Brian Eno – Lux

Considering the musical background of the Godfather of Ambient / Generative Music, the introductory notes for Brian Eno‘s new album “Lux“ are extremely short.
Of course: for those interested, Brian Eno does not need any further introduction.

Compared to its two predecessors released on Warp Records, “Small Craft on a Milk Sea”  and “Drums Between the Bells”, this release is quite different. No relatively short poppy collaboration tracks this time: “Lux“ is a slowly developing, 75 minute composition.
A return to “classic ambient” form, the kind of “music for thinking” Eno has created from the early eighties. A genre that since then has further developed and has diverted into a lot of different branches: drone, dark ambient, dance ambient, improv, soundscapes, field recordings. Each sub-genre with their own leading artists venturing into new territories.  
But, at the very root of it all, there’s only one true Master.

Kreng – Works for Abbattoir Fermé


Kreng - Abattoir Ferme

When you realise that Kreng translates to ‘Carrion’ (or ‘Cadaver‘) and Abattoir Fermé means ‘closed down slaughterhouse’ , you know that you’re obviously not going to get a gentle new age treatment with this release.  

Following his two widely acclaimed previously releases L’Autopsie Phénomenale de Dieu (2009) and Grimoire (2011), Miasmah has now released a massive 4×12″ LP (+ 1×10″ that is not included in the digital download) boxset featuring music that Pepijn ‘Kreng’ Caudron created for various Abattoir Fermé theatre productions.

The set contains more than 3 hours of music (and that’s not even counting the 10″ containing music for the  “Monster” TV-series!). 

This music is “not for the faint of heart”. Definitely not. These sounds, in fact, may very well haunt you in your most frightening nightmares.
But as for cinematic (dark) ambient music, this is about the best, and most impressive, you will be able to find.

Berber Ox – Limiter


Limiter

Berber Ox is David Rutledge: a Sydney based radio-producer who, according to the sparse information available, “makes music that crosses genres such as Experimental, Drone, Dark Ambient, Power Electronics and Post Industrial often in the same track.”

With a description like that, you at least you have some indication of what to expect when listening to “Limiter“. And that’s a good thing, because you’d better be prepared!

Cello + Laptop – Parallel Paths


Parallel Paths

Cello + Laptop first got my attention with their beautiful track, “The Hunt”, featured on the “Escala 2.3” compilation.

This Spanish duo, consisting of Sara Galán (Cello) and Edu Comelles (Laptop) have now released their full debut album on the Envelope Collective label (“The label that is always slipping in the fold of the wave”).

“Parallel Paths“ easily exceeds the (high!) expectation I had based on the single track I knew from Escala 2.3.

Machinefabriek – Secret Photographs


Secret Photographs

Actually, I did send a mail to Machinefabriek thanking him for sending me this album, but also explaining him that I would pass on mentioning it – simply because I do not want to fill this weblog with alternating reviews of the same artists over and over again. 
(And there’s quite a lot of Machinefabriek on ambientblog already – just do a search to find out).

But I forgot Rutger Zuydervelt is one of the very few extremely prolific artists that manage to find an interesting angle for almost every new release.
Secret Photographs is no exception to that rule. It somehow crept up on me, I kept returning to it because the album seemed to reveal new details with every listen.

Bruno Sanfilippo; Endless Melancholy; Joe Evans

Throughout musical history, the pure and delicate sound of the piano has never really been out of style.
But still, recent years have seen a revival of (more or less) improvised piano music, most of them (more or less) introvert and (somewhat) melancholic in style.  Here’s a selection of some of them that I thoroughly enjoyed recently:


Bruno Sanfilippo - Piano Textures 3

BRUNO SANFILIPPO – PIANO TEXTURES 3
The title leaves no room for surprises. This album is all about piano, and it’s #3 in a series. (Those that want all of them may want to check out the box set including all three).
Bruno Sanfilippo, originally from Buenos Aires, but now living in Barcelona, is not exactly a newcomer in this musical area: he graduated the conservatory of Buenos Aires with a degree in musical composition (piano). This third part of Piano Textures follows the first two releases with the same title (2007/2009), but together these three releases are just a small part of his discography.

Marconi Union; Green Kingdom; Slow Dancing Society; Stray Theories; SRFelix

In the Shortlist sections, I will mention some of the albums that I enjoyed listening to, but couldn’t find the time (or the right words) for a “full” review for. Still, I think they deserve your attention: use the links to find more info and hear previews.

Different Colours

Spotify MARCONI UNION – DIFFERENT COLOURS

“In the ten years of their existence, Marconi Union have released six critically acclaimed albums. Their music has featured on TV, Films, Art Installations, Ballet and various other productions. The most frequently identified strands in their music are ambient, electronica, jazz and dub. However, they draw on many other influences which subtly appear in their music.”
We wanted to create a more soulful record with a greater emphasis on structure and arrangement, whilst immersing listeners in an almost narcotic haze, in a similar fashion to Bernard Herrmann’s Taxi Driver soundtrack.”
With Different Colours, they definitely succeeded!

Incidental Music

Spotify THE GREEN KINGDOM – INCIDENTAL MUSIC

“The heart of Incidental Music is the acoustic guitar: melodies, chords, drones, and percussive sounds sometimes used in a straightforward manner, while at other times abstracted and manipulated to beautiful effect. These minimal themes serve as an apt score to the small scenes occurring around us all the time.”
An audio accompaniment for a spontaneous still life, no matter how seemingly insignificant. Something for those stolen moments when we stop and appreciate the beauty of minutia in the often unseen world all around us.”

Monty Adkins – Four Shibusa

When I first read the title of Monty Adkins‘ latest album, “Four Shibusa”, I imagined a Shibusa  would probably be some kind of exotic Japanese wind instrument.

I was wrong: it turns out ‘Shibusa’ is a japanese concept ‘describing the inherent simplicity and beauty in everyday objects’.

(Shibusa) “refers to a particular aesthetic of simple, subtle, and unobtrusive beauty, and can apply to a wide variety of subjects, not just art or fashion”.

  • Shibui objects appear to be simple overall but they include subtle details, such as textures, that balance simplicity with complexity.
  • This balance of simplicity and complexity ensures that one does not tire of a shibui object but constantly finds new meanings and enriched beauty that cause its aesthetic value to grow over the years.
  • Shibui objects are not necessarily imperfect or asymmetrical, though they can include these qualities.
  • Shibusa walks a fine line between contrasting aesthetic concepts such as elegant and rough or spontaneous and restrained.

(Wikipedia – Shibui)

This description strikingly seems to apply to what most ‘ambient’ music tries to achieve…so there’s a good start for further investigation!

Gathering Clouds (mix)

This must be one of the darkest mixes I have created until now.
I recommend headphone listening for this mix, but also recommend to avoid late night listening – unless, of course, you know what to expect.

The atmosphere is immediately set with the first notes, with a threatening (Boduf Songs) howl , and may even get downright frightening in the end climax.
Yet, not all is dark and gloomy.
In the middle section, there are also more optimistic sounds to enjoy, some more comfortable moments. 

So: just let the Machinefabriek track (‘Stroomtoon Eén’- about 4 minutes from the start) guide you downward to a lower consciousness level – “Inception” style – and from there let your imagination do the rest….