Two releases by Porya Hatami: one of them in collaboration with Arovane, the other a restrospective overview.
Also: a bonus release from Offthesky including two colourful ‘studies of light forms in transit’ videos by Jean Piché.
Sometimes, a certain kind of ambient soundscapes are referred to as “glacial”. Often, these are dark, slowly evolving soundscapes that evoke a desolate, solitary, atmosphere that can be associated with the vast arctic landscapes (although the sounds are not necessarily ‘cold’).
“Stillness” , a multimedia project by Esther Kokmeijer (cinematic landscapes) and Rutger “Machinefabriek” Zuydervelt (music) is literally “glacial”, because it documents Esther Kokmeijer’s journey to Antarctica in january 2013 and to Greenland in june 2013.
The video in 5 parts documenting these trips are subtitled “Millions of Winters, two summers” – with a perfectly fitting musical score performed by Rutger Zuydervelt.
“I’m not formed by things that are of myself alone”
This is the key quote (taken from Stoker) for this mix, which is also ‘not formed by things of itself alone’. Every detail, every short sample, has its origin in another context, another musical composition, from which it is taken to find a new place in a completely different context.
“My ears hear what others cannot hear.”
“Parallax“ is the visual effect that, when you are moving yourself, objects closer to you seem to move by faster than objects in the distance, which slowly seem to move with you in the same direction.
In sound, drones seem to create a somewhat similar effect.
In some way that is what this mix is about: the background sound slowly moving along with you while some other fragments pass by so quick you cannot even focus.
Just don’t try to focus.
“…Now I see things that were hidden from my eyes…”
When publishing the mixes for Ambientblog, I have always been looking for a way to ‘visualise’ the artist credits for the mix.
Most of the fragments and samples used in the mix-collages are almost indistinguishable, yet the interested listener might want to find out about the release details.
This is why most mixes on ambientblog also feature a ‘sequence scheme’ image which shows the building blocks of that particular mix.
For my most recent mix, “Rust”, I decided to try out a different feature: a video version, which is showing the track details at the very moment they are used in the mix.
With their new release ‘Terrestre’, Mathon takes a further step in creating their own unique genre.
Their music is, as always, consequently linked to geographical locations, describing “the coexistence of nature and civilization and also the contradictions between the two”.
It is mainly created with acoustical instruments and stylistically closely related to the impressionist music known from the ECM-label.
It must be something in the water or in the air over there in Portland, Oregon, resulting in a lot of remarkable music lately. Such as Bridge Carols, by Laura Gibson and Ethan Rose.
It’s labelled as “electro-pastoral music” and I really couldn’t think of a better description myself.
It’s not very often that I hear a new album that gives me the feeling it is exploring completely new territories by tearing down the limitations of existing styles and influences. Bridge Carols did exactly that. It got under my skin from the very first listen and felt like a mystery to be explored.
The Optofonica Project – platform for synesthetic media and sound spatialization – started in 2006 in Amsterdam. They have presented their immersive works on Sonar and Sonic Acts, presenting surround cinema and the Optofonica Capsule which must have been quite an impressive experience!
Though Cliff Child may sound like one person’s name, it’s actually two: Iceland’s Sjorn Björnsson (creating the sounds) and Robjn (producing the tracks and creating the artwork).
In anticipation of the first, self-titled, album to be released this summer, they offer their first 6-track EP ‘Einn’ as a free download. Find it on SoundCloud.
Or, if you prefer, get it from their weblog at http://cliffchild.wordpress.com/.
This weblog also contains some fascinating videos to go with the sound…(of which “The Middle” is my absolute favourite!).
Contemporary electronic music is firmly rooted in Germany – I guess no one will argue that.
So is No Accident in Paradise, a four person “Live Ambient System”, or freeform ambient music project.
No Accident in Paradise combines live electronics and keyboards with sampled electronic music recordings and rather stunning visuals by Robert Seidel. They perform at unusual locations that perfectly fit their music: check the video of the Therme Bad Schandau performance (below) for a good impression!
