A lonesome trumpet from: Gresham Cash x Denise Cianfaga – Helen

•December 22, 2023 • Leave a Comment

Rather going off piste here. None of my usual electronics but a drawling indie rock from Gresham Cash and the melancholic trumpet from Argentina’s Denise Cianfaga on Helen.

Gresham Cash is an Athens, GA musician, composer, and writer with a background in wildlife biology. His work has mainly been in indie rock. But Helen is the first single from Cash’s forthcoming album Director E, Vol. 1. The album is a compilation of tracks that Cash composed, performed, and produced in the last 8 years working as a composer for Atlanta-based filmmaker Ethan Payne. This is more widescreen and plaintive than his earlier work.

Helen is a mix of the ineffably sad trumpet mixed with some low key post rock. It verges on the Ambient in its delicacy and refusal to rise above a murmur. But it’s the trumpet that really makes this track stand out. It has a slow jazz feel but also a funeral elegy quality. A sort of post rock Last Post.

Hardly the stuff of Happy Christmases but beautiful sadness. 

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Drum and Bass on the rise with: Left-6teen – Levitate

•December 21, 2023 • Leave a Comment

Ease into Christmas with this delicate drum and bass track Levitate from new artist Left-6teen.

Left-6teen is from Manchester, UK but is clearly highly US influenced in writing, referring to “Based out of Manchester” but this has that UK ease with genre blending.

Levitate is a light, sparkly tune. It mixes a rich bass line with high end dnb beats and a stutter vocal that comes over like a chopped guitar line. And then the whole thing is washed through keyboards.

The track is relaxed, sophisticated and slightly stunning for a first release. There’s a confidence in the production and the way the track allows lots of space, resisting the temptation to fill all the holes with sound. This gives the track its loose limbed swagger. Proper, proper young Left-6teen.

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Melodic Techno from NILU (DK)

•December 19, 2023 • Leave a Comment

If you’re feeling a bit funky I have just the thing for you. Some Middle Eastern flavoured melodic techno from NILU (DK).

As you might expect, NILU (DK) comes from Denmark, Copenhagen to be precise. He’s a two track EP out from which featured track Bazaar is taken.

It’s invidious to start with a grumble. But I must. This track is only 2:30 and that’s too damn short. Nonetheless for the duration it’s a properly snaking bit of melodic techno.

Bazaar takes some nice and deep techno beats and welds then to a squelchy elastic bass and some ultra processed synth lines. And then the killer tom toms and a lovely Middle Eastern synth horn. This gives the track a lovely wide open and sinuous flow.

Beats pitter patter their way around to a break that offers such fun and jump around potential. This is classily designed and delivered. Now, if only it was about twice as long and I could have a happy Christmas. Story of my life, always unfulfilled.

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Ambient Sunday is dreaming with Birds of Jupiter, and Danilo Pennone

•December 17, 2023 • Leave a Comment

Ambient Sunday is dreaming this week with Birds of Jupiter, and Danilo Pennone.

Birds of Jupiter is a Dutch artist but I know no more than that. Here’s what appears to be a first single I’m Still Here.

I’m Still Here is a gently dark dreaming track. Sounds are rich but slightly Spartan giving it a lightly minimal air.

At a shade over two minutes it’s awfully short for an Ambient track. But it packs a lot in among the spaces. Birds of Jupiter says “The feeling of this Song is drifting you in a nostalgic sentimental world where you have a short amount of time to enjoy the moment and peace on your mind.”

I’m not sure about the nostalgia but the drifting is definitely to the fore. This is proper floatation tank stuff.

Danilo Pennone from Rome, Italy was unknown to me. Turns out he’s a writer and everything (lecturer and music maker). Even has his own Wiki page. Here’s Red Silence in its Extended Minimal Version.

Red Silence in its original form is a jazzy number with some jazz guitar. Not quite what I’d post. In its Extended Minimal Version it takes on a very late night, low key, hushed sort of vibe.

Everything is a bit woozy. The sound of one drink too many but when your legs won’t quite work long enough to let you leave. This is a cellar bar at closing time.

The piano chords have the right amount of sorrowful and mournful and replace any beats. The guitar noodles quietly to avoid impacting the nascent hangover. The dreams here are of sadness and loss.

It’s been a good evening. But you will pay for it in the morning. This is the true late night drunk tank sound.

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Delicate IDM for the end of the week: Morris Cowan – The Stories We Tell Ourselves

•December 15, 2023 • Leave a Comment

As we approach the end of the week I’d normally go for something pumping or uplifting. Today, I’m going with some gentle IDM which matches my incoming manflu. Morris Cowan is provider (of the tune, not the manflu).

Morris Cowan is Adam Morris Cowan Taylor from Penzance, Cornwall. Listening to his work, that he’s released on labels like UK imprint Wigflex, or Köln’s Traum Schallplatten comes as no surprise. His work bears comparison to Aphex Twin’s more ambient offerings and people like Max Cooper.

Here’s The Stories We Tell Ourselves from the Notes album. It’s pitched somewhere between IDM, Ambient and delicate chill. It has a lovely organic and analog quality with burnished edges. A sort of deep patina if you will.

This is less of a surprise when Morris says “Mattel didn’t just make Barbie in the 80s, they also put out a wonderful little electronic drum kit called the Synsonics. This track features lots of hits recorded from one of these machines. Fizzy, bubbly, bouncy, drum sounds. Those are paired with a stack of found sounds, mostly generated from tapping bits of wood out amongst the trees. I always enjoy the layering of organic and electronic percussion.”

Away from the how of production to the what of the sound. This is lovely polyrhythmic IDM. It’s full of tinkling, childlike sounds that tumble over each other in a way that makes you want to hug them close.

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Angelic House sounds of the season with: Tatonic x Annabel Claire – Angel Biscuits (JSC EDM Version)

•December 14, 2023 • Leave a Comment

When someone offers a track I’m gonna be all ears. That’s what Tatonic is offering and it’s rather lovely Ambient Techno.

Tatonic is originally from the north of England but is now based in Melbourne, Australia. Here’s new release Angel Biscuits in its JSC EDM version form with vocals from Annabel Claire. As for the origin of the track Tatonic says it was “Inspired by a mix of Orbital and the upcoming festive season – hence Angel Biscuits.”

Angel Biscuits does share some common ancestry with Orbital (think One Perfect Sunrise in particular or gentler versions of Halcyon) but it’s not helpful to get bogged down in comparative analysis. This track is too lovely for that.

Tatonic says “I wrote the chords and melody on a synth, played a driving beat on the midi kit, offset with monster bass, nice build, but needed vocals so asked Annabel to come to the studio and improvise.”

What you get on Angel Biscuits is slow but epiphany inducing synths overlaid with gorgeous floating vocals kept wordless for that ethereal, floating vibe.

Synth melodies wander into view but beats are kept soft and back in the mix. This gives the whole thing an old school post rave come down feel. Everything throbs gently and keeps a hazy, blissed feel. This is just gorgeous.

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Back to the old school with: Iljunfant – House Mouse

•December 13, 2023 • Leave a Comment

If you’re looking for some House that’s not too taxing and gently uplifting I have just the thing for you from Iljunfant.

Here’s a light old school synth house track called House Mouse. Iljunfant is a ships engineer from Galloway, Scotland and explains the artist name “means “elephant” in Maltese. My nickname in my younger years was “Nelly”. My soul mate is half Maltese, so it seemed like a nice idea to go with this.” And presumably the Mouse scares the elephant.

House Mouse has a slightly dream house feel but avoids the syrupy nether regions of that genre. There are light but firm beats. The synths want to soar and there’s a lovely sense of uplifting melody. You wonder if that bears any relation to its creation. Iljunfant says he “Made this track during some bad weather days in the North Sea.”

This manages to be both slightly familiar but also fresh in its approach. It’s made with an awareness of the past but without in anyway being bound by it. After a tough day this left me with a smile on my face. The elephant knows, you know.

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Night night, don’t let the acid bed bugs bite with: Ear Mind Eye – Chores

•December 12, 2023 • Leave a Comment

And so to Australia with the neon acid rave sounds of Ear Mind Eye.

Normally, I’m not one for the tie dye acid rave revivalists. Too much day glo fractals brings me out in hives. But this new track – Chores – from Ear Mind Eye’s Instant Slack EP is damn fine.

Ear Mind Eye  (aka Coolaid Crowley) is from Canberra, Australia. It’s described as a ‘project’ which is “Hellbent on generating gyrations, sonic excitation and sensory awareness by redefining the idea of “rave” through a melding menagerie of psy, underground techno, infectious beats & charged breaks to be consumed under the stars and out in the sun.”

Well, this is England and the “Stars” aren’t visible as it’s raining (again) and there’s no “sun” because it’s bloody winter. And yet Chores delivers as a warming workout bringing a bit of aural light into your life and breaking through my curmudgeonly prejudices.

Chores takes early acid techno as a jumping off point, rather than a template. Beats bounce around all over the place. One minute techno seriousness, the next electro breaks unseriousness. There’s acid underpinning but they also remembered to bring the melody.

This whirls around in a happy acid psychedelic place all of its own making. Antipodean acid delivering aural alchemy. And if they could get a proper sleeve designer I could die happy.

EME is playing at the upcoming Tanglewood Music & Arts Festival on New Years Eve in Thornton, Victoria, Australia.

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Deep into deep house with: Nakiso – Seraphic

•December 11, 2023 • Leave a Comment

Let’s start the week with something not too challenging and more than a bit soothing. Some deep house from Nakiso.

Nakiso is a music producer based in eSwatini (until 2018 known as Swaziland) in Southern Africa. His work tends to the minimal and draws on work of Ben Frost, Philip Glass, and Paul Leonard-Morgan.

Here’s new track Seraphic, meaning angelic Nakiso says “Seraphic is a musical journey that transcends the earthly realm, embracing listeners in a heavenly and ethereal experience.” And he’s not wrong.

Seraphic pitches itself somewhere between deep house and ambient. But always has an ear for the ethereal. Disembodied vocals float around like the murmurings of the choir celestial.

The music manages to be both lush and minimal. Pads are hushed and the synths have that reverbed multi-track feel that echoes wide open spaces. Beautifully confident and engaging sounds. Love this.

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Ambient Sunday with Mount Maxwell – Ske Eye

•December 10, 2023 • Leave a Comment

Ambient Sunday is off to Canada with Mount Maxwell for a bit of contemplation.

Mount Maxwell is Jamie Tolagson from Vancouver BC. He’s the founder of the Hotham Sound label and his work is described as “a unique blend of analog synths and acoustic instrumentation.” There’s more than a little resemblance to people like the sainted Boards of Canada.

Here’s Sky Eye, the single from new album Littlefolk. It’s described as an “attempt to convey something of the joy and bewilderment of really ‘seeing’ the place where one lives, as if for the first time.”

The track is a mix of acoustic instrumentation all delivered in a sotto voce kind of way, alongside some gentle synth electronics. A breathy male vocal comes and goes. The track improves when it goes tbh.

This track is a beautifully subtle invitation to contemplate. What you contemplate is entirely up to you. These elegant sounds deliver both calming and moving emotional states. If BoC returned, I hope they’d produce stuff like this. Sky Eye really is that good.

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