Solo Andata – Solo Andata

A few years ago, ‘Ambient Music‘ used to be almost synonymous to ‘Electronic Music‘ in regards of instruments chosen and production process.
But gradually, acoustic instruments crept in, maybe as a reaction to laptop concerts proving to be quite boring – throw in a ‘real’ musician playing a ‘real’ instrument (cello is favourite for its sound) and any live show is far more interesting to watch.

A lot of this music can hardly be called ‘ambient’ any more. Some of it is modern classical music, some of it has firm roots in ethnic folk music or even folk psychedelica…

Enter Solo Andata. Australian duo (Kane Ikin and Paul Fiocco), creating great ambient soundscapes which are as much ‘electronic’ as they are ‘acoustic’, still definitely also ‘ambient music’.
Their second album (Solo Andata) is released on the 12k label, mastered by Giuseppe Ielasi and with cover art by Taylor Deupree. Any more recommendation needed?

Solo Andata starts rather dark, like when you wake up in a cold wet cave and struggle to get out. But gradually the atmosphere of the album shifts and gets lighter – as the electronics move to the background almost unnoticed to give space to cello (Louise McKay), guitar and piano.

With the field recordings and sound effects, you may feel like you’re listening to this music faraway from city life, in a place where the weather may not be very comfortable but still very refreshing.

Solo Andata is a perfect match of electronic soundscapes, field recordings and contemporary acoustical chamber music.

If you like this kind of sound, you should also try and listen to the Solo Andata debut album: Fyris Swan (2006). A great example of what beautiful music can be created using ‘ambient acoustics’.
Someone described Fyris Swan as “…the love child of Eno’s On Land and Talk Talk, with some guitar from Astral Weeks. or something.”

Or something, indeed.