Obscured By Beams Of Sorrow, by Hakobune & Dirk Serries

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Here is some truly gorgeous and relaxing ambience, courtesy of a small Japanese label, White Paddy Mountain. Obscured By Beams Of Sorrow is a collaborative project washed in deep minimalism and ambient emotion. Utilizing lush electronics paired with layers of guitar, the duo manages to create a complex and profound landscape around their sound. You can download the project via Bandcamp with the option of a physical CD available for a bit extra. Highly recommended listen for relaxing evenings or laid-back mornings!

Obscured By Beams Of Sorrow is the first collaborative recording between Hakobune and Dirk Serries.
minimalistic electric guitar drone sound melody is pulling the listener into imaginary drone world.
this record has atmosphere of a deep bamboo forest with no sense of reality, such as wander.
and listener will see hallucinogenic visuals Somewhere to see scenery Such as the events in the dream and will feel sustained bass drone sound such as the Freudian obsession. Hakobune

Hakobune AKA Takahiro Yorifuji uses layers of guitar to create
the sonic landscapes. Yorifuji is from a small town in Hyogo,
Japan and currently resides in Tokyo.
hakobunemusic.jp

Dirk Serries

Since his first releases in the early 80s, uncompromising Belgian artist Dirk Serries has garnered respect with his wilful and specific minimal music and various experiments from and invitations to collaborate with recognised musicians like Steven Wilson, Steve Von Till, Justin Broadrick, Cult Of Luna, Teun Verbruggen, Colin Webster, Andrew Lisle, Rene Aquarius, Dead Neanderthals and Onno Govaert. He has been commisioned to write works for Dutch national television broadcaster VPRO, the Antwerp Zoo as well as architectural festival Biënnale Rotterdam and worked on stage with the Holland Symfonia orchestra. His discography encompasses stylistically diverse releases on labels like Relapse, Projekt, Conspiracy as well as his current creative partner Tonefloat, an outfit with years of experience in vinyl editions for acts like Porcupine Tree, Robert Fripp, Theo Travis and Anja Garbarek. Over the past thirty years, he has toured extensively through Europe and the USA and performed at some of experimental music’s major venues and concert spaces, as headliner or in support of Low, Mono, My Bloody Valentine, Jesu and others. He currently runs to the Tonefloat’s New Wave Of Jazz label dedicated to his fascination for free jazz and improvisation.

released 03 September 2015

all music written by Hakobune & Dirk Serries
mixed by Hakobune
mastered by Dirk Serries
photograph by Aurélie Scouarnec

Away, by Tile

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Lava Church has brought us a new techno-oddity, AWAY by Tile is a brooding swarm of electronic groves and groaning machines.

Over the years, Tile’s Jeff Busko has had a steady output of synthy jams that have slowly drifted into the realm of minimalist techno. Their latest release, Away, is a four-on-the-floor club banger sure to get your juices flowing. Meet me at da club, it’s going down.

released 16 September 2015

Jeff Busko

Alienation, by The Electric Nature

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Georgia’s own “The Electric Nature”, conceived and fronted by Michael Potter, have weaved together this psychedelic masterwork over the course of 2 years! Both dense and free, Alienation is a unique listen for sure. The band has a full roster for this album with lots of folks helping out, providing guitars, horns and synths. The result is an impressively bold collection of experimental jams that I can only assume would be even more fulfilling to hear in a live situation. Highly recommended listen, and purchase the album one way or another!!! ( The digital download includes a bonus 20 minute track, and Illuminated Paths records are offering a limited edition Cassette tape of this release!)

Favorite Track: 6. Alienation II/Outro

Recorded in various places and on various devices in Athens and Carrollton, GA between 2013 and 2015, except track 3 – half of which was recorded in 2003.

Purchase the limited edition cassette from Illuminated Paths:

illuminatedpaths.bandcamp.com/album/alienation

Included with the download is the Broken Machine Films produced video for the track “Alienation I” utilizing Tachyons+ analog video synthesizers, which can be viewed on the web here:

vimeo.com/134213551

Digital downloads also include a live, 20-minute bonus track, originally released as one side of a split cassette with Corner Coronah on Stronj Flow Records. There may be one or two copies still floating around out there…

released 01 September 2015

Michael Potter – Electric and Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Drums, Keyboards, Synthesizers, Electronic Drum Pad, Vocals, Noises, Field Recordings, Arrangements, Recording, Editing, Mixing, Production

-with-

Josh Lamar – Drums (track 4), Chimes (track 1)
Patrick Lowe – Bass (tracks 4, 5)
Michael Pierce – MicroBrute (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 6)
Thom Strickland – Electric Guitar (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 6)
John Fernandes – Clarinet (tracks 1, 2, 3, 6), Violin (track 6)
Sean Dunlap – Juno 60 (track 3)
Nick Stinson – Electric Guitar (track 3)
John Spiegel – Electric Guitar (track 6)
Zack Hann – Electric Guitar (track 4)
Jake Merrick – Alto and Soprano Saxophone (tracks 1, 2, 3, 6)
Paul Warren – Drums (track 3)
Thomas Valadez – Electric Guitar (track 6)

Artwork by Jeremy Kiran Fernandes

Many thanks to everyone who played on and contributed to the album – Josh and Wes at Illuminated Paths – Chris White and Mission Trips – Cult of Riggonia – Future Ape Tapes – Easily Suede – Wet Garden – Jade Poppyfield – Frank Hurricayne – Narrator – Corner Coronah – Louie Larceny – Alec Livaditis – Scott Vinosky and Ailanthus Recordings – Fresh Produce Records – Tom and the Go Bar – Scott Crossman the Genetic Outcast – Brandon Locher – Sean Hartman and Joshua Tabbia at Already Dead Records – and Mercer West and the Secret Squirrel

Aphelion, by DT-90

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H y p e r c h i l l  creeps into my mind when I think of a way to describe this little 4-track album. The nature of the ambient textures that sit behind the understated rhythms gives the project a unique atmosphere! The sound is impressive, and so are the emotions it supports. Highly recommended listen.

Italian duo Dt-90 is the latest addition to Archives with their dark deep aesthetic. ‘Aphelion’ presents a great combination of noisy textures, misty ambiences and huge chord lines in four tracks, ranging from drone cuts to pure dub techno tracks.
released 22 July 2015

Written and Produced by Angelo Esposito and Massimo Accarino.
Mastering by Alexandre Lehmann (Zzzzra).

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Archives / 2015

De Retour, by Ujjaya

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Recently had this one recommended to the blog, very nice psychedelic ambience! Exotic and relaxing, this french producers brings us a liberating little listen with this album. It is available via the website for free download as well!

Favorite Track: 3. Escale Á Odawara

Towards the end of the year Spheredelic presents the release of Ujjaya´s album „ De-Retour“.

Behind the project name Ujjaya is the Paris (France) based artist Randriambololona for whom ambient music is not a just musical sytle but a spiritual search. Thus he undertook several trips to India, to study with a guru, develop his technique and musical knowledge, and collect exotic instruments.

His music shows a deep understanding of his musical heroes: Steve Roach, Brian Eno and Jorge Reyes. „De-Retour“ is pure meditation leading  your body and mind into a deep state of awareness.

Be Whole, by Sound Awakener

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Another one here from Sound Awakener, Be Whole is a 3 track project of harsh noise and wave experiments. These fluttering drones lead you here and there, and some points taking on an animal-like quality, other times more comparable to the sounds of the environment. It breathes in and out, hissing and sputtering its way from start to finish. Highly recommended for Noise fans, gentle enough for Ambient minds.

Favorite Track: 2. Chapter II

Chapter I with fragments recorded in 2012, reworked in 2013, 2014 and 2015.
Chapter II first recorded in 2014, reworked in 2015
Chapter III recorded in 2015

released 01 July 2015

All tracks produced by Sound Awakener

Cavade Morlem, by Olan Mill

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DRONARIVM brings us this deep ambient masterpiece. Calming, soothing, this is a fantastic choice for a relaxing afternoon with a cup of coffee…

Favorite Track: 8. Somimes 

“Writing and recording ‘Cavade Morlem’ was one of the smoothest experiences I’ve had producing an album. The tracks were originally created to be played at a handful of concerts throughout the end of last year. The shows were performed using processed guitar, violin and some pre-recorded samples of voice and organ. I was joined by Mike Jessop on violin for many of the songs and his contributions are sampled at various points on the record.

I spent the beginning of the year reworking recordings from the live sets and trying to piece together something coherent. The resulting album is a far calmer experience than the original performances and I hope listeners find a state of mindfulness while experiencing the work”.

– Alex Smalley

released 13 July 2015

Mastered by Porya Hatami
Cover art by Lena Lello
Curated by Bartosz Dziadosz (Pleq)

The Forest Diaries, by Dag Rosenqvist

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Another slice of Eilean greatness, this time Dag Rosenqvist presents us with some hyper-relaxed modern classical goodness. Floating around between drones and fog, The Forest Diaries remains emotional and focused over long 10 tracks. Lots of work here featuring piano as well as other acoustic instrumentation. The entire release is saturated in a subtle, lonely feeling, not in a bad way, but more of a “lonely for a day” sorta way. Whether it makes you relax or reminisce, this is one highly recommended body of work.

Favorite Track: 8. VIII

Date : 07.07.15
Map point : eilean 37
Color : blue
Season : summer
Duration : 42.15 mn
Edition : limited to 180 copies

This music was made for the project The Forest Diaries created by the Swedish choregrapher and dancer Jenny Larsson and made possible with generous donations from Inger Abrahamsson, Dale Andree, Janne Anundi, Irene Arikan, Christine Arleij, Margareta Armbrust, Anita & Svante Arthursson, Åsa Johansson Bagley, Blanca & Chad Bairnsfather, Joanne Barrett, Ayhan Bulut, Tere Alvarez’ Canida, Rachel Carroll, Maria Chinda, Ulrika Daun, Gretchen Denton, Celeste Fraser Delgado, Sophie Olsson Dogruman, Jose’ Manuel Dominguez, Hanna Dorve, Malin Dorsey, Karin DuPlessis, Lena Dyring, Therese Felth, Mariana Harari Froment, Hanna Dermes Gibson, Johan Grinde, Jennie Grip, Ann-Sofi Gustafsson, Caroline Haag, Tina Hanniger, Sara Hedberg, Jill Hoffman, Sandra Höpfner-Buchnitzki, Martina Arthursson Immonen, Britt-Marie Isacson, Mia Karlsson, Serusa Katabami, Sally Lamb, Elana Lanczi, Erik Larsson, Sara Leifsdottir, Mary Luft, Heather Maloney, Kathryn von Matthiessen, von Matthiessenvon Matthiessenvon MatthiessenT Malo, Karen Mikalsen, Charlotte Marthinsson, Felizia Mulchan, Juliana Navarro, Carly Nordström, Christine Nilsson, Mariana Oliveira, Christopher Payen, Karen Peterson, Carlota Pradera, Sandra Portal-Andreu, Ellen Raddum, William Rey, Åsa SeiplaxViveka le Roux, Susanna Robinson, April Sellers, Ellinor Seiplax, Kristina & Anders Sturk Steinwall, Anna Skott, Henrik Skott, Maxine Steinman, Kimber & Petrus Sundevall, Mauricio Tijerino, Tom & Maite Thornton, Kine Halvorsen Thoren, Marta & Frank Torres, Aaron Tuckler, Therese Wagenius ThörnThörn, Maria Wagenius, Daniela Wancier, Seth Warren-Crow.

www.dagrosenqvist.bandcamp.com
www.jennylarsson.org

VIDEO (by Jenny Larsson) : www.vimeo.com/130442694

released 07 July 2015

Written, arranged, performed and produced by Dag Rosenqvist.
Recorded and mixed at The 63rd Link in Gothenburg, 2014.

Mastered by Matthew Collings
Artwork Photography by Martin Vlach (front) &
Liam Frankland (inside)
Inside Photography by Mathias Van Eecloo
Design by Superfluxgrafizm

“Thanks to : Mathias Van Eecloo, Rémi Verdier, Matthew Collings, Liam Frankland, Jenny Larsson. Family and friends.”

Nourish, by Inner Travels

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One of my favorite ambient-producers Inner Travels brings us this beautiful 5-track project of soothing sonic atmosphere.

released 25 June 2015

Music & art by S. Targo

All music recorded in The Corner Room, Lake Geneva, WI:
– During the “Garden Music” sessions (1)
– Between October 2013-January 2014 (2 & 3)
– During the “First Light” sessions (4 & 5)

Cover photo taken 6/12/15 near the Roosen Dam, Lake Como, WI

Death Dances, by FLOWERS

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Dark Pursuits (Washington D.C.) presents us with this great work of dark-ambience, Death Dances. Harsh, obtuse and experimental as hell, this one is a ride from beginning to finish that is sure to leave you coming back for more.

Favorite Track: 5. Laury

released 09 June 2015