012/100: "Solo" by Nils Frahm

Nils Frahm recently released "Solo" on "Piano Day", a day intended to celebrate the piano as an instrument.

"Solo" is an emotive delight: delicate, nuanced, mature; just Frahm & piano using the space between the notes with as much precision as the notes themselves. The album was conceived from eight improvised pieces recorded in one sitting on the world's tallest piano: the Klavins 450. Situated in Germany, the 450 weighs 1.8 tons, is 3.7 meters tall, and was built for Piano Day.

"Solo" is lovely: the outpouring of a talented individual ... something I will cherish for a long time to come.

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For more, got to http://www.pianoday.org

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011/100 - "And Silence" by Colbets

"And Silence" by Japanese duo Saitoh Tomohiro and guitarist Kari Takemoto, collectively known as Colbets, is another sterling release from Gavin Catling's Twice Removed microlabel.

The release consists of 61 minutes of the very best and most engaging ambient soundsculptures: 5 tracks that take me, as the listener, on a compelling journey into Colbets' beautifully nuanced and expertly handcrafted aural world.

I am really rather taken with this release: it has an unforced intentionality to it that I find appealing, particularly after a long and busy day in the office, a restful nature that gently persuades rather than forcefully demands.




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010/100 - "World Music" by Goat

Psychedelic has become a buzzword in alternative music circles. Some bands, however, deserve the title. One such band is Goat, the experimental rock band from Sweden.

Their album - "World Music" - is worthy of anyone's attention with its Afrobeat styling, hypnotic rhythms, and vocals that use repetition & combined unison to great effect. It is a swirling, floaty, psychedelic smorgasbord of sound that is expertly sequenced for maximum pleasure.

"World Music" feels like an authentic addition to late 60s / early 70s psychedelia and yet it is from 2012. I love this album and can only imagine what their live shows are like.



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009/100: "Soma" by Audio Mainline

I regularly receive music from musicians and labels who appreciate my thoughts on their latest offering. One such gift was the "Soma" from a new group called Audio Mainline, on Invisible Agent.

"Soma" is reminiscent of the output from San Francisco's seminal downtempo & house label, Om Records, with its chilled electronics, delicate rhythms and exceptional female vocals. What sets Audio Mainline apart is their choice of guest vocalists, each with their own unique voice and expression.

I particularly enjoyed “evolving” with its captivating otherworldly vocal or the title track with its laidback elegance.

This is a truly magical EP.



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008/100: "Glider" by The Sight Below

One of my favourite sub-genres of electronic music is techno. I love deep, expansive, synthy soundscapes married to the trademark 4-4 beat ... I find can easily lose myself in its beautiful expression.

I was therefore delighted when I found out about “The Sight Below”, an ambient techno project from Rafael Anton Irisarri. His 2008 release - “Glider” - on the seminal Ghostly International label ticks all my boxes: exquisite ambience from manipulated guitars rather than synths ... combined with the familiar techno rhythm.

I find the ambient and techno elements of “Glider” work well together to provide a truly immersive experience.



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007/100 - “Amazing Tales of Time and Space (waag_rel067)” by Cousin Silas and Kevin Lyons

I love visual music. I have always been drawn to ambient music that paints pictures in my mind, music that conjures up the places and spaces that I can only read about in sci-fi novels and weird fiction.

“Amazing Tales of Time and Space (waag_rel067)” by the enduring partnership of Cousin Silas and Kevin Lyons transports me to alien landscapes and disreputable townships, the kind imagined by visionaries such as Lovecraft or Aldiss; It makes for captivating listening albeit not entirely restful if one is gifted with a vivid imagination.

This is an exceptional release from two inspired musicians.



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Circumambient 030 is now up on Mixcloud

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After a short break … circumambient … an exploration into all-encompassing and immersive independent music is back with a mix intended to showcase some exceptional music that was released in the first quarter of 2015.

Music from my netlabel, weareallghosts, features prominently … bolstered by soundscapes from Colbets, Valiska & Zenjungle, twincities, Hessien, and Federico Durand; the mix is brought to a close by a wonderful track from Bruno Sanfilippo’s new album “Inside Life”.

Here’s to the rest of 2015. Dive deep!

Tx

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Circumambient 030 by Headphonaught on Mixcloud

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For the iTunes link or the links to each of the albums, follow this link > circumambient 030

006/100 - "Europe" | a compilation from A Strangely Isolated Place

Compilations are another means for me to find new music. Like a good mix they delight and educate through the selector’s intention. “Europe” is one such compilation.

Curated by Ryan Griffin, the driving force behind astrangelyisolatedplace.com, “Europe” is very special: a compilation that embraces multiple genres such as ambient, modern classical, and electronic with great effect; creating a soundtrack based around inspiration found within Europe.

One highlight for me is Dextro’s “Heaval”. Initially based around layers of acoustic guitar and piano with an euphoric backbeat, to my delight it morphs into languid ambience. Two tracks for the price of one.



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005/100 - "Dilate" by Vessels

I’m not sure how I got into Vessels but, from the many times I have enjoyed “Dilate”, I am glad I did.

Vessels play an expansive form of rock-infused techno. Not the cliched view, however: a solitary chap in Detroit pushing buttons in his bedroom ... far from it. Vessels are a quintet from Leeds who shape their particular form of atmospheric dance music together.

Coming as they have from post-rock, it is their exemplary use of both layers and sound that makes the album stand out. “Dilate” has a crafted, intentional feel and is, as such, a delight.



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004/100 - "Read, Write, Execute" by Wired to Follow

Billed as "soundscape rock", I cannot think of a better way to describe the music from Wired to Follow on "Read, Write, Execute".

This release, like the EPs before it, contains driving, bass-heavy, instrumental rock music juxtaposed with thoughtful ambience; it captivates the heart, and ears, with its techno-inspired presentation.

Take “Dealing Lightning With Both Hands”, an exemplary track that begins as a delightfully ambient soundscape before morphing into a full-on, euphoric expression that can only lift the spirit. It is a real scene-setter, one that sits nicely as the first track on my gym playlist.



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