MDAC22 - Monthly Discerning Audio Chart, September 2010

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

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"

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"

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

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

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

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