Sunday, July 20, 2008

AGCD015: Audio Gourmet - "Frogs Have No Guts" E.P




The "Frogs Have No Guts" E.P is a project that includes four relatively short trip-hop/downtempo tracks made at various points over the last year. I got Will Kelly on-board with the design concepts - so I must extend my thanks to him for putting something together!!
Download from the following link, also, below is a brief description of the track:

http://www.archive.org/details/AudioGourmet-FrogsHaveNoGutsE.p

This is a four-track E.P of varying Downtempo/Trip-Hop cuts.
Below is a tracklisting and a brief insight into the theme/name behind the track:

(1) CLIMATE:
This track was incorporates IDM/Trip-Hop style beats draped over a gentle Ambient drone which was actually made by applying effects to a simple cheap Harmonica. The name refers to particular hard-ship in my career which is a result of the current financial climate.

(2) YOUR REMINDER
This track is a deep hypnotic downtempo cut, and the title is named after a phone bill I got 'reminding' me of impending charges as I struggled to keep the spiralling bills paid.

(3) THE RECIPE
This track is a laid-back Trip-Hop groove with an acid-style bassline and deep synth keys. Just thought the name 'recipe' fitted...

(4) PARADIGM
The most recent contribution to the E.P, paradigm was made by adding reverb to drums and layering synth sounds over the top. I've always liked the word paradigm, and at some point I just HAD to name a track after it!

Monday, July 7, 2008

AGCD014 Various Artists "The Sleep Disc"




The following compilation is a personal tribute, featuring my favourite 'sleep' tracks. Most Ambient music, with its beatless textures, is naturally sleep-inducing. If I've had a particularly hectic day or just struggle to sleep in general, I select a few hypnotic soundscapes set at a low volume and slowly drift off to sleep...
I've hundreds of relaxing sleepy Ambient pieces, so in compiling 'The Sleep Disc', I selected a few of my out-and-out favourites and blended them with others that just flow together.

This CD could serve as a cure for the insomniac too; it's highly unlikely that anyone could lie awake throughout the entire CD...Just be sure not to play it whilst driving!!!!

TRACKLISTING:
(1) Robert Henke - "Oomoo"
(2) Deepspace - "Deserted"
(3) On 14 - "Leaf"
(4) Darkened Soul - "Dreamscapes"
(5) Mortesium - "The Sleeper Awakens"
(6) dreamSTATE - "Stone and Sky"
(7) Philip Wilkerson - "Hymn 2"
(8) Veem - "400"
(9) Pseudophone - "Kovata"
(10) On 14 - "Mint"

Sunday, July 6, 2008

AGCD013: Various Artists: Plethorama Volume 2




This compilation serves as a follow up to the first Plethorama album and builds nicely from where this project last left off.
The idea behind Plethorama was to create a collage of sultry audio in compilation-form to showcase some innovative artists so that the listeners might delve into other pieces from these artists.

TRACKLISTING AS FOLLOWS:
(1) Love Spirals Downwards - "I'll Always Love You"
(2) Funki Porcini - "Big Sea" [edit]
(3) Blue States - "Your Girl"
(4) Four Tet - "Unspoken"
(5) Djivan Gasparyan & Michael Brook - "Take My Heart"
(6) Plaid ft. Benet Walsh - "Eyen"
(7) The Starseeds - "There Is Enough For Everyone"
(8) Jazz Fiction - "Jazz Fiction"
(9) Deep Dive Corporation - "Deep Dive"
(10) Trance Groove - "Paris"
(11) Potlatch - "Sleep At The Swamp"
(12) Michael Brook - "Tangerine II"

Thursday, June 5, 2008

AGCD012: Audio Gourmet - 'Defying Science'



Dark ambient, drone, musique concrete, field recordings, and orchestrated noise are all descriptions which easily fit this collection of quiet yet deep mood pieces. This is the third album on Webbed Hand by Audio Gourmet.

http://www.webbedhandrecords.com/wh103-audio-gourmet-defying-science/

TRACKLISTING AS FOLLOWS:
01 Inner Monologue
02 Zephirus
03 Arcane Truth
04 Ancient Paean
05 Magnetic Implosion
06 Relic
07 Circa 1812
08 Sumerian Empire
09 An Uncertain Moment
10 Lament For An Extinct Species
11 Hollow Endeavour
12 Birth Of A Planet
13 Tomorrow’s Memory
14 Cries Of The Forlorn Machines
15 The Unseen Species

Recorded and Produced by H. Towell

Russ Burgess contributed field recordings and sounds to “Cries Of The Forlorn Machines.”

“Inner Monologue” also appears on Webbed Hand Presents String Ambient (wh101)

Sunday, May 18, 2008

AGCD011 - Various Artists "PLETHORAMA" (An Audio Gourmet compilation)


After a short break from Audio Gourmet releases, I have taken the time to put together this CD-only 14 track genre-hopping compilation album. On the whole, the tracks were downloaded for free on various netlabels.
By and large, Audio Gourmet productions/compilations have a theme and concept behind them. Whereas 'Plethorama' just flows delicately with no real purpose. Most of the tracks induce a fairly emotional feeling within the listener and it's quite an atmospheric sound journey.
The genres of this varied compilation span from Ambient, Musique-Concrete, IDM, Psychedelic Rock, Folk, Cinematic, Acoustic to Downtempo.

As with all Audio Gourmet compilations, please take the time to support the respective artists if you've enjoyed the content. Each track is just the tip of the ice-berg in terms of what each artist is capable of. If you take the time to search further into their sounds and productions, you'll be amazed at all the fantastic music out there!

TRACKLISTING:

(1) Phasen "Insomnia"
(2) Ani Di Franco "Geetar"
(3) Muhr "L'ecoulement"
(4) The Holy Mountain "A Portrayal Of Empyreal Stars"
(5) The Kirbi "Ocean Heart"
(6) Mark.Nine "Beautiful You" (Message In A Bottle)
(7) Nest "Charlotte"
(8) Deepspace "Arctic Sun And Weather Experiments"
(9) Martin Herterich "Slow Dance"
(10) Nest "Lodge"
(11) Vizion "Reflect"
(12) Pseudophone "Kov-ata"
(13) Mortesium "The Sleeper Awakens"
(14) The Winters Quarters "Like Snow On White Sand"

Apologies to those disgruntled at not being able to download the CD: seek out the artist yourselves if you really want to hear the tracks. Most are available for free download anyway...

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

AGCD010 Harry Salsava - Hindsight



This 127bpm Deep House cut is Harry Salsava's first solo House production on Audio Gourmet.
Harry has been DJing and producing for around 6 years and 'Hindsight' is perhaps his best effort at producing House since...He is more renowned for producing Ambient/experimental music, but hopefully this recording should showcase some diversity in his repertoire:

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

Friday, March 14, 2008

AGCD009 Audio Gourmet - 'Earth's Exit Door'



http://www.webbedhandrecords.com/


"Check the sytem, reboot the brain. Re-install the software andcontinue with lifes game; just be sure to avoid Earth's exit door..."


A first artist-album release for Audio Gourmet in the form of this five tracker, called 'Earth's Exit Door', signed to the Webbed Hand Records netlabel. Artwork and ideas for the accompanying text comes courtesy of Will Kelly.

These strange audio textures allow you to meditate on many of life's ultimate questions.

Each track has been assigned a brief thought-provoking narrative:



INVERTED NUCLEUS

An inverted nucleus created itself by accident or chance. They have no concept of being self aware; they are merely organic cell making engines. Cell-making engines multiply and divide to create more complex lifeforms that are driven at the core by an inverted nucleus. A defected nucleus is unstable, becasue they have the inverse to a rational DNA coding that would otherwise create a stable life form. This means, potentially, that two identical nuclei can be inverted and create totally diffrent organic masses due to the complexity and nature of the DNA coding that has become irrationalised within the cell: One inverted or defected nucleus could produce an organism that struggles to function in any way and will cease to exist. Whilst the other will experience the opposite effects and the proteins generated by this inverted DNA will create cells and biological functions that will thrive in harmony, thus giving birth to inverted life or 'dark life', as has become the popular term. If allowed to flourish, this dark life will seek out higher and greater goals as intelligence is evolved and will thus begin the quest to better itself, just as its brother, the original nucleus had already acheived. This could well be the origin of life in the universe: if you could imagine a biological big-bang that created the first ever nucleus and DNA strands. Thus, just like the universe that acts as the womb for all life, ever destroying and creating itself in an infinty of big-bangs and big-crunches. Life cycles on within, on its own oscillating path of self creation and self destruction. Human beings, having evolved considerably through extensive mutation, are constantly searching for ways to escape this constant cycle and live in sustained harmony. Striving to keep the 'exit door' shut, if you will.


ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Ceasing to exist after only a brief ephemeral period of time is something of immense contention for humans, as they wish to remain on the planet and keep the 'exit door' shut. Others want to escape through the 'exit door', through a spiritual connection and live for eternity that way. Searching for a 'higher source'. Through means of science and research, we are able to understand more of our existence and are able to create ways of making it easier, and our goals more attainable.A created intelligence aids a life full of perplexing and menial problems/tasks; it is designed to alleviate some of life's hardships. As humans, we realise how small our existance is and thrive to expand our perception in order to expand our knowledge and technology and potentially develop a solution to keeping the 'exit door' shut.


HYDROGEN

Water is an element SO crucial for sustaining the existence of any life-form. We all need it to stay hydrated, to stay hygienic and to stay healthy. This point cannot be emphasised enough; water is absolutely paramount for us to exist. However, by complete contrast, it has wiped out hundreds of species in the form of regular ice-ages that destroy most living things. Ice is stored water in frozen form.It is fascinating, that one of the most vital elements we require to exist can be equally as lethal to man-kind.


THE MIST BEFORE SUNRISE

The mist before sunrise is a metaphor for the human fear of the unknown. An un-specified quantity is the most daunting prospect for a human being. As humans, we like to accurately predict the outcomes in life and if the eventuality of something is clouded, we are not sure how to react. We learn from our experiences, some of which are mistakes, so it is necessary for our development to confront them. Every discovery ever made will have entailed some element of risk. Sometimes, what may have seemed like a huge obstacle can turn out to be a worthwhile and positive discovery. An element of informed caution is of course to be taken on board, as for each chance of a positive outcome, there is an equal chance of a negative one...


THE DAY OF THE TREMOR

It is amazing that a seemingly 'perfect' day can be mutilated into destruction by the means of a natural disaster. In one unpredictable fell swoop, our state of contentment can be wiped out completely. As advanced as the human race has developed, a natural disaster will wipe out our creations, possessions, experiments and ultimately, some of mankind. Those who have not experienced an earthquake for instance, will struggle to fully empathise with those who have been affected by its grave consequences. It's the survivors of such destruction that know the real value in life - to stay alive, breathing and at least staying clear of Earth's Exit Door...