Bohren & Der Club Of Gore "Dolores"

Artist: Bohren & Der Club Of Gore
Album: Dolores
Label: PIAS
Release date: 10 October 2008
Genre: Jazz
Style: Ambient
RIYL: The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble, The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation

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Tracklisting:
01. Staub
02. Karin
03. Schwarze Biene (Black Maja)
04. Unkerich
05. Still Am Tresen
06. Welk
07. Von Schnäbeln
08. Orgelblut
09. Faul
10. Welten
Total running time: 58' 24"

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[Bohren & Der Club Of Gore - Open MySpace page]

"Four drunk Germans formed Bohren & der Club of Gore one night in 1992 with a single goal: "The audience," Morten Gass told the metal zine Maelstrom in 2003, "must have the feeling of being in a grave." Naming the band inspired debate. "Bohren" means "drill," like what people do to other people in horror movies; "gore" means "gore," like what seeps out of people when they're drilled, and like a Dutch instrumental band they all quite liked; and "and der club of" made them think of jazz. Jazz, they agreed, was cool. It was urban and dangerous-- they liked the idea of it. Stated influences were Black Sabbath and Sade. "As I said," Gass confessed, "we were drunk." Cheers to auspicious beginnings.

The music Bohren makes is slow, quiet, and pretty. It's too structured to be jazz and too vivid to be ambient, but it taps into the ideals of both. They play their instruments like they're worried of waking babies asleep at their feet. Christoph Clöser's saxophone parts leak from the bell of his horn. You can almost see Morten Gass wince as his fingers sink into his keyboard. Drummer Thorsten Benning lives with the task of supressing every teenage dream of beating the shit out his drumkit like the wild animal I suspect he sometimes wants to be. But in near-stasis, there's drama-- each beat becomes a cliffhanger for the next. Bohren don't play dead, they play mortally wounded.

They're the gentlest black metal band on earth. They're anti-social cocktail music. They're exotica, but only if we agree that vacant alleys are exotic places and lying face down in one of them would constitute a vacation. The restraint in their music creates as much tension as it does calm. At best-- 2004's Black Earth-- Bohren sound like they're passing through darkness, palms out and eyes open, in search of a lightswitch. It's the same eerie, bloodless quality of ersatz jazz that David Lynch depended on for club scenes in Mullholland Drive or Audrey Horne's twirling in "Twin Peaks", where the mellow becomes queasy and relaxation sours into uncertainty – when what's supposed to relax you starts to actively upset you.

Creeps? First-rate. But they're strangely affectionate, too, a quality brought to the fore on Dolores, their sixth and latest full-length. Absorb the title and cover art-- a woman's name, glowing; moths pouring from the neck of some sexless, celestial being. It's cozy, leaden music. Songs have shortened to three or four minutes. Some of the melodies aren't just memorable, but actually hummable. Call this their "standards" album-- More Near-Static Ballads of Death's Sweet Embrace. Bohren aren't fabulous enough to be goths. They keep it austere. The grave might be a lonely place, but the dead always downplay its warmth." [Pitchfork]

[Kudos to jazzever for this link.]

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Black Lung "Silent Weapons For Quiet Wars"

Artist: Black Lung
Album: Silent Weapons For Quiet Wars
Label: Dorobo
Release date: 1994
Genre: Electronic
Style: Ambient/Industrial
RIYL: Snog, Soma, Celluloïd Mata

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Tracklisting:
01. The Banque Of Worms
02. Theme From The Black Lung Pt. 2
03. The Trilateral Commision
04. Prozac Parade
05. Somatime
06. Rex 84
07. Ridjeck Theme
08. The Battle Of Brazil
09. Supermarket Dream
10. Everything You Know Is Wrong
11. Theme From Black Lung Pt. 1
12. Death Squad Blues
13. Meat Manager
14. The Bilderberg Group
Total running time: 73' 11"

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[Black Lung - Open MySpace page]

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"Black Lung is an electronic and industrial music project by Australian musician David Thrussell, also known for his industrial bands Snog and the more ambient Soma.

The first Black Lung album, 1994's Silent Weapons for Quiet Wars, was mostly composed of instrumental tracks taken from Snog's first album Lies Inc. and the Hey, Christian God single. A year later, the album was also released on Germany's Machinery Records as Silent Weapons for Silent Wars. Thrussell disowned this later release due to the incorrect title, changes made to the artwork, and the fact that the tracks were in the wrong order, destroying the album's continuity. Several more albums followed in subsequent years, eventually outpacing the number of albums Thrussell was releasing as Snog.

In 1999, Thrussell collaborated with John Sellekaers from Xingu Hill to produce the 10" EP The Andronechron Incident, purportedly a soundtrack for an obscure Italian science fiction film. A full-length CD of the same title, containing many more additional tracks, was released in 2002 .

Thematically, Thrussell has used the project as an opportunity to indulge his fascination with conspiracy theories, with many album and track titles referencing conspiracies. Silent Weapons for Quiet Wars, also used by Wu-Tang Clan, refers to a document which came to light in the mid 1980s detailing a New World Order plan. Rhic-Edom is a direct reference to the acronym RHIC-EDOM: Radio-Hypnotic Intracerebral Control & Electronic Dissolution of Memory. The albums' liner notes frequently contain essays on various esoteric subjects, excerpted from conspiracy books or written by Thrussell himself.

Since 1999, nearly all Black Lung releases have been on German industrial label Ant-Zen." [Wikipedia]

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Helios "Caesura"

Artist: Helios
Album: Caesura
Label: Type
Release date: 11 November 2008
Genre: Electronic
Style: Downtempo/Ambient
RIYL: Goldmund, Ulrich Schnauss, Arovane, Xela

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Tracklisting:
01. Hope Valley Hill
02. Come With Nothings
03. Glimpse
04. Fourteen Drawings
05. Backlight
06. The Red Truth
07. A Mountain Of Ice
08. Mima
09. Shoulder To Hand
10. Hollie
Total running time: 49' 11"

[Kudos to Obscure Sound for the mp3 files.]

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[Helios - Open MySpace page]

"Keith Kenniff has been with Type from the very beginning, and now as Type is well into its fifth year he offers us his fifth gorgeous release. In five years Keith’s style has evolved constantly, with his drifting piano compositions taking the Goldmund label and the Helios sound moving out from undreneath the clipped beat-heavy electronics of ‘Unomia’ and into a more unique place, even incorporating vocals on the ‘Ayres’ mini album. ‘Caesura’ however is his ‘proper’ follow-up to the acclaimed ‘Eingya’, and sees Keith return to the instrumental sound he knows so well. In fact in many ways ‘Caesura’ is a more electronic work than its predecessors, blending layer upon layer of synthesizer and adding his assured drumming to come up with the perfect meeting of indie-pop and ambient music. The haunting cinematic element is still present of course, but these songs are more rounded and confident than any in Keith’s career.

From the delicate bliss of ‘Hope Valley Hill’ which opens up the album with gauzy nostalgia and, as the title promised, hope, through the chunky pop of ‘Come With Nothings’ it is clear that Keith’s music is as arresting as it ever was. Taking cues from the lilting indie-electronics of Ulrich Schnauss and the unfussy ambience of Brian Eno, Keith manages to inject this with his knowledge as a composer. The epic harmonies of ‘Backlight’ for instance reveal a lightness of touch rarely heard in the genre with sweeping synthesized chords buzzing alongside Keith’s signature guitar.

Accompanied by more gorgeous artwork from Matthew Woodson, ‘Caesura’ is a glowing record for the winter months, and a glimmer of hope to keep the seasons at bay." [Type]

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Sylvain Chauveau "The Black Book Of Capitalism"

Artist: Sylvain Chauveau
Album: The Black Book Of Capitalism
Label: Type
Release date: October 2008 [original release: 2000]
Genre: Electronic
Style: Modern Classical/Ambient/Downtempo
RIYL: Max Richter, Goldmund, Eluvium

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Tracklisting:
01. Et Peu À Peu Les Flots Respiraient Comme On Pleure
02. JLG
03. Hurlements En Faveur De Serge T.
04. Le Marin Rejeté Par La Mer
05. Dernière Étape Avant Le Silence
06. Dialogues Avec Le Vent
07. Ses Mains Tremblent Encore
08. Ma Contribution À L'industrie Phonographique
09. Géographie Intime
10. Je Suis Vivant Et Vous Êtes Morts
11. Mon Royaume
12. Potlatch (1971-1999)
13. Un Souffle Remua La Nuit
Total running time: 44' 29"

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[Sylvain Chauveau - Open MySpace Standalone Music Player]

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[Sylvain Chauveau - Nuage - Video Clip]

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[Sylvain Chauveau - Never Let Me Down Again (Depeche Mode cover) - Video Clip]

"Sylvain Chauveau is one of those artists we hear mentioned a great deal, yet he has proven strangely elusive when it comes to tracking down his work. Best known (and easiest to get hold of) is his seminal Fat Cat album 'Un Autre Decembre' which set him up as one of the world's premier exponents of the electronic/classical sound, but Sylvain had already been releasing records long before that album hit the shelves. 'The Black Book of Capitalism' originally appeared in 2000 on the French DSA imprint and sadly never hit UK shores, but Type (Sylvain's new base of operations) have managed to put together a gloriously remastered and repackaged version for the wider world to hear at last. Those of you who have been enamoured with the artist's stark, minimal sound might be shocked at first to hear the variety on offer; 'The Black Book of Capitalism' is far from a mere classical record, and shows a breadth of sound never again seen in Sylvain's catalogue to date. From the mournful, delicate piano-work of 'Et Peu a Peu les Flots...' we are transported through a veritable sideshow of gallic musical expertise, with the doomy almost Bohren-esque jazz of 'Hurlements en Favour de Serge T.' and through a chiming fairytale with 'Derniere Etape avant le Silence'. There are almost traces of Angelo Badalamenti's work lost in the grooves here, with the gauzy world of European cinema seeping from every crack and punctuating Sylvain's compositions with both confidence and a deft humour. It might be over eight years old now but nothing of the album has been lost with time, it has matured with age, showing new depths and character with every year that has gone by. With 'The Black Book of Capitalism' Sylvain delivered his most widescreen work so far and it's an absolute pleasure to be able to hear it again in all its glory." [Boomkat]

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Max Richter "24 Postcards In Full Colour"

Artist: Max Richter
Album: 24 Postcards In Full Colour
Label: 130701
Release date: 25 August 2008
Genre: Electronic
Style: Modern Classical/Ambient
RIYL: Sylvain Chauveau, Library Tapes, Jóhann Jóhannsson

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Tracklisting:
01. The Road Is A Grey Tape
02. H In New England
03. This Picture Of Us. P.
04. Lullaby From The Westcoast Sleepers
05. When The Northern Lights / Jasper And Louise
06. Circles From The Rue Simon – Crubellier
07. Cascade NW By W
08. A Sudden Manhattan Of The Mind
09. In Louisville At 7
10. Cathodes
11. I Was Just Thinking
12. A Song For H / Far Away
13. Return To Prague
14. Broken Symmetries For Y
15. Berlin By Overnight
16. Cradle Song For A (Interstate B3)
17. Kierling / Doubt
18. From 553 W Elm Street, Logan Illinois (Snow)
19. Tokyo Riddle Song
20. The Tartu Piano
21. Cold Fusion For G
22. 32 Via San Nicolo
23. Found Song For P.
24. H Thinks A Journey
Total running time: 33' 43"

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[Max Richter - Open MySpace page]

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[Max Richter - Circles From The Rue Simon – Crubellier - Video Clip]

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[Max Richter - Song - Video Clip]

"Following eighteen months after Edinburgh-based pianist / composer Max Richter’s last album comes the release of the gorgeous, intriguingly framed ’24 Postcards In Full Colour’. Richter’s fourth album is a dazzling conceptual exercise of great beauty and emotional resonance. Certainly his most concise, ’24 Postcards…’may also be Max’s most coherent and compelling work to date. Beautifully played, richly textured and detailed, the album foregrounds Max’s sheer class as a composer and producer.

An attempt an exploration of the ringtone as a vehicle for music performance , ‘24 Postcards…’ is an experimental work made up of 24 classically-composed ringtones, set to be premièred in various gallery spaces. The première is intended to be in the form of a series of installations where pre-registered audience members switch on their phones to receive SMS messages, each message alert playing back one or more of the tracks, so making up the performance. In tandem with this release, will be a micro-website hosting 24 photographic images, one accompanying each track. As Max explains: “Thinking about how we listen to music today, I wondered why it is that ringtones have so far been treated as unfit for creative music… Who says ringtones have to be bad?.. It’s like saying LPs or CDs are bad – its just a medium….”

“Because the piece is a collection of tones, where I have no control of the order, I made a structure that holds together by use of shared material – like a cloud of pieces, or a handful of confetti, or a constellation of fragments – to be navigated as you like…” Max views the writing process in similar terms - shuffling basic elements into new constellations. The palette Max limited himself to consists of string quintet; solo piano; 16 track 2 inch tape; transistors; found shortwave radio; vinyl clicks, dust, scratches and rumble; and acoustic guitars. The players on the album are Louisa Fuller (violin),Robert Mc Fall (violin), Natalia Bonner (violin), John Metcalfe (Viola), Ian Burdge (Cello), Chris Worsey (Cello), Sua Lee (Cello), Preston Reed (Guitar), and Richter himself on piano.

Fragmentary and partial by nature, these 24 brief tracks work as a varied collection of evocative miniatures - each offering a glimpse into potentially much larger pieces. The longest track here is just under three minutes, whilst the majority clock in at around just sixty seconds. Each bearing its own particular weight and measure, these haunting vignettes come across as a series of sketches on the (fugitive) nature of time and memory, stitched together to form a series of jump-cuts and foldbacks in time (the album continually reprising itself and filling the listener with a sense of deja-vu).

As though extracting the absolute essence, simple, plaintive piano and string melodies - no excess, no waste, pure concentrate - butt up against passages of rich, borderzone ambience - radio static / voices leaking through dense, shifting drones. At points recalling the likes of Boards Of Canada, Bibio, and Gas (in terms of depth / grain rather than sound or style), at others Minimalism or the Elizabethan instrumental music of Henry Purcell, there’s also something about its nature that brings to mind authors like WG Sebald, Marcel Proust and filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky." [FatCat]

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Autechre "Quaristice"

Artist: Autechre
Album: Quaristice
Label: Warp
Release date: 3 March 2008
Genre: Electronic
Style: Experimental Techno/Ambient
RIYL: Aphex Twin, Gescom, Mouse On Mars

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Tracklisting:
01. Altibzz
02. The Plc
03. Io
04. PlyPhon
05. Perlence
06. SonDEremawe
07. Simmm
08. Paralel Suns
09. Steels
10. Tankakern
11. Rale
12. Fol3
13. FwzE
14. 90101-5l-l
15. Bnc Castl
16. Theswere
17. Wnsn
18. Chenc9
19. Notwo
20. Outh9X
Total running time: 73' 16"

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[Autechre - Open MySpace Standalone Music Player]

"Not counting their previous incarnations, Sean Booth and Rob Brown have operated as the highly influential Autechre since 1993. Their first two works, Incunabula and Amber, stand as touchstones for a dubiously dubbed genre that shall go unnamed for the sake of their sanity. Following in the wake of their third album, Tri-Repetae, widely considered their masterwork, subsequent releases were increasingly met with hostile critique by critic and fan. Accusations that their compositions lacked soul and meaning, that they had lost the plot, etc. began to flow fast and heavy, just as the intricacy and organization of their sounds intensified in complexity.

Tri-Repetae showed that Autechre were actively challenging their listeners, and it is no surprise that they remained in that compositional dialogue for future releases, despite critical resistance. Much like modern composers such as Xenakis or Lachenmann, these challenges are not set for effect. They are set because they seek to re-examine and explore their chosen palettes’ limitations and settings in an effort to continue the documentation of their independent voice. And what some might deem as cold and soulless, others will find new levels of effect outside of the prescribed. Ultimately, the quest and documentation of the new will rarely meet with open arms.

That said, Quaristice benefits greatly from a slight referencing of the dimly lit ambience similar to their favored releases, which will undoubtedly appeal to fans that felt their work had become overbearingly clinical. The stronger fleshing out of surroundings is evidenced immediately within the painterly washes comprising opener "Altibzz," hinting at themes mined in the past, yet surpassing them with a greater degree of sophistication in arrangement. This brooding ambience is explored throughout the album, but most notably with the streaking depth charges that criss-cross the landscape of "paralel Suns." The album is capped off with two further examinations of the ambient discipline, "Notwo" and "Outh9X," each an unsettling exploration of tone and acoustics that dwarf many works based in similar theory.

Quaristice is by no means an ambient album. Yet even within the clanking fidgety rhythms of "The Plc," for example, atmospheric tones are found streaking throughout the spatial framework, alluding to that genre’s typical signifiers. Several passages on Quaristice are staggering in this heightened balance of rhythm and surrounding ambience: "WNSN," with its tonal clusters groaning, overwhelmed by their own strength; the stuttering kick drums of "plyPhon" sending shockwaves forth into the all-consuming, cavernous setting; the frenetic "Simm," which descends into a triangular counter-clockwise motion of punctuation; and "Tankakern," which threatens to explode at its edges underneath all of the weight set into it. The whole of the release seeks to consume the entire space that it occupies.

After many detailed listens, the record feels like their strongest yet, a bold statement considering the importance of their previous works. It is a remarkable assemblage of expressive textures, with an allowance of echoes of their past to resonate from beginning to end. Composers often need to re-examine previous theories in order to move forth into new territories, and Quaristice is that simultaneous step back and forward, likely to please fans both old and new. What this album will sonically proceed is anyone’s guess — we can only hope to be prepared at that point for whatever territories that Autechre are ready to navigate and document." [Tiny Mix Tapes]



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Rafael Anton Irisarri "Daydreaming"

Artist: Rafael Anton Irisarri
Album: Daydreaming
Label: Miasmah
Release date: 12 February 2007
Genre: Electronic
Style: Ambient/Modern Classical
RIYL: Library Tapes, Harold Budd, Deaf Center

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Tracklisting:
01. Waking Expectations
02. A Thousand-Yard Stare
03. Wither
04. Lumberton
05. Voigt-Kampf
06. Fractal
07. A Glimpse
Total running time: 34' 07"

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[Rafael Anton Irisarri - Open MySpace Standalone Music Player]

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[Rafael Anton Irisarri - Lumberton - Video Clip]

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[Rafael Anton Irisarri - Fractal - Video Clip]

"Deaf Center certainly know a thing or six about deeply affecting, piano-led compositions. 2005's "Pale Ravine" (out on Type Recordings) remains one of the most enthralling recorded documents in that field. "Daydreaming", by Seattle-based composer Rafael Anton Irissari, is my first foray into the Norwegian duo's impressive Miasmah imprint. Irisarri, himself, has a terrific pedigree, as well as sculpting captivating electro-acoustic sounds, he also curates the Kupei Muska label and serves on the board of directors for Seattle's Decibel Festival.

Using piano, synths and acoustic and electronic instruments his album, "Daydreaming" consists of seven beautifully crafted modern/classical compositions. Irisarri creates music that can be both epic and subdued, with dreamy textures floating effortlessly and dissolving into one another. "Lumberton" is a highlight that incorporates glittering piano tones and backward looped synths. It's a little less cinematic than Deaf Center, but a tad more aggressive than Goldmund. The listener can only bask in its shimmering beauty.

"Voigt-kampff" (surely named after the polygraph test to determine replicants in "Bladerunner") recalls the glacial intensity of Radiohead's "Treefingers", while, "Fractal" employs barely audible beats, reminiscent of Gas' "Konigsforst". The vinyl crackles only serve to heighten the tension, as shimmering synths and fluctuating textures hover and blend.

Much like Wes Willenbring's "Somewhere Someone Else", this album is full of atmospherics, lulling piano tones and multi-layered instrumentation. Ending with the introspective "A Glimpse", you are left with a complete sense of calm and relaxation. With just under 35 minutes worth of imaginative piano-led pieces, it may not be breaking any new ground, but "Daydreaming" is utterly gorgeous all the same. Which should warrant further investigation into the Miasmah collective." [source]

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Stars Of The Lid "The Tired Sounds Of Stars Of The Lid"

Artist: Stars Of The Lid
Album: The Tired Sounds Of Stars Of The Lid [2 CDs]
Label: Kranky
Release date: 9 October 2001
Genre: Electronic
Style: Ambient/Modern Classical
RIYL: Deaf Center, Fennesz, Eluvium

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Tracklisting:

CD 1
01. Requiem For Dying Mothers, Part 1
02. Requiem For Dying Mothers, Part 2
03. Down 3
04. Austin Texas Mental Hospital, Part 1
05. Austin Texas Mental Hospital, Part 2
06. Austin Texas Mental Hospital, Part 3
07. Broken Harbors, Part 1
08. Broken Harbors, Part 2
09. Broken Harbors, Part 3

CD 2
01. Mullholland
02. The Lonely People (Are Getting Lonelier)
03. Gasfarming
04. Piano Aquieu
05. Fac 21
06. Ballad Of Distances, Part 1
07. Ballad Of Distances, Part 2
08. A Lovesong (For Cubs)+, Part 1
09. A Lovesong (For Cubs)+, Part 2
10. A Lovesong (For Cubs)+, Part 3

Total running time: 123' 54"

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[Stars Of The Lid - Open MySpace Standalone Music Player]

"Brian McBride and Adam Wiltzie of Stars of the Lid have traveled far in the six years since their debut, 1995's Music for Nitrous Oxide. But. They. Continue. To. Move. Very. Slowly. That promising first record combined crude guitar feedback with some snippets of religious radio programming that the band captured in their home state of Texas. It was all likely laid down on a four-track in some living room arranged around a double-barreled bong. Music for Nitrous Oxide was a noble and affecting work of home recording, showing that the DIY aesthetic could be incorporated into experimental drone music just as easily as guitar-based pop.

But The Tired Sounds of Stars of the Lid finds these guys fully harnessing the power of the studio, with striking results. Strings and horns are all over this record, and the richer palate gives the drones added weight and depth. In 1989, new music pioneer Pauline Oliveros recorded an amazing album called Deep Listening inside a 2,000,000-gallon steel tank, and the feel of The Tired Sounds is similar. Like the Oliveros record, the listener is meant to focus attention on the subtle build and decay inside these layered drones. Slight breaks in harmony between a violin and a shard of guitar feedback carry serious emotional weight. The half-second decay of a breathless French horn resonates like a perfect chord change. Silence becomes another instrument.

The Tired Sounds is an exceptionally long album-- two CDs or three LPs-- with six multi-part suites over the course of about two hours. If this were the latest collection of 2Pac rarities, we'd be talking serious sonic overkill, but music that evolves this slowly needs plenty of time to stretch out. Hence, nothing about this lengthy album feels at all bloated or extraneous.

The first three-part piece bears the jaunty title "Requiem for Dying Mothers," and the music itself is fitting. Thick cello harmonies weave between guitar drones that have a bright, almost Celtic quality. Changes are paid out slowly over the course of close to seven minutes, until the track opens up in its second part, introducing periods of silence and deep, foreboding bass pedals. Eventually, the band's penchant for field recording rears its head, as the 20-minute "Requiem" transforms into a gothic piece, with spare piano and unnamable radio transmissions.

"Austin Texas Mental Hospital" keeps the party going over the next 20 minutes, as guitar feedback and a larger orchestra modulate between two chords, rocking back and forth slowly like a self-stimming resident of the facility that gives the piece its name. The second part of the track reminds me of the Peter Gabriel soundtrack to Birdy, with hints of mechanical breathing interspersed with throbbing bass tones and a hanging drone in the middle register.

The second disc has a relatively lighter tone, with more space around the instruments, more keyboards, and less guitar feedback. "Mullholland" seems like it could be an audition tape for the forthcoming David Lynch film of a similar name, glowing with menace like a freshly waxed, cherry-red vanity ride. "Piano Aquieu," though, is the real find on this disc-- a minimal piece for treated keyboards, piano and organ, with a yearning melody and a half-hearted promise of redemption.

The strings return in force on "Fac 21," joining in a thick, Youngian drone. The piano-based "Ballad of Distances" recalls Labradford as heard through the ventilation shaft at Alcatraz, and the three-part "A Lovesong (For Cubs)" incorporates horns and cellos for a more conventional, but no less affecting sound.

With each record, Stars of the Lid seem to assess what tools are at their disposal and then set about seeing how they can maximize the result. Their continued explorations into more varied instrumentation and richer sonics are a smashing success. Still, in their crowded field, it's hard to say exactly what makes Stars of the Lid so special. It comes to mind that their relentless commitment to subtlety sets them apart, as does their masterful hand with tone. Throughout The Tired Sounds, dissonance is doled out in small portions, perfectly coloring the sculpted fields of sound." [source]

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Anders Ilar "Ludwijka (Extended Visit)"

Artist: Anders Ilar
Album: Ludwijka (Extended Visit)
Label: Shitkatapult
Release date: 16 April 2007
Genre: Electronic
Style: Ambient/Ambient Techno/Glitch/Dub
RIYL: Monolake, Murcof, Pole, Dettinger

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Tracklisting:
01. Ludwijka I
02. Ludwijka II
03. Ludwijka III
04. Ludwijka IV
05. Ludwijka V
06. Ludwijka VI
07. Ludwijka VII
08. Ludwijka VIII
09. Ludwijka IX
Total running time: 57' 03"

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"Listening to the non-dance efforts of dance producers is always revealing. Free from the necessary restrictions of 4/4, these projects – as is commonly thought - allow artists to be more experimental, more expressive, and less hemmed in by the restrictions imposed by club formats. The results can go either way though. When Tim Hecker set loose his billowing grey clouds from the regimented beats of his Jetone project, his music grew all the richer. On the other hand, the bouncing tones and naive melodies of Nathan Fake’s 'Drowning in a Sea of Love' drifted off into snoresville; it was bland in the way that only IDM can be.

Swedish artist Anders Ilar has never restricted himself to any one genre, producing acidic minimal techno and less structured electronica, for a host of labels, in equal measure. 'Ludwijka (Extended Visit)' falls into the latter category, and builds upon an earlier vinyl edition formerly released on Merck. Essentially a travelogue around Ilar's hometown of Ludwijka, these tracks are filled with sounds culled from old tapes of a young Ilar singing, playing instruments and making various noises, along with more recent, equally personal recordings, including Ilar's father on trumpet, the meowing family cat and chirping neighbourhood birds. As Ilar states: '...Musically, it's probably inspired by all the music I've listened to over the years. So you see, its a very personal album for me.'

This might lead you to expect a warm, nostalgic journey through resonant patches of sound, but anyone familiar with Ilar's earlier Shitkatapult releases will not be surprised to find something quite different. Filtered through Ilar's laptop, the Ludwijka of his childhood becomes like a David Lynch film: a dark, harrowing nightmare, yet also achingly beautiful. 'Ludwijka I' introduces pads as lush as Ulf Lohmann's, alongside a backdrop teeming with subtle activity, and Casio beats which skip, like Boards of Canada, a notch above ambient music. The same intricate details swarm by, blurred, in 'Ludwijka III', as though viewed from the window of a speeding train, while ticker tape taps scroll past biological moans and groans and morbid, mournful synth pads, all put together like the bleakest electro. 'Ludwijka IV' comes closest to being a pleasant memory, with muffled piano chords shimmering like Budd and Eno, while part VII skips slowly by in 4/4, the drums mere tics, while birds sing and water drips in some dank and horribly lonely place.

Aside from the sounds of birds, the most prevalent theme in 'Ludwijka' is echo, as though Ilar has thrust these memories into a deep cavernous underground. The resultant, reverberant gloom, present in all of these finely constructed tracks, is frequently riveting, and the wealth of detail Ilar has packed in offers much more than misery to the attentive listener." [source]

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V/A "Histeresis"

Artist: V/A
Album: Histéresis
Label: Filtro
Release date: 28 May 2007
Genre: Electronic
Style: Glitch/Ambient/Hip Hop/Ambient Techno
RIYL: Murcof, Fax, Xela, Telefon Tel Aviv, Prefuse 73

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Tracklisting:
01. El Lazo Invisible "Ella Hablabla En RGB"
02. Meiker "Naranja (That Nostalgic Feeling)"
03. Bifidus "Sinking Downwards In Dire Ruin (F.SS)"
04. Insecto "Miternu"
05. Rivel "Back Again"
06. Subnor "Dodekafucked"
07. Emmerichk "Maquiventa"
08. Absolute Time "Photon"
09. AAM "Bad Japanese Movie"
10. Zofa "Cycles"
11. Manziping "Despues De Usted Señor"
12. Kampión "Dreamy Snapshot"
Total running time: 67' 08"

---

"We have come to our 20th release in a similar way as in our beginning like a label: establishing a panoramic view of things in minimalist and glitchy electronics produced in an independent context. Histéresis is a drawn trajectory framing intimate and atmospheric set ups to urban beats, flirting in some moments with an alternative dance floor.

Our Release begins with the post digital whisperings from “Ella hablaba en RGB”, of El Lazo Invisible:.."she only speaks RGB, in 3 channels, in front of a screen continuously available.-You have 3 options –she used to tell me, morning is a nice colourful vector".. Like a natural flow, Meiker paints this release with the colours of a warm evening with his track “Naranja (That Nostalgic Feeling)”. We arrive to last thoughts of the day sonic textures with “Sinking downwards in dire ruin (f.ss)” a Bifidus’ track that like his previous work, gives a sound to that state between being awake and being asleep. Insecto from Chile, situate us inside an arena where rhythmic collapses, textures and microscopic melodies clash between themselves.

Rivel, with “Back again” gave us one of his best tracks to date: an undersea dubby garden with paths that bifurcates at unison into his own very logic. "Dodecafuced" by Subnor is a very cinematographic IDM that constructs an imaginary short-film with perfect timing. Emmerichk with "Maquiventa" also forms a narrative with true contemplative thoughts in constant transitions to new forms. AAM with “Bad japanese movie” place us in the middle of a cluster of textures that works as a camouflage to rhythms floating under a dense residual scheme. Zofa in cycles makes display of his ability to leave us in the middle of a field of unsolved tensions that unease the listener. "Photon" by Absolute time is a piece that searches getting away from the minimal as we know it and make us sigh a little bit for the nineties.

Histéresis nearly finishes with Manziping, our friends from Chile. “Después de usted señor” hides within its gentle title a store formed with beats, bass assaults and some problems with catching a radio signal, all of this over an atmosphere which, like some climatic variations, warns us from things to come. Kampión, the man that has changed the FACE of Mexican hip hop forever, closes with “Dreamy Snapshot” an impressive collaboration between MC Domer and digitally corrupted hip hop champion.

Filtro is back!" [source]

[Kudos to Robot for this discovery.]

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Nest "Nest"

Artist: Nest
Album: Nest [EP]
Label: Serein
Release date: 22 March 2007
Genre: Electronic
Style: Modern Classical/Ambient
RIYL: Deaf Center, Stars Of The Lid, Library Tapes

---

Tracklisting:
01. Lodge
02. Kyoto
03. Marefjellet
04. Charlotte
05. Cad Goddeu
06. Trans Siberian
Total running time: 27' 37"

---

"It's been a while since Deaf Center's Neon City EP was released by the Type label, and neither Deaf Center nor Erik Skodvin have released anything that sounds quite like it since. Skodvin has been treading the dark path down which his Svarte Greiner solo project have led him, and even Pale Ravine was a much darker, moodier affair. It was therefore wonderful to accidentally discover Nest, Otto Totland's new six track collaboration with Serein label owner Huw Roberts.

Nest taps into all manner of comfortingly recognisable styles, but the tone remains pensive and uneasy, much like Neon City. Given that both Totland and Roberts are pianists, the piano is a primary source instrument on Nest. There may be a lot of piano-centric releases around at the moment, but Totland and Roberts just do it really, really well. Also like Neon City there is enough variety here to prevent the EP from becoming stale at any point. The whole release is wonderfully fresh in fact, with new traditional instrumentation appearing on each track. It is also unashamedly cinematic and yet classical in its musical forms. This is music that lives and breathes.

"Lodge" comes across almost as a sequel to Deaf Center's own "White Lake." Beautiful, lilting piano phrases appear and repeat as they phase into a backdrop of shimmering and chittering effects, combining with exquisite string drones. "Kyoto" is reminiscent of Air, its Japanese instrumental leanings apparent throughout. More repeating piano keys provide a meter to the plucked harps and dusty percussion and field recordings that hang in the air like mist on a cold spring morning.

"Marefjellet" is a darker affair, bringing to mind Deaf Center's "The Clearing" as it also features a maudlin, piano waltz and ominous, brooding strings that eventually break into a descending piano melody that exudes tragedy. "Charlotte" could almost be mistaken for a Goldmund collaboration, so touching is the leading piano melody. More bright yet delicate, intermittent piano, warm, hazy, retro pads and atmospherics and introspective, rolling melodies join unexpected, scattered ethnic percussive effects. "Cad Goddeu" is one of Nest's finest moments though, and contains undercurrents of quavering repeated string sections that are instantly reminiscent of Biosphere's Debussy-based "Shenzhou" and every bit as atmospheric. These undercurrents are augmented by more delicate piano, plucked harps, sweeping strings, haunting woodwind and windswept atmospherics.

If Nest has one flaw, it is "Trans Siberian." It isn't a weak track in itself - far from it - but its placement as the closing track on the EP doesn't really work. An EP should end with something memorable, but "Trans Siberian" is a meandering, ambient piece that's more about atmosphere than anything and would have fitted in better as a sort of interlude between other tracks on the EP.

Combining the perfect atmospherics of Biosphere and Helios, the introspection and delicacy of Harold Budd and the intimacy of Goldmund to truly tranquil and majestic effect, Nest is an absolute triumph. And best of all, it's free! Download immediately.

Full marks have to go Serein for the care and attention paid to the technical and physical aspects of this digital only release as well. All of the tracks have been released as 320 Kbps mp3 files, which is as good as an mp3 file is ever going to sound in a digital release that is practical to download and copy to physical media. Anything less than 320 Kbps in an mp3 file is simply unacceptable (the fact that many large record labels charge so much for files with an encoding rate of only half this is almost criminal) and Serein have recognised this with the advent of this release. The files sound superb.

Additional to that, Serein have made full artwork available for the release. This appears in low resolution .jpg formats that can be used to display in media players, but they have also provided an excellent .pdf file. This contains double-sided booklet and CD tray artwork with printed dimensions and guides that are a snap to print and cut-up before slipping them into a clear-tray jewel-case. The images have even been given a large amount of bleed to allow for any misalignment of your duplex prints. The result is an exceptionally professional looking package that will satisfy those who don't usually care for the lack of physical product in digital-only releases. This is brilliant stuff and ranks as one of the best artwork packages I have yet seen bundled with a digital release. The only thing missing is artwork for the disc itself, though this can easily be culled from the existing images." [source]

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Ben Frost "Theory Of Machines"

Artist: Ben Frost
Album: Theory Of Machines
Label: Bedroom Community
Release date: November 2006
Genre: Electronic
Style: Progressive Rock/Industrial/Experimental/Ambient

---

Tracklisting:
01. Theory Of Machines
02. Stomp
03. We Love You Michael Gira
04. Coda
05. Forgetting You Is Like Breathing Water
Total running time: 38' 40"

---

[Ben Frost - Open MySpace Standalone Music Player]

"The Bedroom Community label seems to be a collective of artists all affiliated with Iceland’s Greenhouse Studios. The first release, Nico Muhly’s Speak Volumes, was a set of beautiful chamber pieces “for small ensembles with electronics.” Like most classical music, I found it hard to parse on the first few listens, but after enough repetition, it began to grow in its accessibility and depth. It doesn’t take a second listen to Ben Frost’s new record, Theory of Machines, to parse its contents. There’s nothing to engage with. It simply is.

To explain: Theory of Machines is something like what would happen if an electro-acoustic improviser decided to cover Mogwai. Frost builds a sound world in each track, gradually moves towards a climax of some kind, and then backs off. It’s a simple trick, but as legions of post-rock imitators will tell you, it’s an effective one. Sure, it’s not that simple each time out. “Stomp” builds and then merely drops out its distorted melodic element a few seconds before its end, “Forgetting You Is Like Breathing Water” never really builds to any sort of definable climax at all, but the best tracks (“We Love You Michael Gira” and the title cut) both follow the aforementioned formula.

Frost real talent is for sound design. As an engineer at the studios, he’s obviously learned a lot from label head and sometime-Björk producer Valgeir Sigurðsson. As such, his command of space is particularly strong—it sounds as if you’re simultaneously right inside the piano and sitting across the room from it at the end of “We Love You.” Similarly, the drums on “Theory of Machines” sound amazingly present, despite having to fit through a huge wash of distorted guitar drone. People throw around the word “soundworlds” a great deal, but in Frost’s case it’s very much applicable. These are songs that envelop.

I recently asked Christopher Weingarten if there was a noise artist that he knew of that could permanently change how music listeners viewed the genre. He rightly pointed out that we’ll probably never be able to predict that person, but we can point to a number of artists paving the way for it happen. Sonic Youth has softened guitar rock audiences, Lightning Bolt has done the same for many punks, and Fennesz has shown the possibility for melody among noisenik laptoppers. With a few more releases like this, it may be time to add Ben Frost to that list." [source]

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Xela "Tangled Wool"

Artist: Xela
Album: Tangled Wool
Label: City Centre Offices
Release date: 15 March 2004
Genre: Electronic
Style: Folktronica/Ambient

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Tracklisting:
01. Softness Of Senses
02. Smiles And Bridges
03. You Are In The Stars
04. Drawing Pictures Of Girls
05. Through Crimson Clouds
06. Quiet Night
07. So No Goodbyes
08. Her Eyes Sparkled And She Walked Away
Total running time: 40' 50"

---

"Even though he’s a mere twenty-three years old, John Twells (aka Xela) is no ingénue, having released last year’s acclaimed For Frosty Mornings… on Neo Ouija as well as Where We’re From The Birds Sing A Pretty Song, an equally impressive collaborative outing with Gabriel Morley issued under the name Yasume. Following upon that City Centre Offices release, Twells returns with Tangled Wool, seemingly intent upon wresting the folktronica crown from Greg Davis and Kieran Hebden. Don’t be turned away by the twee song titles, as this is as perfect an example of melodic folktronica as one might hope to find, plus it’s a perfect length too, admirably succinct at eight tracks and forty minutes. One thing it’s not, however, is Rounds II as it largely eschews the propulsive beats one finds on Four Tet’s 2003 release. Instead, Twells creates sublime pastoral oases that are rooted in the shimmer of his acoustic guitar.

“Softness Of Senses” is a stunning opener, at once reverberant, anthemic and blissful, awash in shimmering, bucolic splendor. “Smiles and Bridges” follows, and it’s as satisfying, building euphorically with layers of acoustic guitars and chiming synths. In contrast to their uplifting auras, “You Are In The Stars” is a moodier, mournful piece with crunchy beats, while “Through Crimson Clouds” with its laconic beats is the most uptempo piece here. Obviously, the prevailing mood is one of delicacy, its sound teeming with multi-layered guitars, hazy atmospheres, and sparkling melodies that chime and soar. Twells even adds a vocal to the heavenly “Drawing Pictures Of Girls” but, in keeping with the overall style, it’s a wordless sigh that, along with the oboe sounds, becomes an irresistible hook.

With Tangled Wool, City Centre Offices reaffirms its stature as one of the pre-eminent electronica labels. Home to artists like Ulrich Schnauss, Dictaphone, Boy Robot, Static, Caney and Joory, Dub Tractor and I’m Not A Gun, the label consistently produces impeccable music, Tangled Wool merely the latest proof of that dictum. In fact, it’s almost too beautiful and innocent a recording for an era like ours, one so poisoned by aesthetic corruption and philistinism. It’s a reverie-inducing album that’s unfashionably free of irony, but perhaps that’s all the more reason to embrace it and savor its delicate, paradisiacal qualities." [source]

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Tied & Tickled Trio "Aelita"

Artist: Tied & Tickled Trio
Album: Aelita
Label: Morr
Release date: 1 June 2007
Genre: Electronic
Style: Abstract/Ambient/Dub/Experimental

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Tracklisting:
01. Aelita 1
02. You Said Tomorrow Yesterday
03. Tamaghis
04. Aelita 2
05. A Rocket Debris Cloud Drifts
06. Chlebnikov
07. Other Voices Other Rooms
08. Aelita 3
Total running time: 43' 58"

---

"Aelita announces a surprising change in direction for German group Tied & Tickled Trio (Caspar Brandner, Andreas Gerth, Markus and Micha Acher, Carl Oesterhelt), though not necessarily an unappealing one. The quasi-jazz style that characterized past albums like Observing Systems is gone; in its place are through-composed instrumentals devoid of the individual expression that comes with soloing. The new album's eight pieces are evocative, oft-ponderous chamber settings that seem tailor-made for a somber Eastern European film (the title track is, in fact, an homage to the first Russian science fiction film while the suitably funereal “Chlebnikov” is named after the poet of the Russian avant-garde who died of starvation in the 1920s). Synthesizers, vibraphones, and melodicas now occupy the front line, dark electronic clouds clutter the sky, and brass instruments are nowhere heard.

“Aelita 1,” a melancholy, neo-classical tapestry dominated by xylophone and bass, initiates the album and returns in miniature form two more times. The album springs to life with “Tamaghis” whose pairing of vibes, organ, and dub rhythms recalls Burnt Friedman & the Nu Dub Players' 2000 ~scape release Just Landed. At times, it seems as if the tension wrought by stylistic change is audible. It sounds, for example, like the rhythm section, the drummer in particular, is vainly struggling to break free of the band's self-imposed compositional constrictions in “A Rocket Debris Cloud Drifts.” Regardless of one's feelings about the directional shift, there's no disputing the elegant, chamber-like beauty of “Aelita 3” even if there's not a solo tenor sax anywhere to be heard." [source]

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[pw(valid for all):nodatta.blogspot.com]

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DeepChord Presents: Echospace "The Coldest Season"

Artist: Echospace
Album: The Coldest Season
Label: Modern Love
Release date: 20 August 2007
Genre: Electronic
Style: Dub Techno/Ambient

---

Tracklisting:
01. First Point Of Aries
02. Abraxas
03. Ocean Of Emptiness
04. Aequinoxium
05. Celestialis
06. Sunset
07. Elysian
08. Winter In Seney
09. Empyrean
Total running time: 79' 43"

---

"Dub techno is a bit of a challenging listen, much in the same way, say, free jazz is. On first listen, the genres are practically opposites, but in approach and execution, they are remarkably similar—it isn’t about the melodies, it’s about the sounds and the feelings. The “challenge” in free jazz is to follow all the different parts down their winding paths and to see the craft and invention in its rendering. The “challenge” in dub techno is the opposite, to find the excitement and movement in what at first sounds like a static and unmoving piece.

Since dub techno was pioneered by the Basic Channel camp in the early ‘90s, casual listeners might not even have noticed much progression—after all, the template is basically the same concoction of deep, muted, echoing chords, subsonic bass lines, compressed hi-hats, and lots of tape hiss—and much the way that Ornette Coleman might sound just like Anthony Braxton to the untrained ear, so might Maurizio sound just like Thomas Brinkmann. Dig a little deeper into either genre, however, and the subtleties and nuances become more and more apparent, and one’s appreciation deepens. The devil may be in the details, but so are the thrills.

Detroit native Rod “Deepchord” Modell—he and Chicagoan Steven “Soultek” Hitchell are partners in Echospace, also a label—has been operating as a shadowy entity for some time now, unleashing limited-run singles over the years that fetch crazy sums on eBay. Now with this, their highest profile and best-distributed release to date, the pair have stepped up and released their masterwork. Judged on its own merits, The Coldest Season should stand as one of the best electronic releases of the year, and one of the best dub techno releases in the last decade.

Certainly, one can appreciate the music here on strictly a background level. The album definitely conjures a mood, and played at a low level, it creates a suitably laid-back, chilled atmosphere—downright icy, in fact. The beats don’t kick in on opener “First Point of Aries” until well past the three-minute mark, giving the swirling, hissing synths plenty of time to work up some steam (or frost, if you will). The tracks tumble and roll into each other through the entire first half of the album, each track morphing into the next, but distinct in themselves, and listening to these transitions, admiring the little differences from track to track, is half the fun of the dub techno experience. “Ocean of Emptiness” is nearly 12 minutes of beatless space; “Celestialis” is a shuffling, almost funky drive through the big city at night. Tiny trails of melody drift, barely audible, through “Sunset,” while “Elysian” ups the percussion and twists and turns the mix actively throughout its, almost aggressive. The biggest and best thrills are saved for last, however, as the closer “Empyrean” is the most inventive and downright catchy thing here, with a percolating rhythm track, spooked-out organ stabs, and a truly inspiring drop out. If anything here makes you leap for the repeat button, it’s this. Otherwise, just playing the entire album on a loop will do just fine, thanks.

With all this in mind, anyone going into The Coldest Season expecting some sort of radical departure from the dub techno style that has proceeded it will likely be disappointed. Basic Channel effectively invented the wheel of this genre, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t admire the latest models to roll off the modern assembly line. There are enough new wrinkles and, yes, thrills here to appeal to devotees and newbies alike." [source]

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Murcof "Cosmos"

Artist: Murcof
Album: Cosmos
Label: Leaf
Release date: 17 September 2007
Genre: Electronic
Style: Ambient/Modern Classical/Glitch

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Tracklisting:
01. Cuerpo Celeste
02. Cielo
03. Cosmos I
04. Cometa
05. Cosmos II
06. Oort
Total running time: 56' 12"

---

[Murcof - Open MySpace Standalone Music Player]

---

[Murcof - Cielo - Live @ EME 06]

"In the five years that separate Murcof’s majestic debut album, Martes, and his most recent offering, Cosmos, Fernando Corona has become one of the most respected electronic musicians around, and a source of inspiration for a whole new generation of musicians, not only in his native Mexico where his success has energised a myriad of new artists and labels, but also across Europe, with artists such as Deaf Center or part of the roster of Erik Skodvin’s Miasmah imprint openly claiming to have been influenced by his visionary take on classical sounds and electronica.

Coming two years after Remembranza, which explored more complex sound and harmonic structures than its predecessor, Cosmos is an altogether much grander and ambitious record than any of his previous releases. While there are still some manifestations of the micro-beats and clicks which formed the main rhythmic support throughout Martes, most prominently on Cielo and Cometa, it is a much leaner sound, stripped of clear electronic influence, that Corona applies here. Working from recordings of original classical instruments as opposed to samples, Corona deploys a much grainier template and develops increasingly vast expanses that allow him to step out of conventional electronic forms and into much less regimented forms. Pieces such as Cosmos I and II are sprawling textural reefs in which minute particle of sound find refuge to proliferate until they occupy much of the aural scope, developing into dense polytonal drones. Yet, these are everything but austere monolithic formations. Corona buries pulsating melodies deep within the layers of sound, like little hearts pumping blood to the most remote extremities of a body. This results in ever changing clouds where noise and melody are consolidated into one to deliver an almighty blow.

Cuerpo Celeste and Oort are more nuanced compositions. The former slowly develops from occasional floating swathes of strings into crashing waves of church organ and choir before dying on a bed of ambient noises, while the latter is a much more purely orchestral piece. If there are still some electronic references found on here, this closing piece takes Cosmos in a completely new direction and throws a probe into the unknown.

While it is clear with Cosmos that the music created by Fernando Corona may not have yet entirely completed its mutation from electronic-based to a much more multi-dimensional and organic medium, four of the six tracks collected here clearly set a very different agenda to the one he defined with Martes. Very much like Ulysses could be seen as a premise to the open forms developed on this album, these orchestral pieces may well be the first manifestation of a very different way for Corona to approach his music. Only Cielo and Cometa provide some grounding into the past and perhaps ensures a smooth transition between two entirely different musical forms. As it stands, Cosmos is a remarkable work which defies classification and challenges the mind beyond expectations." [source]

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Valgeir Sigurðsson "Eqvílibríum"

Artist: Valgeir Sigurðsson
Album: Eqvílibríum
Label: Bedroom Community
Release date: 10 September 2007
Genre: Electronic
Style: Ambient/Modern Classical/Ambient Pop/Glitch

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Tracklisting:
01. A Symmetry
02. Evolution Of Waters
03. Focal Point
04. Baby Architect
05. After Four
06. Winter Sleep
07. Equilibrium Is Restored
08. Before Nine
09. Kin
10. Lungs, For Merrilee
Total running time: 49' 10"

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[Valgeir Sigurðsson - Open MySpace Standalone Music Player]

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[Valgeir Sigurðsson - Evolution Of Waters - Video Clip]

---

[Valgeir Sigurðsson - Eqvílibríum Preview Trailer #1]

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[Valgeir Sigurðsson - Eqvílibríum Preview Trailer #2]

"Icelandic musician and producer Valgeir Sigurðsson is best known as a regular collaborator with Björk, having contributed to all her records since Selmasongs, and for recent stints with the likes of Bonnie Prince Billy (The Letting Go) and CocoRosie (The Adventures Of Ghosthorse And Stillborn). He recently set up his own imprint, Bedroom Community, and has published Speaks Volume, the debut album from twenty-four year old American classical composer Nico Muhly and the most recent output from Melbourne’s Ben Frost.

Eqvílibríum, Sigurðsson’s long overdue debut album is an elegant collection of gentle acoustic pieces tainted with orchestral swathes and discreet electronics textures. If the compositions could appear deceptively simple at first, repeat listens reveal complex and intricate formations which explode in colourful ribbons of sounds, textures and emotions to form the backbone of Sigurðsson’s exquisite miniature tales.

Nico Muhly handles the score here and appears in various capacities (piano, synths, celesta, string arrangements), leading an impressive cast, amongst which Guy Sigsworth, another regular Björk contributor, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Faun Fables’ Dawn McCarthy, Nick Cave collaborator Warren Ellis and Machine Translations’ J. Walker are some of the most high-profile intervenients. Sigurðsson makes good use of this constant afflux of energy. He, who is more often found in the background, guides this exotic ensemble through the meanderings of his imagination.

Although the majority of the compositions collected here are instrumental, vocals occasional materialise and bring an element of human tension into this wonderfully detailed and dense patchwork. Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy lends his softly droned torments to Evolution Of Waters and Kin, pushing the two songs into moody corners. Evolution Of Waters especially sounds like a precious stone set against a lush string-laden backdrop of shimmering sub-melodies. There are echoes of Mark Kozelek on Baby Architect as J. Walker weaves surrealist lyrics into Sigurðsson’s wonderful atmospheric pop while Dawn McCarthy brings earthy flavours and emotional grounding to the dramatic Winter Sleep.

As a counterpoint to the rich and vibrant layers of opening track A Symmetry and Focal Points, After Four and even more so Equilibrium Is Restored offer beautiful autumnal textures and melancholic overtones. The latter track is not without recalling some of the ambiences of Ben Frost’s superb Theory Of Machines. The two remaining instrumentals allow for some of the most poignant arrangements and cinematic moments of the record. At just one minute forty, Before Nine serves as an impeccable introduction to the heart-warming Kin, while the intricate shimmering piano and guitar motifs of Lungs, For Merrilee bring this album to a truly inspiring finale.

Despite the many collaborators involved and the ambitious aspect of the project, Eqvílibríum is beautifully understated and subtle and above all deeply poetic. Valgeir Sigurðsson is the most welcoming and thoughtful of hosts and, as he leads his companions through various narratives, he orchestrates one of the most exhilarating and perfect records you’ll hear this year." [source]

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Library Tapes "Höstluft"

Artist: Library Tapes
Album: Höstluft
Label: Make Mine Music
Release date: 2 July 2007
Genre: Electronic
Style: Ambient/Modern Classical

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Tracklisting:
01. Mörker Genom Tomrum
02. Skiss Av Träd
03. Noslipós
04. Repor
05. Dis/Dagg/Dimma
06. Mellan Ljud Och Text
07. Skiss Av Löv
08. Pjotr
09. Höstluft
10. Ensamhet
11. Distans
Total running time: 31' 58"

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[Library Tapes - Open MySpace Standalone Music Player]

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[Library Tapes - Skiss Av Träd - Video Clip]

"Library Tapes have fashioned a career out of snowfall and static. Three albums in, they’re beginning to thaw just a little. After releasing a couple of records on Resonant (including the seriously chilly Alone in the Bright Lights of a Shattered Life), the group have shed their label and quietly become a solo outfit. David Wenngren (for it is he who remains) has retained the Library Tapes name, but now releases through the autonomous collective of independent-minded musicians at Make Mine Music; also home to the excellent July Skies and Epic45.

As with previous Tapes work, Höstluft is constructed from two distinct layers of sound: a foundation of fuzzy field recordings, blanketed by the unfurling stagger of a lone piano. Prior efforts, though, have dedicated themselves to the bleak, monochrome vibe of a harsh winter or unexpected loss—an approach typified by track names like “Leaves Abstract in a Village Plunged into Mourning ...” and “Broken Piano Pt. 2.” On these records, the booming resonance of crumbling keys is complemented by distorted radio signals and stark cover imagery. Höstluft retains the two-layered approach, but with a touch more warmth and humanity. For a start, the artwork features a color beyond the black-grey-white spectrum for the very first time—an artificial daylight, bathing a lone tree and isolated lamppost in soft yellows.

Though the underlying audio occasionally revisits the scratch and cry of dying vinyl, the field recordings used here are far more inclined to give the impression of life, as opposed to cold, detached automation. There are noises which could pass for the nocturnal snufflings of a rodent, or the clatter of a moth’s wings against a light fitting. Elsewhere, canvas crunches may suggest a team of hardy explorers loading up their sled—and one snatch of sound appears to be the creaking timbers of a docked ship, perhaps awaiting the order to set sail into foggy waters. It seems that Wenngren wanted to gently lift the oppressive unease which had characterized previous releases, and create an atmosphere where the minutiae of the natural world could appear alongside the expanse of human endeavor. This subtle change in direction can be summarized by the industrial clank and clatter of a railway platform sharing space with splashes of rain against glass.

The same feeling carries through to the piano melodies which adorn the naturalistic base. Of course, these more traditional tones can still evoke sadness or raise the specter of dread; but the undulation of carefully placed notes now continue past these emotions, beyond contentment and towards beauty. The snow no longer comes only in deadly drifts, but appears in picturesque scatterings and playful flurries. Where once the sky never cleared, now the sun peeks through banks of cloud.

Sensibly, for an album which could have fallen afoul of repetition, individual chunks rarely exceed the four minute mark—and the entire piece concludes after thirty five. This relative variety shoos away any chance of fatigue, and offers a smooth transition between differing piano phrases. Greater emotional range ensures that the mood is always gradually altering—as if each track is slowly absorbing the one preceding it, like colored substances vying for dominance in a tumbler. With the lack of written prompts (names like “Skiss Av Träd” aren’t much help unless you happen to read Swedish) complete freedom of interpretation is possible, presenting a clean slate for the listening imagination to decorate as it sees fit.

Few could claim that this record demonstrates a huge aesthetic leap for Library Tapes. In terms of approach, a near-identical formula can be found on their debut. However, by tilting the mirror nearer the light, Wenngren has illuminated enough new sources to push the project to its peak. In doing so, he’s also channelled the overall sound away from the harrowing experiences of the past, and pointed it towards an equally abstract, but rather more accessible, present. It’s difficult to see how the Tapes can progress from here without taking some tough creative decisions, but, for the moment, Höstluft stands as the pinnacle of their craft." [source]

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Jodi Cave "For Myria"

Artist: Jodi Cave
Album: For Myria
Label: 12k
Release date: 25 June 2007
Genre: Electronic
Style: Ambient/Abstract/Experimental

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Tracklisting:
01. For Myria (One)
02. Rara.A
03. Rara.B
04. Untitled
05. For Myria (Two)
06. Rara.C
07. For Sine And Breath Tones
Total running time: 38' 10"

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[12k - Open MySpace Standalone Music Player]

"Yet another talent lifted from last year’s excellent “Blueprints” showcase CD issued by American minimalist supremos, 12k. Jodi Cave is the latest in a growing line of composers to get a full length debut for the label from that collection. The enigmatically titled, “For Myria”, is a kind of scratch pad of loosely related ideas assembled by Cave from an economy of components and limited instrumentation. Opening with For Myria (One), that seeps into consciousness with lush, dappled sampling, threaded with evanescent tones and tinklings, it comes over as a kind of aural Jackson Pollock painting, splashed and spattered as it is, with a spectrum of found sounds and disjointed instruments, not unlike some of the more expansive moments exhibited by label mate, Sebastien Roux.

In fact, on repeated listens, it becomes apparent that the whole album has that textbook 12k sound, with occasional similarities to several of the artists on the label. Delicate melodic sweeps emerge on some pieces, that are not dis-similar to Motion or Fourcolour, skippy sampling a la Sogar, or Sawako, and bleepy tonal washes here and there very much akin to Annti Rannisto, or Minamo. It would be almost impossible to imagine this collection being issued by any other label, such is the strength of its presence.

High points for me would be the three “Rara” pieces, A, B and C, an intricately worked series of “barely there” melodies that hover just below the itchy, visceral samplings that sound like gently clinking wine glasses, or a contact mic rasping over silk. Label master, Taylor Deupree adds his characteristic touch to Rara.C, but does not overwhelm the piece with his presence. Closing track “For Sine and Breath Tones” is a rich tonal workout, an exercise in compositional restraint that trades momentary silences for slices of sublime minimalist instrumentation, and warm, expansive chords on the keyboards, that over 7 minutes, gradually swells and closes with a delicate, glitchy skrim of found sound. It might be presumptuous of me to suggest that this collection was created by Mr. Cave specifically with 12k in mind, or maybe he has simply discovered a niche that suits the label’s general remit. More encouragingly though, tracks like “Untitled” or “For Sine and Breath Tones” would suggest that Cave also has the imagination and maturity to explore, exploit, and experiment with a slightly wider pallette, and this I look forward to very much on subsequent releases.

Once again, we are treated to a fine debut from a promising artist, who has produced a mature, and engaging slice of near-minimalism that for the most part connects at the right level, and further secures 12k as one of the most prominent and ground breaking minimalist labels in the world at this time." [source]

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