Tag: soundscapes

ambient music, RECOMMENDATIONS

Celer – I, Anatomy


I'Anatomy

When talking about extremely prolific artist that manage to deliver amazing quality recordings with every new release, Celer is one of the names that pops up. At the time of writing, the Celer discography mentions 52 titles released on a label, and another 33 self-released titles!
“I, Anatomy“, released as a double vinyl album (no digital download yet, unfortunately), is not the latest release, but, in fact, that is not the point at all.
Unlike decades ago, there’s no point in collecting, trying to be complete. The more important point is to simply enjoy what you encounter.

As Will Thomas Long puts it: “I know it is difficult for people to keep up, but for me, I just share things with people that I feel or assume might be interested in the music, because they’re just the people I have contact with, hoping that in maybe one of the releases, something will strike them or have some personal relation. I don’t expect anyone to listen to or enjoy everything, but it’s something that is just natural for me, making and working on music, and keeping doing it. Trust me, I’d love to make only 1 album a year, but it just doesn’t ever work out that way. Not yet, at least.”

ambient music, RECOMMENDATIONS

Chris Russell, Listening Mirror, Philippe Lamy, Mystified, Bengalfuel

In the Shortlist sections, I will mention some of the albums that I enjoyed listening to, but couldn’t find the time (or the right words) for a “full” review for. Still, I think they deserve your attention: use the links to find more info and hear previews.

Bloom

Chris Russell – Bloom
A lot of ambient music refers to darkness and gloomy atmospheres, so it’s refreshingly rewarding to find an album like this, an album that finds it inspiration in ‘the power of nature’, especially since it is warm and bright as the pictures accompanying the release, without ever crossing over to the dreaded ‘new age’ territories. “The use of field recordings and electronic atmospheres, along with photos taken from many long hikes in the forest, were the visual back drop to the zones I was creating in the studio. Bloom is a celebration of the awakening and renewal of life..”

The Clearing

Listening Mirror – The Clearing-My Hiding Place
Not much need to refer to the physical release of this 7″ on Cooper Cult, since that was a release of 25 and obviously sold out before I could even play the tracks twice. But, luckily, these beauties are still available as a digital download from BandCamp. Classic Listening Mirror (Jeff Stonehouse) soundscapes: immersive and wide soundscape layers provide the backing for a calm acoustic guitar theme. In some way, the lonely and deserted atmosphere reminded me of the classic Paris, Texas soundtrack by Ry Cooder.

ambient music, RECOMMENDATIONS

Thomas Koener – Novaya Zemlya


Novaya Zemlya

It starts with a deep trembling sound. It’s not thunder, but it does not exactly sound mechanical or man-made either. It may come from somewhere deep inside the earth…a strange kind of sound to break the vast silence.

With sounds like these, it’s not difficult to imagine you are witnessing the birth of New Land – which is in fact the translation of “Novaya Zemlya” (or Nova Zembla in dutch, known for the famous Willem Barentsz expedition in 1594). 

The name also refers to the archipelago in the north of Russia, extensively used for nuclear testing during the Cold War – which creates an entirely different context for the sounds on this album.

ambient music, RECOMMENDATIONS

Helios, Porzellan, North Atlantic Drift, Retina.it, Stefan Paulus

In the Shortlist sections, I will mention some of the albums that I enjoyed listening to, but couldn’t find the time (or the right words) for a “full” review for. Still, I think they deserve your attention: use the links to find more info and hear previews.

Moiety

Helios – Moiety
I don’t think I can add much to the near-legendary status that Helios, a.k.a.Keith Kenniff, a.k.a.Goldmund has already earned – apart from the fact that this Godfather of Cinematic Romanticism offers this album as a free download to all his fans. In FLAC as well as MP3 format. I can only suggest a donation, because this album (and his overall work) deserves it.

Lost Library

Porzellan – The Lost Library
Francis Cazal is a baroque violinist and composer, but – in his own words: “who cares”.
The sounds on this album are definitely more electronic than you might expect from that description.
“This is a bit more than music, but a bit less than something else.”
 Anyway, this album clearly shows the work of a creator. 25 Minutes definitely worth investigating!

ambient music, RECOMMENDATIONS

Various Artists – Loud Listening


Loud Listening

A lot ambient-electronic have a distinct industrial feel: the hum of giant machines and installations, soothing at some times, ominous – or even threatening – at other. Quiet and reassuring when distant, but loud and agressive when close. 

Though this may not be exactly what you expect of “ambient music”, it definitely is part of the sounds of our surroundings. Until the crisis may stop them, at least.

“Loud Listening” is a free (!) compilation from the Crónica label, based on the environmental recording of four Italian soundscape artists: Allesio Ballerini, Enrico Coniglio, Giuseppe Cordaro and Attilio Novellino. 

ambient music, RECOMMENDATIONS

Listening Mirror – What’s Wrong with Miracles?

A closer look on this latest Listening Mirror album called “What’s Wrong with Miracles?”  shows that this is in fact one side of the mirror: there’s no trace of Kate Tustain‘s soft heavenly vocals on this release. 
(For that, you may want to check out the beautiful recent compilation overview “Resting in Aspic“ ) 

Compared to the soft vocal counterparts on the previous releases, Jeff Stonehouse presents a rather dark mirror on this new release.

ambient music, RECOMMENDATIONS

Marow; Invisible Hands; Blue Infinite; Illuha; Herve Moire

In the Shortlist sections, I will mention some of the albums that I enjoyed listening to, but couldn’t find the time (or the right words) for a “full” review for. Still, I think they deserve your attention: use the links to find more info and hear previews.

Marow

Marow – Inter
“Marow‘s new 6-track release narrates disappearing structures and delusive fears, whose spirit reveals the beginning of a warm experience. Inter invites your consciousness to rest in a cosy moment for a little while. The breathing soundscapes transform life into a transcendental, peaceful journey ~ no grand wisdom ~ just lovely listening.
[Free download]

Invisible Hands

Invisible Hands – Non-Rapid Eye Movement Sleep
“Debut from Invisible Hands, an ambient/drone act based in Almere, Netherlands. These three tracks correspond to the stages in sleep called NREM and are designed to be listened while falling asleep or concentrating.” 

ambient music, RECOMMENDATIONS

Hior Chronik, Kane Ikin, Marcus Fischer, Nils Quak, Karol Gwozdz

In the Shortlist sections, I will mention some of the albums that I enjoyed listening to, but couldn’t find the time (or the right words) for a “full” review for. Still, I think they deserve your attention: use the links to find more info and hear previews.

Hior Chronik

Hior Chronik – Unspoken Words Spotify
On his second album, Hior Chronik (Greece) combines the finest elements to create a well-balanced palette of ambient soundscapes, acoustic elements and melancholic themes. 
The enthousiastic recommendations by Hauschka (“Definitely a part of my soundtrack for this year autumn and dark winter times.”), Nils Frahm (“Essential experimental music!” ), Sawako and Will Long (Celer) may indicate that this is an album that should not be missed. And it definitely is!

Contrail

Kane Ikin – Contrail Spotify
Also known as half of the Solo Andata duo, Kane Ikin presents his first solo project as a 4-track EP release: two tracks on a clear vinyl 7″, the other two as additional download tracks. For this 20+ minute album, “he recorded everything through and onto old technology — aged analog consoles, reel-to-reel tape — and all heard through a hazy science fiction filter.”

 

ambient music, other-music, RECOMMENDATIONS

Chris Watson – El Tren Fantasma

There is, has been and will always be, a lot of debate about what “ambient” music is. Whatever you think of that, the word definitely has ambience in it, so the music will probably have something to do with the atmosphere of your surroundings. 

Closely related, yet still an entirely different matter, are what we call Field Recordings, and/or Environmental Soundscapes. 
The first strive to record environmental sounds as closely as possible to its origin, the second add an emotional  dimension to that recordings by deliberately manipulating these recordings into a soundscape. Which, inevitably leads to the discussion about the moment when sound becomes music.

Chris Watson is one of the very few real masters of this area (which might be a lot more challenging than you’d suspect). He was one of the founding members of Sheffield’s Cabaret Voltaire and the Hafler Trio, and started another career as a television sound recording engineer in 1981. 
Recording and documenting natural sounds, he has also specialised in assembling these recordings to fascinating soundscapes.
Most of his memorable works have been released on the Touch label, that recently presented his latest masterpiece: “El Tren Fantasma” (The Ghost Train).
And after listening to this album for quite a few times, I can easily state that this is certainly one of the most impressive soundscapes available.