Tag: modern classical

Twenty Twenty, by Congregation of Drones

Reviews

Beautiful off-kilter modern classical from the duo of violinist Pauline Kim Harris and experimental producer Jesse Stiles together as Congregation of Drones.

This 4 track epic is packed with electroacoustic wandering, sonic exploration and drone studies. The densely populated songs take their time making their presence known and settling in, like a friendly poltergeist.

Anyone who reads EternityTree knows that I am a sucker for electro-acoustics – when producers fuse together the ethereal world of ambience with the very tangible and visceral acoustic realm. Bitcrushed pads encircle the listener while scraping and plucking strings push the sonic movement ahead.

Jesse leaves plenty of room for his counterpart to breath and explore the possibilities of a violin – often eschewing traditional viewpoints for more skewed and experimental phrases. Crisp and sharp at times, soft and wholesome at others, perfectly balancing presence between melody and rhythm.

Twenty Twenty is named after the year it was recorded, releasing 2 years later. With a digital edition dropped along side a sleek double-LP, this one deserves a place in your collection.

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Flotsam & Jetsam, by Bing Satellites

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Flotsam & Jetsam is a new Ambient/Modern Classical album from prolific UK producer Bing Satellites.

Consisting of seven piano “sketches” – Flotsam & Jetsam sees a more delicate and intimate side of Bing Satellites that is most welcome. Known best for their shoegaze-infused-ambient, opting instead for the use of Acoustic Piano which lends a feeling of emotion and closeness to the project. Even with the introduction of pads/synths within the tracks always leaves ample room for improvisation on the keys.

The album itself is incredibly relaxing, almost immediately I was instilled with a sense of calmness and introspection. Wistfully meandering between optimism and melancholy, the sounds are perfect for a moody-rainy day. There is a deep satisfaction I derive from these sounds – perhaps nested in the electro-acoustic nature, or years of emotion carefully folded into the songs.

You can pick the digital edition of the album up now via Bing Satellites bandcamp page – along with a very attractive CD package available! For those of you who are true ambient lovers, consider supporting the artist via their monthly subscription, or consider picking up the extended discography of over 200 releases for less than $50 – the amount of music you get in return is borderline overwhelming but it’s highly encouraged. Don’t sleep on this amazing producer, and if you do, be sure to throw on Flotsam & Jetsam before you shut your eyes…

Guo Voices, by Morteza Jahangiri

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Ethereal, calm and collected sounds from ambient producer Morteza Jahangiri.

Guo Voices is a 4 track project of sublime melancholy atmospherics. Perfect for a meditation session or morning relaxation to start your day a mellow way.

With a varied electro-acoustic palette – Morteza crafts unique soundscapes with a soft, delicate touch. There’s a cinematic feeling to the music, with chord progressions being slightly more bold than other contemporary ambient. Subtle melodies float atop plush synthetic pillows.

It’s a refreshing and hearty journey – feeling a lot longer than the 4 tracks lead to believe. You will likely find yourself coming back to this one, it’s cozy and thoughtful like an old friend. Stream and Download available directly from the artists bandcamp page.

Boi Borzoi – Self Titled

Reviews

Beautiful experimental electronics from Finnish producer Boi Borzoi. Utilizing a unique multi-genre approach, Boi Borzoi manages to fuse together concepts from Modern Classical, Jazz and Post-Rock into something that is both familiar yet entirely fresh.

Continue reading “Boi Borzoi – Self Titled” →

Cloud Diameter 2, by Cloud Diameter

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Wonderful sounds brought to us by Submarine Broadcasting Company from Cloud Diameter. A lovely 8-track project that’s thoughtful and experimental – balancing flavors of modern classical and progressive ambient with a lot of electroacoustic vibes. This style falls in a happy place for me – often times I find myself oversaturated by dark-ambient, yet even at its brooding depths Cloud Diameter 2 manages to portray more of a *creepy* atmosphere than pure darkness. And though the overall atmosphere of the release is one of melodic relaxation, the amount of unique ideas packed into these 8 tracks makes it quite the interesting listen if you dig deeper….

Drained EP, by Novie

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I recently stumbled upon this release while poking through strange sounds on Soundcloud. Upon discovering I was immediately taken by the unique and bold style presented on this record. Polish producer Novie creates incredibly unique compositions – a distinct take on experimental modern-classical – utilizing a huge palette of sounds and textures. Several occasions I was reminded of a much mellower BYZ, which was some of my favorite avant-experimental sounds of last year.

The 4-tracks are now available via Bandcamp for Free Download! I highly recommend this one to mix up your listening routine, inject some weird concepts and satisfying sounds into your day and click play!!

Played, by Palavas

Reviews

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Beautiful and mellow sounds pour from this one, Played by french Novelist and Musician Palavas, presented to us by Wormhole World. Lush and expansive while remaining intimate, Played is quite the unique journey. With structure being cast aside and a big focus on mood, it’s all propelled forward by Palavas‘ vocals – which he uses quite creatively and beautifully – often behaving more like an instrument itself than words being sung, and I adore it. I actually found it to be a more blissful and ambient C. Duncan, a favorite artist of mine from the past few years, it was a pleasant surprise!!

The album deals with themes of hope and healing, the melancholy of existence – Palavas seems to effortlessly convey the complex emotions of helplessness and solitude. The generous use of strings really helps solidify the intention, with a beautiful acoustic palette being utilized, you can easily imagine floating through the sky enjoying a small cup of coffee on the edge of a cloud, watching the world pass below…

The album is available digitally as well as a nice looking Compact Disc – both at an incredibly reasonable price considering the content – Played being 14 tracks of thoughtfully crafted songs, if you’re looking for a great soundtrack for your summer porch chilling, look no further!

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My Mind As Your Amusement Park, by Phantom vs Fire

Reviews

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After much anticipation it has finally arrived! The latest full-length project from Brazilian composer and producer Phantoms vs Fire titled “My Mind As Your Amusement Park”, and sheesh is this some impressive work.

MMAYA is a fully realized alternate sonic reality – constructed from the molecular level of granular atmosphere all the way up to massive organisms traversing the landscape. The sounds trigger the imagination in such a potent way, manifesting entire new dimensions as I allow myself to be lost in the tracks.

Songs like “Arrival” have me feeling like I am actually soaring a thousand feet above an alien landscape on the back of some ancient god, approaching the surface with consideration for landing. It seems like at any moment during my listening, I could escape to such a world in my mind, the potency is incredible and magnificent.

This is also one of those albums I adore because of its flexibility! The type of piece you can listen to as closely as you’d like – have it as an atmospheric boost while you’re sorting your life, or throw on the headphones for deeper appreciation – I feel like both experiences are worthwhile and really speaks to the quality of the work.

At the time of this posting the digital album has just released – but you can head over to Qrates to help this project get pressed to vinyl! In case the project isn’t fully funded, word on the streets is there will be a CD/Tape release in the future, which I am super excited for! Highly recommended no matter how you want to listen to it…

Moon Tides, by Mzungu

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Excerpt taken from Bandcamp relaese page.

Sitting, trying to study I looped a sample I had been working on in my DAW. This sample stayed playing for approximately 30 minutes – on repeat. I stumbled upon ‘Moontides’, named after the complicated interplay between moon and tides. Rhythmically massive, the relationship is nevertheless tangible and can be seen at work on any coastline.

In this work I have taken sounds and stretched and manipulated them, warping tempo and rhythmic structure. All of the samples start at the same time, but due to their differing lengths they never ‘complete’ together. Combined with volume automation this allows for a release of constraint. Take, for instance, traffic noises in the early morning mingling with the sound of birds outside your window. The two sounds merge, relate to one another. They are not pre-planned, but are rather rhythmically spontaneous – the rhythm emerging as it becomes. This symbiosis, this rhythmic chance, is allowed to develop in the repeated playing of samples.

There exists, nevertheless, a structure. The song ‘wraps around’ as a bar (or a complete rhythmic unit) as the piece finishes. Therefore, each element never sits parallel, but rather its position to other elements shifts continually. Frankenstein’s monster, a complete butchery of beauty. Notes, preludes, sonatas and other flotsam and jetsam. It came out of an idea (an attempt) to do away with scales and notation and see what happened. All of the keys and scales are by ear, elements are pitched according to feeling, not rule. Tones clash, do battle and drift apart falling into harmony then dissaray.

Doing away with working within a Western theoretical understanding of music is not novel, and I do not pretend it is. This is purely a piece of pretentious imagination. However, the musical bastard – as I have so named this project – exists and is out here for your pleasure or pardon

– Jonah Hebron aka Mzungu

released September 4, 2018

Far Away Music, by Benjamin Louis Brody

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Far Away Music is an contemporary classical/ambient music project by composer and producer Benjamin Lous Brody, and is his first appearance on UK’s Preserved Sound Label.

The album itself is very subtle; built around churning strings and cavernous tones. The arrangements are dense, yet leave something for the imagination to fill in, resulting in a very rewarding listen. The general feeling seems to balance on the line of melancholy and awe, with the orchestra painting a vast and inspiring landscape around the listener.

Good For:

  • Study Sessions
  • Late Night Chill
  • Meditation

Favorite Track: 2. Floating into Infinity