Compilation albums are a nice (and often inexpensive) way to get introduced to new artists you’re not yet familiar with. For a label, they’re a great way to present their artist portfolio. Or a way to raise some money to fund new projects.
Or … they may be used as an auditive sleeping pill…
Prepare for over 15 hours of assorted musical selections:
ELEMENTS ONE – FIVE
To celebrate their five years of existence, the renowned Home Normal label presents a massive five-album compilation set.
64 Tracks with an incredible artists line-up (I won’t even begin to start name-dropping here!). Apart from the five album set, the individual albums are also sold separately.
Profits of each album will go to five different charity organisations: one for each separate album.
According to the website, Home Normal label curator Ian Hawgood will be taking a (well deserved) break after rounding off the Elements compilation sets. Luckily, this does not mean we’ll have to do without this label’s music: this set alone is offering enough to keep on listening for months!
AMBIENT SLEEPING PILL COMPILATION VOL. 3 (+ 2, + 1)
For those that didn’t know yet, AMBIENT SLEEPING PILL is an internet radio station “streaming music for Sleeping, taking naps, and other more wakeful moments; Tranquil, Deep, Serene; no breaks, no ads, no beats, no new-age cheese.” (!).
In other words: an insomniac’s dream! And a healthy alternative for a sleeping pill, too.
For those that want to take their sleeping pills when off-line, there are currently three compilations available. Needless to say that these albums strictly contain quiet, soothing, drone-based ambient sounds.
(But NO new-age cheese indeed!)
Compilation 3 presents 9 tracks (80 minutes), with contributions by Nobuto Suda, Saito Koji, Erinome, Echo Grid, Not a Number, Purl, Porky214, Summons of Shining Ruins, Niko Bellanti.
For more information, Andrew J. Klimek – station and compilation curator – wrote extensive track-by-track notes on the Bandcamp page.
As the #3 indicates: there’s more where that came from: the previous Compilation 2 and Compilation 1 are both equally interesting. And yes: buying these albums supports running the radio stream!
EARTHTONES VOL. 2
The “Vol. 2” already reveals that this is not an ‘introduction’. It is the second in a series released on Tessellate Recordings, a label curated by Harry Towell, a.k.a. Spheruleus.
Selling this compilation is a way to help funding forthcoming physical label releases. It’s quite a massive set: 25 tracks, 2 hours of music, presented by well-known artists as well as less familiar names. To name just a few: Paper Relics, Darwin Raymond, Grzegorz Bojanek, Strom Noir, Green Kingdom, Rezo Glonti, Specta Ciera, Porya Hatami, Yann Novak, Michael Trommer, Tobias Hellkvist.
Along with their musical contribution, all artists also have included a picture image of their local surroundings, “as a sort of post card to you, the listener”.This is a great insight in the surroundings that have inspired them to create this music. The surrounding earth as a source of inspiration defintely results in a more lighthearted and often optimistic atmosphere. The styles cross different sections of the ambient music scene, but here is some more emphasis on using the guitar as the main instrument.
AN INTRODUCTION TO SOFT RECORDINGS
Soft Recordings is a brand new label founded by David Teboul (Linear Bells). To introduce his new label, catalogue # 001 is a 12 track compilation presenting a remarkable array of contributing artists.
Next to Linear Bells, we find familiar names like Leonardo Rosado, Monolyth & Cobalt, Darren Harper, Endless Melancholy, Sima Kim, Radere, Saito Koji, Bengalfuel (and then some).
Judged by this line-up Soft Recordings will be a label to keep an eye on.
Stylistically, most kinds of contemporary ambient music are present here: “drone, experimental, some noise, and a sprinkling of modern classical” .
“‘An introduction to Soft Recordings’ is an evening spent in a mountainside cabin, listening to the storm shake the trees in the darkness. Inside, all is still, hushed, waiting. The fervent glow of firelight, bright against frosted windows.”
ACHE – COMPILATION 001
This (pay-what-you-want) compilation is an introduction to another brand new (NET-)label. The Ache netlabel is dedicated to “lush soundscapes, dark drones, ethereal ambience, and atmospheric sounds.” Here are six bands/artists each presenting two tracks: Auteurist, Foresight, Swell Sounds, Black Light, Unruhe and Bellow from the Arms.
The names may be less familiar, but the music is as diverse and adventurous as the Soft Recordings collection mentioned above, although the overall sound is somewhat darker.
CYAN MUSIC – AMBIENT SELECTIONS VOL. 2
Another ‘sequel’ compilation, this time from the Cyan Music label, operating from Melbourne, Australia, run by Gus and Andrew Till and ‘The Gnome’. This compilation focusses on somewhat more melodic, ‘traditional’ ambient music – mainly created using synthesizers – sometimes crossing over to some ‘new agey’ sounds (but fortunately staying on the ‘right’ side of it… whatever that may mean)
I must confess that from the eight contributing artists Robert Rich was the only name I was familiar with, so there are definitely some new names to be checked out here!