Anna Thorvaldsdottir – Aerial

Right from the opening track it’s obvious that “Aerial” is something else, almost beyond comparision!
It took me some time to grow accustomed to this album. It requires some dedicated listening, on the right moment.
But ultimately, the raw beauty of the distictive textural palette grabbed me, and didn’t let go.
Only to leave me wondering why I had not heard of Anna Thorvaldsdottir before.

Bad Sector – Kosmodrom

Bad Sector’s “Kosmodrom” was originally released in 2005 but sold out within a few months. It is dedicated to Konstantin Tsiolkovsky (Russian pioneer of astronautic theory), and shows this dedication by including original Soviet sound devices (like the Aelita synthesizer and the electro-optical ANS), mixed with space mission dialogues and fragments from transmissions of the mysterious spy channel (‘numbers’) radio stations.

Dedicated to all Soviet/Russian cosmonauts – and also recommended to all wannabe astronauts that enjoy drifting away into outer space (while not leaving home)!

Various Artists – Touched Two

Charity compilations come in all forms & sizes, but “Touched Two” is one of truly megalomaniac proportions. I really don’t know where to begin here. This “review” is the very first I ever write without having listened to the album at least a few times. How can anyone éver review a 255 track compilation that presents over 22 hours of music?

John Luther Adams – Become Ocean

“Become Ocean” was inspired by the oceans of Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, and the references to the endless oceanic movement are clear from the very beginning. Like there are different ways to look at the ocean’s movement, there are also are different ways to listen to this piece: you can just ‘follow the larger structure’, but you can also focus on the multitude of details underneath it..

“It may be the loveliest apocalypse in musical history” – Alex Ross, The New Yorker

A Zoharum Quartet

Zoharum is a Polish label founded in 2007, specialising in experimental music. Their catalogue, close to 100 releases, is often dedicated to the promotion of Polish artists, new as well as renowned, but they are also releasing works from other artists. New albums as well as re-releases: a wealth of a collection to explore if you’re into ambient, industrial, experimental, electroacoustic, IDM, or all other kinds of music adventurous and unpredictable.

Disproduction – Whorl: A LoopDiary Selection

Being a big fan of the Fripp & Eno loop-based recordings from the early seventies, Disproduction (David Hodnett) has managed to re-create a comparable atmosphere with his guitar improvisations, various effects and recurring delays. His experiments were created in the form of a musical diary (originally recorded between 2005 and 2009) which can be found on his four extensive “Loopdiary Archives” albums. A Respectful tribute that can easily claim its own place.

Robert Rich – Perpetual (A Somnium Continuum)

Robert RichSomnium” – released in 2001 – was (and still is) one of the landmark monuments of ambient music. Based on his experience playing sleep concerts since 1982, this 7 hour work was especially composed to be your companion during the night, following the natural flow of sleep cycles.
The original Somnium DVD (that was the only format then that could hold such an amount of music) has long sold out now.
But the good news is: there is a successor to this project now: Perpetual(and its physical release also contains the original “Somnium” recordings)!