Category: RECOMMENDATIONS

Machinefabriek/Rutger Zuydervelt: 3+1

Judged by his output alone, Rutger “Machinefabriek” Zuydervelt must be the ‘hardest working man in electronic showbusiness’.

This is a pick from the latest batch… but chances are that by the time you finished reading this post and listening to the samples his website will already have announced some newer releases…

Next to the recent albums “The Measures Taken”, “Sneeuwstorm” and “Loos”, you’ll also find a beautiful video registration of the Halfslaap performance with the Fox String Quartet at the recent 24 Hour Drone Fest at the LeGuessWho Festival in Utrecht last year.

Frans Friederich – Ambient 1998 – 2013

Frans Friederich is a dutch trumpet-player, musician, composer and music teacher living in Zierikzee, Holland.

Friederich’s Bandcamp page displays an extensive overview of his work, all compiled by their different styles and downloadable for free (!).
All these compilations present a large array of adventurous experiments, but there are two specific release that justify recommendation here on Ambientblog: “Ambient 2002 – 2013” and “Ambient 2 – 1998 – 2013” , respectively (- you probably guessed thát).

Jeff Bridges – Sleeping Tapes

Imagine Jeff Bridges – or The Dude, if you prefer – sitting right next to your bed, telling you stories like a granddad to his grandson would do … bedtime stories, memories he just seems to improvise on the spot, or even guided fantasies to help you doze off…
Would you be able to fall asleep?
Or would you fight off sleep to make sure you can listen to all he has to tell you?

John Kannenberg – Cordolium

“Cordolium” – literally: ‘Heartfelt grief’: from cor (“heart”) + dolor (“pain, sorrow”) – is a (digital download only) album presenting seven “Laments for the heart in flux”.

The basic material comes from field-recordings from all over the world but they are edited and processed in such a way that the track become true compositions:
“Audio poems of love, loss, longing and heartache in all its forms”.

Stephan Mathieu – Nachtstücke

The ink of the cover of his previous release “Sacred Grounds” had barely dried when Stephan Mathieu announced his new release called “Nachtstücke“.
(metaphorically speaking of course: these are both download-only releases).

The first thing to notice is that the full release of these “Night Pieces” is 260 minutes in length – that’s about a half night’s sleep!
For most – if not all – listeners, four hours and twenty minutes of extended droning is simply too much for concentrated listening. So that obviously is not what this music is intended for.