Chihei Hatakeyama - The River

Chihei Hatakeyama - The River
Genre : Ambient, Electronica
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01 - Jade Green Water
02 - Under The Sun
03 - Light Drizzle
04 - Mud
05 - Gray Hued Sky
06 - Twilight Gloom
07 - A House In The Fog
08 - Lance And Arrow
09 - A Temple In The Past
10 - Phantasm

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Limited edition 500 CD in a digipack. Artwork by Alexander Archer-Todde. Release date: 19th September 2009.

Chihei Hatakeyama is a Japanese artist living on the outskirts of Tokyo who produces some of the most beautifully refined and emotive ambient music around. With releases on Kranky, Room 40, Under the Spire, Magic Book Records, Spekk (as Opitope) and now Hibernate Records, he has quickly established a solid and unique footing in the genre. I have followed Chihei’s work since his first full-length release on Kranky in 2006, Minima Moralia, which remains one of my favorite albums to this day. This album is full of dense drones and texture with suggestive melodic phrases intervening at just the right moments.

The River is a step in a different direction, with a strong theme and trajectory from start to finish that becomes all the more apparent when listened to in appreciation of one of Chihei’s influences – the film Apocalypse Now directed by Francis Ford Coppola. “You know why you can never step into the same river twice? …’cause the river is always moving.” A curious quote from this film where the Nung river is the lifeblood for the local population as well as the occupying soldiers, but is also symbolic of the the progression and struggle of humanity against herself and nature.

In his words, Chihei’s productions can be described as “memory-evoking soundscapes” composed “with various recorded materials of acoustic instruments such as guitars, vibraphone, and piano…played by hand and processed time and time again via laptop.” The River opens with Jade Green River, a track that builds with swaying tones in the higher frequencies, but with relief provided by a reassuring, resolving drone in the lower frequencies. This sets the fluxuating mood for the album. The music ebbs and flows, interspersed with soft, warm moments like light drizzle, to darker, mysterious pieces like a temple in the past. This is an engaging piece of work that satisfies greatly when listened to on headphones, but also provides an introspective atmosphere when listened to at low volume over loud speakers. This is a real gem of a release – a hopeful sign of what we might expect in the future from Chihei and from Hibernate recordings.

Pub - Cassette Three

Pub - Cassette Three
Genre : Electronica, IDM
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01 - Lady Legs Of Swords
02 - I'm Sick Of Your Kicks

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A really nice little treat here in the ongoing Cassette series from, I believe, Pub. Following what I consider to be two epic 3”s with the kind of divine electronica that keeps me coming back for more comes this third instalment and it’s just what the doctor ordered. Two tracks of pure, deep, melodic, funky and outright class slices of magic. ‘Lady Legs Of Swords’ opens things with a skipped-out and rolling rhythm that’s downbeat but lively. Add some almost flavours to the melodies and some straight-up lovely chords and you’ve got a track that’s fluid, yet head nodding, deep and spacious, yet tightly focused. ‘I’m Sick Of Your Kicks’ follows and travels down a more classically electronic kind of avenue. It’s no less rhythmic, mind you, but it has that lightly clicky sort of groove that you’ll find very pleasing if you’re a fan of Arovane and, of course, some of Pub’s older material. Low-key, delightfully put together and oozing a genuine beauty that you rarely hear these days. In some respects this really does have a similar touch to some of the Lucky & Easy releases and it definitely harks back to a time when electronica was a lot more innocent. In my opinion that’s definitely a Very Good Thing and this release comes as highly recommended as anything I’ve ever recommended by Pub before… and that’s virtually everything I suppose as I’m a bit of a fanboy! Limited as usual but, just to let you know, I do have a couple of spare copies of the first two releases just in case you missed them. Smallfish

Fatih Tuter – Wide and Shallow

Fatih Tuter – Wide and Shallow
Genre : Ambient, Electronica, Experimental
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1 Untitled #1 (9:06)
2 Untitled #2 (7:04)
3 Untitled #3 (9:29)
4 Untitled #4 (10:30)
5 Untitled #5 (8:41)
6 Untitled #6 (4:20)
7 Untitled #7 (8:32)

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A debut album that blends ambient, dub, and minimal techno seamlessly. Reminds me of early Yagya material blended with Fluxion. As soothing as a waterfall the hiss and ambient static are the backdrop to muted beats, echoing chords, and metallic strokes of electronic bliss. The majority of the tracks are substantial in length, clocking in on an average of 9 minutes. Easy to get LOST into these lush cuts. Wide & Shallow by Fatih Tuter should not be overlooked, and I look forward to the next release.

Wereju - Fairytale Ending

Wereju - Fairytale Ending
Genre : Ambient, Electronica, Experimental

01 - Goodbye For The First Time
02 - Not Who I Thought You Were
03 - Goodbye For The Second Time
04 - Not Who I Thought I Was
05 - Goodbye For The Last Time

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[Praw] – Always Be Working On A Suicide Note

[Praw] – Always Be Working On A Suicide Note
Genre : Ambient, Electronica,
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01 But I want, but I want, but (ooooooh)
02 Pull apart the double helix like a wishbone
03 I want to always be on film
04 Ding-di-di-ding-di-di-ding-ding-boom-boom-boulder

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Khonnor - Softbo

Khonnor - Softbo
Genre : Electrocoustic, Electronica, Ambient
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1. Nibble-O
2. Pea Mag Gourmet
3. Kite Tits
4. Calico Dong Veil
5. An Ode To Gary Giggles
6. Infirmary 2
7. Huffin' Hollow

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Type Records alumnus Khonnor makes an appearance on Moodgadget with a selection of new tracks charting a direction that's ostensibly far removed from the introspective sketches that populated his celebrated Handwriting LP. 'Nibble-O' immediately takes you by surprise, tapping into a melodic breakcore mode that's got as much to do with Drukqs-era Aphex Twin as it does the desolate melodicism of those early Khonnor recordings. Likewise, 'Kite Tits' makes steps towards that classic Rephlex Braindance sound, though Khonnor's production is never quite so straight-forward as that, and a homespun unpredictability creeps into the mix just when you think you've got the measure of it. Elsewhere the songwriting elements are more prevalent, though they do tend to be buried in short-form scribbles like the quietly rather wonderful 'Calico Dong Veil' and the detuned, thinned out digital gauze of 'An Ode To Gary Giggles'. Although the material is characteristically wayward, erratic and difficult to pin down, somehow when digested as a whole this EP actually makes a lot of sense.

Talvihorros - Some Ambulance

Talvihorros - Some Ambulance
Genre : Ambient, Electronica, Experimental
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01. Handwriting (Part I)
02. Etude IV
03. The Blue Cathedral
04. Death of a Dream
05. Etude III
06. Hope_Again_Sleep
07. A Rural Place
08. Handwriting (Part II)

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London-based Ben Chatwin follows up last year's Talvihorros debut album It's Already on Fire with with an installment in Benbecula's Mineral Series, Some Ambulance. The forty-one-minute collection presents a further refinement of Talvihorros' electro-acoustic style, and sounds like an altogether more accomplished release on compositional grounds by comparison. Acoustic, electric and prepared guitars act as the nucleus in the eight tracks, which in their final form are hardly what could be labeled simply “guitar” pieces. Rather, Chatwin augments their natural and treated sounds with organ, piano, banjo, analogue synthesizer, percussion, and electronic manipulations in such a way that, though guitar may occupy the center, the resultant sound is full and rich. It's also emotive, with most of the tracks opting for a melancholic spirit that is cumulatively powerful. The album boasts a handful of beautiful meditations, with “Hope / Again / Sleep” one of the most affecting. In its multi-layered mix of guitars and keyboards, the piece exudes—strange as it may sound—an almost Hergest Ridge-like quality. In the hypnotic opener, “Handwriting (Part I),” blurry fields of gauzy textures gradually swell into a wave-like slab. What starts out in “Etude III” as a peaceful setting for acoustic guitar, organ, and glockenspiel gradually gains force without sacrificing its dream-like ambiance. In “Etude IV,” soft carousel melodies sing a lonely song over a lilting funereal rhythm, while tremolo guitars dominate during the mournful waltz “Death of a Dream.” Sunnier in spirit, “The Blue Cathedral” parts company with the others in having a bright, celeste-like melody inaugurate the song's slow and steady advance. Though the tracks complement one another, each ultimately feels like a different chapter in Chatwin's wide-ranging and engrossing novel. Textura

Kettel - Myam James Pt. 2

Kettel - Myam James Pt. 2
Genre : Electronica, IDM, Ambient
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01 Kingscourt Imp (05:27)
02 Shinjuku Inn (03:10)
03 Michael Space Airlines (04:00)
04 Cherie (02:01)
05 Pers Patrys (03:38)
06 Boekebaas (04:29)
07 You Understand This Night? (02:37)
08 Nicola (04:13)
09 Sentiment (03:49)
10 Song From Toverpeeks (02:40)
11 Begging For A Herring (04:00)
12 Hymnuh (01:26)
13 Verkens In Londen (04:39)
14 Sauce (01:24)
15 Song From 4pm Herring (03:14)
16 Kitana (05:16)
17 Memory Steps (04:57)
18 Fish Creek (06:01)

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"Good things come in two, right?" - It was our philosophy when we launched Kettel’s (aka Reimer Eising) Myam James album series a year ago. Today we are sure that our philosophy has become true. We present the astonishing sequel and final part of the series: Myam James 2!

The first part of the Myam James series was the ultimate score for one of Kettel's specialties: melodic 303/acid madness, poured over with melancholia. We consider it as a milestone in Kettel's electronic affairs. Myam James 1 is a specialization course; one that you may love, hate or feel indifferent about. Either way, it set an expectation for the second part.

Myam James 2 is a far cry from the first part. MJ2 is mournful, intriguing and it unfolds musical sides of Kettel that many of us could only have dreamed of. Some of you will compare MJ2 with the few movies that became a bigger success than their prequels. Another analogy with motion pictures is that a number of tracks from MJ2 could directly be taken from a cinematographic score.

But it's just one side of MJ2; songs in the vein of previous Kettel albums My Dogan slash Volleyed Iron plus Whisper Me Wishes make their appearance - the collab with cellist Sietse-Jan Weijenberg in "Pers Partys" is a pure bliss. The tracks "Verkens in Londen", "Kingscourt Imp" and "Boekebaas" evolve from MJ1 and nuance the album's desolate soul. Myam James 2 echoes Kettel's broad fan base with an even broader palette of tastes. This album serves them all without making any sacrifices.

Last but not least, we are grateful to Jeroen Advocaat who did a cracking job matching the art to the mood of the album. We couldn't have thought of a better way to celebrate the landmark of Sending Orbs' tenth release.

Emeralds - Emeralds LP

Emeralds - Emeralds LP
Genre : Ambient, Electronica, Experimental

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01 - Overboard (Off The Deep End)
02 - Geode
03 - Diotima
04 - Passing Away

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Brand new full length from Cleveland's Emeralds recorded Aug-Sept 2008. Proper follow up to their debut LP 'Solar Bridge', 'EMERALDS' takes the thick drone sound of that LP and transforms it into an even more abstract and strange place. Visual music that lifts the listener up and transports them through tubes of sound occasionally to be swept into the opposite direction by an unexpected entrance into another world entirely. An intense journey that drops you off in a place just beyond death.

Edition of 1000 copies on randomly swirled colored vinyl and full color sleeves featuring photography by the band. Recorded Aug - Sept 2008 in Cleveland, Ohio. Additional field recordings by Aaron Dilloway. Mastered by James Plotkin.

Rameses III - I Could Not Love You More

Rameses III - I Could Not Love You More
Genre :
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1. We Shall Never Sing of Sorrow
2. Across the Lake is where my Heart Shines
3. Cloud Kings
4. No Water, No Moon
5. The Kindness In Letting Go
6. I Could Not Love You More
7. All Shall Be Well

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For the last few years, Croydon three-piece Rameses III have been proving to the wider world that there’s more to their homeland than dubstep with their deep and original take on ambient music. In that time Daniel Freeman, Spencer Grady and Stephen Lewis have notched up a number of releases for Important Records, Digitalis and of course Type Records, but it is with this latest opus that they truly leave their mark on the faded musical landscape.

‘I Could Not Love You More’ is a record that reframes their sound, taking their drifting ambience and pastoral folk and sharpening it at every opportunity. You can hear echoes of Takoma in Lewis’s delicate acoustic guitar playing, shadows of early 4AD in the shimmering drones and all this is wrapped up in an Eno-esque sense of restraint. It sounds almost as if the pieces were written for the mid 20th century, with sounds coming from electric pianos, Mellotrons and guitars rather than heavy electronic processes. We end up with a warming blur of sound, something far removed from the chatter of zeroes and ones we have become accustomed to.

As the album drifts from beginning to end there is a delicate yet defined narrative, enhanced by the inclusion of subtle field recordings and just the right amount of silence. The tracks lull us forward and send us into a state of nostalgic reminiscence, which is in essence the theme which balances the album. ‘I Could Not Love You More’ is simply a gorgeous reflection – exactly what it reflects upon is left up to the listeners themselves. Who would have thought the mean streets of South London could produce such beautiful music?

Ben Woods - Things Weren't Always This Way

Ben Woods - Things Weren't Always This Way
Genre : Ambient,Clásica, Minimal
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01 To Set Before They Rise
02 Floods of Colour
03 Across the Skies
04 Things Weren't Always This Way
05 Leaving Them Only
06 To Drift and Fade

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Things Weren't Always This Way is yet another stop on the ceaselessly evolving path of Ben Woods' creativity. Ben takes neo-classical minimalism to an entirely new level by blending, reversing, and layering pianos and other instruments to capture a surreal snapshot of his own psyche.

The album is as serene as it is sublime and the title track captures its essence with heavily layered harmonies and swirling ambiance, leaving the listener to be slightly caught off guard by the uneasy tension of Leaving Them Only, which only serves to strengthen its impact.

As he mentions in the liner notes, the album was created with something of a balance in mind. Each track can be reversed by the listener (using Audacity or something similar) to create a completely new listening experience. I personally encourage everyone to give this a shot because the reversed tracks stand quite strongly on their own and allow the listener to experience the album more thoroughly.

Ben Woods has done it again with his fifth Wise Owl release. Stay tuned to see what this talented young man has in store for us next.

Do Make Say Think – Other Truths

Do Make Say Think – Other Truths
Genre : Post Rock
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1 Do
2 Make
3 Say
4 Think

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The sixth full-length from Do Make Say Think defiantly features four long-form tracks, three of which clock in at over 10 minutes, and all of which trace the inimitable musical arcs that have made this band justly celebrated for their unique sonic palette and vibrant distillation of compositional forms and influences into some of the past decade’s most consistently rich and rewarding instrumental rock.

Bucking the trend towards diminishing attention spans, immediate gratification, snappy digital singles and things that go ‘pop’ right out of the gate, DMST admirably stick to their roots and allow the vines that spring from their fertile musical garden to wind, curl and climb for as long as required. More than ever, the players keep their heads down, creating wonderful multi-movement instrumental works (with the occasional mantric or wordless vocal passage, courtesy guest singers The Akron Family and Lullabye Arkestra), overflowing with attention to tone and timbre, animated by unfussy yet ornate harmony, melody and polyrhythm, shot through with ineffable soul. The four songs on Other Truths are vintage Do Make Say Think, and the album represents the first time since the band’s debut (recorded over a dozen years ago) that they have found themselves with an entire collection of songs that unfold so organically over long duration. As testament to the unfettered evolution of these tunes, the band has titled them simply “Do”, “Make”, “Say” and “Think”.

Do Make Say Think has always managed to gather, balance and synthesise various poles simultaneously – ragged/precise, dirty/clean, atmospheric/ stratospheric – forging sonic narratives that combine broad strokes and clusters of detail. Perhaps more than their overtly ‘post-modern’ commingling of various musical genres (psych, jazz, dub, folk) this less conspicuous, indefinable ability to maintain such a consistently enthralling fusion of instincts is the true mark of the band, yielding a music that sounds and feels so unforced, natural and human. Certainly a key part of this unquantifiable equation is the band’s self-production, which has shaped their sound from the beginning, and grown along with it. Led by Ohad Benchetrit and his home studio Th’ Schvitz in Toronto, along with Charles Spearin and Justin Small, DMST has developed a canny and novel toolbox of recording and mixing techniques that contributes significantly to their sonic identity.

Ultimately it is tricky to distill what has made DMST so compelling to so many critics and fans over their 13-year history, but inarguably something beyond the sum of its parts has always sparkled through their music, an amalgam of many elements that seem present all at once, on every song and through every album: cerebral, emotional, atmospheric, visceral, cosmic, pastoral, synthetic, organic, meditative, ecstatic. Other Truths rallies them all once again, in new and dynamic ways, bearing the distinct imprint of the band’s sound – a brilliant addition to the band’s canon.

Pastaklubben - Asperger

Pastaklubben - Asperger
Genre : Electronica, Ambient
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1. Asperger (35:36)

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Pastaklubben is an exquisite corpse of music. A joyful depression. A vivid tranquility and a painful pleasure. Formed in Copenhagen in 2007, these 4 young Cyber-Punks, armed with an array of effects units, guitars and laptops have a penchant for creating live and improvised dark, emotional and atmospheric sounds.In a constant flux of development, no two Pastaklubben performances are ever cloned. ‘Asperger’, recorded in just one take, paints a fascinating, futuristic world, mirroring that of Ridley Scott’s bleak, dystopian vision of Los Angeles, in his outstanding Bladerunner motion picture.A dizzying amalgam of pitch-black ambience, dismembered electronics and static-drenched, particle-sized beats, ‘Asperger’ is a must for fans of Murcof, Autechre and, of course the Vangelis score that so enhanced Scott’s film. ‘Asperger’ is spacious yet claustrophobic, an alchemy of contradictions, much like its creators. Please listen to the uncut, uncensored facts.

Access To Arasaka – Oppidan

Access To Arasaka – Oppidan
Genre : Electronica, IDM,
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01 Nypox 03:56
02 Medway 03:43
03 Monoscan 04:23
04 Ruin 02:35
05 Caeropore 04:29
06 First Kill (Feat. Beau Jestice) 06:14
07 Montcalm 01:46
08 Parisville 05:03
09 Jody 04:58
10 Recon (Feat. ESA) 04:51
11 Delicate Annihilation 03:15
12 Chem 04:33
13 Sylvan-Hesh 05:06
14 Transcendence 04:00
15 She 03:36
16 Waiting War 04:37
17 Aftermath 03:19

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The long-awaited and highly-anticipated debut CD from New York’s amazing young new talent Access To Arasaka has finally arrived. With a steady momentum of buzz from fans and critics over the past year, remix collaborations with Zentriert ins Antlitz, Aphorism, and Totakeke, and more-than-well-received compilation appearances for the Hymen Records and Tympanik Audio labels, Access To Arasaka now offers the true scope of his capabilities with his innovative new album ‘Oppidan‘.

A futuristic journey of a cerebral nature, demonstrating a virtual equinox of expert beatwork and densely-layered atmospheric explorations, ‘Oppidan‘ transcends complexity and innovation in electronic music and seems to arrive at the very edge of its own inner space. Dark and cinematic and fascinating to no end, ‘Oppidan‘ is truly full of life and genuine mystic, opening the imagination of the listener into epic new dimensions at the hands of a true master of modern electronic composition.

Chihei Hatakeyama - Saunter

Chihei Hatakeyama - Saunter
Genre : Electronica, Ambient
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1 Treads Echoing Far Away From Sea Coast (7:17)
2 The Room In Past (9:27)
3 Images Of Broken Light (8:29)
4 A Stone Inside The Box (5:06)
5 Small Pond (4:22)
6 Landscape On A Hill (8:32)

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Tokyo based musician and composer Chihei Hatakeyama has been in a state of transit. Moving to a new home in recent months, he has found a heightened awareness of his surroundings. The clarity of new encounters with unfamiliar spaces and the sharpness of experience that follows, has become the musical starting point for his latest long player Saunter.
Saunter is in some ways an auditory interpretation of the monochromatic Chinese painting style ‘Sansui-Ga’. An approach concerned with the themes of landscape, ‘Sansui-Ga’ seeks to express a sense of philosophical consideration for the form and shape.
Saunter follows this approach, casting out lush layers of texture that seem to sound out the edges of landscape. The sounds dynamic fluctuations suggesting structures, trees, fields and other aspects dotting the landscape in which Hatakeyama finds himself.
Focused particularly on the transition from Fall to Winter, this record is a graceful and considered work. Elegantly crafted with an attention to subtle melodic variation and harmonic richness Saunter is a ‘visionary’ collection from one of Japan’s finest composers.

Pub - Cassette Two

Pub - Cassette Two
Genre : Electronica, Ambient, IDM
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01 - Madame Chandelier Nip
02 - Sliothar Brain Tap

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Pub is back – at least I think it’s Pub. It’s all very mysterious, that is until you hear the tracks themselves and you breathe a big sigh and sit back with a smile on your face like I did. I forget how many awesome releases Pub has put out over the years and really he shows no sign of abating at all. Consistently awesome and always somehow inventive, Pub really is a treasure trove of wonderful music. Cassette Two follows neatly on from the first part with two more pieces of electronic bliss. The first track, Madame Chandelier Nip, is a restrained and elegant slice of offbeat electronica that has an incredibly deep underlayer of sound going on. You need to get this on the headphones straight away and underneath the clicky, hypnotic beat you’ll find some seriously fine background textures and melodic elements that you feel are almost like a special secret for only you to hear. It’s a magical piece that combines his penchant for field recordings and ambience with his well known rhythmic abilities. Gorgeous. The second cut gets darker with a more, well, I hesitate to say upbeat, but certainly more robust kind of sound. It works well against the first track’s peace and quiet by upping the ante and ending up being actually quite groovy. As you all know I’m a big fan of Pub and Ampoule in general so it’s safe for you to assume that I’ll be recommending this. Oh yes indeed. Quality and, as always, a limited edition release. Smallfish

Pub - Cassette One

Pub - Cassette One
Genre : Electronica, Ambient, IDM
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01 - Madrugar
02 - Where Were You

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This just dropped out of nowhere (big thanks to Ampoule) and had me rapt within seconds. Imagine if you will a blend of Pub and Lucky & Easy... yes, very appealing isn't it? A classically melodic and deeply beautiful sound pervades every second of this lovely little 3" and the gorgeous melancholic electronic vibes of Madrugar are a real tonic on this, frankly, crap Monday. Add in some lightly skipping, >Single-era Pub-esque rhythms and you've got a real doozy right there. Where Were You is almost a continuation of the first track but with more of an abstract lilt to the percussion. Musically it has a really lush modern minimal feel with layers of sound caressing and warming you. What a brilliant start to the week! It's recommended... oh yes indeed. Smallfish

Pleq – The Metamorphosis

Pleq – The Metamorphosis
Genre : Electronica, Ambient, IDM
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01. Metamorphosis Pt.1
02. Reconstruction
03. The Ballad Of The Broken Heart
04. Song Of Nonsens
05. To Be A Little Cloud
06. Don’t Cry My Dear
07. Metamorphosis Pt. 2
08. I Think In These Terms Every Time
09. Do You Remember Your Dreams?
10. Maus
11. Nostalgia For The Security Of Childhood

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Pleq is an experimental IDM project by Bartosz Dziadosz Based in Katowice, Poland; Pleq has developed his highly-synthetic competencies through a series of dis-reality attempts, monastery supervision and a romantic way of handling peer pressure. His motives in sound resemble an abandoned ironworks garage during the industrial revolution, where melancholy is paired with harmonies of magnetizing structure. Melodic IDM based on click 'n cuts of a very high level. On track 1 and 7 the addional voice is by Chihiro and on track 9 the voice comes from Building castles out of matchsticks.

Nudge - As Good as Gone

Nudge - As Good as Gone
Genre : Ambient, Space Rock
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1. harmo
2. two hands
3. verdantique
4. aurolac
5. tito
6. burns blue
7. dawn comes light

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Nudge returns with a slow burning full-length of sounds perfect for the dying days of the summer's swelter. The varied stylistic shifts of previous material have garnered their fair share of comments regarding a schizophrenic nature, but here the experimental lean of the group is placed to deliver it's most cohesive sound to date. Masterfully blurring the music's entangled live and programmed approaches to the point of imperceptibility, layer upon layer of synth, guitar and vocals are draped over skeletal pop structures and anchored by dub basslines born of resin-stained fingers. Covered in an electric blanket of atmosphere that can surely only come from years in outer space memorizing the top of one's shoes, the gothic trappings reveal themselves as hard-earned circles beneath the eyes as opposed to poorly applied hot topic nail polish.

Cloaks - Versus Grain

Cloaks - Versus Grain
Genre : Electronica, Noise, Experimental
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01 #00148 2:43
02 Junk 3:49
03 Against 6:17
04 #00162 1:38
05 Rust On Metal 4:38
06 Sixmenace Two 3:49
07 #00197 2:07
08 R.F.I.D. 4:10
09 Detritus 5:23

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This one's been festering in the pipeline for a while now, but it seems like the time has come for Cloaks' debut album 'Versus Grain' to infiltrate and snap at the ankles of a rather complacent dubstep scene. To say that Cloaks are swimming against the tide would be something of an understatement; as opposed to offering the listener 'a breath of fresh air', they have created a sound so dense, it's closer to giving them a boot to the face. Their 'Hi Tek' EP for Werk discs back in 2007 was just the sort of deadly mutant strain that we had hoped dubstep would produce, like the sweat bacteria from a 2005/6 era DMZ rave left to grow into a malignant and bastardized form of it's own. Cloaks use found sound and circuit bent instruments to articulate their noisier tendancies, while creating monolithic slabs of dubstep riddims reminiscent of old style Loefah, Pinch or Vex'd to drive the message home. Tracks like 'Against' or 'Rust On Metal' use relentlessly claustrophobic bass and squalls of industrial noise to pin you to the wall, while dancing is optional. 'SixMenaceTwo' is a darkened highlight, spewing forth sludgy streams of digitally hacked hardware, masking their techniques but making their intent perfectly clear. When a trace of melody attempts to rise about the din on '00197' it's quickly subsumed under a cacophany of billowing bass and shredded metallic klanks, leading to apt comparisons of Trent Reznor performing through Jah Shaka's stacks. This is the heavy heavy dubstep sound that fans of Pan Sonic, Distance, Ben Frost or even the Atak imprint will soak up like a mouldy sponge.

Mitchell Akiyama - Mort Aux Vaches

Mitchell Akiyama - Mort Aux Vaches
Genre : Electronica, Ambient, Experimental

01 Mort Aux Vaches (43:55)

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Second essential Mort Aux Vaches of the week is from Mitchell Akiyama. A 40min+ untitled composition focussed around a glitch to harmonius drone transition with guitar notes, ratting micro percussion, heavy bass passages, white noise all melted into a wonderous semi classical framework. Warning, the packaging of this CD is crazy - the wrap around is made out of a soft sheet copper substitute with the artists name embossed into the front. Please keep the sharp edges away from any soft fleshy areas. We cannot be held responsible for your hospital bills if you treat this CD incorrectly, but if you do at least you'll have Mitch's ace soundtrack to help you through your recovery. Ace!

Variant - The Setting Sun

Variant - The Setting Sun
Genre : Electronica
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1. The Setting Sun (23:13)
2. FallingStars (51:58)
3. As Time Stood Still... (11:25)

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Steve Hitchell delivers a serious treat for his legion of devoted followers with the next logical step in the Echospace saga leading to this digital only release exploring sublime ambient electronics in a textured, analog style. As Variant, Hitchell delves into his most expansive and inspiring palette with three expansive tracks ranging from eleven minutes up to forty four minutes plus, sketched onto his canvas with a widescreen scope and an emotionally affected cinematic intent that makes this a deeply engrossing listen. Made for an obviously specific time and place, 'The Setting Sun' sees a marked shift in Hitchell's work, sounding more like Oren Ambarchi or Keith Fullerton Whitman than any of the more familiar names his work has been associated with in the past. Incorporating resonant pianos, hazily thrummed guitars and swelling organs with rippling waves of curling analog distortion this is surely one of the most outstanding pieces in his catalogue, if it wasn't for the epic 'Falling Stars' which succeeds it. Clocking in at forty four minutes, we head into deep reverberating territory with a slow building vista of frayed synth swells and wistfully drifting atmospherics reminiscent of Klaus Schulze, or classic Global Communications with equally effective inclinations. Which brings us to the album's parting 11 minute elegy, 'As Time Stood Still', where the inertia of the first two tracks is gently shaken off with a deeply padded flow of ebbing atmospherics, lapping every intangible surface of the womb-like subbass-bubble that Hitchell creates with a concoction of vintage analog hardware and reel-to-reel recording techniques. This is a hugely involving listen that will appeal to followers Tim Hecker AND Basic Channel, or Vladislav Delay AND Oren Ambarchi. Huge Recommendation = Essential Purchase.

Lusine – A Certain Distance

Lusine – A Certain Distance
Genre : Electronica, IDM, Techno
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01. (00:04:44) Lusine – Operation Costs
02. (00:04:38) Lusine – Two Dots
03. (00:04:41) Lusine – Tin Hat
04. (00:06:26) Lusine – Thick Of It
05. (00:03:51) Lusine – Twilight
06. (00:05:00) Lusine – Baffle
07. (00:04:14) Lusine – Every Disguise
08. (00:06:10) Lusine – Double Vision
09. (00:05:09) Lusine – Gravity
10. (00:05:24) Lusine – Crowded Room
11. (00:06:38) Lusine – Cirrus

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For years, Jeff McIlwain has been recording music as Lusine that expertly straddles the electronic/pop divide; with A Certain Distance, McIlwain cracks open his productions to reveal the beauty lurking within. A Certain Distance sees McIlwain employing human vocals and pop structures, hooks and melodies in the service of something warmer and more welcoming than the Lusine of old. Mapping human emotions via technology may be an insurmountable task, but A Certain Distance brings McIlwain closer than most to achieving the impossible.

McIlwain has been gradually building his Lusine persona from the jagged majesty of 2005's Ghostly debut Serial Hodgepodge through the drifting atmospheres of 2007's Language Barrier (on Hymen Records). Now, with A Certain Distance, Lusine has finally arrived, synthesizing decades of electronic music both popular and experimental into a sophisticated, catchy, and danceable sound unlike anything else. Lassoing bits of downtempo and ambient, pop melodies and leftfield noise, and a smattering of techno and house both minimal and maximal, A Certain Distance is ultimately a work of singular beauty by an artist in full command of his craft.

Each track on A Certain Distance is a world unto itself, as McIlwain's careful touch lends the album a depth that goes on for days. "Two Dots," the album's lush first single, features vocals by Vilja Larjosto sliced up into a slinky, paranoid downtempo number; "Baffle" creeps like a well-dressed stalker as slivers of clean-toned guitar dance around a static-y beat; "Every Disguise" and "Crowded Room" are the record's most dancefloor-friendly tracks, the former trafficking in jaunty, humid funk, and the latter grafting Detroit-style chords onto airy, weightless rhythm that seems to hover inches above the ground.

On A Certain Distance, Jeff McIlwain dives deep into his technological array and comes up with something breathtakingly complex and, yes, emotional. The record unfolds like electronic-pop fractal-each detail, upon closer examination, reveals a lovingly constructed world of details within details, multiplying and dividing, extending into infinity.

Digital w/Cover art. 2009.

Port-Royal – Dying in Time

Port-Royal – Dying in Time
Genre : Electronica, Ambient
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1. hva (failed revolutions)
2. nights in kiev
3. anna ustinova
4. exhausted muse/europe
5. i used to be sad
6. susy: blue east fading
7. the photoshopped prince
8. balding generation (losing hair as we lose hope)
9. hermitage pt. 1
10. hermitage pt. 2
11. hermitage pt. 3

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2 Years have past in all our lives since the release of the port-royal’s “afraid to dance” (Resonant) but the royals have been keeping very busy with writing, recording, touring the EU and Russia, as well as creating remixes for the likes of Ladytron and Felix Da Housecat. For “Dying in time” port-royal have expanded their sound to encompass the more electronically skewed perspectives of synth-pop and even techno while still holding steadfast to their roots and original core sound that has always laid somewhere between shoegaze and emotively soaring ambient. As the title may suggest there is an undercurrent of aching melancholy to the album, as if the band are expressing the feelings they have for the temporality of life’s situations and feelings.

Celer - Brittle

Celer - Brittle
Genre : Electronica, Ambient
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01. Untitled (1:14:38)

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Celer is the artistic endeavour of the husband and wife duo Will Long and Danielle Baquet-Long. Danielle was a teacher of special education and music therapy, a published writer of poetry and prose, a painter, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist. She had an extensive background in Gender Studies, Education, Basque History, Photography and Tibetan Studies, as well as having lived in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the United States. She passed away on July 8, 2009 of heart failure at the age of 26.

Since forming in 2006, Celer’s intent was to produce works that reflect the sincere nature and importance of love, the fragility of life, and the importance of togetherness, through a relative and absolute symposium of expression.

This is particularly apparent on ‘Brittle’, an album produced with the aim of demonstrating a feeling of continuation through what sometimes seems like a delicate existence, a philosophy which takes on a deeper resonance in light of these recent, tragic events.

Musically, all of the sounds contained on ‘Brittle’ were created by piano, violin, cello, tingsha bells, harpsichord, and whistle. There are also field recordings from the inside of a room, with the windows open, but containing largely only room noise. The resulting recordings were then structured into 19 different tracks, which were then restructured into one single forming track of 74 minutes. All of the different pieces were merged together, to blur interruption and to allow the possibility of unfocused repetition.

The album is arranged to move in a specific way, not simply section by section, but by subtle movements that swell and sway calmly. Instead of creating an environment to sink into, Celer hope that the piece will instead act as a blanket, moving with the listener through gentle sways, shifting tones and small spaces of silence that are as unpredictable as thought.