Bjarni Gunnarsson – Processes and Potentials

Over three years since the release of his impressing debut album ‘Safn 2006-2009‘ (which collected some of his earlier solo work), Bjarni Gunnarsson (from Reykjavik, also known as one half of Einóma) presents the second full album release under his own name.

The beautiful package of ‘Processes & Potentials‘ contains 7 colorful inlays, one for the cover and one for each of the six different tracks of this album.

Just like he did on ‘Safn’, Bjarni chooses his musical position wilfully, creating soundscapes that are remarkably different from most in current ambient/electronic music.

Banabila & Machinefabriek – Travelog


Travelog

It took some time before Michel Banabila and Machinefabriek, both living in Rotterdam, finally met and started working together. But after the release of their first album, they soon decided there would be more like that.
Not just because their first CD was very well received critically, but also (probably even more) because their collaboration was so fruitful that the new ideas started to roll in soon, and simply begged to be continued.

So now, some 9 months after its predecessor, “Travelog“ is presented.

The Seaman and the Tattered Sail – Light Folds


Light Folds

“Why wait 25 years to release a Special DeLuxe Anniversary Edition when you can release such an edition right away?”

Something like that must’ve been the thought of the people at Fluid Audio/Fac-Ture when they were planning this incredibly voluptuous “Light Folds“ release by The Seaman and the Tattered Sail (Craig Tattersall and Bill Seaman).

In these times of ongoing discussions about the decline of the music industry’s physical distribution, it seems like a daring adventure (and a somewhat ironic provocative statement) to release a single package containing:

  • 2 clear (see-through) heavyweight vinyl albums in gatefold covers
  • 2 CD’s
  • 1 Audio DVD (together with CD’s in a six panel cover)
  • Two 12″ prints, 4 A6 prints, and an A2 poster

… All in twelve different design varations…

When I first read about this release, I assumed that there were various configurations of the original material to be chosen from: Vinyl, or CD, or DVD, or Digital download…
But that was not as it was intended: the artists decided it was to be released the way it is: as one single package – meaning this package contains more than eleven hours of their music scattered over all these different kind of physical media.

Stray Theories; Rudi Arapahoe; Lucy Claire; Milkweed Assassin Bug; Jeremiah Pena

In the Shortlist sections, I will mention the albums that I enjoyed listening to, but couldn’t find the time (or the right words) for a “full” review for. 
Still, I definitely think they deserve your attention, with or without extra words! 


Stray Theories

STRAY THEORIES – THOSE WHO REMAIN
With his latest release Stray Theories (Micah Templeton-Wolfe) adds another level of refinement to his already impressive (and independently produced) discography.
Micah is a master of widely cinematic arrangements and melancholic compositions, seemingly evolving out of nothing into a melodic hook that sticks with you for a long time.

Sebastian Plano – Impetus


Impetus

‘IMPETUS‘ is Sebastian Plano’s second full album release, the follow-up to his 2011 debut album “Arrhythmical Parts of the Heart“ (which gets a well-deserved re-release for this special occasion, by the way).

Plano’s compositions are somewhat in line with a lot of contemporary ‘post-classical’ composers (like Ólafur Arnalds, Max Richter and Nils Frahm) and will definitely appeal to the same audience. I say ‘somewhat’, because there are some notable difference too.

Ken Camden; Sense; Purejunk; Seabat; 70 Years of Sunshine

‘Electronic music’ sound design is often searching for ‘new’ and (if possible) previously unheard sounds.
But others prefer to look back – back to the time when electronic music was a new frontier to be crossed, the time when the sounds of (analog) electronic music was automatically related to space travel.
Here’s a roundup of some new retro sounds.

KEN CAMDEN – SPACE MIRROR
On this second release for the Kranky label, Ken Camden “allows the listener to be suspended in a gravity free environment”.
You may not immediately recognise it, but his ‘vessel of choice’ is the guitar, electronically modified into pulsating loops and sequences that “could be a soundtrack to an epic 60’s science-fiction film, or a long forgotten grade school educational film strip explaining how humans would be living on Mars early in the 21st century”.
“Back to the Future” is simply the most appropriate description here!


Ken Camden – Antares

Bruce Gilbert & BAW – Enrico Coniglio – Chris Watson – Felix Gebhard

Field recordings are often an important part of ‘ambient’ recordings. But there are many variations: from heavily processed, almost unrecognisable sounds to strictly natural representation – and everything inbetween.
Some impressive examples: 


Diluvial

BRUCE GILBERT AND DAW – DILUVIAL(*)
(*) – Release date: sept 2 – link will be replaced when available
With the basic material including field recordings from beaches in Suffolk and London (recorded by Naomi Siderfin, half of Beaconsfield ArtWorks), “Diluvial” originates from “local preoccupation with rising sea levels – a work that dwells on the dynamics of flood geology and global warming; creation stories and climate change”.
The basic material may consist of field recording of natural sounds, but the synthesized sounds generated by Bruce Gilbert (founding member of art-punk band Wire and experimental music researcher since 2004) and David Crawforth (the other half of BAW) in response to those recording take it to a completely different electroacoustic level.

Frozen Thoughts, Phillip Wilkerson, Billy Gomberg, Richard Chartier + Yann Novak, Netherworld

In the Shortlist sections, I will mention the albums that I enjoyed listening to, but couldn’t find the time (or the right words) for a “full” review for.
Still, I definitely think they deserve your attention, with or without extra words!

http://glacialmovements.bandcamp.com/album/calm-before-the-storm

FROZEN THOUGHTS – CALM BEFORE THE STORM
Frozen Thoughts is Petar Sakic, previously releasing hardcore dance music as Phobos. After hearing Biosphere’s ‘Substrata’ in 2005, he started to create his own ambient music – especially created for the Glacial Movements label, which is particularly known for its characteristic glacial (though not ‘cold’) atmosphere.