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/
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
The Lowlight Mixes - Thru The Field
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!
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!
Thursday, May 6, 2010
NEW!! Audio Gourmet Netlabel
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.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
The Lowlight Mixes - Driftage
Here is the link to download this hour of excellent music for free:
http://lowlightmixes.blogspot.com/2010/04/driftage.html
Sunday, April 25, 2010
MDAC017 - Monthly Discerning Audio Chart, April 2010
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.
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.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Hibernate Recordings Showcase on Fluid Radio...
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.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Spheruleus - Frozen Quarters (Reviews)
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.
"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.
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