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Recurrence
by Erik Wollo
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Into the Majestic
by Steve Roach
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Phosphenes
by Dave Bessell & Parallel Worlds
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Phosphenes by Dave Bessell &
Parallel Worlds
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DiN Press Release
The names of Dave Bessell & Parallel Worlds should be familiar to aficionados of the DiN label with various solo & collaborative albums under their belts. “Phosphenes” see these two well respected musicians team up for their third collaborative release on DiN.
Following on from Morphogenic (DiN41, 2012) & Dystopia (DiN56, 2018) this new album builds on their previous work creating an imaginary Synthwave soundtrack. Bakis Sirros the mastermind behind Parallel Worlds provides the skittering rhythmic backdrop to the tracks over which he and Bessell overlay ominous bass lines, twisting melodies and creative sound design that recall a shadow of 1980s John Carpenter film scores. Bessell also adds his unique guitar style that he so effectively uses in his other well known side project with the synth quartet Node. Both musicians make extensive use of modular synth systems but in very different ways that perfectly blend together in these eight atmospheric tracks.
The duo of Bessell and Sirros really do have a unique sound that is unlike anything else released in the world of electronic music and “Phosphenes” presents another chance to enter their darkly twisted sonic world.
01 Transformation 05:20
02 Empire 06:27
03 Obscure Memories 11:32
04 Silent Observer 06:29
05 Darkest Colour 05:37
06 Mindgames 07:00
07 Dream Creator 08:12
08 Inner Beacon 05:22
Total Time: 56:13
Visit the DiN page
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Recurrence by Erik Wollo
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Projekt Press Release
Following his acclaimed 2020 collaboration with American synthesist Michael Stearns (CONVERGENCE, PRO371) renowned Norwegian ambient / electronic artist Erik Wøllo returns with 2021’s RECURRENCE. An intensely detailed fusion of elegant compositions and deep atmospherics, it’s a gleaming sonic journey — a timeless dreamlike pilgrimage revisiting the sound and feel of past moments with an essence of eternal renewal.
Delicately evocative synthesizer atmospheres are skillfully balanced with pulsating rhythmic passages. Wøllo’s trademark processed electric guitars, synthesizers, occasional acoustic guitars and percussion create a cohesive structure that bonds the pieces into a warm, breathing continuum. Conceived to unfold as one unit, the tracks are movements drawing the listener into a deep, adventurous flow.
“I chose the title RECURRENCE,” Erik reflects, “because much of the music is built upon the idea of presenting a theme or a melodic element at the beginning of each song. This element is repeated later but within a new musical environment that evolved during the progress of the composition. It is a simple idea I’ve used on previous albums, though it’s more defined this time around. Compare it to a place you revisit and a new occurrence of something that happened or appeared before are revealed. On the revisit you explore new angles, seeing and feeling new aspects of the same experience.”
The album’s most active pieces are built upon arcs of rhythm and layers of sequencer patterns — with Wøllo’s lead lines setting the pace. “The Way of no Return” and “Umbra” both have dramatic percussive punctuations with pulsating arpeggios and deep analog bass. The ethereal tracks “Oblivion” and “Dream River” soar and dive in open, airy sections that stretch through time. These quiet, introspective and slowly unfolding pieces have a musical vastness of space — highly lush and expansive washes, powerfully evocative and soothing translucence.
“Stargazers” features acoustic guitars which evoke a warm aerial nostalgia: an organic sonic texture contrasted with long and elegant synthesizer lines. Digital-only bonus tracks “Cloud Circles,” “Chime Rain” and “Afterprints” close this journey with beautifully hazy synth swells added with distant soaring guitar voices. Peaceful and tranquil, this trilogy of tracks completes this enterprising and panoramic travelogue. An utterly suspended, lyrical and sublime outro.
RECURRENCE highlights Wøllo’s extraordinary luminous mastery. With elements reminiscent of previous releases like GATEWAY and DIFFERENT PLACES, it also sees impulses from Wøllo’s renowned collaborations with electronic music pioneers Steve Roach and Michael Stearns. Emotional and filled with sonic imagery, RECURRENCE will entice the listener to repeated listens.
1. Recurrence
2. The Presence of Future
3. Oblivion
4. Clouds Forever
5. Way of no return
6. Umbra
7. Dream River 1
8. Stargazers
9. Cloud Circles
10. Chime Rain
11. Afterprints
Visit the Projekt page
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Abracadabra by Milana Zilnik
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AV's Spotlight Review
Abracadabra by Milana Zilnik AV Spotlight CD Review
The cool breezes have already started to blow in the northeastern U.S. and the leaves are starting to let go their grip on the limbs they have clung to since the spring and slowly drift to the ground in ever increasing numbers. As we enter October, we know that come the 31st is a holiday that many of us look forward to every year but this year there’s another reason to look forward to October
31st and that’s the release of Abracadabra by Milana Zilnik. As you might remember we reviewedMilana’s
last album called Notte here on AV back in May of 2019. We are pleased to see that she will soon be releasing another an enchanting album and what more appropriate time to release an album called Abracadabra than on Halloween 2020.
About a year and half ago Milana bought a Hang drum and started to work with it to get a feel for how it would fit into the overall flow of her musical compositions. At first Milana was going to do a whole album based around the Hang drum but at a suggestion of her husband they decided instead to build the new compositions around the Hang drum, Milana’s piano playing, vocals and a cello and thus was Abracadabra born. I must say that the combination of these particular
instruments creates a unique sound palette that shifts and swirls around you as the compositions beckon you to let go of your mundane surroundings for the remainder of the album and find the magic within yourself.
Click here for the rest of the review
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Kevin Keller
The Front Porch of Heaven
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AV's Artist Interview Page
The Front Porch of Heaven: AV talks to Kevin Keller
Now in his third decade as a composer and recording artist, Kevin Keller has crafted a diverse discography – twenty releases in total – that has made him a favorite on beloved syndicated radio programs Hearts of Space and Echoes, found his music featured on the popular TV show So You Think You Can Dance, and won him two ZMR (Zone Music Reporter) Awards for “Best Neo-Classical Album”. Beyond that, he regularly receives commissions from ballet companies, and he has recently moved into the field of film and television scores. Pretty good for a guy who entered the conservatory never having had even a single piano lesson.
Growing up in Northern California in a not particularly musical family, his gateway into music came when friends played him the sounds of Krautrock legends Tangerine Dream, synthesizer pioneer Wendy Carlos's Switched-On Brandenburgs, and the ambient soundscapes of Harold Budd and Brian Eno. By the end of his high school years he had started playing piano, teaching himself how to read music so he could play Debussy. Keller says, "I don't really hear a big difference between Harold Budd and Claude Debussy, except that Debussy is more harmonically complex. But in terms of the aesthetic, I feel like they're similar – if you simplify Debussy, you end up with [Budd and Eno’s] Ambient 2. Or The Pearl." No surprise, then, that after Keller's second album came out, John Diliberto of Echoes dubbed Keller's style "ambient chamber music."
After graduating from college, where he'd had the run of an electronic music studio, he had to start from scratch by saving enough money to buy some synthesizers of his own, which allowed him to create his debut album, The Mask of Memory. "If you listen to that with me," Keller admits, "I can point out, 'that's my homage to Budd and Eno there, that's me lifting a melody from [Tangerine Dream's] Rubycon.' But I remember when I was working on 'Pale Unkempt Hours of Late Grey Afternoons,' it started out sounding sort of like Debussy, and then this melodic figure came in, and I remember that it really struck me: 'This doesn't sound like anything I've ever heard. This just sounds like...me.' I felt like I had discovered something that was purely my own that was separate from all of those influences. Sort of like soundtrack music for my own life." Hearts of Space liked The Mask of Memory enough that they played two of its tracks on one week's show, and HOS host Stephen Hill became "a mentor" to Keller.
To read AV's interview with Kevin Keller click here
Other Artist Interviews on Ambient Visions
Red Sky Prairie: AV talks to Sharon Fendrich
The Synergy Series: AV talks to Clifford White
Reach: AV talks to Jeff Oster
When the Sea Lets Go: AV talks to Vin Downes
Shifting Sands: AV Talks to Lynn Tredeau
Breathe: AV talks to Carl Borden
Kreuzblut Michael Brückner talks to Mathias Grassow
Indesterren AV talks to Tom Eaton
What We Left Behind Michael Brückner talks to Robert Rich
Music for a Busy Head Vol. 1 AV talks to Matt Coldrick
Chakra Balance AV talks to David and Steve Gordon
Heading West AV talks to Mike Howe
The Great Hoop AV talks with Steve Brand
Cosmic Diva AV talks to Stephanie Sante
Primitives AV talks to Remy Stroomer and Michel van Osenbruggen aka Synth.nl
Subliminal Pulse AV talks to Bruno Sanfilippo
Miles Tones Av talks to Jame Kirsch aka General Fuzz
In Search of Silence AV talks to David Wright
Beachcombing AV Talks to Bob Holroyd
The Mountain Lake AV Talks to Johan Agebjorn
Jewel in the Sun AV Talks to Diane Arkenstone
A Quiet Light AV talks to Meg Bowles
Fragments AV talks to Steve Roberts aka Amongst Myselves
A Day Within Days AV talks to Michael Allison aka Darshan Ambient
Frequency Response AV talks to Matthew McDonough aka MjDawn
Portal AV Talks to Rich Brodsky aka Atomic Skunk
Blue Dream AV talks to Fiona Joy Hawkins
Where Edges Meet AV talks to James Murray
Carrying the Bag of Hearts AV Talks to Janet Robbins
Into the Infinite AV Talks to Chad Kettering
A New Kind of Love AV Talks to Robin Spielberg
Following the Call AV Talks to Ann Licater
Dimensions AV Talks to John Lyell
Touching the Serpents Tail AV Talks to Robert Fox
Vast AV Talks to Saul Stokes
Fever Dreams III AV talks to Steve Roach 2007
Sankhara AV talks to cyberCHUMP
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Ian Boddy
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News on the web
20 Years of DiN, the Label Connecting Ambient’s Past and Present
It's always good to see articles spotlighting those artists who have been producing electronic music for decades and giving them the accolades that they so richly deserve. DiN goes back to 1999 when it was formed to put out music by other artists instead of just being a vehicle to release Ian's music out into the world. Ambient Visions goes back to just about that same time frame as well forming in late 1999 as a conduit to bring ambient/electronic/new
age music to a wider audience by allowing them to read about the artists that up until that point were just names on album covers. We are happy to have shared Ian's journey with our readers over the last couple of decades and wanted to share a paragraph or two from this article with readers of AV, point you to the article on BC's website & to help Ian's label and his music gain even more recognition. Enjoy!
"I wanted to form a bridge between that 1970s Tangerine Dream, sequencer-dominated heritage, and what a lot of the newer and younger musicians now are making on laptops,” says veteran ambient composer and DiN label founder Ian Boddy. “A lot of people my age are so hooked on this old style. That’s all they do. Every album has this Berlin school sequencer chugging along in the background. And that’s fine! But there’s more to be done than just that.”
In 1998, Boddy was releasing music on his private label Something Else Records—a catch-all for self-releases and the odd collaboration that, at the time of its closure, had been in operation for over a decade. The desire to publish music by others and to form a more coherent identity led to the formation of DiN, a more formal label, in 1999. 84 records in, DiN has put out work by renowned composers like Robert Rich, spotlighted on the Index series of compilations;
it’s even got its own sub-label, Tone Sciences, which launched in 2018 to spotlight music made with modular synths. From enchantingly elaborate and soothing drumless IDM to unsettling pulsing ambient techno, there’s no one DiN sound—it’s more of a DiN sensibility. With a 20th anniversary celebration around the corner, it’s safe to say Boddy has been successful building that bridge from the past to the present."
Click here to read the article on Bandcamp's website
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Aeon V by Solaris
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AV's Spotlight Review
Solaris by Aeon V review by Richard Gürtler
Highly sympathetic Californian label Synphaera Records, run by Chris Bryant and Don Tyler, quickly became an important voice on the map of ambient and electronic related genres with several top-notch sonic and visual gems resonating since 2015. Solaris "Aeon V" CDr, packaged in a 4-panel digipak and released in a limited edition of 150 copies during March 2017, is no exception. The project features Serbian soundsculptor Strahinja Maletic, one half of Fourth
Dimension, and above mentioned Don Tyler, who is together with Chris Bryant the force behind Ascendant project. Sten Backman of Great Big Container gets credit for transporting cover image while Don Tyler is responsible for the mastering wizardry at his IO Mastering Studio.
Gossamery tinkles announce 7-plus minutes long "Ritual" and shift it into contemplatively embracing sceneries, where mesmerizingly invading monochromatic drones amalgamate with balmily organic serenities and quietly paced traceries. A very strong introduction of Solaris' soundworlds!!! Nearly 6-minute "Levitation" unfolds suitably to its title, but soon it metamorphoses into intangibly sequenced terrains, pervaded by enchanting cinematic glimpses.
"Inward" masterfully bridges gracefully sinuous vistas with illuminating traces. "Waiting" maintains its evocative scenario, yet again juxtaposed by anodynely marching patterns. "Roundabout", at 5 minutes the shortest piece on the album, glides towards intensely engulfing horizons, exquisitely nuanced and meticulously permeated by intriguingly nebulous solitudes. Pure aural elixir!!! Shimmering introspections with mysteriously flatlined meridians riding atop and persistently glittering
scenic motifs carve truly magnificent imageries, "Intrinsic" is obviously another exceptional composition, bravo Strahinja & Don!!!
Click here for the rest of the review
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Renée Blanche
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AV's Charts
Night Tides Playlist
We just wanted to make sure that the readers of AV were aware of the radio shows like Renee Blanche's Night Tides that feature ambient and new age music each and every Sunday night. There are so many choices out there to listen to music that it might be tempting to skip shows like Night Tides or Star's End or Galactic Travels or Hearts of Space in favor of just pulling up a playlist on Spotify and listening to it instead. Renee and Bill and
Chuck and Stephen have been spotlighting great ambient/new age music on their programs for many, many years now and I think listeners would be doing themselves a disservice by not taking advantage of all of that musical programming skills to help you on your journey of discovery into the vast catalog of ambient, new age and electronic music both past and present.
So perhaps you weren't aware of these programs or of the music that they play but AV is here to help. We are going to start featuring a radio show on the front page with links to the charts on AV's Charts page so you can get a feel for what is being played on these radio shows. You can then follow the links under each chart to learn more about the program, what time it's on and even links that will allow you to stream it live right there on
your computer. It doesn't get more convenient than that. To kick off these reminders we'll start with Night Tides which airs on Sunday nights just in time to decompress you before heading off to work on Monday morning. There is a small sample of the playlist just below and for the complete playlist just follow the link and begin your musical explorations. A lot of us grew up in an era when radio was our main music discovery venue. These programmers are simply carrying on a proud tradition of helping listeners
such as yourself find the music that you didn't even know you were looking for. Enjoy!
Click
here to check out Night Tides Playlist
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Tom Eaton
How It Happened
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AV's CD Focus Interview
How It Happened AV talks with Tom Eaton
Tom Eaton is a composer, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and engineer who has been behind the scenes of hundreds of albums since opening his first commercial studio in 1993.
Known for his long association with Windham Hill Records founder Will Ackerman, with whom he has worked as co-producer and engineer for nearly a decade, Tom kept his own compositions tucked aside as he focused on helping others bring their music into the world. In 2016 he released his first solo CD, abendromen, which won him the “2016 Best New Artist” award from Zone Music Reporter. abendromen, and its follow up, indesterren, were featured on Echoes, Hearts
of Space, and Star’s End radio, and both made numerous “Best of the Year” lists.
“...restrained nocturnes which attest to the power of simplicity – a piano sound to lust after, immersed in a suggestive, gauzy world of beautifully wrought electronics and guitar loops.” Tim Story about Tom Eaton
Tom lives on the northern coast of Massachusetts with a large cat and a larger collection of vintage and modern synthesizers, guitars and sonic sculpting devices. The slow and dramatic changes of season, the power of the ocean, fatherhood, and the spatial and dynamic aesthetic of the classic Windham Hill and Private Music albums resonate through Tom’s work, described by Hypnagogue as “breathtaking…rich, complex and beautifully structured.”
Click here to read the rest of Tom Eaton's interview about How It Happened
Other AV's CD Focus Features available on Ambient Visions
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AV's Upcoming, New and Notable Releases
One, Two, Three Locations EP
by Saul Stokes
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Across the Milky Way
by The Ambient Visitor
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Renewal
by Sherry Finzer
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Autumn Tapes EP
by Phelios
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My Temple
by Jarguna
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Like Waves Betweeen Us
by Swartz et
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La Papillonne
by Ars Phantasia
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Natural Light
by Louis Anthony deLise
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The Adirondack Piano
by Bing Satellites
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Moonlight Through the Trees
by The Ambient Drones
of Bill Baxter
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Empyrean Castles
by Richard Bone
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Healing Resonance
by Dean Evenson, Scott Huckabay, Phil Heaven
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Planetary Elements
by Craig Padilla & Skip Murphy
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Dreaming Spaces
by Max Corbacho
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Pleochroism
by Juta Takahashi
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Dark Roads for the
Young Magus
by Cathode Ray Tube
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Trance Archeology
by Steve Roach
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Afon Ether
by Theta Wave Orchestra
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Ubique
by Fourth Dimension
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Origin # 03
by Solar Fields
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Svalbarð
by Glåsbird
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Memories
by Michele McLaughlin
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Centuries
by Sun Through Eylids
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Understanding Holy Ghosts
by Moss Garden
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Base Camp
by Atomic Skunk
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Elysian Fields
by Thom Brennan
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Cupid Blindfolded
by Michael Whalen
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Another Time and Space
by Thom Brennan
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Imaginary Conquests
by Thom Brennan
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Alternate Landscapes
by Jon Durant
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Mike G
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AV Articles
Electronic and ambient pioneer Steve Roach started creating his music during the late ‘70s golden age of analog synthesizers, a time when the digital variety was only visible on the horizon. So it’s refreshing that an album which continues that hands-on tradition, Spiral Revelation
(2017), garnered his first-ever Grammy nomination. Chosen in the Best New Age Album category, the album is crafted almost entirely with modular and stand-alone synthesizers, its sound grounded in the dynamic, spiraling interweave of melodic and rhythmic sequencer forms.
With its analog leanings, Spiral Revelation sounds utterly contemporary thanks to Roach’s technological sophistication and creative maturity. Yet the bubbling, kinetic melodies point to his origins, making it a natural place to begin the story of how far and wide he has travelled.
Read the rest of this article by clicking here
How to Choose a Digital Piano – 10 Factors to Consider According to Science by Rob Beck
A digital piano is an electronic keyboard that emulates the sound and the feel of a genuine acoustic piano. It can be differentiated from its precursor instrument – the “synthesizer” – which uses electronically produced sound waves to create specifically electronic sounds.
The first digital piano commercially available was produced by Yamaha in 1983. The Clavinova YP-40 was the most notable of the releases. More of an extension of the synthesizers of the 1970s, the sounds were electronically produced using Frequency Modulation, rather than sampling technology which is used by all digital pianos today. [1]
Frequency Modulation synthesis (more commonly referred to as simply “FM”) works by modulating (or changing) the frequency of an electronically produced sound wave. This results in a wide variety of tone, dependent upon the changes in frequency and a combination of other waves. [2]
A sample, on the other hand, is a short digital recording that can be triggered via a MIDI instrument, such as a piano-style keyboard. [3]
A modern digital piano has a large bank of short digital recordings (samples) that are triggered by hitting the keys of the keyboard. Most modern digital pianos are capable of reproducing touch-sensitive play (see later).
To read the rest of the article click here.
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Stefan Strand
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AV's Quick 10 Interview
Legacy AV's Quick 10 With Stefan Strand aka Between Interval
Since the age of 14, Swedish composer Stefan Strand has been experimenting with and creating electronic sounds. Initially inspired by video game soundtracks and the German techno scene, it wasn’t long before he was discovering the more expansive soundscapes of artists like Jean Michel Jarre, Robert Rich, Aphex Twin and Pink Floyd.
In 2003 he created Radio Silence, his first ambient album, and self-released it under the name Between Interval. He knew then that he had found a vast genre that he would come to explore for many years.
Strand wants his music to be a rewarding and immersive experience for the listener. “I try to create atmospheres and moods with my music. I wouldn’t call it minimalistic, but instead of giving away too much in terms of melodies I aim to incorporate subtle and implicit changes.”
Since it’s initial release, Radio Silence has been remastered and released on the Spotted Peccary label along with four other releases, Secret Observatory, Autumn Continent, The Edge of a Fairytale and Legacy.
Click here for this quick 10 interview with Stefan Strand aka Between Interval
Other Quick 10 Interviews on Ambient Visions
A World Bathed in Sunlight AV's Quick 10 with Matthew Stewart
Imbue AV's Quick 10 With Androcell aka Tyler Smith
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AV Goes to NYC
and reviews the
FLOW concert
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AV's Concert Review
An Introvert Journeys to New York City and Goes With the
FLOW
As you may or may not know I tend to be a very introverted
person who is connected to a broad musical world via my Ambient Visions website
and rarely do I venture out into the really real world other than at a very
mundane level as I head off to work or to do a variety of equally unspectacular
chores that make up my daily life. On occasion though I am tempted to step out
of my ordinary introverted life and to step into that wider world which makes
introverts like me quiver in their boots and on an even rarer occasion I act on
those temptations and dive into that real world. October 6 was one of those days where the
benefit of venturing out overwhelmed my reservations and sent me off to the big
city to discover the joys of live music.
What, you might ask, would tempt an introvert such as myself
out of his seclusion and pull him to the big city? I’m glad you asked. I wanted
to go with the FLOW. I know that doesn’t sound like a compelling reason and
what the heck does it even mean anyway. The FLOW in this case is a new ensemble
group that was celebrating the release of their first album simply entitled
FLOW by performing as a group at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New
York City which is a celebrated musical mecca of the performing arts in the
United States. The motivating factor here was the composition of the group and
the nature of the guest artists who would be performing with them on that
Friday night in New York City.
Click here for the rest of the review
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Renée Blanche
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AV's Q&A
Night Tides: AV talks with Renée Blanche
This time around Ambient Visions' Q & A has a go at Renée Blanche, host of an ambient music radio show called Night Tides. Night Tides is an eclectic blend of contemplative instrumental & electronic music that combines upbeat grooves and dubs with soothing melodies that whisper softly to the soul. Host Renée Blanche is a native of Detroit, Michigan. She stumbled into radio after ending her military career in El Paso, Texas. Her
skills as a volunteer announcer were honed at community radio station KXCR during a three-year stay. Commercial radio was the next stop as a weekend announcer for adult contemporary stations K-LITE and B-94 FM. Renée moved to Kansas City in 1993 and was hired as the midday announcer for KCUR and as a traffic reporter for Metro Traffic Control. Her role as host of the Night Tides program began in September 1994.
Click here to read Renée's interview
Other AV's Q&A Features available on Ambient Visions
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Eyes to the Height by James Murray
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Ambient Web Spotlight
Interview with James Murray by Ron Schepper for Textura e-zine
Ten Questions With James Murray
Though a number of James Murray's releases have been reviewed at textura, he hasn't been the subject of a major article or interview—until now. It's an oversight that should have been rectified long ago, but hopefully the following in-depth interview will be an adequate atonement. If anything, the interview comes at the perfect time as the London-based Murray has just issued a splendid new full-length, Eyes to the Height, which evidences the high degree of craft the self-taught
composer has brought to all of his work since 2004. You never know quite what you're going to get with a Murray release, but rest assured the quality will be high, regardless of whether the focus is ambient-electronic, modern classical, or electroacoustic. We thank Murray for sharing so openly his thoughts on the album and his creative process.
Click here for the rest of the interview
Interview with Seb Taylor by Kevin Fairbanks and Gagarin for Psybient e-zine
[Interview] with Seb Taylor aka Kaya Project aka Hibernation
Today we bring you an interview with Seb Taylor. The man behind many amazing psychedelic electronic acts of varying styles, from the legendary Angel Tears to the ever popular Kaya Project, downtempo heavy hitting Hibernation and the uptempo likes of Shakta and Digitalis. Seb has been more than busy, over many years with countless collaborative artists, producing
this music that we love. So it is with great honor that we had the opportunity to chat with him about everything from his latest release, to the earlier days. Enjoy and share around!
Psy: Do you remember the first piece of music that inspired you as a kid? Can you describe the experience?
ST: I’d have to say film soundtracks. Especially the work of John Barry & John Williams. Growing up in the 1970’s & 1980’s meant a lot of my cinematic experiences were musically scored on these two composers. I can hear a direct correlation between my musical sensibilities and soundtracks like, ‘The Black Hole’ , ‘James Bond’, ‘Star Wars’ etc. Even in later life it was still movie music that has primarily touched and inspired me, latterly in the form of
contemporary film composers like Thomas Newman for example (American Beauty, White Orlandear, Meet Joe Black).
Click here to read the rest of the interview
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New Reviews on Ambient Visions
Getting the word out about great music
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AV's Reviews Other Voices
Illuminance by Sangeeta Kaur reviewed by Keith Hannaleck of New Age Music Reviews website
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Illuminance
by Sangeeta Kaur
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This will be the fourth album I have had the opportunity to hear from new age artist Sangeeta Kaur. Illuminance is her first official label release with Domo. What is significant about that it is on legendary performer Kitaro’s label. I remember the first time I heard Kitaro and I loved it. Since that time a lot has happened and changed however the one thing that never changes for me is the incredible healing power of music. In fact, it is music like the kind that Sangeeta has been releasing for many years now that leaves a lasting impression.
For the rest of this review from New Age Music Reviews click here.
Prelude to a Dream by Shoshana Michel reviewed by Mainly Piano website
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Prelude to a Dream is Shoshana Michel’s third solo piano album and
her second as a composer. After a 24-year hiatus from composing music, once she started again, the flood gates opened wide. Shoshana’s first album of original music, Dancing on the Wind (2016), was nominated for Whisperings Solo Piano Radio’s “Album of the Year,” One World Music Radio’s “Solo Piano Album of the Year” and SoloPiano.com’s “Album of the Year.” It would not surprise me at all if the gentle, heartfelt music on Prelude to a Dream does just as well or even better. The eleven pieces on this album are
all very soothing and played with an expressive tenderness. In some ways, it could be a lullaby album, as the repeated left hand patterns are hypnotic and the overall tone of the music is very quiet and peaceful. You won’t want to doze off and miss any of this, though! As he so often does, graphic designer Matt Streiby perfectly captured the feeling of the album with his cover artwork.
Read the rest of the review at Mainly Piano by clicking here.
Deep Space Blue by Jim Ottaway reviewed by Kathy Parsons of Mainly Piano website
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Deep Space Blue is an electronic ambient/space music release from award-winning Australian composer and synthesist Jim Ottaway. The creator of at least twenty-five albums of original music in a variety of genres as well as music for films and television, Ottaway’s resume’ is long and very impressive; Deep Space Blue is his eleventh international release. The inspiration for Ottaway's music stems from his love of nature and his spiritual connection to the
Gold Coast of Queensland, Australia. The music on this album has a very organic feeling and features a variety of (electronic) musical instruments as well as atmospheric sounds. Not surprisingly, the music conveys feelings of vast darkness and of effortless floating through space and time. The six tracks range from just under six minutes to about 16 1/2 minutes, so there are very few breaks in the music. The tracks were recorded over a three-year period, and Ottaway also did the mixing, mastering, graphics and
album design.
Read the rest of the review at Mainly Piano by clicking here.
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Paul Avgerinos
Law of Attraction
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Artist Spotlight on Paul Avgerinos
When Paul Avgerinos graduated from the Peabody Conservatory of Music in 1980, as a full scholarship honors student, he had already performed as a bassist with Isaac Stern, Jean Pierre Rampal, The Beaux Arts Trio, Baryshnikov and many other great classical artists. He also has won scholarships to play and study at music festivals in Tanglewood, Aspen, Grand Teton, Taos, and Spoleto (Italy). After graduation, Paul served as principal bass of several major symphony orchestras
around the world,
and gave solo recitals as well.
Expanding into more popular genres, Avgerinos toured as a bassist with Charles Aznavour, Liza Minelli, and the jazz legend Buddy Rich. Seeking to further his original composition and develop his childhood passion for electronic music, Paul built Studio Unicorn, a comprehensive digital/analog recording studio, in 1984. Nine solo CDs in the New Age genre followed,
including Muse of the Round Sky on the Hearts of Space label. Muse was nominated for a Grammy and is played on more than 2,000 radio stations around the world in addition to syndicated shows such as Music from the Hearts of Space and John Diliberto's Echoes. Two thirty minute features with the latter are added to his credits along with his many other radio interviews. Paul's music is currently being played on Sirius XM Satellite radio & DMX as well as Music Choice SoundScapes.
He has appeared on fourteen sampler CDs and as a guest artist on albums by Joanie Madden, Faruk Tekbilek, Joaquin Lievano, Brian Keane and others. Paul records and produces many popular albums as well and has worked with artists as diverse as Jewel, Willie Nelson, Deana Carter, Richie Havens, Run DMC, and the Celtic Tenors . Avgerinos always makes time for scoring
and has worked on many Film, Commercial, TV, and Cable projects for all of the major and minor networks. Paul's work on Peter Kater's Red Moon earned A 2004 Grammy Nomination. Paul's album GNOSIS placed #1 on the New Age & World Radio Chart and his latest, Garden of Delight, won an award for the Best World Album of 2007. Keeping busy creating original music for a variety of interesting and rewarding projects is a way of life.
Currently, Paul lives and works in his Studio Unicorn, Redding, Connecticut, where the deer pass by his studio windows and the hawks and eagles give inspiration from above .
Visit Paul Avgerinos on the web
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Sounds
to Listen For
Temporal Paradox
by Phelios
Nighttide (10 Year
Deluxe Ediition)
by Swartz et
Beyond Corona: Vol 5
by Toshinori Kondo
Intervals
by Near the Parenthesis
The Front Porch of Heaven
by Kevin Keller
Wrath & Apathy
by bvdub
Healing
by Paul Avgerinos
Luminary
by Cheryl B. Engelhardt
Incognita
by TEAR
Particle Horizon
by Space Station
Music of the Smoky Rainbow
by Roy Mattson
Meditation in Green
by Kelly David
Boundless
by Phillip Wilkerson
Bloom Ascension
by Steve Roach
Devotion
by Paul Avgerinos
ypsilon
by Zahn | Hatmi | McClure
Red Sky Prairie
by Sharon Fendrich
Life is But An
Empty Dream
by OKADA
Lightness of Dark
by Fiona Joy Hawkins &
Rebecca Daniel
Understanding Holy
Ghosts
by Moss Garden
Sea Change
by Alan Lidden
Planetes
by Sofie Birch
Surface Reflections
By Wil Bolton
Beyond the Purple Sun
by Jim Ottaway
Temporal
By Julia Kent
Telegraphe
by d'Voxx
Infinite Moments
by Erik Wollo
Nocturnes II
by Max Corbacho
Positive Light
by SC Slator
The Last Lighthouse
by Campfire's Edge
Structures of Light
by Siddhartha Barnhoom
home is a memory
by threadbare
Isokinetic
by Alpturer
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