TUXEDOMOON & CULT WITH NO NAME – BLUE VELVET REVISITED
In 1985, filmmaker Peter Braatz had three months of unrestricted behind-the-scenes access on the set for David Lynch‘s Blue Velvet. The resulting film, No Frank in Lumberton, was released in 1988 but there were only very limited screenings. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the movie release, and because of the fact that 70% of the footage that was collected on the set was ever used, it got a complete reworking into Blue Velvet Revisited.
It contains all new work created by ‘post-punk chamber music pioneers’ Tuxedomoon together with ‘electronic balladeers’ Cult With No Name – with a guest performance by John Foxx on the track Lincoln Street.
A very atmospheric set that crosses many genres but remains true to the ‘Lynchian’ atmosphere.
“Fusing elements of contemporary classical to jazz to ambient electronica to krautrock, but never fully surrendering to any, Tuxedomoon and Cult With No Name have produced a suite that is as unique as it is representative of both artists.”
Tuxedomoon & Cult With No Name – Lumberton
GOLDMUND – SOMETIMES
Composer Keith Kenniff‘s music can be found under quite some different aliases, each with a different musical style. Not only under his own name, or with his wife Holly as Mint Julep, but also as Helios (ambient/electronic music blended with acoustical instruments), or as Goldmund.
Goldmund is the name he uses for his post-classical music with the piano as the main instrument: “quiet dynamics consisting of mostly short, minimal compositions”.
Usually recorded very close to the interior of the instrument, so that all sounds of the mechanism become part of the music. A beautiful natural piano sound, but often also embedded in further treatments of the piano sound, combined with electronic effects and perfect production.
Sometimes is the sixth Goldmund album since 2005, and it’s another pearl in the collection.
Nowadays, there are quite a lot of artists presenting melancholic, romantic, quiet piano music, but Keith ‘Goldmund’ Kenniff is one of the originators of the genre, and it’s easy to hear why.
LIBRARY TAPES – ESCAPISM
Library Tapes is David Wenngren solo, but often recording with other artists such as Nils Frahm, Danny Norbury, Sarah Kemp and Julia Kent.
On this new album, Julia Kent is prominently featured, her cello playing perfectly matching Wenngren‘s subtle piano/celeste arrangements.
Quiet, ‘post-classical’ chamber music, often with a somewhat sad melancholic touch – the cello is a melancholic instrument. But there are happier moments too – and sometimes both are combined in a single track such as “Tristesse/Escapism”.
Some tracks return in slightly different variations (Introduction, A Summer By The Sea, Tristesse), enhancing the impression this music could have been the soundtrack of a contemplative romantic movie.
(release date: february 26)
Library Tapes – Silhouettes
FRANS FRIEDERICH – AMBIENT #3 – CALENDARIUM
The Bandcamp collection of music of Frans ‘Recyclopedia’ Friederich keeps growing rapidly: an amazing collection of all kinds of unexpected styles (and all available as a free download – not even pay-what-you-like, but completely free!).
Friederich submitted his great track ‘St. Franciscus’ to the Ambientblog Anniversary Collection, and that inspired him to create this full album in the same vein.
‘Ambient’ should not be taken too literally here, since Friederich is a musician that always chooses his own path regardless of what contemporary artists do or what is ‘current or happening’. Which means that this is a different kind of ‘ambient’, indicating a quiet ‘musical’ collection gathered from a lot of musical influences. Some fragments borrowed from new-age, other parts from jazz, world or even mediaeval music – all blended in a unique and personal style – to amazing effect!
In the second half of the title track ‘Calendarium – Visions of Hildegard’, for example, you can almost envision Hildegard (von Bingen) rise up to heaven, and it’s hard to resist following her.
As said, Friederich’s collection is a fascinating box of surprises crossing almost every experimental genre thinkable.
(And it’s growing fast: at the time of writing Ambient #4 was already released too)
If you’re interested to hear something different (not ambient), I also advise checking out “Sample Years #3 – Paris 2015” to hear what can be done with a sampler and a free, creative spirit.