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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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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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

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

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"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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Venetian Snares "My Downfall (Original Soundtrack)"

Artist: Venetian Snares
Album: My Downfall
Label: Planet Mu
Release date: 8 October 2007
Genre: Electronic
Style: Modern Classical/Breakcore

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Tracklisting:
01. Colorless
02. The Hopeless Pursuit Of Remission
03. Holló Utca 2
04. Room 379
05. Integraation
06. Holló Utca 5
07. Holló Utca 3
08. My Half
09. Holló Utca 4
10. My Crutch
11. I'm Sorry I Failed You
12. Picturesque Pit
13. If I Could Say I Love You
14. Mentioning It
Total running time: 44' 56"

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[Venetian Snares - Open MySpace Standalone Music Player]

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[Venetian Snares - The Hopeless Pursuit Of Remission - Video Project by thesecreted]

"Follow-up of sorts to Aaron Funk's most acclaimed work under the Venetian Snares moniker - the fabulous "Rossz Csillag Allat Szuletett". "My Downfall" employs a similar conceit and revolves around beautiful string section work that from time to time gets modified, mangled and inverted, creating a kind of sweeping soundtrack that's prone to the odd bout of schizophrenia. The beats, when they come, are as frenetic and tight as you'd expect, creating a strange mixture of head, body and soul music finished off with a sinister coda that's a little unsettling, and brilliantly so. This is a real return to form from Venetian Snares and another album that should find itself at the top of his catalogue for all discerning fans and followers." [source]

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Ólafur Arnalds "Eulogy For Evolution"

Artist: Ólafur Arnalds
Album: Eulogy For Evolution
Label: Erased Tapes
Release date: 29 October 2007
Genre: Rock
Style: Modern Classical/Progressive Rock

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Tracklisting:
01. 0040
02. 0048_0729
03. 0952
04. 1440
05. 1953
06. 3055
07. 3326
08. 3704_3837
Total running time: 39' 36"

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[Ólafur Arnalds - Open MySpace Standalone Music Player]

"Born of paroxysmal strings and tender piano, Icelandic artist Olafur Arnalds cradles his solo debut from the moment it escapes the womb, perfecting every moment of its growth and existence with the nurturing touch of a new parent.

Only 20 years of age, Olafur has shed the skin two prior musical projects and immersed himself completely in the world of delicate symphonic compositions in a near weightless orchestral undertaking. Comprised of eight nameless tracks, the early portion of the record is driven by the above-mentioned passive piano work and concerted strings that crisscross each other’s paths, often rolling off one another and intersecting in gentle, wavy shifts of classical sound.

It can’t be stressed enough just how delicate the first side of the album is. Each piano key is touched, almost stirred, with the utmost precision and hope. The sound plays like an open mouth preparing a whisper; fullness of breath on lips, ready to send a mouthful of warm wind and words to another, hoping they understand, both verbally and emotionally. Add this up a multitude of times and weave in a series of orchestral movements that pull the heartstrings like a marionette, and you have a decent idea of where the album stands. If not, we can just try this: Ludovico Einaudi meets a lyric-less, down tempo Sigur Ros.

Arnald’s compositions skate across frozen ponds of classical synthesis, spinning on the ice and sketching their lines in the thick palette of frozen water. If you were to pull yourself up from the world and gaze back down at the landscape, you’d see gentle loops laced like winter crop circles across the slice of an urban glacier. Perhaps a winter scene, but something here echoes with an eerie amount of heightened warmth.

As the tracks progress, a subtle shift in their architecture becomes evident. The piano remains soft on the surface, but things below seem to strengthen as the strokes become sharper, fiercer, and almost augment the shape and sound of their string counterpart. Eventually, things spill over on the fourth song, and as if being antagonized by the jabs of the piano, the string section literally launches itself to the forefront of the piece, surrounding the listener with an ephemeral bubble of eurythmic ego. It’s completely stunning, really.

From this moment on, the record takes on a different mood, as the strings now seem to have become comfortable in their identity and aren’t bashful about showering the songs with their presence. In response, the piano passages become staunch and determined, but in a strangely unique way maintain their fragility and composure. For nearly twenty minutes a nearly paralyzing, surreal interplay takes place between the two classes of instruments, who instead of casually crossing each other’s path, are now embroiled in a heated discourse. It’s incredible how quick the music present here can push you back into the viewer’s seat, as you listen to things develop, unravel, and play into much thicker plots. Hamlet à la headphones, but prettier.

However, midway through the sixth song, something very strange takes place, smack in the middle of otherwise engaging musical dialogue: drums. And even though they seem to appear for only a brief moment, they completely mud things up and push the whole atmosphere of the disc into a strange place, like an uninvited guest barging into a conversation. Whatever their purpose, they scare the hell out of the harpischord, as it disappears entirely on the next to last song, while instead we’re treated to an impassioned screech of string tumult. The keys make a quick visit on the last track, but just as things are returning to their prior mood, the whole scene blows up into a mish-mash of progressive rock clamor-- a strange, and bitter, conclusion to an extremely solid record.

Shakespeare and ice-skating aside, Arnalds has put together one cookie of an album here. The underlying classical layer coupled with the unique distinctive emotional attachment to the detailed character of his compositions is really baffling, considering his newness to this genre. Now, with one album popped out and well into puberty, one can’t help but wonder what this Icelandic lad will knock up, and knock out, next." [source]

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Efterklang "Mirador" [Video Clip]

[Efterklang - Mirador - Video Clip]

See also: Efterklang "Parades"

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Efterklang "Parades"

Artist: Efterklang
Album: Parades
Label: Leaf
Release date: 15 October 2007
Genre: Rock
Style: Chamber Pop/Modern Classical

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Tracklisting:
01. Polygyne
02. Mirador
03. Him Poe Poe
04. Horseback Tenors
05. Mimeo
06. Frida Found A Friend
07. Maison de Réflexion
08. Blowing Lungs like Bubbles
09. Caravan
10. Illuminant
11. Cutting Ice to Snow
Total running time: 48' 59"

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[Efterklang - Promotional Video]

"Formed in Copenhagen, Denmark, at the end of 2000 by Mads Brauer (electronics), Casper Clausen (vocals, various instruments), Thomas Husner (drums, percussions and trumpet), Rune Mølgaard (piano) and Rasmus Stolberg (guitar and various instruments), Efterklang, which translates as reverberation, appeared on the international scene with debut album for Leaf, Tripper, in 2004, although they had previously released an EP the previous year on their own imprint, Rumraket. With Tripper, Efterklang painted intimate soundscapes from clicks, statics and environmental electronics upon which hung orchestral waves and occasional acoustic flourishes, with male and female vocals tightly intertwined with the instrumental parts and a Greenlandish choir adding a further emotional touch to the quintet’s ambitious boreal songs. Followed a digital-only EP, Swarming, in 2005 and a very limited one-sided LP in 2006. Earlier this year, the band returned with Under Giant Trees, a magnificent mini album recorded last year while on tour.

On Parades, Efterklang dress their ephemeral pop songs in much more precious and grand attires. The quirky electronics and timid orchestrations have been relegated to the back, replaced by rich organic orchestral tones applied in generous brushes. The quintet have surrounded themselves with no less than thirty musicians, including regular live contributors plus a string quartet, a brass quartet and three different choirs. Far from being the result of a continuous effort, Parades is the fruit of months or trials and errors during which layers were added, subtracted, developed in various ways before each song could eventually take shape. This results in incredibly detailed and precise sound formations with dense layers and variations, as demonstrated on opening piece Polygne. The song sets off with rarefied particles of strings, but soon a choir washes over and the piece grows in stature, served by a melody rich in twists and turns and a superbly controlled orchestration which sees in turn a strings quartet, a choir and a lone piano lead, Clausen’s hushed vocals floating slightly in the back of the scope.

With Mirador, Him Poe Poe and Horseback Tenors, Efterklang only build on this original sonic firework by introducing sweeping brass, organ, plucked harp strings, crystalline pianos and choral eruptions, each piece appearing more ornate and complex than the one before. This however only contributes to the songs being more consistent and accentuates the enchanting nature of the band’s music. A bit like an old animated movie triggers forgotten childhood memories, the luxuriance of the soundtrack put together by Efterklang acts as a deflector from reality.

Following a short piano interlude (Mimeo), Frida Found A Friend pushes in more experimental terrains. While the band still make good use of the orchestral arsenal at their disposition, they give their crispy electronics an airing for a moment, but as the song progresses and Clausen finds a welcoming ground for his lyrical flakes, it is the choir which becomes predominant, waxing and waning with the instrumentation in the backdrop. Later, Blowing Lungs Like Bubbles is another delicate slice of frosty pop, which, like a fragile thread of icy silk caught between two branches, links the contrasted grounds of Maison De Réflexion and the wonderfully ecstatic Caravan, which is not without recalling Sufjan Stevens’ Come On! Feel The Illinoise!. With hints of dissonant string work and much more subtle variations in its central theme, the instrumental Illuminant takes this album in a slightly more introvert mood, and the melancholic opening of Cutting Ice To Snow could lead to think that the album is about close on a down note, but the band injects a last blast of energy by bringing a relentless beat and all joining in with Clausen on vocal duties for a rather stunning finale.

With Parades, Efterklang have transcended their original sound and considerably developed the scope of their music.. As the band’s records become more ambitious with each release, Efterklang seem to carry them with increasing confidence and maturity. Parades is, quite simply, a masterpiece." [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"

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[Murcof - Open MySpace Standalone Music Player]

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[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 - Evolution Of Waters - Video Clip]

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[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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Kettel "Whisper Me Wishes"

Artist: Kettel
Album: Whisper Me Wishes
Label: DUB
Release date: June 2007
Genre: Electronic
Style: Acid/Ambient Techno/Modern Classical

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Tracklisting:
01. Any Waken Sly Blonda
02. And Unrequited As Well
03. Zutphen
04. Now Find Another Moon
05. Twijfel Doubt Hesitation
06. De Manke Das
08. Prairieplant
09. Blind Alleycat
10. One Foggy Ear
11. Veerooster
12. Marcos Cases
13. Coddle
14. Napels Vluchtplan
Total running time: 47' 25"

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[Kettel - Open MySpace Standalone Music Player]

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[Kettel - Live Visuals]

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[Kettel - Live Visuals]

"Kettel, Reimer Eising, has been releasing electronic music for a number of years. He started off his impressive discography on Paradinas’ Planet Mu imprint with one of the renowned Mu 7”s. From there, Eising put music out a number of labels such as Civik, Kracfive, Neo Ouija and Djak-Up-Beats (DUB). Kettel has returned to DUB for his seventh solo album, Whisper Me Wishes.

Clone Records is a wonderfully diverse imprint, giving their listeners techno, house, electro, re-issued italo and electronica. Kettel has been a Clone favourite since the early 2000’s, and with good reason. Kettel doesn’t dish out run of the mill electronica, but blends a number of influences to create a rich recipe for electronic sound.

Whisper Me Wishes comes to life with the synthy piano chords and playful cut up beats of “Any Waken Sly Blonda.” “And Unrequited As Well” stays in the same line, keeping the playful upbeat electronics going whilst introducing some new elements. The track has an acoustic quality, one that is soon eclipsed by the modern computer sounds of “Zutphen.” Synthesizers and pleasant machine sounds are the focus of this bright, warm piece. A very nice piece of electronica. “Now Find Another Moon” gives the listener the first tastes of piano on the album. “Twijfel Doubt Hesitation” is a piano centred masterpiece of deep keys and haunting melodies. A wonderful piece of classical sound. “De Manke Das” keeps things in the same vein, bringing heart wrenching violins with simple and elegant keys. “Whisper Me Wishes" is the culmination of the piano-centric pieces, a short and beautiful piece to ease the listener back into the electrics.

The playful, childlike tones are back for “Prarieplant.” The track feels like it could be from a dreamlike drama segment, a whimsical and twilight piece of music. “Blind Alleycat” moves into more traditional electronic ground. The playful tones return for “One Foggy Ear” and the short “Veerooster.” “Macro’s Case” keeps the cheeky sounds going, but saunters in with some amazing computer game style synth movements. “Coddle” is a more dancefloor derived piece, with some wicked synthlines and sharp beats. “Naples Vluchtplan” cleans the listener’s palette with a serving of fresh, classical sounds.

Kettel has combined an array of styles for Whisper Me Wishes. Orchestral pieces reminiscent of ballet scores are turned over with fun filled electro sounds and experimented electronics. It is an album that is full of wonder and talent. Kettel has produced something that is unique, that is his own style and not just a categorical piece of electronic music. " [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 - 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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Stars Of The Lid "And Their Refinement Of The Decline"

Artist: Stars Of The Lid
Album: And Their Refinement Of The Decline [2xCD]
Label: Kranky
Release date: 2 April 2007
Genre: Electronic
Style: Ambient/Modern Classical

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Tracklisting:

CD1
01. Dungtitled (In A Major)
02. Articulate Silences Part 1
03. Articulate Silences Part 2
04. The Evil that Never Arrived
05. Apreludes (In C Sharp Major)
06. Don't Bother They're Here
07. Dopamine Clouds Over Craven Cottage
08. Even If You're Never Awake (Deuxième)
09. Even (Out) +
10. Meaningful Moment Through A Meaning(less) Process

CD2
01. Another Ballad For Heavy Lids
02. Daughters Of Quiet Minds
03. Hiberner Toujours
04. That Finger On Your Temple Is The Barrel Of My Raygun
05. Humectez La Mouture
06. Tippy's Demise
07. The Mouthchew
08. December Hunting For Vegetarian Fuckface

Total running time: 120' 32"

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"The vanishing-point music created by drone elders Phil Niblock and, especially, LaMonte Young is what happens when a fixation on held tones reaches a tipping point. Timbre is reduced to either a single clear instrument or a sine wave, silence disappears completely, and the base-level interaction between small clusters of "pure" tone becomes the music's content. This kind of work takes what typically helps us to distinguish "music" from "sound," discards nearly all of it, and then starts over again from scratch.

Drone legends Stars of the Lid find their music drifting toward this rarefied place on their first album after an almost six-year absence. On first listen, And Their Refinement of the Decline seems a continuation of its beloved precursor, 2001's The Tired Sounds of... It is again a double CD with about two hours of music; it uses a similar palette of violin, cello, and Stuart Dempster-inspired horns to augment the electronically generated drones. Song titles again refer to brain chemistry ("Dopamine Clouds Over Craven Cottage"), altered states ("Another Ballad for Heavy Lids"), and the nuts and bolts of the music's creation (Apreludes (In C Sharp Major)"). And yet, upon putting on Tired Sounds of... again for comparison, I see Adam Wiltzie and Brian McBride have actually come some distance in the last half-decade. And the place they're moving to is starker, quieter, somehow even more subtle, where the tiniest amount of sound information is put upon to do the greatest amount of work. Where Tired Sounds of... sounded genteel and stately next to the raw four-track feedback fests they'd started with ("Tape Hiss Makes Me Happy" summed up their debut nicely), it now sounds about halfway between their genesis and this album; "refinement" turns out to be the perfect word.

The first thing that becomes apparent is that there's less discernible guitar here. The acoustic instruments once served as foils to the channeled electricity, but now they've taken center stage, and the horns and strings are often used in a curious way. Rather than being stretched out to push against silence with drone music proper, on tracks like "Dungtitled (In A Major)" and "The Evil that Never Arrived", flugelhorn, cello, and violin are used in short, slowly decaying bursts, keeping skeletal tunes aloft by bumping them with a chord every few seconds. The added space between the notes makes the pieces seem less forward and pervasive, like they might vanish into the air at any moment. It also cuts the drama and leaves the music more open to interpretation.

While Stars Of The Lid will always be tagged as "cinematic," the music here rarely leads. You get the sense that this it could be used to color a wide array of images. The brief "Hiberner Toujours" on the second disc is a three-note phrase played on a cello with an intense vibrato and heavy reverb, first alone, then doubled, with muted electronic treatments lurking just behind. I could just as easily see it soundtracking a morning-after newsreel of a WWII firebombing or a stop-motion blooming of a flower. And then "Humectez La Mouture" extends an idea developed by the sorely missed Labradford and perfected by the Books: A deceptively simple and spacious bit of music with a neutral emotional cast is presented without additional cues and allowed to live or die on its own. Here Stars Of The Lid take a couple of piano chords lightly kissed with electronics and let the progression play with small bits of shading, including what sounds like manipulated pedal steel and the dialog track from a French film. It doesn't "go" anywhere, really, and it's hard to say what it projects; the music could be crushingly sad, lightly melancholic, or even uplifting, depending on the state of mind of the hearer. It becomes a sound divorced from intention and its ambiguity is its strength.

This stripping down and moving away from easily definable mood makes And Their Refinement of the Decline a bit harder to grasp initially than any previous Stars Of The Lid record. The less pronounced changes and more sparing use of dynamic range means that the music can easily slip into the background when something else requires attention. That's par for the course with ambient music, of course, but I get the sense this music is shortchanged by being functional. There's too much focus on the careful layering of sounds, and too many small but still important tweaks happening from moment to moment to let everything slide by in an undifferentiated blob of sound.

It's the rare moment when Stars Of The Lid tip their hand and let more expressionistic feelings seep into the music that you understand how well the album works as a whole. The brilliant "Even if You're Never Awake (Deuxième)" is one such place, as its surges of strings are gradually cut with curled shavings of backward guitar, and some almost sub-sonic bass halfway through its 9 minutes announces an even wearier turn into the lament's final section. It "develops" in the conventional sense, as does "December Hunting for Vegetarian Fuckface", the album's final track.

After almost two hours we arrive at perhaps the most playful title ever from a band known for playful titles, and also what could be Stars Of The Lid's defining statement. "December Hunting For Vegetarian Fuckface" is like the band's entire history playing out in a single piece, all the tensions in their music-- acoustic vs. electric, cryptic vs. obvious, joyous vs. sorrowful-- are articulated and probed in 17 heavenly minutes of drone without a tedious moment. It's the final and greatest example of that special thing that happens, with all due respect to their fine solo material, only when these two get together." [source]

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Eluvium "Copia"

Artist: Eluvium
Album: Copia
Label: Temporary Residence
Release date: 20 February 2007
Genre: Electronic
Style: Ambient/Modern Classical

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Tracklisting:
01. Amreik
02. Indoor Swimming At The Space Station
03. Seeing You Off The Edges
04. Prelude For Time Feelers
05. Requiem On Frankfort Ave.
06. Radio Ballet
07. (Intermission)
08. After Nature
09. Reciting The Airships
10. Ostinato
11. Hymn #1
12. Repose In Blue
Total running time: 54' 45"

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"It’s unfortunate that Eluvium – aka Matthew Cooper – has slipped under the radar here in Britain for too long. His previous performances have led some to hold the solo performer in the same regard as Eno in his prime – from the solo piano venture of ‘An Accidental Memory In The Case Of Death‘ to the ambient works of ‘Talk Amongst The Trees‘, his music has made the moniker of Eluvium a trusted yardstick of modern ambient releases. Copia is the sound of Cooper surpassing himself, combining his patented minimalist drones with beautifully rendered piano; it’s evocative of half-remembered dreams and murky awakenings with emotions of both love and unsuspecting astonishment.

Copia sees Matthew Cooper revert to using a traditional palette of instruments, straying away from the bombastic sprawl of guitars that delivered ‘When I Live By The Garden And The Sea‘ and ‘Talk Amongst The Trees‘. Horns, violins and an organ all make their appearance, but it’s in Cooper’s classical piano playing where the record warrants the most praise. The use of the instrument is widespread, taking a simple yet affecting form in the virtuoso performance of ‘Radio Ballet’, and fluttering in and out of consciousness in ‘Prelude For Time Feelers’.

The hazy mirage of drones and subtle chord changes exploited on the second half of the record could easily get relegated to background music, unfairly suppressed by their own dreamy textures. Of course, that would mean missing out on some of the most beautiful ambient pieces put to record – elegantly constructed from the gently amassing walls of strings and keyboards. Album closer ‘Repose In Blue’ should be viewed as the highlight of Copia’s ambient works, obscuring everything before it with an epic test in glacial sonic stature, while the organ-led ‘Ostinato’ proves that Cooper is competent enough to work with almost any instrument he comes across.

One of the incandescent qualities of purely instrumental music is that unless the artist has put any forethought into describing the processes and intentions, then the record stands up for the listeners own interpretation. Cooper is a master of imagination, leaving you the keys to the endless worlds in which Copia resides. Whichever way you see it, Eluvium is going down in history as one of the innovators of contemporary ambience." [source]

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