Various Artists – Loud Listening


Loud Listening

A lot ambient-electronic have a distinct industrial feel: the hum of giant machines and installations, soothing at some times, ominous – or even threatening – at other. Quiet and reassuring when distant, but loud and agressive when close. 

Though this may not be exactly what you expect of “ambient music”, it definitely is part of the sounds of our surroundings. Until the crisis may stop them, at least.

“Loud Listening” is a free (!) compilation from the Crónica label, based on the environmental recording of four Italian soundscape artists: Allesio Ballerini, Enrico Coniglio, Giuseppe Cordaro and Attilio Novellino. 

Kyle Bobby Dunn – Bring Me The Head of KBD

Like his previous release on the same Low Point label (“A Young Persons Guide to KBD“ from 2010), Kyle Bobby Dunn‘s latest release is a 2 hour double album set with a title suggesting a somewhat bombastic “grandeur”.

But the sound on “Bring Me The Head of Kyle Bobby Dunn“ offers the opposite of what the title suggests.  “Drawing upon a love for emotional detailing and cinematically charged grandeur, these suites offer an apex in romantic, haunting and lonely bliss”. 

Hildur Gudnadottir – Leyfdu Ljosinu

Hildur Gudnadóttir ‘s latest release on the Touch label features two tracks:  the 4 minute introduction (“Prelude”) and the 35 minute title track: “Leyfdu Ljósinu” . 

The track division seems is somewhat artificial, since the “Prelude“ closing chord seamlessly introduces the start of the main title track. 
This recording is in fact a “live” recording (with no audience present. which means no distractive audience sounds).
It’s “just” Hildur performing over her multi-track recordings – no “post tampering” was applied afterwards.

Leonardo Rosado – The Blue Nature of Everyday

Blue Nature

Misfortune struck last week when Heart and Soul and Feedbackloop label curator Leonardo Rosado got robbed and found that the burglars took his laptop and SLR camera.

Though he was wise enough to have his files backed up elsewhere (be honest: do you store your important personal files in a location outside your house? Please do so!) – for a label owner in this digital age this is a downright disaster. 

Leonardo had just finished his own solo album “The Blue Nature of Everyday”  (which sounds like an appropriate title now).
So, unintended, this album is now also his own charity release to help fund his new laptop and camera.

Peter James, Wil Bolton, Tomoko Sauvage, Five Pieces, Elements 01

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.

Landfall

Peter James – Landfall
Well-balanced, deep and extremely relaxing drones on this 25th Relaxed Machinery release.
“I’ve always considered landfall to be a part of a journey, not the final part, or the start, just a part of it …. Not now. Not then. Just sometime, somewhere, someplace. “

Under a Name...

Wil Bolton – Under A Name That Hides Her
Combining drone backgrounds with environmental sounds and sparkling guitar themens, Wil Bolton manages to create music that sounds every bit as fresh as the cover image indicates.
“He wanted to create something that sonically presents his nostalgia, sounding submerged or decaying, as if heard through a veil the way memories and images become distorted over time. The album title ‘Under A Name That Hides Her’ is a quote from ‘The Space of Literature’ by Maurice Blanchot and is a reference to the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.”
(Vinyl album; release date May 16)

Various Artists – Escala 2.3

It was a rather casual remark from Pleq, promoting his own track on this set, that led me to “Escala 2.3“ . 

Following his advice, I found an amazing set of 3 albums, presented by the Escalared netlabel and Sísmógrapho Radio 3 from Spain. 

46 tracks of new ambient, drone, soundscape and electro-acoustic music – over 4 hours of music in a free download package … you can even choose to download it in MP3, OGG or FLAC format!

Celer + Machinefabriek – Greetings From…


postcard set

It’s almost impossible to keep up with the speed of Will ‘Celer’ Long and Rutger ‘Machinefabriek’ Zuydervelt. 
By the time I have finished writing this review, I guess probably at least three new releases will have emerged which are all also worth hearing… 

Following up their 7″ collaboration (“Maastunnel – Mt. Mitake” ), they recently did a short tour through Holland (and Brussel).
Recordings of these sets have now been released simultaneously with the duo’s second 7″ single “Numa – Penarie“. 

And, to conclude this batch: the CDR “Bliksem“, recorded by Celer especially for this tour (in a very limited physical edition of 10) is now also available as a digital download.

Olan Mill – Paths


Paths

“Paths” is the follow-up to Olan Mill‘s debut release “Pine” (released in 2010 on the Serein label). 
Their second release (now on Facture) continues to explore their “unashamedly romantic music”, with a well-merged blend of violin, pipe organ and processed guitar.

Olan Mill‘s sound is somewhat comparable to the sound of the Stars of the Lid and A Winged Victory for the Sullen and will definitely appeal to the same audience.

afarOne – Lucen

Stefan Ruggeri is a classically trained pianist “with a core of teenage rebellion, and a love for rock’n’roll.”
“I was used to going to the conservatory with Pearl Jam on the headphones and, a few seconds later, trying to climb to an impervious prelude of Rachmaninov”.

As afarOne, he has been working for three years on his debut release “Lucen“, recently released by German label Karl Records. 

“Lucen“ is one of those albums that immediately stand out on the very first listen – the kind that get stuck on ‘repeat’ almost automatically.