.
I have read that they have a bit of a following, and I am not suprised. The quality of this music is chillingly beautiful and my one regret is that I haven't discovered them earlier!
Jazz can at times be complexly percussive. Not a bad thing at all! But I love how this album features simple crashes of percussion, drawn out notes, fender rhodes chords and occasional trumpet moments.
Some pieces are long and drawn out, some are short and sweet. The whole album is full of mysterious, moody atmosphere. This is their first release for five years now and it really is a must purchase...

LEXITHIMIE - Leontopodium
I haven't downloaded an awful lot of netlabel music of late for some reason. I'm really not sure why this is - perhaps the release schedules are slowing for certain labels? Perhaps some labels are going into new directions which are not to my taste? Perhaps I haven't the time to keep as close a check on them as I used to? I'm not sure. There are still a few labels where I can almost guarantee quality material from top artists and Resting Bell is a good example of this.
Onto the artist, French sound designer Alexis Bechu records and releases as Lexithimie. Here, to support his recent physical release on Hibernate Recs, he has given us an immersive two tracker to soak into for free. I was hooked on this project as soon as I had heard just a few seconds of that first drone in 'Discolor'. It is so warm, mysterious and relaxing. I've played this piece of the two in particular an awful lot this month.
I shall be keeping a close eye on Lexithimie releases throughout the future if this is anything to go by...
DOWNLOAD FOR FREE:
http://www.restingbell.net/releases/rb077-leontopodium

MATTHEW HALSALL - 'Colour Yes'
Ah, more Jazz!? Yes. This album leans more heavily towards the Jazz genre than Ambient...owed to the fact that it is actually straight Jazz. I like to have a healthy selection of jazz in my music collection and this is just the sort I like. Beautiful piano chords, intricate percussion, double bass, a smooth saxohone performance and the occasional moment of harp. The inclusion of the harp is an interesting addition and it adds diversity to the jazz sound to be heard by this group of musicians.
This album is divided into two styles: straight up, get up and go jazz and slow, gentle pieces. The two gentle pieces 'Together' and 'I've Been Here Before' are truly immersive listening experiences of which I am guaranteed to thoroughly enjoy every time. The closing piece 'Me And You' is also a favourite.
Stand by for my jazz mix...I will be sure to include some Matthew Halsall. In the meantime, be sure to get yourself acquainted with this excellent group of musicians.

HAUSCHKA - "Substantial"
Piano based Modern Classical music is readily available at the minute and although much of it is superb, it takes something really special to memorably push the boundaries without getting it horribly wrong.
I had come accross Hauschka when taking a look at the recent remix CD release of Dakota Suite's 'The Night Just Keeps Coming In' and if I am honest, it was a name I was unfamiliar with. What have I been missing? I immediately downloaded 'Substantial' and I have to say, this is one of the best albums I have ever heard. The title 'Substantial' is absolutely perfect for it. It is not just an album of piano tone littered with half-heartedly recorded field recordings. It is a full and warm musical album with a substantial narrative.
It never sounds too familiar no matter how many times you listen. The tracks always sound refreshing and little details reveal themselves to you but not enough so that you anticipate them.
This album comes with my highest recommendation.

A BROKEN CONSORT - "Crow Autumn"
As any regular reader of this blog will know, I am a big fan of Richard Skelton's works under any of his guises. Here, we are treated to another outing under his A Broken Consort pseudonym. I am led to believe that this album was originally a long piece but has since been spliced into seven sections to really bring out Skelton's carefully woven instrument drones. The album does of course flow as one if you wish to play it like that. But the fact that it can be split into seven sections without sounding samey throughout is a testament to the sheer level of depth and variation Richard Skelton has put into this album.
I have been listening to Skelton's last A Broken Consort album 'Box of Birch' regularly ever since I purchased it and I dare say there will be a long pause as I sit trying to decide between which of the two albums I should listen to as I prepare for a stroll into town...

DANNY PAUL GRODY - "Fountains"
I'm increasingly getting into Folk, Americana and guitar based electro-acoustic music. I had never heard of Danny Paul Grody until his release on Root Strata this month and despite this, I could now happily cite him as one of my favourite musicians. As you will hear upon listening to this album, he is not just a guitarist - he is a soundscaper too. But what is interesting is that he doesn't allow his ability to process and accentuate his guitar recordings to consume his ability to expertly play the guitar. His highly musical recorded guitar performances are so beautiful, it is difficult to accurately explain. They are so warm and bright - all along there are the vaguest nuances of sound-design that occasionally creep through without ever stealing the limelight of his guitar work.

TAKESHI NISHIMOTO - "Monologue"
This one's a couple of years old and Takeshi Nishimoto is an artist that is new to me. I'm not sure how on earth I stumbled accross this, but it's certainly ticking all the boxes. The album features pure guitar and it is performed beautifully by this talented Japanese musician. The album actually reminds me a lot of an album by compatriot Yuichiro Fujimoto in the way that it feels very personal. Listening to this album, it feels almost as if you're actually in the same room as the artist. Not only this, there is the gentlest of hiss picked up through the recording process that gives you a sense of being somewhere else - perhaps in the same room as Nishimoto and his guitar. This is hard to describe into words, but you'll know when you hear it. I think the hiss is more apparent, because it hasn't been drenched with additional field recordings and drones. It is just the hiss, Nishimoto and the guitar - the music has been stripped right down.

DAKOTA SUITE - "The End Of Trying"
With a recent remix CD perfectly worthy of a place in my reviews section, I decided to delve back to the original album instead. This was released almost exactly a year before and had slipped the radar as far as I was concerned. So I thought I'd best get that album first and give it some listening time before getting the remix release. The track titles and music substance are often mournful and depressing - for this is perhaps a soundtrack to whatever sorrows the artist was feeling, and it can be the soundtrack to your sorrows too. In fact, it may induce a sorrowful state, so be careful! It is a very emotional album and can be at time difficult to listen to in certain states. Nevertheless, this all aside, it is a stunningly beautiful album performed magnificently...a must for any music collection.

AGCD038 - Harry Towell - "Environmental Underscore Mix"

2010-01-29T07:38:00.000-08:00

It has been an awful long time since I've done a mix of any sort, and since I've been increasingly been getting into the modern classical, electro acoustic and drone scenes I thought I'd best base my latest offering around those styles. To create this mix, I scanned my iPod for some of my favourite albums over the last few years and hand selected a track or so from each so that I'd built a rough list of various tracks I might use for the mix. Then, I built a playlist on my iPod and have had it on shuffle throughout the month so that I can get ideas of how the tracks might link together.
One of the main things I wanted to get right in this mix was the transitions. So it took me a good length of time fiddling around with the tracks so that I could arrange the mix in a harmonic flow. Not everything would mix in perfect harmony, which I'm sure many who have tried before me can vouch. So to bridge these together, I used field recordings that were generally recorded by myself.

HERE IS THE LINK TO THE FREE DOWNLOAD:

http://www.archive.org/details/EnvironmentalBroadcastMix

Throughout this mix, there is an overall and continuous arrangement of field recordings that feature on my forthcoming album 'Frozen Quarters'. This is to be released within the next month or so by Under The Spire records; I'll be sure to keep you posted...

Here is the tracklisting, so that you may seek out and support the artists for yourself. With each track, I have included a link so that you may download the track or album in mp3 format.

---------------------------------------------------------

001 IAN HAWGOOD - "Sulci"

http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=244418
002 SEAWORTHY - "Outside"

http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=172234

003 THE GREEN KINGDOM - "Autumn Eyes"

http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=235190

004 STEVEN R. SMITH -"Night Upon Us"

http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=224137

005 PILLOWDIVER - "One"

http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=183321

006 UNKNOWN - "Unknown"

No details known as yet...

007 DAKOTA SUITE - "How Could You Let Me Go"

http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=160899

008 HAUSCHKA - "Fragile"

http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=29826

009 RAFAEL ANTON IRISARRI - "A Glimpse"

http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=173587

010 LIBRARY TAPES - "Mellan Ljud Och Text"

http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=50567

011 A BROKEN CONSORT - "Weight Of Days"

http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=178492

012 LE LENDEMAIN - "Fiore"

http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=237306

013 SOLO ANDATA - "Dawn Chorus"

http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=32602

014 DIRAC - "Augarten"

http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=234737

015 ZVEZDARA - "Still Life At Sunrise"

http://www.archive.org/details/SKM007_Zvezdara_THE_DAWN_OF_NEW_POSSIBILITIES

016 AUDIO GOURMET - "Seven Minutes Of Peace"

http://www.archive.org/details/wh112

---------------------------------------------------------

An example of artwork for forthcoming release 'Frozen Quarters'...

2010-01-26T07:30:00.000-08:00

With the iminant release of 'Frozen Quarters' soon to be upon us, here is an example of what the accompanying artwork is likely to look like...

This piece of work itself was created by talented French digital artist Monstror. For more information, visit http://monstror.blogspot.com/

In the meantime before 'Frozen Quarters' is released, you can get to grips with the label's wealth of quality musical material here: http://www.underthespire.co.uk/

MDAC014 Monthly Discerning Audio Chart, January 2010

2010-01-22T06:44:00.000-08:00

Happy new year all! January has been a month where I have been immersed in some terrific music. And of course towards the end of the month, it has become almost customary that I share it with you. This time last year, my 'Monthly Discerning Audio Chart' consisted of a mere sentence about each album. Nowadays, the list is near enough a reviews section and requires some degree of typing on a rainy Friday afternoon!
It would be all to easy just to put them off until Tuesday and get myself in the studio to process some new sounds I've recorded...but, I'd best resist. Here goes...

RYONKT - "Window To The Room"
I've been waiting for this to come out on limited CD release label Under The Spire for some time now and I have to say, now I've got the album, it is not what I was expecting from the artist. I must admit, I'd expected that Ryo Nakata may have honed the beautiful electro-acoustic sound collages he is renowned for and released an album full of these on this label. Interestingly, he has instead gone down the drone route and has woven a collection of sleepy soundscapes of simple, minimal construction.
My first listen to this album involved it being loaded onto the iPod and listened to on repeat for hours as I slept. It didn't take me long to nod off to these shimmeringly beautiful tones. Indeed, stripped back drone music has been done countless times before and it is difficult to REALLY stand out in this scene. That is, unless you are able to do it just right and oh how Ryonkt has managed to do just that. This is an album so delicately drenched in subtle detail that it is going to take most of the year for me to be fully acquainted with it as a whole. Field recordings are usually fragments of detail that an artist might record to add extra sound and narrative to an album - in Window To The Room, they are used throughout in a sparing fashion and reduced to very low volume. Minimal is a word thrown around a lot these days, but as I say, to get it just right, it takes that little something special...and here, we have a perfect example.

SHAULA - "Haze"
Also out on Under The Spire is 'Haze' by a relatively unknown Japanese artist called Shaula. Before this, little is written about the artist around the net and so it is intriguing to listen to this collection of dusty guitar-drones. The album itself reminds me in places of one of my favourite releases of 2009: Pillowdiver's 'Sleeping Pills'. It's a similarly heady collection of drones and guitar compositions that is just brimming with tone and tiny detail. The pieces vary in length, some are more drone based than others and some pieces bring the harmonic tones of Shaula's guitar to the foreground. There are subtle underlying field recordings and detail throughout, dispersed on a bed of noisy drones. This is a superb release and is simply not to be missed. As Under The Spire is a limited run CD only label, you'll not be able to get an mp3 or FLAC version. Therefore, you'd be advised to head over to http://www.underthespire.co.uk/ and order your copy...

VARIOUS ARTISTS - "Hibernate Sampler Volume One"
At the tail end of last year, British label Hibernate Recs released a free sample album featuring an hour of music already released earlier in the year by the label. Hibernate as a label is reasonably new in the scene and with this sampler you can get the perfect taster of what it is about, if you haven't already bought anything from them before. I can vouch personally that much is on the horizon for the label in 2010 with some top artists penned for release and various shows throughout the year.
Now, as a sample release, we've a collection of drone and electro-acoustic tracks varying in length and tone. It makes for a superb listen and an excellent introduction to the label and the artists respectively. What's more, it's free!!! All that is required is that you join the mailing list as a way of staying informed about up and coming releases on the label. Visit http://hibernate-recs.com/ for more information, to download your free sampler or to order one of their releases.

NORTHENER - "1976"
British musician Martin Cummings produced a very interesting and thoroughly enjoyable electro-acoustic/ambient album for Hibernate Recs released in October last year. Designed for a continued listening experience, the tracks merge in and out and flow in a different manner to the typical fade techniques you'd hear from most artists in the scene. This is perhaps the main ingredient to this listening experience as it prevents the need to skip tracks, in fear of missing something! The album is full of guitar tones, plucked, played or sculpted into a drone wash and it is punctuated by an array of field recordings.
The album effortlessly merges from slightly more epic moments, to moments of tranquility and restfulness.
For me, the guitar is the driving force for this album and it provides a melody that will ensure continued listens from me throughout the year.

LANGUAGE OF THE LANDSCAPE - "Memories Fade Under A Shallow Autumn Snow"
I had just finished downloading Chris Tenz's album 'Forlorn Memories' on the Soft Phase netlabel and set about my usual routine of scouring my favourite netlabels to learn of new releases. I hopped over to Phantom Channel, a regular port of call, to discover that along with Cory Zaradur, Chris Tenz has put together a new album under the guise of Language Of The Landscape. To be honest, I had not heard of either artist until that very day and I am delighted that I did. For this album is one of the best I have heard in a while. This sits comfortably with my opinions of Phantom Channel as a label as the last three releases on it have been simply stunning. The one gripe for me lies with the typer's-cramp I endured whilst writing in the track titles on iTunes. Every name/title on the album is very long!! Not to worry - it matters not, since this is breathtaking ambient music that I am glad I downloaded. These three pieces never become chaotic or awash with noisy drone fragments. It just offers an unparalleled stillness that is hard to capture without the music sounding as if it is missing something. This album is very very restful and still throughout and has been designed perfectly.
DOWNLOAD HERE: http://www.phantomchannel.co.uk/?blogentryid=4545254

RAFAEL ANTON IRISARRI - "Daydreaming"
On Boomkat, I was introduced to a vinyl edition of this now classic Miasmah album from 2007. For me, this is the first I'd heard of it for some reason. 2007 was a year when I'd only just discovered ambient music properly, so for me, I guess much of that year was about purchasing the obligatory titles from backcatalogs by the likes of Brian Eno, Steve Roach, Robert Rich etc...Considering the genre has been going for a lot longer than 2007, I have missed much fantastic music from the past. I cannot complain however, since one of the joys of music is of course discovering albums you have missed over the years. Which is all too easy to do! So, here with Daydreaming we have a collection of delicately draped piano soundscapes littered with occasional sound effects and accent noises. It's a formula that has been imitated by many previous artists and a formula that is still a source of inspiration today - taking almost classical music values and sculpting gentle cinematic ambient music through means of electronic manipulation. It is a well known and well explored formula, but one that I can't see me ever getting tired of. Irisarri has produced a masterpiece here, and it is well worth getting since it makes for a beautiful listening experience.

AKIRA KOSEMURA - "Polaroid Piano"
On the modern classical versus electronic tip, here we have a new release on by Japanese artist Akira Kosemura. Throughout 'Polaroid Piano', we are treated to a beautiful array of delicately playful short piano melodies that are accompanied by creaks, clangs and scrapes. All of the tracks are playful, melancholy and almost child-like in tone. What keeps me listening is that it is all so very simple but there is just so much to listen to. The one track that I am not keen on if I am honest is 'Tale', which features children's voices. It is just a little too saccharine for my palette. However, that aside, the rest of the album makes for a solid piece of work by Kosemura and I will be relaxing and smiling to this music for much of the year.

IAN HAWGOOD - "Snow Roads"
The prolific and talented Ian Hawgood sparks off his 2010 with a release on Dragon's Eye called 'Snow Roads'. A predominantly drone and field recordings based album, this one is absolutely full of detail. It's another fine album that marks a thoroughly solid start to the year. Some tracks are short and chiefly field recordings based, others are mainly drone orientated and some are a combination of these elements. On listening to this a lot over the month, I feel that this is some of the best work I've heard from him to date and I shall enjoy listening to this collection of music for a very long time. It is so gentle and the mood of the drones and melody shifts from the restful to the eerily mysterious. In between these changes in mood are very short field recordings pieces that allow the mind to drift off to unspecified far away places. This is a thoroughly well written album that simply cannot be missed.

THE LOWLIGHT MIXES - "Slo-Mo"
I like many am a regular listener to Dave Michuda's Lowlight Mixes, a selection on soundscape collages he mixes using various tracks from the ambient, drone, electro-acoustic and modern classical scene.
With 'Slo-Mo' we are treated to some gentle and restful material from the likes of Budd & Eno, Celer, Porzellan, Lexithimie and ahem...my good self under my Spheruleus guise. Some of the tracks have been time-stretched to suite the mix (hence the mix title) and generally, this is as good a selection for an ambient mix as you're likely to find. Pieces tastefully chosen woven together well by Dave just as we'd expect.
You can download the mix by visiting here:
http://lowlightmixes.podbean.com/mf/web/rb8jra/slo_mo.mp3

CARL SAGAN's GHOST - "At The End Of It All"
I was intriugued to discover that fellow Earth Mantra artist Carl Sagan's Ghost had released a new album at the end of last year on the Soft Phase netlabel. I wasted no time and downloaded wthout a prior listen, since much of his output is first class ambient music. And 'At The End Of It All' certainly doesn't disappoint. If anything, I think it even somehow manages to top his release on Earth Mantra 'Darkness And The Light'...and that's saying something. The soundscapes here are so very professionally put together. The whole album is so very atmospheric. It can be so difficult to create immersive soundscapes to this high level it is difficult to explain the talent that is apparent throughout this release without just urging you to head over and download it. The fact that this is free download material is astounding. This is some of the best pure ambient music I have heard in a very long time...

MDAC013 - Monthly Discerning Audio Chart, December 2009

2010-01-01T08:39:00.000-08:00

This month, I've been busy with work and Christmas preparations yet somehow, thank goodness, I've still managed to unearth yet more exceptional music from artists and labels across the globe...too busy to write ALL of the reviews though!!!! They will follow soon...

RICHARD SKELTON - "Landings"
First up, this one came as a suprise for me when I stumbled across this new release from Richard Skelton. I knew he'd been building up to another release after having read about it online, but I expected to hear about it a bit more before it actually came out! Immediately, I hit the 'buy now' button and ordered this 2 X LP album excursion of electro-acoustic and modern classical genius. Thankfully, I managed to get my order in quick enough to secure my free bonus CD-r of 'Riftmusic' too!
My record decks had been unplugged and relegated in favour of using the four-way extension to meet the lighting demands of our Christmas tree...I made sure I could hook them back up again, poured myself a cup of coffee and sank into this stunning album by an absolute giant in the modern classical scene. Skelton's whole package of mournful, melancholy instrumentation recorded in and around the West Pennines and presented in beautiful, understated cover artwork is something that makes me physically unable to resist purchasing any of his material.

LE LENDEMAIN - "Fires"
A couple of months back, Library Tapes teamed up with British cellist Danny Norbury who's also only recently released his debut album. In 'Fires', the delicate piano-based dusty instrumentation of Sweden's Library Tapes is perfectly complimented by Norbury's beautiful cello playing and we have a big modern classical album which for me, is one of the biggest releases of its type this year. I've been listening to some older Library Tapes material of late and it's broadly a dusty collection of piano based material deliberately dressed up as forgotten and antiquated. I've also listened to the afore mentioned Norbury album a lot recently. With 'Fires', the two come together and craft some of the most breathtaking modern classical music you're likely to have heard this year. From the very first few notes of opening 'Fiore', you know you're in for something very very special indeed.

DIRAC - "Emphasis"
This four track release by Austrian trio Dirac is one I have been playing heavily all month. Across the net, it has been described as drawing influence from ambient and drone genres, the electrio-acoustic scene and also, it shows glimmers of jazz. Throughout these four slow, minimal and gently unfurling tracks, this selection of influences will become apparent. The opening piece features a very subtle linear drone with carefully drawn out detail to lull you to a meditative state. Next, the palette is varied with some blurred jazz guitar played in languid fashion with gentle sprinklings of simply gorgeous piano notes and rattling field recordings and dismembered percussion. Third, in 'Bantu', we have some drone and electro-acoustic elements bubbling away from the offset with delicately balanced accent sounds from various sources. This is my personal favourite track of the album. Then finally 'A Rest In Tension' closes this masterpiece with a shimmeringly beautiful ambient drone piece.
This album is a very minimal take on electro-acoustic music and it is not for the impatient listener. Give this album plenty of time to express itself and you'll realise just how superb it is. It may be minimal, but there is a wealth of detail to explore throughout the entire album.

HILDUR GUDNADOTTIR - "Without Sinking"
More wonderful modern classical music here, from the young and talented Icelandic cellist Hildur Gudnadottir. The scene is rich in talent hailing from Iceland with the likes of Johann Johannson and Olafur Arnalds to name but a few. In 'Without Sinking', Hildur has sculpted a mysterrious masterpiece to elevate her name amongst this growing roster of talent. She plays the cello and explores a range of deep, misty and sinister sounds that she can lift from it and arranges it all in this otherworldly fashion. At times, the instrument is used to create ambient drones that linger, slowly fading and at other times it is played with more vigour to give a more epic sense to the listener. My personal favourite is 'Aether' and it features what is presumably a guitar based opening and delicate accents again derived from her instrument of choice. It sums up an album that doesn't just do one thing - it ebbs and flows and is full of varying tone.

SOLO ANDATA - "Fyris Swan"
With a long awaited follow up to this album only recently out on 12k, you'd expect me to be raving about this Australian artist's recent self-titled release. But, it reminded me about their older work 'Fyris Swan' available on the same label and released back in 2007. I went back to 'Fyris Swan' and have been bowled over so much by the sheer magic in this album that I haven't really even had chance to listen to their new project!
Solo Andata are a huge part of the electro-acoustic scene in the way that they fuse a multitude of sound sources from instruments and field recordings into playful, melodic melodies. It is easy to see how and why they are so revered when we look at 'Fyris Swan' and think of the sheer talent that was required to make that album - a whole two years ago! Solo Andata are destined for big things in years to come...I'm off to check out their 2009 release!!!

LIBRARY TAPES - "Hostluft"

THE GREEN KINGDOM - "Twig and Twine"
I've been a fan of The Green Kingdom ever since I got into Ambient music. Increasingly, I am keeping a close eye on the electro-acoustic scene and I think that it is with The Green Kingdom's early netlabel releases that I am to attribute my first interest to the genre. This year, with Twig and Twine, we are treated to a delightful melodic album of electro-acoustic songs accompanied by subtle drones and field recordings.
At times, these drones take centre stage for the slower, moodier pieces and at others, the gentle guitar melody takes the limelight. This album is delicately balanced from start to finish and I believe this could well be their very best material to date.

INVERZ - "Slow"
The Phantom Channel label has been going from strength to strength throughout the whole of 2009 and now with this 13th release, we're approaching what could be an even better second year for the label. The closing release for this successful year is from Greece's Inverz and what a treat it is.

JACOB NEWMAN - "No Midpoint To Infinity"

Top albums of 2009

2009-12-24T07:38:00.000-08:00

I've been charting the music that I've particularly been enjoying over the course of each month for the whole year and now, as we draw towards 2010 I'd like to leave this year with a list of the ten albums I have enjoyed the most. Usually, when I write the lists each month, there is no order of favourite as such. With this list, I have decided to rank it in order of my favourite album of the year:

(1) Pillowdiver - "Sleeping Pills"
(2) Richard Skelton - "Landings"
(3) Seaworthy - "1897"
(4) Goldmund - "The Malady Of Elegance
(5) Richard Skelton - "Marking Time
(6) Nicola Ratti - "Esope"
(7) Lucette Bourdin - "Golden Sun"
(8) Le Lendemain - "Fires"
(9) Dirac - "Emphasis"
(10) Sylvie Walder and Entia Non - "Bewilderment"

Spheruleus - "Frozen Quarters" penned for release on Under The Spire

2009-11-30T06:29:00.000-08:00

I can officially announce that the first Spheruleus CD-R venture is to be released on Under The Spire recordings. Below, I'll run through a couple of things I can confirm about the album:

FIELD RECORDINGS
The album, entitled 'Frozen Quarters' spans 14 short tracks that all feature recordings made in and around my locality in an attempt to preserve and capture my day-to-day environment.
I've recorded snippets from various household objects, sounds heard outside and some unusual ideas I've had along the way. The most unusual of these involved climbing into a huge empty waste-disposal skip to record instrument takes and picking up tons of natural reverb along the way...
I have completed an hour-long mix of all of the many recordings I made for the album and plan to release it on a netlabel as a precursor to the full album.

TONE
The melodic elements throughout 'Frozen Quarters' are mostly derived from various instruments I've acquired throughout the recording of this album. You can hear sounds of keyboard, zither, trumpet, piano, harmonica and guitar. I'd say around 95% of the compositions made with these instruments were done by myself through experimenting with different melodies and chords. This is an approach that is pretty new for Spheruleus, but one that I am becoming increasingly interested in. Although I do love electronic and synth based music, I am fascinated by how playing instruments to provide a sound-source for further electronic treatment can really add an organic warmth to my sound design. What's more, is that with the album concept being about preserving an environment to capture its essence, an organic and real experience has been lifted through means of these instrument recordings. Rather than create a synthetic representation of the environments, I have managed to actually been able to be part of the process through such instruments.
I would never normally refer to myself as a musician or instrument performer since I've never had any form of teaching. But my natural ear for sound and music has meant that I have been able to lift some interesting sounds and tone from this small collection of instruments.

RELEASE DATE
Regarding the release of this album, not much is known or set in stone as yet. Although, I do imagine it shall be available in 2010. If it is too long for you to wait, you can check out four of the album tracks on the Spheruleus Myspace page:
www.myspace.com/spheruleus

THE LABEL
Under The Spire is a British label set up this year by Christopher Edwards. The label and the artists that have released on it have had a solid year and for 2010, we can expect it to grow further with the inclusion of releases by some excellent artists, such as Ian Hawgood, Jasper TX, P Jorgensen, Ryonkt, Segue and many more...
The date for the new Spheruleus album is a while away from being confirmed of course but in the meantime, please check out Under The Spire and support this superb label:

http://www.underthespire.co.uk/

New tracks on Spheruleus Myspace page

2009-11-27T05:43:00.001-08:00

Indeed, I'm not a devout Myspace user and I can't proclaim to give the Spheruleus Myspace page the care and attention it deserves. Yet, I managed to get some new tracks on the player within the last couple of weeks, so please head over to have a listen if you will.

The tracks are from my forthcoming album Frozen Quarters which will be released on a CD-R label next year. The album features 14 short tracks totalling an hour long and the four tracks featured on Myspace are:

Colophon
Frozen
Gossamer
Vignette

VISIT: www.myspace.com/spheruleus

More on 'Frozen Quarters' soon...including the label announcement and more on the album concepts.

MDAC012 - Monthly Discerning Audio Chart, November 2009

2009-11-27T03:51:00.000-08:00

At last, I have sat down and sorted out my iPod so that any new releases and purchases can be listened to on the move! It has of course meant the deletion of everything that was already on my iPod...but the bulk of my music collection has been saved on an external hard-drive or I own a CD copy of it. This does however mean that I am to spend all my spare time sat feeding CDs into my laptop and waiting for iTunes to import it.

Still, I've plenty of new listening experiences for my iPod this month and thus I have 10 of my favourite listed below:

PILLOWDIVER - "Sleeping Pills"

Firstly, a mention and couple of paragraphs must be written about this stunning album by German guitarist Pillowdiver. As always, this list of music never tends to sway a bias as to which was my favourite album of the month but I think I can make an exception here with 'Sleeping Pills' since I have stumbled across an album that I am certain to enjoy for the rest of my time on this earth. Somehow, I missed it back in May when it was first released - for whatever that reason was, I regret not buying it sooner. I've seen the beautiful cover artwork dotted across pages ever since its release but failed to take the plunge and download.

Still, I have it now and have been thoroughly enjoying this work of art all month.

It is an album that chiefly features the languid guitar compositions of Rene Margaff, sat on a bed of droning feedback, noise, hiss and field recordings. My favourite piece has to be the first track 'Twenty -Nine'...

IAN HAWGOOD - "Before I Let The Sunshine Rot"

Ian Hawgood is a prolific artist both in the netlabel community and otherwise, who is responsible for the running of label Home Normal. 'Before I Let The Sunshine Rot' is an album that for Ian preserves many a memory from his travels across Seoul, Lecce, Paris and Pennsylvania. The melody is a delicate mixture of drone tracks, brief interludes and guitar songs. The sounds and noises that sit gently beneath are a collection of recordings I assume to have been made in his travel destinations - telling a story of many a moment throughout his excursions.

The title sums it up 'Before I Let The Sunshine Rot' - I can imagine this refers to releasing the album to preserve his experiences before his memory of them begins to fade.

for us, this is a thoughtful album with a strong concept and story to think of as we sink into this beautiful music.

Download here, for free:

http://www.archive.org/details/IanHawgood-BeforeILetTheSunshineRotphch012

TOMASZ BEDNARCZYK "Let's Make Better Mistakes Tomorrow"

Tomasz Bednarczyk is a young Polish sound designer and here with 'Let's Make Better Mistakes Tomorrow' we have a collection of ten delightful drones, deep and rich in form. The drones themselves are usually linear and change form only subtly; the detailed, gentle changes and nuances require great attention and focus. That said, it is all too easy to drift away and overlook these tiny details without thinking. The drones aren't huge pieces - instead they generally quite short, allowing you a brief pause of contemplation or time to spend a moment drifting off somewhere else. When track six 'The Sketch' arrives, we are given a moment away from the general feel of the album, as a delicately deconstructed piano arrangement covered in a dusty hiss stimulates our eardrums. Then, as gently as the overall feel of the album we are tuned back to droneland to see the remaining minutes out in typically delicate fashion. This is a fantastic album and I shall be keeping a close watch on Tomasz' future output.

DANNY NORBURY "Light In August"

British cellist Danny Norbury has previously worked on projects with Library Tapes, The Boats, Nancy Elizabeth and now he turns his talent to the Lacies Records label to release his own solo album 'Light In August'. This album is a cinematic arrangement of sorrowful cello melodies accompanied by light piano keys and although at times it feels melancholly and mournful, the real emphasis is on beauty. This is purely organic music in a modern classical sense but nevertheless, it is relaxing and Ambient in its gentle nature.

SEAWORTHY "1897"

Another big release for 12k - a highly renowned label putting out all kinds of artistic electronic music. Here, we have '1897' by Australian

The album is a magnificent mixture of field recordings, musique concrete dark ambience, drenched with reverb and of course, most importantly a superbly assembled array of guitar melody. Reverb is the key ingredient to this superb album. Not the kind of reverb added as an additional studio treatment process but reverb cast live, inside a disused ammunition bunker in Newington, Australia.

It's this approach that really has me interested in Seaworthy. It really adds something to the album in an organic sense that is a really tangible listening experience.

This is an excellent album of drone, guitar, natural recordings and natural reverb. It is NOT to be missed.

THE LOWLIGHT MIXES - "Beyond This Window"

It is between two Ambient mix blogsites that I am to attribute my intense obsession with this mellow, relaxing and lazy style of music. One is The Hydrogen cafe and the other is Lowlight Mixes. Both provide long form mixes of sublime and gentle ambient music that got me hooked on this whole idea of Ambient music and made me want to find out more and eventually come to start writing my own material and exploring my own ideas. Mixes are a different experience to albums, E.Ps and tracks in the way they collaborate many different artists work together as a collage for the ears. The true talent of course lies within the individual artists' works, but the ability to assemble a mix of these works in a tasteful and ordered manner is an artform within itself. Here, Dave from Lowlight Mixes assembles his latest offering, including electro-acoustic pieces, drones dark and light, delicate piano pieces and underscoring field recordings. He's put together several classic mixes over the months and years but I think I shall be giving this a regular listen on long walks or periods of rest when I have time to soak into this wonderfully programmed listening experience. Download for free: http://lowlightmixes.podbean.com/mf/web/p59x58/beyond_this_window.mp3

HERZOG - "First Summer And The Running Dream"

As Resting Bell slows down its release policy, we have time to soak into an album of artsy electro-acoustics and sound design by Bill Bawden who has also released as Herzog on quality netlabels 12rec and Serein. Like quite a lot of Resting Bell's releases this is a short album, lasting just half an hour. Short albums are not a bad thing of course! Ambient music is designed for times of rest and introspective contemplation and often in this culture of chaos and business time for a full hour-long listen is restricted. So, 'First Summer And The Running Dream' features five tracks of varying lengths containing an array of melodic tones that are littered with gentle, dusty, glitchy noise. The word glitch often puts me off music when used to describe it, as it conjurs up thoughts of losing an eardrum thanks to a harsh noisy din rammed down my ear canal. Fortunately, when I have used the term glitch here, I can witness that this album's 'glitch' credentials are of gentle, much more ambient nature. Little crackles, reduced hiss and noise all add texture to these mellow soundscapes. The wonderfully titled closing track 'Lately I've Been Dreaming Of Drinking Sound From A Fountain' rounds off this half-an-hour perfectly.

Download for free: http://www.restingbell.net/releases/rb075-first-summer-and-the-running-dream

JASPER LEYLAND - "Sediments"

A shimmeringly beautiful release from back in 2008 here by Jasper Leyland is available for free download on the mOAR netlabel. Jasper Leyland is a North Yorkshire based sound designer who's real name is Jonathan Brewster and here with Sediments he concocts the perfect balance of mellow drones derived from acoustic instruments, field recordings and gentle instrumentation. This whole 6 track album is a window of mature sound design. Perfect balance is indeed the term for this project. There are occasional passages of near-silence, which as many know when done right, really add something to the overall pace of an album. The music slowly unfurls and reveals itself in new areas throughout this wonderful mellow set of tracks. Time stands still when listening to this album...Download for free: http://www.and-oar.org/moar_catalog_moarp32.html

PETER BRODERICK & MACHINEFABRIEK - "Blank Grey Canvas Sky"

Here we have a recent release by two highly talented artists. The mighty modern classical artist Peter Broderick meets prolific sound artist from the Netherlands Machinefabriek. The two masterfully craft this album of treated instrument passages and electronic sound manipulation into a collection of largely experimental abstract tracks. The two may seem an unlikely pairing but they have worked together before and here in 'Blank Grey Canvas Sky' it is evident that there is much respect for both artists different approach to recording ambient music. A fine balance has to be struck for two opposing artists to record a project together as one and you will hear, this ethos has been abided by for the recording of this album.

SEREIN "RE-INTRODUCTION" (Compiled and mixed by Huw Roberts)

This hour long mix by Serein label owner Huw Roberts forecasts a selection of forthcoming label releases set for 2010 and is blended with some familiar tracks from Serein's netlabel days. Most notably, there is a track 'Wheatstone' from the highly anticipated Nest album 'Retold', which is to be released on January the 31st 2010. The turn of a new year is always an exciting prospect for music enthusiasts, since a lot of artists and labels prefer to hold out for the end of a year and release their new material as the new year is upon us. And as you can see from the tracklisting, we're in for some treats from this label which has always been superb. I thoroughly enjoyed much if not all of the netlabel output in the past and I am certain to add myself to the customer list as the year turns and get myself a copy of Nest's 'Retold'. Expect a review too... In terms of this mix, it's been well assembled by Robert's - the tracks are placed perfectly and it's a very compelling, delicate listen. I had this on a few times in the evening, slumped back on the sofa with a cup of coffee. It's going to be a great 2010...

Download the mix for free:

http://www.serein.co.uk/forecasts/cast001/reintroduction-huw-roberts

MDAC011 Monthly Discerning Audio Chart, October 2009

2009-10-30T06:22:00.000-07:00

October - one of my favourite times of the year, when the leaves are turning and it is beginning to turn nice and cold...I have had a mammoth month of listening to new and interesting music. I've enough new material to fill countless of these charts! I'm going to have to condense it somehow down to the usual ten...

RICHARD SKELTON - "Marking Time"
It has been a good while since I ordered any vinyl and in 'Marking Time', I've bought myself an absolute gem. This record is going to be a piece of vinyl I will never grow tired of for as long as I shall live. Skelton is an absolute master at recording multi-layered modern classical music. He runs his own label Sustain-Release and is responsible for putting out his wonderful work, packaged in stunningly beautiful artwork, created by his late wife. His music is haunting and often laced with melancholy. It gives you a sense of being transported back in time. I find his music, his approach and his ideas unbelievably inspiring. I'm working on a little something myself and although it sounds nothing like what Skelton writes, I would cite his work as the main influence on my new venture. This man is a genius!
This is a limited edition record though - you'll be hard pressed to find it anywhere! I've just taken a quick look at Juno and Boomkat, and it's sold out there unfortunately. It does come with my strongest recommendation this - if there is any chance that you're able to get a copy then do so!

A BROKEN CONSORT - "Box Of Birch"
Richard Skelton again...he produces under so many monikers and here as 'A Broken Consort' he's carved another masterpiece. Four pieces of powerfully haunting, melancholy music. It can be downloaded from Boomkat in either mp3 or FLAC at the following link:
http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=178492

SLOW - "Dual Box"
Resting Bell have recently released this new album by Russian composer Sergey Suokas and I have thoroughly enjoyed soaking into its many depths this month.
I have Slow's previous release 'Room Phive', also on Resting Bell but this record really does push the boundaries further. It's different to 'Room Phive' in the way that it is deeper, more loose and less electronically sequenced. It is much closer to being Ambient music than just electronica. Which to me, is what separates the truly talented artists in this field. My favourite track is 'Miracle' which features a bitter-sweet drone with delicate and playful instrument takes draped on top. This is such a beautiful album - I'm bowled over by it. I shall be keeping a very watchful ear on Suokas from now on...
Download your copy for free here:
http://www.restingbell.net/releases/rb071-dual-box

MORGAN JENKS - "Sound To Activate Space"
Not everything I've been listening to is brand new - I don't always get time to give old albums that second or third listen and can occasionally forget about some records. I am guilty of doing so with these two longformers by Morgan Jenks, released on Test Tube back in 2008. Not an awful lot is known about Jenks - obviously you have a good look round for newer material when you discover an old album in your record collection you'd forgotten about! But I can't seem to find anything else by him. So, I am left to bask in these two stunning soundscapes he's crafted. The first 'Gemini' is full of shimmering tone that will leave you feeling still, calm and refreshed. The second 'An Anthem For The Bats And Their Prey' is different in the way that the tone seems to be derived from acoustic instrument composition and the field recordings tell the story given away in the track title. It's an excellent album on the whole. One of the best I've heard in fact!
Download for free here:
http://www.monocromatica.com/netlabel/releases/tube132.htm

VARIOUS ARTISTS "The Hundredth Mantra"
Any netlabel that reaches its centenary of releases is to be commended, and this month it was Earth Mantra that was celebrating its 100th release. Many will of course be aware of the prolific Earth Mantra netlabel, but for those who aren't then this 4cd compilation will serve as the best introduction as you could possibly get!
Near enough every artist that has ever released on the netlabel has managed to get together a piece of ambient music to go on this excellent compilation.
The beauty of Earth Mantra is that it doesn't just release one or two styles of Ambient, it is passionate about everything from Electro-acoustic works to space music. So, this compilation is a huge cross section of all the different styles the label covers and represents all of the talented artists that have featured on it.
Of course, being a previous contributor to the label myself, I put a short track together for the compilation and it is entitled 'Five Dozen Centuries'. It's not necessarily a piece that sums up my production style, but when I wrote it I was inspired by the work of Tim Hecker. One of my favourite Hecker tracks 'October' features a melody that almost endlessly repeats. Buzzing away underneath it, there are feint harmonies and accents. And this is the approach for 'Five Dozen Centuries'...
Please download and enjoy this mammoth release:
http://www.earthmantra.com/release-detail.php?id=100

dreamSTATE - "A Decade Dreaming'"
A real treat for us here - Ping Things have released this album of selected works by legendary Ambient outfit dreamSTATE to celebrate ten years of live performances.
The album features work with several collaborators and is a pleasure to listen to.
Download your copy for free:
http://www.archive.org/download/pingthings014/pingthings014.zip

Martin Dot - "For You"
I've recently been scouring back catalogs of all kinds of Ambient netlabels and burning CDs of those big releases I missed. This album, by Rain netlabel boss Martin Dot is an absolute joy to listen to. It has been downloaded over 10,000 times and is obviously a hit with those who have been listening to it ever since it came out - it is well commented on too! Somehow though, I missed it and have only just grabbed my copy this month. Dot's usual output is largely deep electronic drone based ambient. With 'For You' he demonstrates his ability to play the piano with such finesse. It's a beautiful album to stick on in the background - it feels cold, it feels warm - it's full of gently unfurling tone.
If you missed this one too, download it here:
http://www.archive.org/details/rain014

ANDREY KIRITCHENKO - "Misterrious"
I've downloaded a fair bit of Kiritchenko's old netlabel output and I've always been impressed with his experimental projects. This month, I stumbled accross his work on Spekk and I am very impressed indeed...'Misterrious' is not to be filed under ambient music nor jazz, but it somehow sits between the two. The approach was of both music styles in equal parts and it is an extraordinary listen. It has all the credentials of Ambient music with its field recordings and tone. It has the credentials of jazz, with its instrumentation and composition. Somehow though, it is neither. Once you rid yourself of concern for classifying its genre, you can begin to thoroughly enjoy this delightful record. This really is a superb album.
Download here:
http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=216248

RUDI ARAPAHOE - "Echoes From One To Another"
This record is simply sublime. I've had it for ages and I just never tire of hearing its playful, sometimes melancholy charm. It's absolutely full of different sounds, instrument takes and vocal musings and the overall feel for me is of medieval nature. It's a quirky album and one you will enjoy. You have to get to know it - lending it a few listens. My favourite track is Conversation Piece...

RYONKT - "All The Things Which I See"
I'm a big fan of Japanese sound artist Ryonkt. I've recently been listening to this release of his, on the Lunar Flower netlabel. I've heard that Lunar Flower are to stop operating as an active netlabel for various reasons - but at least we will be able to download the backcatalog. If you are unfamiliar with Lunar Flower, be sure to download yourself a copy of this album. It is so unbelievably gentle - it makes you feel completely still and at rest. It is indeed subtle, as the notes inform - but in all its subtletly is a wealth of shimmering detail. Download it here:
http://www.archive.org/details/LF-14

MDAC010 - Monthly Discerning Audio Chart, September 2009

2009-09-22T05:17:00.000-07:00

This month I have managed to listen to plenty of music and soundscapes, of which I shall share with you all in hope that I might spread the good word of this excellent material! It's been a month where my eardrums have mostly been stimulated by the warm fuzz of the Ambient drone...I am still lacking internet access at my house and so I have to check the computers at work for new releases and download/burn them at my parents house. Typically, I will take 4 CDs to the house and scour the netlabel world for new or interesting material. Then, it's back to mine for extended listening over a coffee.

JONNY TRUNK - "Zeus"

For the first two tracks, I have selected my favourite two cuts from an old Nick Luscombe CD I bought this month. The first track 'Zeus' on this CD had me hooked with its cinematic hooks set at a leisurely pace. It so delicately fuses instrumentation over a superb rhythm and it will soon become theme to whatever journey you take.

MAKI MANAMI - "Moon Palace"

Also on the same Nick Luscombe track is this superb mood piece by. It is an intelligently arranged soundscape featuring a lovely piano performance. It starts off playful and laidback before taking an epic and cinematic turn. It is the closing track on the CD and ensures this mix goes out with a gentle bang. The only thing is, you may have some trouble tracking this down. A reason to purchase this mix compilation if ever there was one! It's a superb track.

ENNIO MAZZON - "The Possibility Of Joy"

After we were blown away by Ennio Mazzon's 'Muffled' release on Audiotalaia, we are now able to download this short follow up release on Resting Bell. We loved muffled because it was power ambience that dropped to interludes of shimmering beauty and delicacy. This territory has been further exlpored with his new work 'The Possibility Of Joy'. It opens with 'Numbed Feet' which starts off so atmospheric and eerie, before giving way to slightly muffled tones and variations that keep this short opening track interesting. 'De La Lutte' is a shorter piece again featuring playful and elegant tones draped in a bed of gentle muffled noise. '26 Of September' opens with glitchy treated sound grains giving way to those brief moments of bliss we have come to associate with Ennio's work. Last but not least, with 'In A Year', the album is concluded in line with the prevailing theme. The final track opens with a bed of noise and glitched drones, giving way to shimmering tones from time to time.

This is a pleasant and short album that further illustrates the sheer talent and thoughtful sound design that Ennio Mazzon is getting a name for.

DOWNLOAD FOR FREE: http://www.archive.org/details/rb068

You may also be interested to know that Ennio has just started a new CD-R label called Ripples Recordings, visit: http://ripplesrecordings.webs.com/

OFFTHESKY - "Subtle Trees"

Almost everyone who is a regular downloader of netlabel ambient/drone/sound design works is familiar with Jason Corder who's main project is Offthesky. All Offthesky releases are absolutely stunning and delicately put together. His work 'Subtle Trees' is by no means a new album; somehow, it slipped the net. Corder releases at such a prolific rate, that this is no crime! There is so much Offthesky material to download that you can be forgiven if you miss out. Just be sure to eventually track back and check his discography for bits you have missed! I missed 'Subtle Trees' and what a mistake that has proved...This is now actually one of his favourite pieces of work to date! It opens with an absolutely wonderful piano piece 'Enter Off Colour Tear' - this is such an excellent piece of music. Quite often, an album will draw you gently in as the artist chooses to position the most minimal or sparse composition as the opening track. Other artists opt to select an opening track to really draw the listener in - and that's what Jason has done with this. First impressions stick - just stick on track one and you will feel compelled to immerse yourself in this stunning world of sound he paints.

DOWNLOAD FOR FREE: http://www.offthesky.com/works.htm (scroll down to 'Subtle Trees' on Rope Swing Cities)

TLON - "Acoustic Lazy Dolls"

As I mentioned, I've been scouring the netlabel world and burning CDs of albums I am yet to be blessed with in my collection. Here is a classic release on Autoplate by TLON that was originally released back in 2002 on Canadian label Oral. I've featured some TLON tracks in old mixes in the past, but never stumbled accross this gently unfolding album that is simply full of tone and subtle motifs. The write up reads that it is derived from a selection of pieces by Jon Hassel and Brian Eno. TLON's Jean-Sebastien Roux cooks up a feast of intelligent sound design by warping recording takes of some of his favourite records beyond recognition. It is not straight up ambient music as it veers away from longform drones in favour of loops and samples re-arranged in a minimalist dubby form with occasional percussive elements.

This really is an absolutely superb album. It comes highly recommended.

DOWNLOAD FOR FREE: http://www.archive.org/details/apl018

LOMOV - "Holzwege"

After being so impressed with TLON's 'Acoustic Lazy Dolls', I delved further into Autoplate territory and downloaded this album by Lomov. Lomov's Axel Bergk also produces dance oriented electronica, but as a fan of Ambient and experimental forms of electronic music I am more interested in the territory he explores in 'Holzwege'.

The album opens with a delicate forest song featuring a new-age style electronic instrument composition. Typically, I can often find the use of such instruments a little irritating at times - but the delicacy of this track does draw me into listening to the rest of the album and it sets the scene perfectly. The rest of the album slowly edges forward, deeper into the forest and explores a huge array of sound texture all interspersed with deep soothing dronescapes.

Another superb Autoplate release from the archive.

DOWNLOAD FOR FREE: http://www.archive.org/details/apl028

SUNDUMMY - "Mighty Voids Collide"

In the early 2000s, Sundummy released a string of Ambient drone projects that attracted a lot of attention in the netlabel scene. With 'Mighty Voids Collide', I have only just discovered the material of Sundummy and I have enjoyed soaking into these soundscapes and drifting off to nowhere. There's not a high level of detail in these drones, but effects and sound processing motifs are not necessary on this album. The subtlety lies within the drones as they expand and change shape as you listen. The compositions are often quiet, mid-length and vary in tone from light, to dark to a complete nothingness.

DOWNLOAD FOR FREE: http://www.archive.org/details/tzpdc19

PETAL - "The Last Season"

Our friends at consistently top-notch Ambient netlabel Earth Mantra have recetly released this album by Petal. It is a concoction of acoustic compositions and murky, noisy drones. An album of sheer darkness with pulsing, dischordant, non-directional noisy dronescapes is not my cup of tea personally as they lack direction and detail.

So, with this one, it opens with a peaceful acoustic composition of a laidback, melancholy nature. This gives way to an album interspersed with more of these little acoustic pieces and darker, drone pieces. It is this juxtaposed album ethos that makes it all so effective. It is so beautiful! It is amazing how wonderful a couple of minutes of melancholy acoustic music can sound when it follows a wash of dark drones and noisy static sounds.

The final track is what fully won me over to this album - 'We Never Spoke Of The Plans We Never Made'. One final acoustic piece to leave you smiling and feeling relaxed, satisfied and introspective.

DOWNLOAD FOR FREE: http://www.earthmantra.com/release-detail.php?id=89

STROM NOIR - "Kueyen"

German netlabel Resting Bell have a reputation for releasing an unpredictable array of experimental electronic music artforms. Here, Emil Matko has created a beautiful drone album

under the project name Strom Noir. 'Kueyen' throbs and swells between a wash of drone tones; at times dischordant and at times shimmering a lightness this album is a constantly interesting listen. Parts of the soundscapes are straight up dark ambience of the ghostliest kind and parts feature a murkiness that hides optimistic hints of light Ambience. There is always an underlying depth of darkness, sinister tones and noisy static to this record. But the sheer variation of sounds and those occasional silent, lighter moments will entice you to soak into this one.

DOWNLOAD FOR FREE: http://www.archive.org/details/rb067

SLEEPING ME 'Lamenter'

Finally on this list of discerning audio, we have a superb album by Clayton McEvoy who operates as 'Sleeping Me'. The album 'Lamenter' opens with gentle acoustic guitar work which opens out to include a swelling bed of light ambient drones. The album moves forward and creatively with more of the same - Ambient music evolved purely from the use of a guitar, further treated in McEvoy's studio. There are many moments of melancholy, many moments of beauty and many moments that induce an introspective emotional state. It is an excellent short album/E.P that is strongly recommended.

DOWNLOAD FOR FREE: http://www.archive.org/details/SleepingMe-lamenterphch010

AGCD037 Spheruleus "A Vision Obscured"

2009-09-11T03:35:00.000-07:00

LINK TO FREE DOWNLOAD:

http://www.earthmantra.com/release-detail.php?id=96

TRACKLIST:

A Hindered View
Augrun
Clouds
Blurred Perspective
Opaque
The Redundant Filter
Time Stands Still
Time Fades
A Silent Collision

ARTWORK:

Artwork based on the painting "Mgla Wiosenna (Springtime Fog)" by Stanislaw Witkiewicz, from a public domain photo on Wikimedia Commons at commons.wikimedia.org

ADDITIONAL CREDITS:
Many thanks to my brother Stuart for providing me with the original guitar sample for the track 'A Hindered View'.

CONCEPTS/ALBUM THEME:

I have spent a long and slow six months tweaking the third Spheruleus album and finally it has all been tied up and released on the Earth Mantra netlabel.

The album is called 'A Vision Obscured' and I have given only the title names away as hints to what the album is about; it is up to the listener to supply a story of their own as they listen to these works. This may sound a little thin as an album concept - maybe it gives way to thoughts that I may have rushed the concept? This couldn't be further from the truth. I've spent more time than usual thinking about 'A Vision Obscured' and the whole theme fits the album perfectly.

Each individual has hopes, dreams and objectives...and achieving these are seldom plain sailing. In fact, most of the time it requires hard work, dedication and focus on that objective to weather the wealth of troubles that can stand in your way. Many will simply give up - drowning in a sea of obstacles that gulf their first vision of hope.

In terms of letting on how this relates to me, I don't think it is necessary to go into detail at all. I would rather let the theme of the album, the foggy, melancholy sound content and the beautiful artwork conjur up thoughts of how this all relates to you personally.

If you stay alert and focussed, you will see this perfect vision for yourself. If you allow the deep murky obstacles to take hold of you, they will obscure your vision and you will sink to the depths, never to achieve your goal.

MDAC009 Monthly Discerning Audio Chart, August 2009

2009-09-04T03:12:00.000-07:00

August has been a month that has posed a heavy restriction on my ability to source new or previously undiscovered music for my listening pleasure. I have just moved into a new home and establishing internet access has been somewhat difficult, to say the least! So this month, the chart will be themed largely around tracks I've had in my collection for some time and around new CDs I've ordered online. As is often the case of late, I'm pressed for time...so slightly shortened reviews/blurbs will accompany each piece!

HAROLD BUDD & BRIAN ENO "The Plateaux Mirror"
This classic Ambient/neo-classical album from 1980 by two heavyweights in the genre is an absolute must for any fan of Ambient music. Budd's Mellow piano compositions resonate peacefully over Eno's sound design.

ROBERT RICH & IAN BODDY "React"
This is a varied Ambient/Electronic/Experimental live album that pairs multi instrumentalist Ian Boddy with Ambient heavyweight Robert Rich.

NEST - "Trans Siberian"
This is a track from Nest's self titled album that I've had on my iPod for quite some time. The whole album is one of the finest netlabel releases I've ever heard, and if you haven't already been enjoying this classic, then you'd be advised to head over to the link below to get a copy. Delicate piano compositions are draped exquisitely over some sublime sound design. Nest is the collaboration of trained pianists Otto Totland (Deaf Centre/Type Records) and Huw Roberts (Serein). Interestingly, Serein has just undergone a rehaul by Roberts, and you can check on his label's progress here: http://www.serein.co.uk/
DOWNLOAD (and enjoy) 'Nest': http://www.archive.org/details/ser013

NRVNET - "Music For Sunrise"
Quite often, I will scour the backcatalog of Nrvnet's Hydrogen Cafe blogspot mixes and listen to an hour of relaxed, introspective music. 'Music For Sunrise' has a wonderful earthy feel to it, fusing beautiful classical pieces featuring strings, piano and many other instruments. Having just moved into a new house, there has been much hard work needed - particularly in the garden. What better soundtrack to listen to than this, whilst removing unwanted foliage? DOWNLOAD: http://hydrogencafe.blogspot.com/2007/07/music-for-sunrise.html

SOLDIERS OF TWILIGHT - "Believe"
Despite having strong tendencies towards Ambient, experimental and acoustic/organic musics, I must never forget that my routes in music date back to Deep House music. Some days, nothing else will suffice. I will often flick through my many records, turn the volume up on my amp and listen to some excellent House records that I've collected over the years. And here, a true classic, Soldiers Of Twilight dates me way back to when I was a mere infant to the world of music. This has been an all-time favourite.

GOLDMUND - "The Malady Of Elegance"
What record collection could be complete without this timeless classic? 'The Malady Of Elegance' is Keith Kennif's (also known as Helios) finest hour thus far, in my opinion. This delicate piano soundtrack is so unbelievably beautiful. Glimpses of obvious piano melody are punctuated by eerie, playful drones and gentle noises that leave you hanging, longing for the next note. I've stuck this one on a few times in the background and just allowed it to fill my house with its pleasant yet eerie charm.

DARREN HARPER - "Time Forgotten"
Thanks to Earth Mantra, a label I am pleased to be associated for my projects as Spheruleus, we are introduced to Darren Harper, with this piece called 'Time Forgotten'. Earth Mantra have really cranked it up of late - churning out release after release of quality Ambient music, all under creative commons and we're approaching their 100th edition to the catalog. Number 94, 'Time Forgotten' lets you just sit back and float blissfully away, just as good Ambient music should. This one is special, and will likely feature in my list of top Ambient releases of the year - like many of Earth Mantra's material... DOWNLOAD:http://www.earthmantra.com/release-detail.php?id=94

ARTICOLOGY - "Eternal Now"
The last Articology release on Earth Mantra 'Haven', out at the beginning of this year has been featuring on my playlist ever since and has been a true classic for me. Now, with 'Eternal Now', Brit Dale Humphries has managed to keep things consistent and at this high level. This album is so shimmeringly beautiful - it is certain to become a true classic in my record collection and sit rightfully beside 'Haven' as an excellent follow-up. DOWNLOAD: http://www.earthmantra.com/release-detail.php?id=87

BROADWAY PROJECT - "Of"
Intelligent sound design fusing electronic effetcs, ambient drones and a gently epic piano composition make this track Broadway Project every bit a compelling listen. I've been listening to a lot of electronica featuring the piano of late, and this is certainly a stand out piece.

ANDY PARTRIDGE & HAROLD BUDD - "Through The Hill"
As I mentioned, I've spent much of the month looking through old classics and forgotten tracks. I am utterly ashamed to have forgotten this masterpiece! Partridge and Budd are in fine form here with this track 'Through The Hill'. It will have you sipping your coffee with a smile on your face, slumped back in your chair, in awe of this wonderful piece of music...just as I have been doing so over the last few weeks!

MDAC008 - Monthly Discerning Audio Chart, July 2009

2009-07-27T15:28:00.000-07:00

July has been a very busy month for me, as I am moving house so much work to be done! Yet I have still managed to find plenty of time to soak into some good music, so I shall be sharing some of the months top sounds as usual...

LUCETTE BOURDIN - 'Golden Sun'
Straight at the top of the list is this truly excellent double disc album released on Earth Mantra by Lucette Bourdin. I enjoyed her previous work 'Silver Moon' earlier this year on the same label, but this ambient offering will completely blow any fans of the genre away. It's masterfully produced ambient music, given away for free; an absolute must is this. Earth Mantra really have been consistent in providing some of the very best netlabel ambient music in the world - it is strongly advised that any fan of the creative commons scene or ambient music in general keep close tabs on this label:
http://www.earthmantra.com/release-detail.php?id=83

MANRICO MONTERO & ALEXANDRE NAVARRO - 'Montero+Navarro Bootleg'
IOD on SEM Label occasionally releases short E.Ps of top quality Ambient/drone works. I often check back to the label to see whether anything new is out and fortunately this month, there is a stunning E.P of Montero/Navarro re-jigs. The Green Kingdom rework some of this project into their own lush Ambient style - delicate instrument notation arrangement, crackling field recordings and distant vocals will soothe your ears. Segue open their take with a loop repetition that builds into a wash of ambient chords. Offthesky open things with dischordant noise and field noise that gives way to those beautiful tones and intelligent sound design you come to expect. Finally, Fax provide a ticking electronic rhythm draped with warm Ambient drones and distant guitar echoes.
http://semlabel.com/IOD/ep/IOD008/

OFFLAND - 'The Commute'
It's been some time since I've downloaded any Offland, but I was very much drawn to the concept of this album released on the Resting Bell netlabel, since I have endured many a commute in my time. I am always intrigued by real-time recordings used to portray a scenario somewhere else in the world - it is fascinating to think that someone has actually taken the time to make these recordings and that each sound you hear actually took place in the ever moving wheel of another society. So that is what drew me to the album initially...these drones really do leave you slumped back into your chair and deeply soaked into the environment they create. Free download here:
http://www.restingbell.net/releases/rb062-commute

LARRY HEARD - 'Fantasy'
Moving onto something more Housey - here is a superb Deep House track by the exceptional Larry Heard. I'm constantly re-discovering old works by him that for some reason I overlooked. I think with lots of Heard's work, the real stand out pieces are the ones with the vocals; they really are beautifully performed and that is why I have come to enjoy his work so much. Up there with Missing You, Deep Inside and DejaVu - this one will be a lifelong classic in my record collection.

JAMES MASON - 'Sweet Power (Your Embrace)'
Speaking of classsics, here is an awesome jazz/funk/disco track from James Mason's 1977 album 'Rhythm Of Life'. I first heard this piece a few years back on an old Gilles Peterson mix CD in the times when I didn't have an iPod. I'd take a bag where ever I went with a portable CD player and a load of CDs and get my late night music fix on slow, lazy walks home. This process meant that I accidentally misplaced or lent that mix CD out and have not seen it since...I'd even forgotten about this superb track and only recently have I tracked down a copy of 'Rhythm Of Life'. Much of this CD is not to my taste as it sways a little too far into cheesy disco territory for me. But 'Sweet Power (Your Embrace)' was fully worth the £10 odd that I paid for this CD. It is a superb track that is well worth tracking down!

MONODELUXE - 'Don't Ask'
Irresistably deep downtempo/IDM work here from Monodeluxe...superb deep keys, chilled beats, funky bass and subtle trumpet samples collide to make a late-night stew of electronic funk. Further into this short track, jazzy keys cut in to really round off a superb piece of music.

NUSPIRIT HELSINKI - 'Subzero'
In my huge rack of vinyl, I have a few old Nuspirit Helsinki records and so recently, I decided to see if I could download anything for iPod listening. This track takes a much deeper turn than the Nuspirit Helsinki sound I was used to - but this is an excellent piece of music that comes with strong recommendation. It's just so unbelievably deep!!

AES DANA - 'Forest Fish'
I've some unusual tribal ambience from the likes of Tuu, Jon Hassel et al and this track by Aes Dana runs along similar lines. I always find tribal ambience like this to be so unusual; almost otherworldy. Upon listening, you are transported to the deepest, most desolate of places. To begin with, the track takes more of a classic ambient drone stance, before giving way to vocal chants, delicate strings and tribal percussion.

HELIOS - 'Eingya'
This album comes with my highest recommendation. It is what is being described these days as post rock and it is a wonderful album of delicate instrumentation and melancholy texture. Lots of classic piano, guitar (both electric and acoustic) and gentle percussion. It is all arranged into a lazy soundtrack for cold winter nights, late walks home or introspective listening. Beautiful music.

SYLVAIN CHAUVEAU - 'Nuage III'
My first introduction to Chauveau is this track from a 'pop ambient' compilation on Kompakt. Given the very very dire state of the charts (don't even get me started!!!!!!), I was initially put off by the term 'pop' ambient. Since, how could a genre so deep, cultured and discerning be given a genre label associated with awful popular mass culture? I am glad I am a man who will think 'what's in a name?' from time to time...since this is far from what you would associate with the term popular! This is a short, largely classical affair that is very moody and would not sound out of place draped over an emotional scene in a movie.
I must bid you all farewell for now...I'm off to download more Sylvain Chauveau!!!!!

AGCD036 - Spheruleus "Tales From The Labyrinth"

2009-07-14T16:30:00.000-07:00

I am very pleased to further establish the name of Spheruleus as a guise for my Ambient/Drone/Soundscape work with this second album, on Portuguese netlabel Test Tube.

Test Tube is a netlabel focussed on releasing obscure experimental albums from talented artists accross the globe and I have been fortunate enough as Spheruleus to be listed amongst these with 'Tales From The Labyrinth'.

I actually had the album finished early this year, but such is the scale of the operation at Test Tube, I've had to wait patiently for a release date as there were many others confirmed to be published first. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise as it was this window of time that gave me chance to arrange the front cover design. Normally, the cover artwork is not something I would enlist as a forte of mine...so it was great to have the time to arrange with Eric Lacombe (Monstror) to put something impressive together for me.

On Eric's blog http://monstror.blogspot.com/ you will find a wealth of highly detailed images that are simply captivating. The idea behind 'Tales From The Labyrinth' was to get a seemingly minimal cover image that with closer inspection, gives way to subtle intricacies and delicate detail. This reflects the music and the album concepts:

"A labyrinth, unlike the maze, has one clear/unambiguous/obvious routeto the centre. Whereas a maze has many complex and difficult tonegotiate pathways."

"The ancient ideas behind the labyrinth was to create a spirallingpathway to the centre where say a holy shrine or statue would be. During the walk through the labyrinth's spiralling pathway, the personon the journey would feel separated from the outside world and itwould give time for reflection and to focus the mind."

"It is this whole idea of reflection whilst in solitary confinement ora quiet space that opens up the theme to the album. Those four trackshave been created as an audio version of the labyrinth and createspace for the listener to confront any thoughts they may have orproblems they may have been posed."

"It is intricate yet minimalist 'music' and adheres to the old visionthat Brian Eno had when he first created Ambient music. It is asignorable as it is listenable, which means the listener willconstantly be fluttering between the conscious and subconscious stateof mind. It is during this state that clearer thinking can beachieved."

LINK:

http://www.monocromatica.com/netlabel/releases/tube178.htm

TRACKLISTING:

A): There Are More Than Four Walls

B): Escape Escapism

C): Where Does The Answer Lie?

D): It Sits On A Shelf Inside My Skull

MDAC007 - Monthly Discerning Audio Chart, June 2009

2009-06-23T04:55:00.000-07:00

The more observant visitors to this site will have noticed, that I failed to produce a Monthly Discerning Audio Chart for last month. This is of course absolutely awful and will likely contribute heavily to the further detriment of the global financial crisis. So, for that I sincerely apologise. However, like any true politician, I shall attempt to cover it up with a sentence of absolute rubbish that will make it seem like a positive thing.
This month, due to the lack of a chart for May, we have amalgamated the last two months particularly well-received audio into one list of ten. So the list still will still be ten-strong, meaning I will have to drop some excellent music that didn't quite make the list...This list really will be a chart of top quality discerning sounds. So if you are to heed the recommendations of any Audio Gourmet list , this should be the one. (That is assuming that I don't start to 'forget' to compile these on a regular basis...)

Enough babble and cover-up stories - here is ten albums/e.ps or tracks that I have particularly enjoyed over the last two months:

EXUVIAE - "Intrinsic Luminance"
We'll kick off with an excellent full Ambient album by the multi-directional Exuviae, recently released on Dark Winter's light-ambient spin of label, Endless Ascent. The sheer level of detail woven into this album is simply mesmerising. It is essentially Ambient music of classic drift format, the type you're supposed to just disappear off to a world of thought...that kind of music is typically of a stripped and minimal nature. This is something different - it is so very well produced and so very detailed. The track 'Lost in the details' completely sums up this album - it is incredibly detailed and intricate, yet still allows the listener to just soak into it and basque in its drifting beauty. I've fallen asleep to this album almost every night over the last two months....you can too, by downloading it from:
http://www.endlessascent.com/ea007.html
If you are intrigued by Exuviae's music, you can delve further on their website:
http://www.exuviaemusic.com/

SYLVIE WALDER & ENTIA NON - "Bewilderment"
I've been raving about the sound design talent of James McDougall (Entia Non) since I discovered his work at the beginning of this year. I've downloaded all of his backcatalog spanning labels from SEM/IOD to Test Tube. James is a truly talented producer channeling a multitude of sounds and tones into a melting pot of drifting ambient sound. He has teamed up here with Sylvier Walder to create a sheer masterpiece. This four-tracker on Resting Bell will have you drifting off to another world in no time at all. It is so very detailed without becoming obvious and it will have you hanging on for those sprinklings of piano notes and instrument takes. My personal favourite has to be 'Le Petite Lac'; beautiful! I'm sure you will agree...download the full album for free here:
http://www.restingbell.net/releases/rb059-bewilderment

HENRIK SCHWARZ/AME/DIXON - "The Grandfather Paradox" (Mix CD)
Picked up this CD last month having been intrigued by the liner notes and the tracklist. It incorporates the genre-defying approach to DJing and music loving that I hold so dearly myself. As a mix CD, it doesn't stay to just one genre and the latest releases in it. It carries an underlying theme, spans several genres and the sound library has been truly opened up to more than just the 'Just In' section. I think as a DJ, you are in grave danger of playing just the latest releases for mere promotion purposes. You're not doing anything different to anyone else and you are ignoring an entire history of music. So for many reasons, this looked to be an excellent idea as a mix CD. Upon listening...it doesn't disappoint. All sorts of different sounds, textures and rhythms in this one - nothing over the top. Just a celebration of 50 years of good minimlaist music...
My pick of the bunch is the soulful 'Feedback' by Green Pickles.

JOHN MARTYN - 'Smiling Stranger'
One of the big joys of being a connosieur of music is having such an abundant collection, that you manage to forget and then 'rediscover' some fantastic records. I used to listen to this wonderful John Martyn track on repeat a couple of years back and I'd completely forgot I'd ever had it! Early leftfield music from 1977, drawing elements from several genres - rock, funk, folk, orchestral, jazz...this is a truly superb, if short piece of music that comes with my strongest recommendation.

THE LINKWOOD FAMILY - "Miles Away"
This has been a big big record for me over the last couple of months. I was going to buy it on 12" when it first came out, but just couldn't muster the funds at the time. So I am a bit late on parade with this one. But I eventually bought at the beginning of May as the sun started to shine and things began to warm up here in the UK. This is going to be the summer record that will forever remind me of 2009. Deep House, Jazz or Soul? Which genre sits best? Does it really matter...? This record is truly excellent. I love the way the moody jazzy opening gives way to a dubby Deep House rhythm and those excellent vocals by Joseph Malik.

PHILIP WILKERSON & TANGE - "Ege Denizi"
I've been downloading music by Philip Wilkerson and Tange ever since I first got into Ambient music. Together as a unit, the pair truly complement one another. I feel this is their best effort yet from what I've heard. Released on Earth Mantra records, there are four desolate mid-length Ambient tracks that are perfect for relaxing, thinking or sleeping. The drones aren't linear - they are detailed arrangements and compositions that are mastered perfectly, shimmering gently into one another. What really adds to any Ambient music releases, is a beautiful instrument accent to just sit on those flowing drones. Here, the lap steel guitar is played blissfully to accompany a wash of gentle Ambience. This is an absolutely top quality Ambient release and comes highly recommended. Free, as well...
http://www.earthmantra.com/release-detail.php?id=80

KAI ALCE - "Ooohhh!" (Dubbyman Remix)
I've been a huge Deep House head for more than I can remember and it's a genre that needs to be done just right for it to have its desired effect. This E.P is good, but sounds a little flat in places...On remix duty for the track 'Ooohhh!' is Dubbyman, and this is a fine example of how to just make everything sound full; he brings the track to life! This is well worth the purchase! I've got quite a bit of his stuff and nothing fails to impress. I've a sneaky suspiscion that he makes use of an old Chez Damier sample for the remix...could be wrong.

CONJOINT - "A Few Empty Chairs"
Just bought a few tracks from this excellent album and it sounds absolutely magnificent. Jazz is something that is of fascination to lots of sound artists and many people interpret their own versions of 'new' jazz with use of electronica. Conjoint fuse tastefully crafted electronic sounds with smooth, languid guitar licks and subtle vibraphone tones and it makes for a very enjoyable listening indeed...

DUCCU - "Midnight Run"
I've been sifting through some Deep House numbers and music to walk and smile to as summer sets in. This one has that chilled out summer House vibe to it, through and through. Deep keys, short vocal sample, jazzy keys and a deep gritty bassline. Not much is known about Duccu, but this track was released for a compilation on Swedish label Dealers Of Nordic Music back in 2006. 79p in iTunes, you just can't go wrong for the summer if you like your Deep House.

LOCO DICE - "The Lab"
As most House heads will know, NRK have just released a Circo Loco mix CD that has been causing quite a stir. Loco Dice has compiled CDs that you can buy it either as a mix CD or as an unmixed compilation. There's a lot of good music in this compilation and like many, I've been listening to my copy ever since it came out. But for those that aren't familiar with this, it is well worth your money if you're into House music or have been a fan of the ever renowned Loco Dice. He seems to be really exploding on the scene with growing intensity, without compromising his choice of records or production.

AGCD 035 - Audio Gourmet - "Forgotten Fragments of Sound"

2009-06-18T16:51:00.000-07:00

This collection of drones, field recordings and other experimental sounds is a collection of works that had either been forgotten about or just didn't quite fit in with the album project I'd been working on at the time of creation.

This collection is for those who enjoyed darker Audio Gourmet material from when we first started, to those who like weird, dusty Ambient elements and those who are keen on experimental soundscapes, field recordings and electronically treated instrument takes.

Perhaps you want to listen to what could have been part of an interesting album concept? Perhaps you are intrigued at listening out for unfinished sections of abandoned projects? Perhaps you are wondering what you can add or change about the pieces?

Perhaps you'd like to use them somehow for your own productions as an artist? They are yours, for free - to do with them as you wish.

THE LINK: (FREE Download)

http://www.archive.org/details/AudioGourmet-ForgottenFragmentsOfSound

SUGGESTED TRACKLISTING AND BRIEF INSIGHT:

001 'Stomata'

"When I first got into Ambient in a big way, I became very much awe inspired by nature. I would spend hours just walking around the countryside, listening to my growing collection of Ambient drones on the iPod. It inspired me to record an album themed and based around trees. I still like this idea, but unfortunately it was never thoroughly carried through in the end. So to open an album full of odds and ends, here is a piece I created using a harmonica, a tape recording dictaphone and a cheap mic. Back in the early days...."

002 'Drone 008 as EFB'

"Living in the same house as my brother Stuart, I can often hear the quiet distant drone of him playing his several guitars. I started to grow increasingly interested in trying to capture the essence of what I could hear through the wall in my room and how I could utilise Stuart's guitar in my Ambient production work. I recorded several compositions of his and began to experiment. For those that enjoyed the debut album from the two of us as 'Spheruleus', it is clear to see how for this project, I became less interested in diluting his guitar compositions to quiet, hazy soundscapes; Spheruleus shifted the focus to make the focal point the actual instrument itself.

So this is an old example of how I would approach making dusty Ambient drones from one of his compositions."

003 'Continue' (Instrumental)

"This short piece is the instrumental version to the first track in which I began experimenting with the human voice. I've not included the vocal version...since I am not entirely happy with it! Rest assured, I am not eliminating the prospect of using my vocal chords as a means of experimenatl sound design and audio art....

So, in this short track, I used another snippet of Stuart's guitar composition and draped it over a dusty bed of field recordings and hissy drones from my old tape/dictaphone recorder."

004 'Tearoom Ambience'

"Earlier this year I was lucky enough to meet a particularly special female person, whom I have taken to very much and wish to remain firmly acquainted with for as long as physically possible. A short while into our wonderful relationship, it was uncovered that both of us appreciated the finer things in life, and had developed an insatiable desire to consume copious amounts of tea.

So we paid a visit to England's marvellous capital city to a tea room of which I shall not specify, and drank what is probably the best blend of tea you could possibly imagine. Not only this, we were delighted to have been treated with an exquisite grand piano performance to further enhance what was a truly wonderful afternoon.

Never being one to miss an opportunity to capture 'that sound', I seized the moment with my digital recorder to hand. This recording preserves that afternoon so well, it almost feels as if I'm there, each time I listen to it."

005 'Desiduous'

"With a similar direction to the first track 'Stomata', Desiduous was constructed using treated harmonica as a drone instrument as part of my would-be tree album. The light recordings were taken of gentle taps upon the wooden part of a ukulele, to add subtle punctuation to this short soundscape."

006 'Debris'

"You may or may not know, that in February I had a sleep album out on www.phantomchanne.co.uk under my guise 'Eyes Flutter Beneath'. There are five reduced volume drones designed to create sleepy, dream-inducing brainwaves for the listener.

"This track, 'Debris' is the track that never made it. It was actually the first track I'd made for the album and serves as the main inspiration for it. So for what reason was it not to be included in the release? Looking back...I have no idea!! It fits the mood perfectly and I actually regret not fitting it in on the release. I guess, being the first track, it was the one I'd heard a little too often and grew impatient with.

Much of the accents, recordings and hum are taken from my work place, on what was a very wet and rainy day."

007 'Return To Reality'

"Subconscious Substance rounded off my debut year as an Ambient producer and in my opinion, is my best contribution in that glorious year for Audio Gourmet. This track here just couldn't quite fit in anywhere as I struggled to make it work. Looking back, however, I realise just how subtly complex this Ambient drone is...and how with just a little work, it could have made the final tracklisting and stood out on that album."

008 'Apocalypse #4'

009 'Apocalypse #3'

010 'Apocalypse #1'

"For some time at the beginning of 2009 I started working on ideas for a Dark Ambient side project themed around the apocalypse. Yet, with 'Inside The Dream Laboratory' and 'The Disguised Familiar' released early that year, there just wasn't the time to finish this project. So I have decided to include these last three pieces for you to wonder what could have been and revel in the darker, dingey side of the Ambient world..."

cover image taken by B.Day in a recent trip we made to the Bakewell area, in the Peak District

Audio Gourmet is now accepting submissions!!!!!!!!

2009-05-23T17:24:00.000-07:00

Under the guise of Audio Gourmet, I've been running this simple blogspace site to share music of a diverse nature from myself and friends since 2007. With each blog post, I 'release' a 'CD' of generally downloadable music material. The CD count is currently at 34 disks worth of music and is centered around various forms of experimental and electronic music. The main impetus for all of this, is to try and help other people get into this weird and wonderful music and to want to learn more about a multitude of styles and genres.

I've decided, after having spent a very long time working on tracks, mixes, albums etc largely by myself, that I'd like to open the opportunity for others to contribute from around the world. So as from now, I shall be accepting submissions from other DJs/producers/artists with a view to having a feature dedicated to them on the site. This will obviously include a brief biography and more information on the contributor. Over the last couple of years, I've drummed up interest from accross the world and there is sufficient traffic for it to be of interest to my fellow music connosieurs. It's certainly not a global phenomenon as yet, but it is nevertheless an opportunity to get your work heard and store a download link/tracklist to it.

So, to clear just a couple of things up before I leave it up to you:

Firstly, since this is and always has been a hobby born out of sheer enthusiasm for me, there are no financial benefits involved. I certainly can't afford to pay anyone for their contributions, since this is not a music label per se; more a portal of free stylistic expression and experimentation...

Secondly, the music will have to adhere to a rough music policy. I'll give everything a willing listen, but I don't want to just accept anything and everything. Please don't be offended if I deem your work unsuitable for Audio Gourmet; just because one chef may not be keen on using certain ingredients in their cookery, it doesn't mean they aren't valid ingredients for others to enjoy!

A rough guide to the sort of styles I am after is as follows:

Deep House
House
Tech House
Minimal House/Techno
Jazz/Nu-Jazz
Chillout/Downtempo/Trip Hop/Lounge
Ambient/Drone/Electro Acoustic
Liquid Funk
Abstract/Experimental Forms
Instrumental Organic/Acoustic music
IDM/Glitch/Electronica
Field Recordings/Phonography

So to submit some material, whether it be a DJ mix, an album or otherwise, email me at Audiogourmet@gmail.com

Warm regards,
Harry
Audio Gourmet

AGCD034 Harry Salsava "Journey Through The Deep 2009"

2009-05-18T17:29:00.000-07:00

Back in the summer of 2006, I recorded a mix CD called Journey Through The Deep - an excursion through strange audio patterns and textures, themed around a leisurely House beat. After receiving a lot of good feedback from this, I've long since been trying to create 'volume 2', if you will, to no avail.Finally, after hours of scouring through records, I've managed to come up with this hour-long mix of excellent deeper House cuts from the last decade. The approach to mixing this was exactly as I'd approached that first mix Cd back in 2006:

(1) Strictly vinyl only

(2) Mix on the fly, with no additional editing

(3) One take, with no practice runs

(4) Keep it deep, techy and trippy

http://www.archive.org/details/HarrySalsava-JourneyThroughTheDeep2009

TRACKLISTING AS FOLLOWS:

001 Murmur - "Magnetic" /2008/

002 FURRY PHREAKS - "Tearful" /2004/

003 CRAIG NELSON - "Am I In Love With You" //

004 ALLAND BYALLO & THE SOUL MONKEY - "Hang On" [the soul monkey's vision mix] /2005/

005 BAAZ - "Connect" /2007/

006 OMAR S - "Miss You" /2003/

007 TOM CHURCHILL - "Crossed Wires" /1998/

008 MARKUS FIX - "Call" /2008/

009 PEACE DIVISION - "In My Mind" /2008/

010 MARK HENNING - "Where Are You Going" /2009/

011 ROBERT DIETZ - "Witness" /2009/

012 CHRISTIAN BURKHARDT - "Tres" /2009/ comes in, before a nasty needle-skip finale....

(Small image taken on a mobile telephone device, in the summer of 2006. Roughly at the time of the original Journey Through The Deep mix CD)

AGCD033 - Liquid Jazz Project - "Land Of The Forgotten Dubs"

2009-05-04T18:03:00.000-07:00

These eight tracks were salvaged from the depths of my hard-drive and were all written somewhere between 2002 and 2006. The music was created purely by arranging and playing with a large collection of audio samples, to create experimental electronic forms.
There is an overall dubby feel to these tracks and they will be enjoyed by fans of the eclectic and the psychedelic.

http://www.archive.org/details/LiquidJazzProject-TheLandOfForgottenDub

TRACKLIST/ORDER:
001 Causeway
002 Causeway (Lifted Drum Version)
003 Daddy Long Legs
004 White Gold
005 Street Rage
006 Accross Minds
007 Much Ado
008 Colours

AGCD016 (RE-ISSUE) - Harry Salsava "Journey Through The Deep"

2009-04-28T08:24:00.000-07:00

This project was originally stored on what was an old site merely streaming this classic mix CD 'Journey Through The Deep'. Now, I've managed to find the mp3 file of it and have stored it on the archive forever...

http://www.archive.org/details/HarrySalsava-JourneyThroughTheDeep

001 TACKLEHEID - "Co Co Maca Stick"
002 CHRIS COCO ft. PETER GREEN - "Albatross" (King Britt Scuba Mix)
003 FURRY PHREAKS - "Lament For A Dead Computer" (Part Two)
004 BLU MAR TEN - "Numbers"
005 KARMASTRY - "El Chakra"
006 MOMENTS OF SOUL - "Delicious" (Dub)
007 SMOKESTACK - "Radio Chamber"
008 Q-BURNS ABSTRACT MESSAGE - "Innocent" (Magik Johnson Guilty Mix)
009 DADDY J & THE FACE - "Electric City"
010 ABICAH SOUL PROJECT - "The Young Are The Future"
011 ELITE FORCE - "Tribe Vibe" (Dub)
012 JOHN DAHLBACK - "Parkdancer"

For those that want to read the original blogspace notes from last-year's post, here is a direct link:
http://audiogourmet.blogspot.com/2008/07/agcd016-harry-salsava-journey-through.html

AGCD032 - Harry Salsava "TechHouse Demo Mix, April 2009"

2009-04-28T06:20:00.000-07:00

It has literally been months if not over a year since I've been able to record a mix CD that I feel satisfied with sharing. I've only just bought the hardware/software to be able to record the output from my mixer and I'm still getting to grips with it.
This mix here is 45 minutes of Tech-House/Techno and is packed with some B-sides, personal classics and recent purchases. Unfortunately, due to the fact that my mixer is ancient and less than adequate, a couple of the mixes are slightly off. What's worse, is that I've not quite worked out how to rid that dreadful feedback/hum that you can hear at the start...so that will be something I plan to work on for future mixes.

In the meantime, since I like the records in this mix very much and they are reasonably well put together, I've decided to include it as an Audio Gourmet CD release.

I do plan on making future CDs that are much tidier and of better quality, but for now here is something to get to grips with in the meantime:

http://www.archive.org/details/HarrySalsava-TechhouseDemoMixApril2009

TRACKLIST:
001 Mountain People "Mountain 005.2"
002 C-Soul "Verbal Competition"
003 HippE "Chunky Tool"
004 Tigerskin "Push The Patton"
005 Kriece "Nozomi"
006 Martin Woerner "Sun Dried"
007 Dan Berkson and James What "Onika"
008 SLG "Sleepless"
009 Shlomi Aber "Sekur"
010 Kriece and Basek "Submission"

MDAC006 - Monthly Discerning Audio Chart, April 2009

2009-04-24T02:11:00.000-07:00

This month saw the release of my Soluable Jazz Session mix CD, which I'd bought a lot of music for. It'd be all to easy to just compile a chart featuring all of those excellent tracks...but that would just be lazy. I've been listening to plenty of other records this month and so I've taken a bit of time on this sunny Friday afternoon to talk you through some of the stand-out pieces from my record collection this April...

LUALLAN CARDONA & MATT BALZAN - Go Deep
I was drawn to this since I've got a bit of Balzan's material in my collection...and this one's something different from him as he joins forces with Luallan Cardona. It's more up-tempo than his usual work, deep dreamy synths swell over some simple House beats. The real treat is when it takes a break half-way through to reveal that lazy guitar section which is set at half-time...

KEMETIC JUST - Highways and Mindwaves
There was a small record shop that I used to frequent as a young lad, in Peterborough. On reflection it wasn't particularly brilliant, but given that it was only down the road and I was young and impressionable - it sufficed. There is not a lot of music I bought back then that I still listen to nowadays, since my tastes have differed somewhat. Yet this record here is something different; I've been listening to this soulful House cut since 2002 and still don't get tired of it! An absolute classic in my record collection.

OSBOURNE - Hydragilm Exit
I've been looking into the sounds of Osbourne, and much of it seems to be of a more 'electro' disposition - which is something that I tend to steer clear of, if I'm honest. This cut, however, is much, much deeper and is nice to listen to when the sun is shining! It's classic deep House music with a nod towards Larry Heard's style of production. So if Osbourne's likely to write anything else along these lines, I'd be very willing to hear it...

CARL CRAIG and MORITZ VON OSWALD - Recomposed
Picked up this CD since the concept seemed an interesting spectacle. Fusing music of organic and orchestral nature with synthetic electronic manipulation....a paradox that has provided a window of experimentation ever since electronic music began. Carl Craig, something of a techno master, reconstitutes this beautiful classical music with tasteful yet boundary-expanding craftmanship.
Well worth a listen, is this - particularly my personal favourite 'Movement 6'.

SUSUMU YOKOTA & ROTHKO - Floating Moon
Two big artists amalgamate to create sonic beauty, fusing electro-acoustic guitar work with intricate soundscapes. Rothko provides this guitar work and Yokota supplies the backdrop.
To someone that is more used to listening to popular music forms, the guitar sounds will rise to the foreground in this piece. And rightly so, as they set the mood and feel to the track. But if you try to push these to the background, you will notice Yokota's delicate soundscaping shine through and add subtle accents to further enhance the mood of the track.

NICOLA RATTI - esope
When I download netlabel albums, I usually have a subconscious list of labels to check. Some labels will have regular releases and others will not release for months. I've been checking back at Zymogen for months after I'd particularly enjoyed their Offthesky release. So I was extremely excited when I noticed Nicola Ratti's 'esope' became available to download.
And, what's more, it really doesn't disappoint. This is just how I like my soundscapes - field recordings, drones and instrumentation, delicately woven together as an untold story. I've listened to this a lot over the month - it is just superb. This release comes with my highest recommendation:
http://www.zymogen.net/releases/zym022/

BLACKFISH - Pacific Harbour
This track was brought to my attention at a recent downtempo/funk/House set by Pat Unwin of Dig Deep. I remember him dropping this one early on, and it just filled the room with a nostalgic haze...It's just such a smooth, languid track and I just had to ask him who it was by... cheers Pat.

DIFUSION - Second Future
Deep broken groove here that's just perfect for those summer months. Lots of sounds to soak yourself into; funky bass, broken beats, deep keys, mellow flute, subtle vocals....excellent music! Whilst it's quite deep and dreamy piece, it's still funky and up-beat enough to spin at a party...

DORIAN CONCEPT - Two Hour Power
Dorian Concept's production style sees a unique style of instrumental Hip-Hop pushed towards experimental and glitch realms. Some of this wasn't really my bag, but this cut treads a slightly different pathway...Nice laid-back beats with a powerful synth sound over the top; it's simple but VERY effective!

TERJE PAULSEN - Twenty Feet For Buddha
A new Resting Bell netlabel release is always something of great excitement for anyone who is into the Creative Commons Ambient/drone scene...and this longform piece from Terje Paulsen doesn't let this excellent label down. It is a beautiful, gentle, meditative piece that is perfect for introspective listening or set at low-volume to induce sleep...enjoy:
http://www.restingbell.net/releases/rb056-twenty-feet-for-buddha

AGCD031 Liquid Jazz Project "The Soluable Jazz Session" (Mix CD)

2009-04-07T08:33:00.000-07:00

This excursion into laid-back jazzy sounds sees the Audio Gourmet blogspot CD collection rise to 31 pieces; one for each day of a full calendar month! It also sees the resurrection of my old guise 'Liquid Jazz Project', a project name reserved for nu-jazz, downtempo, soul, funk and jazz music styles. This CD serves as a demo mix that I might hand out to prospective bars to secure a gig - it has been designed to showcase the sort of music I might play in a stylish cocktail bar, for instance...

THE LINK:
http://www.archive.org/details/TheSoluableJazzSession

One important note, is that given the software I used to mix the CD, it has not been beatmatched or blended as such. Despite the transitions being simple and quick, I tried to program them as smooth as possible and to the best of the program's ability.

TRACKLISTING:
001 Senseque "Days Like This" (Attic Tree Remix)
002 Paradice "Worry Breaker"
003 Domu "Message To Omar"
004 Flashbaxx "Voodoo Therapy"
005 Soulphiction "Used"
006 The Mighty Bop "Ride Away"
007 Mr Scruff "Bunch Of Keys"
008 Ameaba "Salty Tears" (Atjazz Remix)
009 Umod "Tromboline"
010 Nanami Togarashi "Orange Peel"

Please support these artists by downloading other works by them...