ETC | Εnd of Summer '24
ETC | Εnd of Summer '24
A seasonal cornucopia of 30 exquisite releases from the last few months, plus some vintage magic for all discerning music lovers
Reviewing music transcends the exercise of taste; it operates within the realm of cultural critique, where the artwork is dissected not merely as a collection of sounds but as an emblematic artefact of its era.
The following album reviews are not just evaluations but explorations of the symbolic resonance each work holds within the sonic landscape, investigations seeking to delve into the existential and aesthetic dimensions that each artist invokes, embracing a discourse that does not shy away from the intellectual rigour necessary to fully engage with the complexities of contemporary music while situating these albums within the broader cultural and philosophical frameworks of both personal and collective experience.
Enjoy reading and listening to what might be the longest post yet, but surely is an unmissable treasure trove of musical enrichment.
Ash Valley by Optimism North
Optimism North's "Ash Valley" is a hyper-sophisticated blend of ambient, synthwave, and new-age music, creating a unique and immersive sonic experience that feels as if one is enveloped in a soft, worn, magic blanket made of memories, impressions, recollections - vague typologies of remembering, forgetting and imagination, all interwoven as if listening to a library record themed around blissful imagery.
The album's indefinable charm is evident in its ability to evoke a sense of in-betweenness, where the boundaries of time and space blur. This is achieved through the use of expansive soundscapes, layered textures, and subtle shifts in temporal dynamics, reflected in intricate compositions and seamless integration of various strands and forms of attenuated drones and woozy pads, together creating a cohesive and evocative experience.
A sense of wonder and cinematic grandeur is persistently and seductively present throughout the album via a sophisticated blend of musical techniques. The use of spectralism focuses on the inner life of sounds, creating rich, evolving textures that engage with time and memory, fostering a sense of timelessness. Rhythmic entrainment aligns the tempo with natural bodily rhythms, inducing a meditative state that enhances the feeling of being in a transitional space.
Layered textures and dynamic shifts contribute to a complex auditory ontology, allowing for a dynamic interplay between different musical elements and creating a sense of stately movement within the music. The strategic use of reverb and delay effects adds depth and expansiveness, evoking a dreamlike quality that blurs the lines between reality and imagination. Harmonic ambiguity, with its use of unresolved chords, maintains tension and release, further enhancing the ethereal and otherworldly atmosphere. These techniques collectively create a profound and immersive listening experience, where the boundaries of imagination and recollection blur, inviting the listener into a liminal, introspective journey.
"Ash Valley" balances tranquillity with an underlying tension, a hallmark of Optimism North's style. This duality is achieved through the juxtaposition of serene ambient passages with more intense chords, arpeggios and effects. The dreamlike quality of the detailed production and the careful crafting of its sonic elements is further enhanced by its voluptuous use of reverb and delay effects.
Slow tempos, gentle melodies, and soothing harmonies create a relaxing atmosphere glowing with calming and meditative qualities, while the occasional dissonance and unexpected shift keep the listener engaged in a masterful sonic landscape that is both vast and intimate. The album's ability to evoke deep emotional responses and vivid imagery makes it a standout work in the ambient music genre. It is an album that invites repeated listening, each time revealing new layers of meaning and resonance.
Next Time Could Be Your Last Time by Forgiveness
In Next Time Could Be Your Last Time, Forgiveness embark on a multi-layered exploration that defies categorization, hovering seductively between genres like jazz, ambient, and electronica, while ultimately resisting the confines of any one label in a manner that charms with its whimsical approach to the most enchanting elements of their many influences.
The trio—composed of Jack Wyllie, JQ, and Richard Pike—constructs an immersive audio mise en scène that challenges the listener to reconsider the boundaries between the acoustic and the digital, the composed and the spontaneous. Flowing along a semi-improvisational path, the lackadaisical, playful succession of gentle sounds emerges from a milieu of shared influences and collaborative synergy, where the convergence of individual artistic trajectories culminates in a simultaneously synthetic and organic soundscape, sometimes as soft as a lullaby, sometimes peculiarly alien yet always fascinating and soothing at once, keeping the listener in a state of lucid dreaming and alert calmness.
Wyllie, whose previous work with Portico Quartet and Szun Waves is well-regarded, brings a sense of structured improvisation to the album, blending seamlessly with JQ’s nuanced electronic textures and Pike’s percussive elements. The result is an exotic blend that is both intricate and expansive, creating a sense of place that is as much a mental construct as it is a musical one. The album’s title, a nod to the ephemeral nature of existence, is reflected in the music’s delicate balance between tension and release, offering moments of tranquillity that are often undercut by a lurking sense of unease.
Released on Gondwana Records in June 2022, Next Time Could Be Your Last Time stands as a testament to the power of collaboration, where each member’s contributions are integral to the whole. The album’s refusal to conform to a single genre is a reflection of the trio’s diverse influences, ranging from 70s ECM jazz to contemporary vaporwave, and it is this eclecticism that gives the album its unique character. It is an invitation to the listener to enter a space where time and genre are fluid, where the boundaries between the organic and the synthetic are blurred, and where the only constant is change.
East Coast Cosmic Dreamscaper by Seawind of Battery
Seawind of Battery's sophomore opus, "East Coast Cosmic Dreamscaper," merges disparate elements such as Americana, folk, country and other guitar-dominated influences with a warm, pleasure-orientated sensibility about ambient music that veers towards the blissful vibes of a Balearic, even Yacht Rock, persuasion.
In the wake of their critically acclaimed debut "Clockwatching," Seawind of Battery's "East Coast Cosmic Dreamscaper" emerges as a work of remarkable evolution and nuanced complexity. Spearheaded by Mike Horn, the overall mood is gently buoyant and hedonistically laid-back, transcending the ingenious cleverness of its fusion origins, and offering instead a fresh perspective on the sonic ontology of twangy pedal steel guitars that at first might be considered far removed from the after-party and pool-side contexts where this kind of euphoric harmonies and spectral drones are primarily popular.
Where "Clockwatching" served as an auditory balm for pandemic-induced anxieties, "East Coast Cosmic Dreamscaper" beckons listeners towards a reinvigorated engagement with the world. The album's soundscapes, while retaining the ethereal quality of their predecessor, are imbued with a newfound dynamism. This tension between tranquillity and forward motion permeates the work, manifesting most notably in tracks like "New Moon" and "Dreamscaper."
The integration of Jarrod Annis's lap steel guitar, following his live collaborations with Horn, introduces an additional layer of textural richness. This expanded sonic palette allows for a more nuanced exploration of genre boundaries, particularly evident in the psychedelic country inflexions of "Maze of Roses." Such moments of genre-blending serve not as mere stylistic exercises, but as a means of reconfiguring listener expectations and experiences.
The album's structure, bookended by the tracks "Blood Moon" and "New Moon," presents a microcosm of Seawind of Battery's artistic trajectory. "Blood Moon" emerges from a mist of sustained notes, gradually coalescing into a deliberate, sun-dappled melody. In contrast, "New Moon" ventures into more kinetic territory, its structured measures and staccato rhythms suggesting a sense of purpose and infinite possibility. This progression from languid contemplation to purposeful motion encapsulates the album's overarching narrative.
Throughout "East Coast Cosmic Dreamscaper," familiar elements of country and folk music are deconstructed and reassembled, creating a sonic landscape that is at once recognizable and utterly novel. The "hoedown reel" quality of certain rhythmic patterns is distilled to its essence, stripped of its traditional context and repurposed as a driving force within the album's more ambient passages.
In this more dynamic iteration of their sound, Seawind of Battery has crafted an album that, while dreamy in nature, possesses a clear narrative arc. It stands as a testament to the band's artistic growth, from intimate backyard performances to tours across Europe, and collaborations with contemporary cosmic luminaries. "East Coast Cosmic Dreamscaper" not only showcases the band's evolving artistry but also serves as a call to arms for listeners, urging a collective reawakening of creativity and vitality.
In essence, Seawind of Battery have produced a work that masterfully balances drift and propulsion, introspection and engagement. It is an album that invites multiple listens, each revolution revealing new facets of its carefully constructed soundscape. As the world awakens to its charms, "East Coast Cosmic Dreamscaper" stands poised to inspire a resurgence of musical exploration and experimentation.
A Heart So White by Jonny Nash & Suzanne Kraft
In “A Heart So White”, released on the always dependable Melody as Truth label as their second collaborative album, Jonny Nash and Suzanne Kraft delve deeper into the acoustic realm, shedding the digital landscapes of their debut, Passive Aggressive, in favour of a more organic approach. Recorded in the Willem Twee Concertzaal, a converted synagogue in Den Bosch, the Netherlands, the album is a meditation on space and sound, utilizing the venue’s mechanical drawer organ and a Steinway piano to craft a series of compositions that are as sparse as they are resonant.
The album’s title, borrowed from Javier Marías’ novel of the same name, hints at themes of introspection and the hidden layers of meaning in everyday experiences. Nash and Kraft’s minimalist approach strips the music down to its bare essentials, allowing the listener to focus on the subtle interplay between the instruments and the acoustic space they inhabit. The tracks, while not traditional compositions in the melodic sense, are more akin to atmospheres—sonic environments that evoke a sense of place and mood rather than narrative progression.
The central piece, “Knife”, exemplifies this approach, with its sparse notes on the Steinway gradually building into a more complete melody, accompanied by a percussive tap that creates a counterpoint of three separate voices. This trio of elements—piano, guitar, and percussion—converges into a unified whole, creating a piece that is both meditative and dynamic. The closing track, “Some Water”, with its ambient hum and soft keys garnished with a playful and breathy wind instrument, perhaps some kind of bamboo flute, brings the album to a serene conclusion, leaving the listener with a sense of otherworldly wonder.
“A Heart So White” is an escape exit leading to an emotional and mental space not merely to inhabit in isolation, but to flourish in meditation—a place where time slows down, and the mind is free to wander in perfect clarity and sustainable transcendence.
“Green” by Hiroshi Yoshimura
The resurgence of Hiroshi Yoshimura, once a peripheral figure outside Japan, his homeland, has emerged as a pivotal force in the contemporary reassessment of environmental sound design. His 1986 opus "Green" stands as a testament to this belated recognition, its reissue catalyzing a global reevaluation of his oeuvre.
Born in Yokohama in 1940, Yoshimura's formative years were shaped by post-war Japan and avant-garde influences like Tōru Takemitsu, John Cage, and the Fluxus movement. This cultural crucible forged his unique approach, blending engineering precision with natural fluidity.
"Green" was created during the winter of 1985-86 in Yoshimura's home studio, crafting an antithesis to Tokyo's frenetic urban rhythm. Using Yamaha FM synthesizers, he paradoxically evoked the languorous pace of natural cycles. The album's title invokes comfort derived from cyclical phenomena rather than serving as a mere chromatic descriptor.
Yoshimura's recent popularity surge stems from archival reissues and algorithmic curation. The 2017 re-release of "Music for Nine Post Cards" acted as a catalyst, while digital playlists introduced his subtle compositions to a new generation of listeners.
His influence extended beyond recorded music, permeating public spaces, galleries, and even the commercial sphere through collaborations with fashion houses and cosmetic brands, like Face Music, an album commissioned by Shu Uemura Make Up School that mixed his own modern classical compositions in seamless beat-driven juxtaposition with works by Vivaldi, Scarlatti, and Caccini. This multifaceted approach reflected a holistic philosophy of sound as an environmental constant.
Throughout his career, Yoshimura's work evolved to reflect global musical currents. From the minimalist tendencies of "A-I-R" to the downtempo rhythms of "Quiet Forest," his compositions traced the changing contours of ambient and electronic music. Following his passing in 2003, labels like Empire of Signs and Light in the Attic have spearheaded reissue campaigns, bringing previously Japan-exclusive releases to a global audience.
"Green" exists in the adumbrations between sound and silence, blooming like a rare flower in a forgotten garden. Its reemergence feels less like a reissue and more like the rediscovery of a lost language - one that speaks in whispers of synthetic breath and organic murmurs.
This album doesn't so much play as it unfolds, each track a delicate layer revealing new hues of sound, the distinction between them becoming as blurred as the horizon at twilight. Notes hang in the air like mist in a forest, their edges soft and inviting, beckoning the listener deeper into this sonic wilderness.
As one ventures through this soundscape, the familiar markers of music - melody, rhythm, harmony - shift and reform like dunes in a gentle wind. What at first seems like background sound gradually asserts itself, while prominent tones recede into a haze of possibility.
It's as if Yoshimura has crafted not just music, but a new way of listening that doesn't demand attention; rather, it creates a space where attention itself is transformed. Like a masterful watercolourist, Yoshimura knows the power of the untouched canvas. The silences between sounds become as vital as the sounds themselves, each pause pregnant with potential.
With repeated listens, "Green" reveals itself as a mirror to the listener's inner world. It's a Rorschach test in sound, where each person might find their own story etched in the spaces between notes. The synthetic tones become indistinguishable from field recordings, queering the narrative between the composed and the discovered.
This is not an album that fades into the background. Instead, it subtly alters the acoustic texture of one's environment, like a prism refracting light. Photons don’t escape reality but rather deepen our engagement with it, inviting us to see anew the world around us.
As "Green" unfurls its verdant soundscape, it offers more than just a listening experience. It presents a unique vantage point from which to contemplate the nature of ambient music, the boundaries of composition, and our relationship with the ever-evolving soundtrack of existence. Long after the final note has faded, its echoes continue to resonate, leaving us with ears attuned to the hidden melodies of the here and now.
"The Night We Slept Under an Overhanging Cliff" by Piotr Kurek
An exploration of temporal and sonic disjunctions, this 2024 release encapsulates Kurek's dialectical engagement with the remnants of his past compositions, transforming them into an embroidered lace made of acoustic and electronic interstices.
Kurek, a Warsaw-based polymath, navigates a labyrinth of influences, from early music to baroque and experimental jazz, entangling these with the filigree traces of contemporary computer music. The album's seven segments coalesce into an illusory hedge of sound, where the real and the virtual intertwine in an assemblage of Harp, saxophone, clarinet, double bass, voices, and guitar, all subsumed into computerized processes and synthesizer chirps, creating an uncanny dreamscape that defies conventional auditory definition.
His process of revisiting and recontextualizing unfinished pieces reflects a preoccupation with the temporal acceleration and deceleration of artistic creation as each interaction with the piece erodes its initial form, leaving behind a residue of its original essence, an iterative engagement seeking new perspectives and possibilities.
Kurek's own reflections on the album reveal a complex relationship with his creative process. He describes the album as a set of short pieces initially sketched over several years, a testament to his struggle with the finality of artistic production.
"The Night We Slept Under an Overhanging Cliff" was initially the title of a track Kurek worked on between 2016 and 2019. Upon revisiting the project, he found that the original essence had dissipated, leaving behind an empty vessel, a concept that now encapsulates the album's thematic core. This transformation from a specific track to an overarching concept underscores the fluidity and contingency of artistic creation, echoing Guattari's ideas on the machinic unconscious and the production of subjectivity.
In sum, "The Night We Slept Under an Overhanging Cliff" is a dense, intellectually stimulating album that challenges the listener to engage with the complexities of sound, time, and memory. It stands as a testament to Kurek's ability to navigate the deliquescent penumbra around the aura of genres, like the ghost of improvisational jazz, the blurry outlines of sound art installations and the inconclusive limits of musique concrète. For those attuned to the nuances of experimental and abstract soundscapes, this album offers a rich and rewarding auditory experience.
Here, This is Happening (Soundtrack) by archie
Archie’s “Here, This is Happening (Soundtrack)” is a work that blurs the lines between music, sound design, and narrative storytelling. Composed as a soundtrack for an imagined film, the album is a journey through a series of sonic vignettes that evoke a wide range of emotions and images. Archie, known for his eclectic approach to composition, draws on a diverse array of influences, all the way from grungy guitar pop to ambient music to experimental electronica, to create a work that is as much about atmosphere as it is about melody.
The album’s structure is loose and episodic, with each track functioning as a self-contained piece while also contributing to the overall narrative arc. This approach allows Archie to explore a wide range of sonic textures and moods, from the gentle acoustics of “Lover’s Hands” to the smooth, almost danceable ‘80s synthetic pop-soul of “Lens”. Throughout, there is a sense of playfulness and experimentation, as Archie manipulates references, sounds and structures in unexpected ways, keeping the listener constantly off balance.
One of the most striking aspects of “Here, This is Happening (Soundtrack)” is its sense of intimacy and immediacy as if the music is unfolding in a personal space, in real-time, responding to the listener’s own thoughts and emotions.
While the album is undoubtedly experimental, it is also deeply accessible, with a warmth and humanity that is as inviting as it is lighthearted, emotionally generous and frankly pretty. “Here, This is Happening (Soundtrack)” is a testament to Archie’s skill as a composer and sound designer, feeling both meticulously crafted and effortlessly spontaneous, a rare and precious combination in contemporary sophisticated pop.
Kiho’alu: Stories in Song, Vol. 1 by George Kuo
In “Kiho’alu: Stories in Song, Vol. 1”, George Kuo, a master of Hawaiian slack-key guitar, offers a deeply personal and evocative exploration of the genre. Kiho’alu, or slack-key guitar, is a traditional Hawaiian style where the guitar strings are loosened or “slacked” to create a resonant, open tuning. Kuo’s album is a rich tapestry of this tradition, blending intricate fingerpicking with melodies that evoke the natural beauty and cultural heritage of Hawaii.
George Kuo is renowned for his ability to convey stories through his music, and this album is no exception. Each track is imbued with a sense of place and history, drawing the listener into a world where music and storytelling are intertwined. The album’s title, “Stories in Song”, refers to this narrative approach, with each piece functioning as a vignette that captures a moment in time or a facet of Hawaiian life.
Tracks like “Pao Doce” and “Waimānalo (Na Ke Aloha I Hanai Mai)” showcase Kuo’s technical mastery, as well as his deep emotional connection to the music. The gentle, flowing melodies are both meditative and evocative, inviting the listener to experience the landscapes and stories that inspired them. There is a timeless quality to Kuo’s playing, as if the music has always existed, flowing through the islands like a river. It is an invitation to slow down, to listen deeply, and to connect with the beauty that flowers in the reverberating timbre between the twanging notes.
Released in July 2024, “Kiho’alu: Stories in Song, Vol. 1” is primarily a cultural artefact by definition, preserving and celebrating a tradition that is as vital today as it was centuries ago. As such it is meticulously irrelevant to contemporary aesthetics, bllissfully absorbed in its own splendidly isolated contentment. All these solipsistc qualities which make its mellow sounds and good-natured melodic charm an irresistibly seductive proposal and an exceptionally transportive listening experience. For listeners unfamiliar with slack-key guitar, Kuo’s work serves as an ideal introduction, offering a gateway into the rich musical heritage of Hawaii. For those already acquainted with the genre, it is yet more evidence of the power of music to convey the soul of a place and its people.
Searching by James Devane
James Devane’s latest album, “Searching”, asserts itself as a complex system of aesthetic propositions. Devane, whose earlier work “Beauty Is Useless” already marked a significant departure from orthodox techno, delves even deeper into the labyrinth of chance operations and algorithmic processes with this new release. “Searching” is not so much a sequel or continuation but a radical reconfiguration of his sonic philosophy, challenging both the listener and the concept of authorship itself.
This album demands engagement with its underlying mechanisms—mechanisms that blur the boundaries between the digital and the organic, the predetermined and the spontaneous, thereby offering a potent critique of the increasingly automated aesthetics that dominate the digital age.
Exploring the aesthetic of chance, James Devane’s approach to composition in “Searching” is best understood through the lens of aleatory processes, a concept central to the avant-garde tradition. His method, in which tracks are generated by a custom-built algorithm that randomly assembles and manipulates pre-recorded material, resonates with a tradition of artistic practices that relinquish control in favour of unpredictability. The algorithm acts as a mediator between Devane and his material, introducing a layer of indeterminacy that echoes John Cage’s experiments with chance in music, though here updated for the digital era.
Yet, Devane’s use of randomness is not merely a technical novelty; it is a philosophical statement. By outsourcing the compositional process to an algorithm, Devane problematizes the very notion of authorship. The resulting tracks, which he curates rather than composes in the traditional sense, exist in a space where the artist’s role is transformed from creator to curator, collaborating with technology to produce new forms of subjectivity and aesthetic experience. In “Searching”, the algorithm is not a tool but a co-creator, its mechanical logic interwoven with Devane’s artistic intuition.
Characterized by a tension between structure and chaos, a dialectic that defines the entire album’s sonic landscape, the tracks are simultaneously meticulous in their detail and anarchic in their form, evoking a sense of controlled disintegration. The grooves, though discernible, are fractured by arrhythmic bursts and irregular loops, creating a disorienting yet compelling auditory experience. This fragmentation serves as a critique of the linearity and predictability that often dominate electronic music, instead embracing the complexity and unpredictability of real-time computation.
Devane’s algorithmic approach to rhythm, in particular, subverts traditional notions of musical temporality. The loops generated by his software do not adhere to conventional time signatures or tempos, resulting in a form of non-linear time as a series of disjointed moments rather than a continuous flow. This temporal dislocation challenges the listener’s perceptual faculties, forcing a reconsideration of how time and rhythm are experienced in music, revealing the inherent instability of seemingly fixed concepts.
The materiality of sound in “Searching” is another crucial aspect of Devane’s aesthetic. Despite being generated by digital means, the sounds on this album possess a tactile quality that resists the clean, polished surfaces typical of much contemporary electronic music. Devane’s manipulation of analogue equipment, such as a broken Farfisa organ and an old Fender Rhodes, adds a layer of physicality to the digital process, creating a hybrid sound that is both raw and intricately detailed and can be seen as an attempt to reclaim the human element within a mechanized process, a gesture that resonates with concerns about the increasing abstraction and dematerialization of contemporary culture.
In “Searching”, the digital is not merely a medium but a site of tension and contradiction. The glitches and imperfections that arise from Devane’s algorithmic processes are not erased but foregrounded, creating a form of digital sublime that both fascinates and unsettles. These sonic artefacts, products of the machine’s inherent limitations, become aesthetic objects in their own right, embodying the album’s exploration of the boundaries between control and chance, order and disorder.
Underlying the aesthetic experimentation of “Searching” is a more profound inquiry into the nature of meaning in an era dominated by algorithms and automation. Devane’s album can be interpreted as a critique of the increasingly pervasive influence of technology on creative processes, where the role of the artist is reduced to that of a facilitator rather than an originator of technological acceleration.
Yet, “Searching” is not merely a lament for lost agency; it is also a search for new forms of meaning and expression within the constraints of the algorithmic era. The album’s title itself suggests a quest, not for a definitive answer, but for a multiplicity of possibilities. In this sense, “Searching” is as much about the process as the product, inviting the listener to engage with the music not as a finished work but as an ongoing exploration of sound and its probability.
A significant contribution to the discourse on the intersection of technology and art, offering a nuanced and critical perspective on the role of algorithms in contemporary music, embracing chance and relinquishing control, Devane not only challenges traditional notions of authorship and creativity but also opens up new possibilities for sonic exploration.
Only Now by James Bernard
James Bernard’s “Only Now”emerges as a synesthetic exploration of the history and traditions of ambient music itself as a lived experience, revealing the multifaceted relationship between the sonic and the existential, as it is a record marking 30 years since the artist’s seminal debut, “Atmospherics” back in 1994, thus unavoidably commemorating the accumulated aural past,
Since then, James Bernard has been a pivotal figure in the ambient music scene, known for his ability to cross genres while evolving his mastery of ethereal soundscapes.
This latest work, recently released on the excellent Quiet Details label, was recorded in diverse locations, including remote areas of the Los Padres National Forest in California. Reflecting years of experience, patience, and confidence in allowing the music to bloom naturally, it is an album that encapsulates a dialectical reconciliation between the organic (acoustic guitars, field recordings, a pronounced patina of fuzzy crackle and other analogue audio artefacts) and the synthetic (multiple layers of heavily treated drones, synth effects and abstract tones sourced from myriad points, including environmental and hand-crafted samples).
Bernard's approach to creating “Only Now” involves live improvisations using a single instrument source, performed and captured in one take with sound-on-sound looping techniques. The immediacy of this method articulates a sonic ontology that affirms the listening experience with intricate soundscapes where auditory phenomena serve as a portal into a realm of calm, considered, reflective beauty.
The complex compositions, characterized by layers of delicate synthesizers and electro-acoustic textures, are meticulously constructed using various sound sources, including electric bass, vintage 303, cutting-edge digital synths, granular devices, and pedals.
The opening track, “Watching Clouds Form”, sets the stage for this exploration, being a live improvisation with the Fender VI six-string electric bass guitar and an assemblage of effect pedals. Soft waves of airy sound oscillate behind veils of dense texture and ephemeral fragility, intertwining the instantaneity of live performance with the spontaneity of creation, fostering a compellingly contemplative state and engendering a form of musical immanence that draws attention to the very act of focused listening as a mode of becoming in itself.
In the subsequent track, “Finding Each Other”, Bernard deftly navigates the interstitial spaces of time-stretched synth pads, choral samples and drones through granular sampling techniques which support the multi-layered auditory architecture. This elaborate sound design results in a euphoric soundscape of alert serenity, creating a constant flow of focused calm as the album progresses.
The artist’s words further illuminate his process: "I find my centre in creating improvised musical motifs, exploring different themes, guiding them and shaping them, listening to them in wonder as they slowly morph, evolve, and form into something enigmatic, something that speaks into music."
I Knew You Once by Gregory Paul Mineeff
Gregory Paul Mineeff’s “I Knew You Once”, just released on the Lincolnshire, UK-based Whitelabsrecs imprint, is an evocative exploration of grief and memory, emerging from the composer’s multifaceted journey through sound. The album is characterized by its seamless integration of guitar, drone, piano, and electronic elements, forging a profound listening experience that resonates on both emotional and intellectual levels.
By examining the interplay between ethereal soundscapes and more grounded, guitar-driven passages, Mineeff's approach to composition reveals a fascinating tension between the atmospheric tendencies of ambient music and the raw, expressive power of classic rock guitar. In this regard, echoes of guitar virtuosos like Ry Cooder, Jimi Hendrix, and Jimmy Page can be discerned throughout the album.
Mineeff's guitar work, impressive in its own right, channels the exploratory spirit of these artists, employing techniques that recall Cooder's slide guitar mastery, Hendrix's innovative use of feedback and distortion, and Led Zeppelin's dynamic range. However, these classic rock elements are not presented in isolation but are seamlessly integrated into a broader ambient electronic framework.
Processed drones and subtle electronic textures provide a backdrop against which Mineeff's guitar work can shine, sometimes emerging as a focal point and at other times blending into the overall soundscape. This interplay between electronic and analogue elements reflects Mineeff's interest in the physicality of sound, resulting in compositions that feel both expansive and intimately crafted.
The album features intimate arrangements, like Rhodes keys gently accompanying expansive electric guitar solos that are interspersed with spikier post-rock elements, such as the pointedly lo-fi, almost rudimentary drum machine percussion, evoking the meta-lounge aesthetic of the late '90s / early ‘00s alternative electronica pioneers To Rococo Rot.
The orchestration of the album is both sparse in terms of economy and lush in atmospheric impact, an approach that allows Mineeff to create textures that are richly layered and nuanced, inviting repeated listening to fully appreciate the subtleties of each track while grounding the ethereal qualities of the compositions in a relatable reality.
Each track reflects a meticulous crafting process that Mineeff employs, revealing his dedication to the physicality of sound. The intricate balance of analogue instruments and digital effects results in a tactile sonic environment, allowing for a dynamic interplay between imperfection and beauty. In addition to the aforementioned guitar heroes, his aesthetic influences are varied, ranging from the indie psychedelic folk of the Durutti Column to the melodic minimalism of Eric Satie and Philip Glass, all informing the album’s stylistic diversity, while their thoughtful combination remains anchored in a cohesive vision that presents a compelling synthesis of ambient electronica and classic rock guitar influences.
While the album's conceptual depth and emotional resonance are significant, it's the music itself that truly captivates. The integration of post-rock elements and LoFi drum machine beats adds rhythmic complexity to the ambient foundations, creating a dynamic ebb and flow throughout the album. This rhythmic underpinning provides a counterpoint to the more abstract, atmospheric elements, grounding the compositions and making them accessible to a wider audience.
Mineeff's diverse musical background, which includes composing for various media and performing live, is evident in the album's cinematic quality. Each track unfolds like a self-contained narrative, with careful attention paid to pacing and dynamic range.
"I Knew You Once" is an album that enticingly blends ambient, lofi electronica and classic rock-inspired guitar work, creating an uncanny listening experience, both familiar and novel, exploring the open spaces that linger between established genres. Through this adventurous expedition in a no man’s land of selective yet productive affinities, Mineeff not only pays homage to his musical influences but also charts a course for future explorations in sound.
The Fish Factory Sessions by Greg Foat and Gigi Masin
An evocative and detailed embroidery of various ambient and jazz textures, weaving together the atmospheric threads of guitar, electronica, and neo-classical music, this album stands as a testament to the profound synergy between Foat's jazz-infused piano improvisations and Masin's ethereal electronic landscapes.
Gigi Masin, a luminary of the Italian underground electronic scene, brings his rich history of ambient music to this collaboration. Known for his seminal 1986 LP “Wind” and his work with Gaussian Curve, Masin's journey through music has been marked by a consistently unwavering quality and restrained ethos, elegantly poised somewhere between ambient electronica and lounge quasi-exotica.
Greg Foat, a prominent figure in the UK jazz scene, perfectly complements Masin's ambient textures with his masterful piano performances. Their previous collaboration, “Dolphin”, set the stage for this new venture, blending Foat's jazz sensibilities with Masin's electronic prowess.
This album revisits and reimagines two tracks which originally appeared on “Dolphin”, while new compositions such as "Jubilation" and the expansive 16+ minute epic "Three Piece Suite" showcase the duo's continued evolution, offering listeners a journey through lush, layered soundscapes.
In essence, “The Fish Factory Sessions” is a life-affirming meeting of two musical geniuses at the peak of their powers, aiding and abetting each other towards yet another pinnacle of virtuosity.
Sanatorium by Ryosuke Miyata
Ryosuke Miyata’s “Sanatorium” is presented as a deeply personal statement, thematically orbiting the struggles and triumphs of a non-binary musician grappling with mental health challenges. The album functions as a reflective exploration of the dichotomy between the demands of societal structures and the nurturing of one’s inner world. It serves as a sonic sanctuary, a means through which Miyata navigates the complexities of his identity and experiences.
Miyata’s unique perspective informs the album’s autobiographical undercurrents, revolving around a narrative framework about regeneration through calmness which dictates the serene peacefulness of the music. The title, invoking a space for healing and reflection, signifies his intent to provide a form of aural restoration, subduing the listener through the whispered serenity of gauzy aural textures that create an enveloping sonic environment.
The misty compositions weave together vaporous textures spun from hyper-processed sonic filaments of piano, acoustic guitar, bass and other traditional instruments, their vestiges treated and overlayed with computer-based methods of sound manipulation, sampling and field recordings, resulting in calm frequencies conducive to personal healing. This exploration is underscored by a narrative of overcoming adversity, allowing listeners to engage with the intimate details of Miyata’s journey.
The juxtaposition of the artist’s struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder and schizophrenia against the soothing backdrop of his strangely beautiful musical creation speaks to the broader narrative of mental health in contemporary society by proposing a singularly personal response and idiosyncratic aesthetic.
Thus “Sanatorium” becomes more than an album; it is an assertion of identity and resilience, urging listeners to embrace their complexities while finding solace in the shared human experience. In this regard, Miyata’s work resonates with an urgency that transcends individual interpretation, inviting a collective understanding of the nuances of mental well-being.
Subtle Movements by Surya Botofasina, Nate Mercereau, Carlos Niño
“Subtle Movements” is a collaborative exploration by Surya Botofasina, Nate Mercereau, and Carlos Niño, integrating their diverse musical backgrounds into a cohesive yet dynamic soundscape. Each artist brings their unique influences and experiences to the project, resulting in an album that transcends traditional genre boundaries, inviting listeners into a meditative auditory space.
At the core of this work is Botofasina’s spiritual orientation, which permeates the music with an ethos of connection and community. His upbringing in the environment of Swamini Turiyasangitananda’s Sai Anantam Ashram profoundly influences his artistic voice, imbuing the album with a sense of purpose and transcendence.
In the crucible of their collaborative artistry, Mercereau and Niño—each a virtuoso in his own musical domain—conjure an auditory elixir of intricate complexity. Their compositional prowess manifests in a polyphonic cascade, where rhythmic permutations intertwine with melodic inventions of startling originality. This aural cornucopia, redolent with the heady aromas of psychedelia and the ethereal whispers of new-age mysticism, invites the listener into a realm of sensual polyphony where rhythmic mutations surge through harmonic innovations of shimmering enchantment.
A veritable phantasmagoria of sound, “Subtle Movements” deliberately evokes a state of rapturous wonder, simultaneously igniting an irrepressible joie de vivre through its lush opulence of painstakingly orchestrated ecstatic abandon, an orgiastic ritual artfully framed within an aesthetic context that pays homage to the late 1960s and early ‘70s improvisational jazz scene (think Alice Coltrane, Pharaoh Sanders, McCoy Tyner)—an era of unbridled creativity and cultural effervescence. Yet, the work transcends mere nostalgic veneration, pirouetting exquisitely on the precipice between the sublimely theatrical and the delightfully camp.
Existing in this idiosyncratic, rarefied atmosphere, where every note is imbued with purpose and every silence pregnant with possibility, this album stands as a testament to the power of innovative composition, unafraid to embark on an experimental voyage that tantalizes the senses, challenges the intellect, and ultimately transports the listener to unexplored frontiers of artistic appreciation, suspended in a state of transformative engagement with sound itself.
The collaborative nature of “Subtle Movements” fosters a sense of dialogue between the artists, each responding to and building upon one another’s contributions. The result is an immersive experience that resonates with the listener on multiple levels, encouraging a deep engagement with the themes of love, devotion, and unity. This album embodies the spirit of contemporary collaboration, where individual voices merge to create something greater than the sum of their parts.
The seamless blending of various sonic elements creates an expansive auditory experience that speaks to the collective human condition. As Botofasina states, this project aims to foster connection and community through music, an aspiration that resonates deeply within the album’s intricate layers and nuanced textures. “Subtle Movements” is a vibrant testament to the power of collaboration and the transcendent nature of sound.
THF Compendium by The Twelve Hour Foundation
“THF Compendium”, recently released in 2024, encapsulates the eclectic essence of The Twelve Hour Foundation, a Bristol-based electronic and musique concrète collective. The album is a curated collection that brings together a total of 36 previously unreleased tracks alongside selections from earlier projects, offering a comprehensive overview of the group’s sonic evolution.
The interplay of analogue synths and concrète sequences creates an immersive listening experience that challenges conventional musical structures. The duo of Polly Hulse and Jez Butler harnesses their expertise to craft intricate soundscapes that blur the lines between melody and noise, evoking a sense of cheerful exploration and playful discovery.
From Stereolab to Tipsy, from synth-centric library records to late ‘90s alternative electronica like Ulrich Schnauss or even ‘70s bucolic folk and the BBC Radiophonic Shop archives, the album’s diverse influences are apparent in its stylistic complexity, rhythmical variegation and textural richness, inviting listeners to engage with the nuances and humour of each composition.
In a contemporary electronic scene increasingly dominated by austere conceptual work and heavy intellectual lifting, “THF Compendium” serves as a testament to the enduring power of wit, whimsy, levity and the creative possibilities they unlock. The album encourages listeners to reconsider their perceptions of thoughtful music as a rigid and dour structure, instead presenting it as a fluid and evolving entity that challenges the listener to embrace the chaos and beauty of sound, fostering an appreciation for the complexities of auditory experience.
The compendium format allows for a multifaceted exploration of the group’s artistic vision, offering insights into their process and evolution over time. Each track reflects their journey, inviting listeners to partake in the ongoing dialogue between sound and meaning. “THF Compendium” is a significant contribution to the landscape of contemporary music, merging eccentric intent with innovative sound design.
The Chill Out Tent Vol. 2 by Chris Coco
”The Chill Out Tent Vol. 2”, curated by Chris Coco, out recently on his DSPPR imprint, emerges as a celebratory collection that encapsulates the ethos of communal relaxation and sonic exploration. This compilation reflects how the pastoral aesthetics of the English countryside align with the hedonistic languor of holidy island life, blending exclusive tracks from a diverse array of artists into a cohesive auditory experience.
The album showcases contributions from established names in the Balearic scene alongside emerging talents, resulting in a vibrant cross-section of liminal party sounds, the kind of music whose purpose is liberatingly undefinable yet club-adjacent just enough to avoid crossing over into pure ambient territory.
The diversity of styles and influences within this collection highlights the ongoing evolution of the genre, inviting listeners to engage with the rich textures and rhythms that characterize the Chill Out Tent virtual-to-actual festival experience: a communal project that serves as both a retreat and a celebration, embodying the spirit of togetherness that music can foster.
Coco’s eclectic curation emphasizes creating an environment conducive to relaxation and connection. The tracks belong to a timeless narrative that reflects on the idyllic moments of life, capturing the essence of shared experiences amidst nature. As listeners navigate through the compilation, they are transported to a sonic sanctuary that evokes the laid-back warmth of communal leisure and the beauty of fleeting moments.
“The Chill Out Tent Vol. 2” is the distillation of a very specific sensibility, propelled by a cosmopolitan wanderlust for destinations where music catalyzes international connection through escapist pleasures that appeal to an adult and sophisticated audience that understands the importance of creating aesthetic spaces where individuals with a particular weltanschauung can come together, united by their shared love for an idealized here and now.
Idea of Nature by Folclore Impressionista
“Idea of Nature” by Folclore Impressionista (AKA João Paulo Daniel, António Caramelo and Sérgio Silva) is a musical contemplation about the myriad meanings of nature as shaped by historical and cultural narratives.
Inspired by Raymond Williams’ reflections on the complexity of the word “nature,” the album serves as an intimate introspection into the cosmological narratives that have influenced perceptions during adolescence.
Released back in 2022 on the great Lisbon-based Russian Library label but deserving repeated listening, it’s an impressive collection of pristine electronic vignettes. According to the liner notes, the album’s conceptual framework navigates the tension between anthropocentric ideals and scientific naturalism, referencing the idyllic yet often misguided visions of nature perpetuated by dominant power structures. The album critiques this idealization, highlighting the ecological anxiety that arises from a disconnection between humanity and the natural world.
In terms of sonic aesthetics, Folclore Impressionista builds elaborate atmospheric soundscapes around the solid building blocks of defined Library music references, much pronounced in the simple riffs, scales and arpeggios dominating each track. Synth-based and retro-futuristic, these main elements are layered with a layer of cosmic wonder that recalls the ‘70s West Coast minimal/new age/ambient scene, particularly in the timbre and tonality of the audio, which sometimes wobble and tremble as if heard through the quirks of vintage technology, such as excavated cassettes and 8-track tapes.
The elegant, polished and structured result is a contemplative space where the boundaries between past and present electronica mannerisms blur, creating a meeting point where obscure composers for video game soundtracks can co-exist with intelligent electronica and TV signal music can be inspired by Brian Eno, capturing a haunting beauty, allowing for a rich dialogue between sound and meaning, ultimately prompting a reevaluation of humanity’s relationship
Panorama by Alexandre Centeio
“Panorama”, the second album by Portuguese multi-instrumentalist Alexandre Centeio expands on his previous work, delivering a mesmerizing alchemy of percussive eccentricity and atmospheric moods that borrows from various inspirational sources. Recently released in 2024, this album signals a departure from the serene soundscapes of his debut, “Movanta”, super-imposing and stratifying musical vignettes full of detailed observations and intricate patterns.
Centeio’s prowess for constructing sonic fictions that are as startling as they are complex shines through in a surrealistic soundscape filled with eclectic elements such as hand drums, spectral synths, and disembodied voices.
“Panorama” weaves together a plethora of uneasy listening tonalities whose complicated relationship floats indecisively yet alluringly between disruption and continuity, creating a hallucinatory experience that aligns with the ethos of the delightfully outlandish label Discrepant.
Reflecting influences far beyond the horizon of his immediate cultural landscape and personal historical context, Centeio brews an intense elixir of distilled idiosyncrasy. Collapsing notions of musicological time and geographical origin, the album resonates with a particularly non-British aura of hauntological exotica, an iteration of a foreign past whose mannerisms are inflected in non-Western aural declinations.
Instigating aberrant nuptials between divergent classifications of sonic stylings, such as layering ‘60s easy listening tropes (harps, field recordings) with elements of vintage electronica and musique concrète, Alexander Centeio crafts a delinquent aural idiom that defies conventional taxonomy not only formally, but in principle.
Rising by Jasmine Myra
“Rising”, Jasmine Myra’s sophomore album is a confident and vibrant follow-up to her acclaimed 2022 debut, “Horizons”. Elegantly produced by Matthew Halsall and released on the reliably sophisticated Gondwana record label, “Rising” features a core ensemble of talented musicians who each contribute a distinct signature to the album’s intricate textures and emotive melodies. The overall mood navigates the smoother intersections of ‘70s improvisational jazz along with more contemporary influences that nevertheless belong to the same school of soloist virtuosity, drawing connections to the works of Kenny Wheeler, Bonobo, and Shabaka Hutchings.
Myra’s compositions radiate warmth and beauty, their measured pace and emotional expressivity underpinned by a collective empathy among the musicians, emphasizing individuality within a multiplex of cohesive intentions in the service of symphonic modalities. Highlights include tracks enriched by a string quartet, adding further depth and nuance to the elaborate soundscapes. Myra’s erudite approach invites listeners into a reflective space, making “Rising” a significant contribution to the contemporary jazz scene.
River of Light by Ancient Infinity Orchestra
Ancient Infinity Orchestra’s “River of Light”, showcases the collective’s commitment to communal music-making. Leeds-baseed and led by double-bassist Ozzy Moysey, this 14-member ensemble, incorporating a choir, draws inspiration from the spiritual jazz traditions free-form cosmic improvisations of Pharoah Sanders and the Coltranes, creating a melodic and heartfelt exploration of togetherness and creativity.
The album, another gem released by Gondwana Records, captures the essence of community as a reservoir of unlimited potentialities through the joyful atmosphere of the recording sessions, where musicians and friends gathered to create music that celebrates life.
Moysey’s artistic vision transcends conventional jazz, offering a meditative and moving experience that resonates deeply with listeners and intertwines philosophy and nature, emphasizing the importance of sharing beautiful moments through music
Universal Ave. by Double Fantasy
A Balearic holy grail and lost gem of late-period Berlin School of electronica, the album “Universal Ave.”, first released in 1986 on the seminal Innovative Communication label, by the electronic duo Double Fantasy (Robert Schroeder (a disciple and protégé of Klaus Schulze, the late, great Tangerine Dream founding member and all-around legend) and guitarist Charly Büchel)
The inception of this alliance proposed a refreshing iteration of instrumental alternative electronica infused with light touches of pop affability and some attention-grabbing sprinkle of rock swagger, all wrapped up in a synthetic, propulsive vehicle that is as timeless and dreamlike as its Teutonic origins suggest but aims for a listening experience that remains throughout of a decidedly sunnier and more sanguine disposition.
Through soothing synth melodies, expansive synth pads, layered reverb and sparse echo, lush arrangements of measured riffs and some virtuosic guitar solos, the laid-back grooves pursue the pleasure principle via idyllic harmonies, embellished with atmospheric squiggles and a slight deviation to a very ethereal interpretation of the softest margins of Yacht Rock, creating an auditory sanctuary that feels both intimate and languorous.
Upon its initial release, “Universal Ave.” garnered significant commercial success, achieving over 200,000 sales and a spot on the Billboard charts in the United States. In 2009, Schroeder revisited “Universal Ave.” with a comprehensive sound update, refining the original recordings with modern technology and adding a bonus track, “Private Planet,” a previously unreleased recording from the original sessions. The updated edition maintains the captivating essence of its predecessor while presenting an enhanced audio quality.
Invincible Summer by City of Dawn
Recently released on Heart Dance records and titled after Albert Camus’s triumphant aphorism about resilience (“In the depths of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an Invincible Summer,”) the latest album by City of Dawn, is an elaborate fusion of various ambient music mannerisms, creating a cohesive yet richly layered audio montage from an eclectic multitude of sources: field recordings, cascading drones, the organic imprint of chamber music, minimalist accents within contemporary classical frameworks, ceremonial solemnity and other idiosyncratic affectations of quiet-music disciplines.
Created by Damien Duque from McAllen, Texas, “Invincible Summer” expands outwards in vibrating ripples radiating from a centre of almost still tranquillity, cascading softly as they meet one another in ever-widening diameters of imperceptibly fading tones, becoming in and of themselves points of entry for a meditative state that fosters its own.
“In the Hush of Mosaic Spaces” by Cura
Recently released, Cura’s album, “In the Hush of Mosaic Spaces”, embodies a contemplative exploration of sound by combining digital music production software like Ableton Live and therapeutic technologies such as EEG Neurofeedback (a process that uses electrical potentials in the brain to reinforce desired mental states through operant conditioning).
This collaboration between Joshua W. Bruner, known for his ethereal contributions to Drift Meditation, and Damien Duque (AKA City of Dawn, see previous review), illustrates a unique fusion of advanced creativity and consciousness research, capturing the intricacies of the mind and presenting them as an immersive auditory experience within the context of evolving medical speculation about the connections between soundwaves and health.
Each track invites listeners to unwind and embrace moments of wonder: otherworldly soundscapes shimmer softly like the audible mirage of a higher reality, their circular synth motifs and harmonic pads interspersed with field recordings of babbling brooks, the patter of rains, bird song and other sonic suggestions of a reality-adjacent vision of paradise.
Plage Arrière by Roméo Poirier
“Plage Arrière”, the cult debut record of French ambient composer Roméo Poirier, originally released in 2016, was later reissued in 2019 with updated artwork by London imprint Kit Records. This idiosyncratic exercise presents its intention as music for aquatic soundscapes evoking the serene beauty of the coastal environment. Aptly, each track is titled after a secluded beach from a constellation of Greek islands, whose marine life and hallucinogenic beauty are primary sources of inspiration for former lifeguard Poirier
Evoking an immersive sense akin to the experience of drifting through coral reefs with its soft, stochastic ambient textures and overall muted sonic palette, the album illustrates the fluid universe and enchanting wonderment of underwater realms. Poirier’s artistry is characterized by the seamless blending of various sonic elements, including trumpet motifs and echoing piano, dangling like delicate ornaments from the branches of electronic textures and synthetic backgrounds, recalling the sophisticated refinement and aesthetic elegance of ambient mystics like Harold Budd and Jan Jelinek. Amidst these meticulous avant-garde compositions, the sombre landscape is lit by florid eruptions of fragmented ‘50s and ‘60s exotica, as quirky sounds and lighthearted effects bloom briefly and are almost immediately subsumed into the overall soundscape
Offering a soothing auditory escape by engaging with the serene qualities of the natural world while simultaneously embracing the complexities of music composition at its most abstract, ”Plage Arrière” finds a space in which seemingly unrelated states of mind can co-exist, like charming whimsy nestled within reverence for nature, which music is part of.
In this surprisingly fecund union of playful levity and academic seriousness, the essence of a summer beach is captured perfectly by Poirier’s music as a site of both joyful abandonment and quasi-metaphysical transcendence.
Garden of Ediacara by Ludwig Berger
In “Garden of Ediacara”, Zürich-based Ludwig Berger’s debut album, creates a fictional ecosystem, crafted with synthesized vocals and electroacoustic sound design. Berger expresses a profound belief that “music is a form of world-building,” and each composition follows a narrative thread connecting various landscapes, inviting listeners to engage with the stories told throughout the album.
Conceptually inspired by the geological Ediacaran period, and imaginatively representing field recordings of 635 million years ago —an era characterized by a diverse array of soft-bodied life forms—Berger celebrates the beauty of biodiversity while reflecting on the impending loss that accompanies ecological change.
Berger’s artistic practice, rooted in field recordings and intimate encounters with nature, informs his unique approach to sound creation. The album is a minimalist jewel of inventive orchestration and resourceful methodology, showcasing a sonic phenomenology of physical modelling instruments, microscopic field recordings, and innovative vocal techniques that resonate with the aesthetics of existence.
KANAGAWAYORK by August Fanon & iLL-Sugi
“KANAGAWAYORK”, a split beat tape released by the excruciatingly hip ODD TAPE LABEL, showcases the collaborative efforts of two prominent figures in the contemporary beat-making scene: August Fanon from New York and Japan’s esteemed iLL-Sugi.
This partnership, produced in the vibrant environment of New York City, is a beautiful iteration of the turntablist ethos, here implemented with finesse and a seductive lightness of touch, stitching, overlaying and sequencing fragments of past recordings of super-obscure ‘70s rare grooves and soul curiosities, whose sonic auras are sensually smeared against a hazy, laid-back groove of jazzy basslines and horizontal breakbeats.
The fusion of Fanon’s distinctive style with iLL-Sugi’s world-class production results in a radiant mise en scène whose incandescent effulgence is characterized by its evocative rawness and ingenious creativity. As the creators describe it, this album offers “a dope sound that is full of atmosphere,” emphasizing its lived-in quality, which resonates deeply within the modern beat culture.
Ajasphère Vol.II by AJA
The ambient producer AJA returns in 2024 with “Ajasphère Vol.II”, an evocative collection of seven tracks that blend field recordings with crystalline strings, creating a hypnotic soundscape that almost commands our contemplation and reverie. AJA, an alias of Clémence Quélennec. Following a decade-long collaboration with the French band La Femme, Quélennec embarked on a transformative journey to Morocco, where she delved into research and experimentation in pursuit of the perfect sound.
The result of this introspection and exploration is a soothing sequence of ambient vignettes that collectively draw eclectic connections between minimalism, New Age music, and ambient electronica decorated with occasional passages that evoke an almost topographic sense of aural provenance as if the listener is fleetingly serenaded by the hyper-processed vestiges of some obscure folk idiom.
Offering a serene space for reflection and imagination. “Ajasphère Vol.II” stands as a testament to AJA’s radical evolution as an artist and her commitment to crafting atmospheric music that transcends boundaries, both imaginary and real.
빈자리 (Binjari) by 김반월키 (Kimbanourke)
This disarmingly pretty album by South Korean singer-songwriter Kimbanourke is convincing evidence of technology suborning an adventurous brush with radical eclecticism. It exemplifies one of the more appealing aspects of our globalized, algorithmically curated reality, namely the ability to discover gems like this exotic specimen of Asian folktronica.
A heady cocktail of influences is mixed to conjure the seductive atmosphere of “빈자리 (Binjari)” - my first impressions were strong elements of the idiosyncratic singer-songwriter scene of early ‘80s indie UK troubadours like Ben Watt, Everything by the Girl etc, whose songwriting combined pastoral with transatlantic influences like Cole Porter and Joao Gilberto and of course the psychedelic fusion jazz of Milton Nascimento
빈자리 (Binjari) is the kind of fragile accomplishment whose charm will only increase as the years go by, being so elemental of structure and earnest in its intentions. I would go as far as to call it an instant classic, deserving a place amongst its peers in the realm of acoustic, folksy, elegant pop.
Selene by Akira Kosemura & Lawrence English
“Selene” represents a sonic exploration of the relationship between atmosphere and gravity, intertwining expansive and anchoring elements that examine the senses of perspective and stability.
Recently released in 2024 by the Brooklyn-based Temporary Residence Ltd. records, This collaboration between contemporary classical Japanese musician Akira Kosemura and Australian sound artist Lawrence English invites listeners to engage with their lingering, unquenchable thirst for the unknown, a desire to experience and express that which lies the cosmic beyond, capture the shadow of infinite space whose ontology is daily represented in televisual transmissions, science fiction, cinema screens, but few of us will ever witness first hand, making the infinite void the closest evidence about the sublime, the universe which lies above us, barely visible but beyond our grasp, governed by attraction and repulsion eternally, oppositional and complementary forces dancing against an ethereal tempest of suspended whispers .
The album meditates on familiar vistas - minimal phrases, sustained harmonies, time-delayed riffs - while reaching towards celestial visions, evoking a sense of wonder that is at once sombre and comforting, as the soundscapes gently expand from their simple building blocks (sparse piano notes, mere guitar timbres and fragile tones) into all-enveloping drones that widen exponentially in spatial sonority but always retain the intimate softness of their warm centre.
Kosemura and English are clear about their artistic vision, noting that this work is a “speculative hymn to the visions of the celestial zones,” illustrating how our perceptions of outer space are continually reshaped by technological advances and cultural narratives, while simultaneously, all of these impressions, interpretations and views build a sacred bridge that extends across time, cultures, and generations, guiding us all along the passage of a shared cosmic destiny situated within the intricate nature of existence itself.
Sylphine Soporifera by Antonina Nowacka
Bologna-based Antonina Nowacka’s third solo album, “Sylphine Soporifera”, delves into the interplay between sound and air, conjuring an imaginary species inspired by both the arid landscapes of Paracas and the treeless hills of the Outer Hebrides, imagery that draws inspiration from the writings of Rudolf Steiner, which describe Sylphs as spirits of the air.
On “Sylphine Soporifera”, Nowacka crafts a hauntingly beautiful auditory experience that transcends conventional expectations, showcasing her unique vocal techniques, resulting in a sound that is at once otherworldly and deeply grounded.
The basic fabric of the music is an exotic hybrid of West Coast meditational ambient drones thrillingly juxtaposed with subversive nods towards theatrical mannerisms, making for a beguiling concoction of inventive resonances of global instrumentation, including ocarinas, whistles, bamboo flutes, gently strummed harps and spacy flute solos.
As if these elaborate soundscapes were not baroque enough, they are lavishly garlanded with Nowacka’s extravagant vocal acrobatics, which carry an irresistible air of high camp in their affectation, provocatively alluding to a sumptuous vibrato à la Yma Sumac or invoking a ghostly trill by Edda Dell'Orso.
Nowacka articulates her artistic philosophy: “The voice is the most beautiful and resonating instrument. When I sing, I create a field between myself and the air in front of me.” “Sylphine Soporifera” embodies a sense of hope and fulfilment, akin to basking in the rejuvenating light of afternoon sunlight, as the remains of the day swirl, spellbound, in the stillness of an infinite landscape.
Text written by Panagiotis Chatzistefanou, exclusively for the Psychonaut Elite, Berlin, August 2024