Sunday, 29 May 2022

Experimental Noise Recommendations

There's so much beauty to be found in experimental noise and sound art. I know it's not for everyone, but if you open your mind (and your ears, and your heart) and let go of everything you're conditioned to believe music should be and just LISTEN... noise can be a gloriously captivating thing.
From quiet hushed avant-garde neoclassical minimalism to strange yet intriguing field recordings to sheer walls of earsplitting harsh noise - sound itself as a concept is endlessly fascinating to me. 

Here's a list of great album recommendations for all you noise lovers out there. You will find very little melody in these albums, and the melody you do find you may not find agreeable (lol) but this is undoubtedly incredible music that deserves a lot more love and attention than it gets.

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Laura Cocks - Field Anatomies (2022) 


GENRE : experimental, avant-garde, neoclassical, solo flute
RECORD LABEL : Carrier Records

Laura is an experimental solo flutist from New York and is the executive director of the TAK ensemble. This is her strange and fascinating debut solo album, focusing on the physicality and movements involved with playing the flute, as opposed to the actual notes and melodies. The performances on these songs range from strangled cries and quiet breathy whispers to fierce dissonant crescendos that sounds like someone pushing their entire physical being to the limits. The sounds that form as a result seem to dance between the notes being played, like they have a mind of their own.

These songs were written by a variety of composers to be specifically performed by Laura Cocks, who uses a variety of flutes, balloons, aluminum foil and bits of miscellaneous electronics and hardware to create this cathartic and captivating work of unique avant-garde brilliance.

Stream/Download the album here...

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The Creeping Man - Opportunistic Cannibal (2022)


GENRE : noise, dark ambient, drone, field recordings
RECORD LABEL : Veinte 33 Records

Dark, creepy and extremely unnerving... this is a horrific yet spellbinding noise album from The Creeping Man. Full of haunting sound collages and field recordings from old movies, ''educational'' documentaries and weird commercials/announcements, mixed in with ominous drones and hypnotic waves of atonal noise...this is a dark twisted noise trip for the willing sufferer. Great stuff.

Stream/Download the album here...

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Kate Carr - Resurfacing (2022)


GENRE : field recording, noise, drone, sound design
RECORD LABEL : Flaming Pines

In the middle of winter 2021, the amazingly talented sound artist Kate Carr decided to make a recording of the joiners resurfacing the road outside her London flat. As much as I want to scoff at the absurdity and ridiculousness of the whole idea... it actually makes for a really interesting and strangely hypnotic field recording. In this track you will hear the familiar roadwork sounds of heavy machinery, men yelling, hammers hammering, drills drilling and various other miscellaneous city sounds of varying frequencies and volumes. An absurdly fascinating listening experience.

Why would you listen to almost 18 minutes of roadworks? I don't know. Would I recommend it? Hell yeah! Kate Carr is also the owner of the Flaming Pines record label, which is a great label you should definitely check out if you're into all forms of weird and wonderful noises and experimental sound art.

Stream/Download the album here...

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Wound - Clinomania (2022)


GENRE : experimental, ambient, avant-garde, noise
RECORD LABEL : Wormhole World

Lose yourself in this grey blizzard of wonderful noise. Swirling distortions of abstract melancholy, torment, confusion, anger and despair. Malevolent and sinister, yet introspective and strangely serene. Wound creates these expansive soundscapes using mesmerizing synth pads, heavily-reverbed guitars, IDM-like glitchy electronics, and solemn piano - the chaos roars, the sadness whispers, and the beautiful ambience shimmers and glistens. This is an emotional and captivating atmospheric noise album. 

Stream/Download the album here...

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The Pale Faced Family On The Hill & Oliver Coates - The Pale Faced Family On The Hill (2022)


GENRE : drone, dark ambient, noise, drone metal, Scotland
RECORD LABEL : Line Explorations

This is an interesting collaboration between a bunch of electronic producers and Scottish drone artist Oliver Coates. Recorded in a small church hall on the outskirts of London, this is a unique and esoteric mix of dark ambient electronica music, noisy earsplitting deep cello drones and manipulated weather recordings and vocal samples. The album is haunting,  unnerving and emotional. A dark wonderful unpredictable noise feast.

Stream/Download the album here...


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andPlay & Victoria Cheah - A Butterfly On Your Shoulder Into Years And Years To Come (2022)


GENRE : avant-garde, noise, sound art, field recordings, drone
RECORD LABEL : Dinzu Artefacts

Dinzu Artefacts release some of the most interesting field recordings (and visual aesthetics) on the planet, and specialize in limited edition runs of cassette tapes for these releases.

This album is a collaboration between experimental violin/viola duo andPlay and multi-disciplinary composer Victoria Cheah - both based in New York. 
Side A consists of over 17 minutes of pure tension, created by the ebbs and flows of dissonant violin and viola working in tandem, almost as if they're competing towards some unknown finishing line. The result is painful and harsh, yet strangely beautiful and compelling.
Side B is 22 minutes of brutality and catharsis. The screeching and wailing of the strings reflect the torment of the mind, the torture of the spirit and the complexity of human emotions... before a (very) slight sweetness makes its way into sound, right towards the end. The slightest glimpse of sun leaking through a hole in a dungeon wall. A really rewarding album for the close attentive listener.

Stream/Download the album here...

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Black Ops - Ephemera (2022)

 

GENRE : noise, dark ambient, drone, field recordings, hauntology
RECORD LABEL : Anticipating Nowhere

Deep dark haunting soundscapes... black hypnagogic winds blowing through the recesses of the human brain, finding its way into all the various nooks and crannies. This psychological white noise (or should I say black noise?) is captivating and strangely relaxing, despite having some pretty disturbing moments in there. The intriguing sounds and textures of this album were created by manipulated field recordings. Highly recommended for dark immersive listening.

Anticipating Nowhere is a brilliant little netlabel that specializing in all kinds of experimental noises and hypnotic soundscapes. You should check out their Bandcamp page and their Mixcloud if you're seeking some strange atmospheric aural treats.

Stream/Download the album here...

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Gold - Miserere Mei, Deus (2022)


GENRE : harsh noise, drone, field recordings, electronica
RECORD LABEL : self-released

This is the newest release from the highly prolific noise artist Gold, who also releases music under his alternative moniker Carrion. If you're familiar with either (or both) of these projects, you'll be acquainted with his unapologetically long dark noise pieces and his haunting visual aesthetics.

The tone of this new album is particularly bleak and heavy. It hangs over you like a black cloud that's about to burst and rain down on you with a terrible wrath. The songs are comprised of strange and eerie field recordings of (what I gather to be) seagulls, public gatherings, street noises, radio transmissions, evangelical preachers and... Japanese porn? The field recordings and unsettling atonal static is broken up by fragments of twisted church hymnals and detuned string quartets. Awesome stuff.

Stream/Download the album here...

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Carrion - Coma (2021)


GENRE : harsh noise, drone, field recordings, dark ambient, industrial
RECORD LABEL : Gates of Hypnos

And here's an album from Gold's alternative moniker Carrion. It's an hour-long descent into the pits of misery, but holy hell it's an enjoyable ride. A hypnotic and haunting whirlwind of noise, subtly accompanied by melancholic melodies that slowly but surely eventually creep their way into the relentlessly bleak soundscape. 

Gates of Hypnos are a record label that specialize in music like this - hypnotic walls of dark noise/drone/ambience to lose yourself in. You should take a browse through their Bandcamp page and find yourself something dark and wonderful to listen to.

Stream/Download the album here...

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SVR - Procession (2022)


GENRE : minimalistic drone, dark ambient, electronic, abstract, sound art
RECORD LABEL : self-released

Here's an album of dark monolithic drone music from Scotland. Ominous and austere, slow and haunting, abstract and slightly unnerving... this music is all about texture and mood. The songs require patience and time to unfold and unravel, but if you allow them to... they will slowly engulf you, and you'll love it.

I also really dig the visual aesthetics of this project. The concrete minimalism goes hand in hand with the music. 

Stream/Download the album here...

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Disfigured Robot Child - Psychedelic Pyxicephalus (2022)


GENRE : harsh noise, noise, power electronics, 
RECORD LABEL : MuteAnt Sounds

Oh my God, my fucking ears... listening to this album feels like having a jackhammer drill slowly but surely right through my skull, and penetrate into the pure goo that my brain has become. This music is a relentlessly violent and traumatic assault on the eardrums, and on the heart... yet it's a rather wonderful sonic accomplishment. Fans of Merzbow, Prurient and Cop Funeral will likely enjoy this. Definitely the kind of music to listen to when you find yourself angry, sad and alone. 

Stream/Download the album here...
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Bandcamp Recommendations (May 2022)

So there's no more Bandcamp Fridays, at least for the next few months...but that shouldn't stop us from supporting great bands and artists.

Here's my newest roundup of Bandcamp recommendations for you...

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Abronia - Map of Dawn (2022)


GENRE : psychedelic rock, kosmiche, prog rock,  psychedelic blues, krautrock
RECORD LABEL : Cardinal Fuzz / Feeding Tube Records

The desert beast returns, and it's hungrier than ever...

This is the new album from Portland's psychedelic prog-rock sextet, Abronia. In this latest release of theirs, they have combined their unique signature style of scorched earth prog-rock with cosmic blues, gothic Americana, psychedelic post-punk, twisted spaghetti-Western country and woozy kosmiche art rock...lovingly sprinkled with some free-form jazz sax, and layered over with the haunting lead vocals that soar like ritualistic incantations, swirling in the desert dust.

This album shares some musical territory and vibes with The Mars Volta's The Bedlam in Gotham - the cosmic desert psych-rock, the squealing jazz-infused saxophone and that certain Middle-Eastern flavour ... but on the other hand it's nothing like it. 
Musically, Abronia are far more akin to bands like The Black Angels, The Doors, Jefferson Airplane, Nico & Popol Vuh. I really admire their talent and ability to weave seamlessly between light and dark, slow and fast, soft and heavy... often multiple times during one song, never becoming stale or predictable. Highly recommended. I can't get enough of that glorious pedal steel.

Stream/Download the album here...

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Fields We Found - Distance (2022)


GENRE : ambient, minimalist, lo-fi synthwave
RECORD LABEL : Seil Records

Beautiful lo-fi ambient synthwave that blows through your heart and your consciousness like a soft wind before disappearing into the air from which it came. Created and performed on Ciat-Lonbarde instruments (wooden synthesizers) and recorded live onto tape, this is a gorgeous example of electronic minimalism. Void of structure and predictability - this album of improvised loops is beautiful and ephemeral, and thoroughly enjoyable. Great album. 

Stream/Download the album here...

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Ali Murray - Further Still (2014)


GENRE : ethereal folk, dream-pop, psych folk, dark ambient
RECORD LABEL : Dead Forest Records

Enter the sad and beautiful world of Ali Murray. This is raw dark minimalist psych-folk, to a subtle backdrop of ethereal ambient soundscapes and pastoral field recordings, with Murray's breathy vocals sitting nicely in the dreamy soundscape. In between these beautiful poignant songs of loss, regret and existential sadness - you can hear distant ocean waves, lonely winds, raindrops falling and birds singing. Everything seems to be shrouded in a quiet ghostly mist. This is comfort music for lost lonely souls.

Stream/Download the album here...

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Dominique - The Instruction Manuel (2022)

 

GENRE : alternative, art pop, indie rock, psych folk
RECORD LABEL : Perpetual Doom

This is the debut solo album from one of the two lead vocalists of the awesome psychedelic LA goth-rock band Dayton Swim Club - the visual artist and musician Dominique. 

Unpredictable, eclectic and hard-to-define - this is a stunning collection of quirky psychedelic art-pop songs that seem to come from places ancient and primal and haunted, yet delivered in a playful and quirky and joyous way. The central focus of these songs is undoubtedly Dominique's acrobatic vocal vibrato. It is spiritual, sensual, heartbreaking and joyful - a beautiful and wacky mish-mash of Dolores O'Riordan, Nico, Roy Orbison and Angel Olson. It warbles and soars over the strange colorful landscapes of her wonderful songs.

Musically, this album dances around deliriously between electronic avant-pop, freak folk, psychedelic art rock and that weird-ass stuff you hear in children's movies...
Performed on a vast array of instruments such as guitars, synths, xylophones, flutes and tribal percussion - it's the perfect medium for Dominique's emotive songwriting and deep cathartic expression. Amazing album.

Stream/Download the album here...

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Phoneswithchords - Cut The Kid (2022)


GENRE : acoustic, bedroom pop, bedroom folk, lo-fi folk
RECORD LABEL : Z Tapes

phoneswithchords is the solo singer-songwriter music project of Arthur Alligood from Tennessee. Recorded on an old Mac computer using nothing but a cheap microphone and a parlor guitar (and subtly adorned with some flourishes of keyboard), this album is a heartfelt collection of extremely raw intimate lo-fi acoustic pop songs. At times it almost sounds like it was performed down the telephone, as in a phone with a cord...

These songs are a collection of lost lonely memories, both sad and sweet... letters sent but never received. Hushed vocals and delicate finger-picked guitars that makes the time stand still. 
Musically and sonically, an obvious comparison to this album would be Sufjan Stevens' Carrie & Lowell...but Alligood has tapped into his own unique creative well that belongs to him and him alone. It's a work of quiet beauty, and a testament to how you don't need fancy expensive studio equipment to make powerful music. Great stuff.

Stream/Download the album here...

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DOWNWARD - Brass Tacks EP (2022) 


GENRE : post-hardcore, alt-rock, alt-grunge, shoegaze, slowcore
RECORD LABEL : New Morality Zine

DOWNWARD are a post-hardcore band from Tulsa, Oklahoma...and this is an EP they released earlier this year. In its short duration, there's a lot of cool stuff going on this EP.  It's slow and crushingly heavy, but also very melodic and emotional, and pretty damn dreamy. Their sound is a wondrous amalgamation of post-hardcore, moody alt-grunge, ethereal slowcore rock and melodic metalcore.

Regardless of what genre you want to pigeonhole this band into, this is a brilliant EP. Whilst all the individual elements of the sound are very familiar and recognizable, the way this band bring it all together and execute it is powerful and rather glorious. 

Recommended for fans of Deftones, Finch, Hum, The Cure, Glassjaw, Far, etc...

Stream/Download the album here...

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The Liquid Clear - Proportion (2022)


GENRE : experimental, electronica, industrial, dark ambient, electropop
RECORD LABEL : self-released

The Liquid Clear (a.k.a Bree D) creates challenging experimental electronic music, and this is her second full-length album. I was quite taken back by how melodic and hooky it is (at times) compared to some previous releases, but in a good way. For me, this album sits somewhere in the industrial darkwave electropop realm, but not entirely comfortably... 
The music constantly shifts and evolves (or devolves), taking its erratic twists and turns into a bunch of different musical territories and atmospheric dimensions...keeping the album fresh, eerie, unpredictable and deliciously compelling. There's lots of interesting juxtaposition going on here - it's melodic and abstract, peaceful and noisy, beautiful and unnerving, minimalistic and huge... This album is a glorious psychedelic aural treat.

Stream/Download the album here...

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Drew Fitchette - Witness Marks (2022)


GENRE : acoustic, instrumental, folk
RECORD LABEL : Furious Hooves

Here's some beautiful bare bones minimalistic acoustic guitar compositions from Pacific Northwest musical artist, Drew Fitchette. These songs were recorded in just three days, one single take per track. The music conjures up images of driving slowly through hazy barren rural landscapes in soft golden sunlight, lost in a pensive reverie. I love how sparse and empty these songs are, allowing each note and chord to ring out and breathe deeply.

Fans of John Fahey, Mark Kozelek, Jim O'Rourke & Yasmin Williams will very likely dig this slab of bittersweet folky gorgeousness. Highly recommended.

Stream/Download the EP here...

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Fields of Mildew - The Complete Woes (2021)


GENRE : dark folk, gothic folk, doom folk, Germany
RECORD LABEL : Nordvis Records

Here's some pitch-black doom-laden gothic folk music from Northern Germany. Fields of Mildew is a one-man music project inspired by the history, hardships and folklore of Teufelsmoor - 'Devil's Moor' when translated to English. A place rife with human tragedy and dark superstition... 

Musically, this album is very stripped down and minimal, mostly performed with a wonderfully atmospheric reverbed guitar, one voice and a drum. It's unapologetically haunting and lonely and bleak...but so beautiful and emotive.

Stream/Download the album here...

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Saturday, 21 May 2022

Healing Together - A Compilation For Mental Health Recovery (2022)




GENRE : ambient, electronica, drone, ethereal, meditative
RECORD LABEL : Past Inside The Present

This is a beautiful benefit compilation album for mental health recovery from the wonderful record label Past Inside The Present, featuring 23 talented women ambient-electronic artists from all around the globe.

Cynthia Bernard (Marine Eyes) curated, sequenced and provided the artwork for this album, with all proceeds go towards benefitting Sounds of Saving -  a non-profit organization which uses music to raise awareness of mental health wellbeing.
So many of us have been facing immense mental challenges and emotional difficulties over these past couple of years. In times like these we need to reach out and help each other, as well as taking some much needed time and space to breathe deeply and heal.
I loved the idea of this compilation album before I even heard a single note of it, and now that I've finally heard it - it does not disappoint in any way. It's a beautiful and soothing journey that takes the listener to a safe gentle place of healing and self-discovery.

Read the PITP mission statement and all the individual song descriptions from the artists at the Bandcamp link below. A huge congratulations to all those involved with this compilation. You did a phenomenal job.

Stream/Download the compilation here...

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Here are some of own personal thoughts on these individual songs as I was listening to the album...

Sofie Birch -Willness 
Bright gentle ethereal wooziness amidst a wilderness of soft electronica.

Hollie Kenniff - Embers
Beautiful expansive vocal ambience that swells and soars over glistening synthesizers.

Clariloops - Today
Playful, pensive and cinematic. Gorgeous clarinet melodies drifting over softly dancing synth notes.

Drum & Lace - Felt
Sweet soothing chords performed on a felted upright piano over luscious birdsong and swirling voices.

Sachi Kobayashi - Scent of Roses
This is what you want to be listening to as you lay down on a bed of soft grass in a field of beautiful flowers. You close your eyes and let the morning sunshine gently warm your skin and the music warm your soul...

Belly Full of Stars - Charlie Day
A heartfelt piece in memory of a good friend... the gentle pulsing of keys and a blanket of soothing voices to a backdrop of quiet distant conversation... a sad yet comforting tribute.

More Eaze - Better
A beautiful sea of euphoric electronica, beautifully digitized voice and electroacoustic guitar chords. Deconstructed and glitchy, yet airy and serene. Wonderful stuff.

Marine Eyes - Doorways
A stunning piece of sparse yet expansive ambience with gentle waves softly lapping in the background, reminding us that it's okay to stop what we're doing and breathe deeply now and again.  Sit back, close your eyes and allow these melodies to soothe your soul before they leave and rise up to the heavens.

IKSRE - You Will Find
Gorgeous healing dreamscapes layered over soft binaural beats, creating a deeply meditative environment in which to relax and surrender yourself completely.

Inquiri - Ruminating 
A gentle slow-motion whirlpool of ethereal beauty to counteract the stresses and anxieties of everyday existence. Sweeping and captivating. Incredible.

Clarice Jenson - Getting Lost Is Okay
Soft dreamy arpeggios soaring and shimmering over heavenly electronic soundscapes...

Christina Giannone - Decor
Pulsing sweeping droning bliss. Shadowy and haunting and glorious.

Patricia Wolf - Cognitive Disorder
Melancholic glacial-paced ephemera. Introspective and enveloping. Let the waves come and wash right over you...

Penelope Trappes - Possession
Dark lonely vocals drifting endlessly through haunted dreamscapes. A yearning for salvation and inner peace.

Claire Deak - Dampen The Waves
A deeply reflective journey through the annals of long forgotten histories of the many gifted women composers of time - expressed through softly-plucked harp, melancholic accordian and electronic ambience that gently ebbs and flows...

Ami-Dang - Cerulean
Wonderful psychedelic New Age ambience - fragmented and glitchy, layered over with emotive sitar melodies.

Pechblende - Glacial Lake Lullaby
Icy tinkles and cold expansive swells create this gorgeous and majestic Nordic ambient soundscape.

Karen Vogt - I Know It Is Hard
Blankets of beautiful soaring vocal ambience and the hypnotic tinkling of house keys... a soft balm for the aching spirit. 

Zoe Polanski - Liu
Equally sad and sweet - this is a stunning Japanese-flavoured ambient dreampop feast for the ears. A peaceful sanctuary.

Nailah Hunter - Yaellan's Grove 
The feeling of finding yourself alone in a luscious meadow of strange flowers and beautiful fragrances in some fantasy land, and never wanting to leave...

Caminauta - Endless Tide
Minimalistic and sparse, yet mesmerizing and utterly captivating. A beautiful blanket for the soul.

Ai Yamamoto - Yamaha to Yamamoto san
A breathtaking cinematic dreamscape that lifts you up and transports you to a wonderful place of healing and inner peace.

Cat Tyson Hughes - Almonta
A slow and pensive ending to a long journey of self-discovery. Quietly wandering through your favourite chosen place, reflecting on the immense beauty and power of the natural world, and its ability to heal.

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Monday, 9 May 2022

Spotify Playlists

I'm not really a Spotify user...but I decided to create a couple of playlists featuring a combination of artists that I've written about on this blog and just general miscellaneous music that I love.

I have a lot of issues with Spotify and how they treat their artists, but my intention with creating these playlists is to hopefully get these great artists a bit more exposure. If there's enough momentum/interest in my playlists, I'll try my best to curate and update them regularly : )

Any Follows/Likes/Shares would be really appreciated.

FOG SONGS

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/51qZD5WmlDh8UG0LZii0Nr?si=26e00e621cc447ee


MELANCHOLIC AMBIENT MUSIC FOR DEEP INTROSPECTION


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Thursday, 5 May 2022

Ambient/Drone Recommendations (May 2022)

Here's a list of wonderful ambient/drone albums that I've been enjoying lately and would highly recommend. Most of the awesome artists in this post are low-key and relatively (or completely) unknown, and they deserve our support.

We all know at this point that Bandcamp isn't perfect... but they're still BY FAR the best digital music platform to directly support independent artists. 

If you have time, please check out my other general non-genre specific list of Bandcamp Friday recommendations that I published today.

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Rafael Anton Irisarri - Peripeteia (2020)



GENRE : dark ambient, modern classical, drone, electronica
RECORD LABEL : Dais Records

I might as well begin with one of my all-time favourite ambient artists, and in my opinion one of the very best in the game. Sweeping is the word I'd use to describe this album. Irisarri creates these enormous dark sweeping soundscapes that completely wash over you and envelope you, and this is one of his best. A proper emotional catharsis of an album.

Stream/Download the album here...

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Enmarta - The Hermit (2016)


GENRE : dark ambient, drone, gloom, soundscapes, field recordings, violin
RECORD LABEL : Cryo Chamber

Here's a haunting atmospheric gem of an album from the wonderful Swedish record label Cryo Chamber. Dark gloomy atmospheres and cinematic soundscapes made from layered drones, electro-acoustic instrumentation, field recordings and beautiful sweeping violins. Ideal for late night listening.

Stream/Download the album here...

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The Lonely Bell - s/t (2015)


GENRE : dark ambient, drone, noise, ethereal, post rock, Scotland
RECORD LABEL : Dead Forest Records

Intensely introspective and mesmerizing dark ambient/drone music from a cold wet Scottish island. This album sounds like it came from the depths of isolation, solitude and depression. The closing track in particular sounds like the end of life on earth. Beautiful stuff.

Stream/Download the album here...

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Marine Eyes - idyll (2021)


GENRE : ambient, new age, experimental, field recordings
RECORD LABEL : Stereoscenic Records

Marine Eyes is the solo ambient project of Cynthia Bernard. In this album she has created a gentle peaceful place for weary troubled souls to stop what they're doing and allow themselves to breathe deeply and heal for a while. Bernard uses mostly vocal ambience, nature samples and heavily effected guitars to make these wonderful expansive soundscapes that relaxes, heals and elevates the listener to a higher gentler dreamier plane of existence. A truly beautiful album from a super talented ambient musician. Perfect music for lying on the grass and watching clouds softly drift by...

Stream/Download the album here...
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Carrion - Her (2022)


GENRE : ambient, dark ambient, experimental, field recordings
RECORD LABEL : Veinte 33 Records

Do yourself a favour and immerse yourself in this soft dreamy 15-minute long ethereal ambient piece by Carrion. It feels like being at the top of a lonely hill at the dawning of the day when the world is only half awake, as the sun slowly rises soft and golden and birds begin to chirp their sweet morning songs in the distance, and you quietly reflect upon all of life's loves and losses.

Viente33 has a lot of great ambient releases on their label. You should take a good snoop through their Bandcamp catalogue.

Stream/Download the album here...

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The Gateless Gate - Hinterlands (2022)


GENRE : ambient, new age, drone, electronica, soundscapes
RECORD LABEL : self-released

This is a gorgeous dreamy journey of an album that I can't get enough of. In this inspired project, The Gateless Gate has named each sweeping ambient piece after place names in the books of fantasy giants Le Guin, Tolkien, Lewis & Moorcock. The music is sprawling and majestic, immersive and engulfing... it shimmers and swells and sweeps across your consciousness, transporting the listener to beautiful unknown lands.   

Stream/Download the album here...

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Barley & Blush To The Snow - Aura (2022)


GENRE : ambient, dub techno, downtempo, electronica
RECORD LABEL : Not Yet Remembered Records

Stunning airier than air ambient dub techno music from a collaborative duo of whom I know nothing about. What I do know is that you probably need this album in your life. This is great music to brush away the cobwebs. 

Technically I haven't heard the full album yet because it officially comes out tomorrow (05/06/22) but the 3 preview songs are incredible. I can't wait to hear the rest. And while you're at it, check out the other wonderful releases on the Not Yet Remembered Records Bandcamp page. They have such a beautiful eclectic array of ambient/noise/drone releases on their label.

Stream/Download the album here...

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Vapour Night - The Dirt Sea (2014)
 

GENRE : dark ambient, drone, noise, Scotland
RECORD LABEL : Dead Forest Records

This is one 25-minute long bleak ambient/drone/noise piece that feels like being caught out in an apocalyptic storm at the edge of the world. Dark engulfing drone music at its best.

As the music blog Fucked By Noise described it : ''a journey through largely grey and ambiguous landscapes, with little room for light''

Stream/Download the album here...

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Hawaiianvest - Chasms (2021)


GENRE : abstract, ambient, dark ambient, experimental, avant-garde
RECORD LABEL : No Thank You Recordings 

This album is mental. It's actually very difficult to describe...it's basically an abstract dark ambient album, made up of  haunting drones and hypnotic pulses, and creepy disturbing psychedelic spoken word sections about black holes, alternate universes, dark sexual perversions and serial killers. Total batshit crazy, but I love it.

Stream/Download the album here...

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Diamondstein - Asleep In The Creek (2021)

 


GENRE : electronica, ambient, techno, vaporwave
RECORD LABEL : Doom Trip Records

Hazy vaporous ambient techno music for dark lonely wanderings through deserted city streets at night. Asleep In The Creek is the two-part collaborative project of composer/musician Diamonstein and photographer Kait Fischer. I am totally enraptured by the ethereal beauty of this double-part release, both musically and visually.  

Stream/Download the albums here...

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Seetcya - Bleakscapes (2011)


GENRE : dark ambient, doom ambient, gothic, experimental, Germany
RECORD LABEL : Essentia Mundi Records

This album is exactly as the title suggests - bleak, haunting, doom laden ambient music from the darkest depths. It's abstract and minimalistic, with very little melody to be found anywhere... but it really sucks you in a refuses to let you go.

Stream/Download the album here...
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Bandcamp Friday Recommendations (May 2022)

I've fallen way behind on blogging this past month due to internet connection difficulties and some other life stuff...but I'm back up and running now, and I thought I'd compile another list of juicy Bandcamp Friday recommendations for you all. I decided to mostly concentrate on small low-key bands and artists this time. They're the ones who really need our support and attention.

We all know at this point that Bandcamp isn't perfect... but they're still BY FAR the best digital music platform to directly support independent artists. 

P.S I'm making a separate blog post for instrumental ambient/drone recommendations. Please check that out too if you're into that type of music.

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Sooner - Days and Nights (2022)

GENRE : power pop, indie rock, post-hardcore, dream pop
RECORD LABEL : Good Eye Records

Sooner are a shoegaze-tinged alternative rock band from Brooklyn, New York. Their new album is a wonderful mix of jangly power pop, dreamy emo rock and ethereal dream pop. The songs are powerful and energetic, yet pensive and beautiful. Great stuff.

Stream/Download the album here :











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Yasmin Williams - Urban Driftwood (2021)


GENRE : instrumental, folk, acoustic, kalimba
RECORD LABEL : Spinster Sounds

Here's some breathtaking intricate rich acoustic guitar music to soothe your aching spirit. Yasmin Williams utilizes various guitar techniques such as fingerpicking, lap tapping and percussive hits to create an unorthodox yet soulful sound. She's the most interesting solo guitarist I've heard in a while. Go and sit somewhere out in nature and let this album be your delightful soundtrack.

If you're a fan of the more stripped down acoustic work of Mark Kozelek (Sun Kil Moon, Red House Painters), then you'll love this. I reckon if Kozelek had an extra pair of hands and someone duct-taped his big mouth shut, this would be the kind of music he'd come out with.  

Stream/Download the album here :










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Vollam - Mirror EP (2021)

GENRE : shoegaze, ambient, post-rock, slowcore
RECORD LABEL : SomewhereCold Records

Here's some super-slow, dark, sleepy shoegaze from Texan band Vollam for you to sink into. The 5 songs that comprise their debut EP are heavy yet tranquil, depressing yet comforting, noisy yet melodic...a wonderful treat for fans of shoegaze, post-rock and ambient music alike. Another glorious release from SomewhereCold Records.

Stream/Download the album here :













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Deva Grace - Vocivos (2022)


GENRE : synth pop, electronic, chillwave, witch house
RECORD LABEL : Furious Hooves

Mesmerizing psychedelic synth pop that shimmers and swells and engulfs you from beginning to end. Glistening sparkly ethereal atmospheres and Deva's beautiful silky dream voice will elevate you and transport you to a higher plane...far beyond the boundaries of our ordinary mundane existence.

Song titles like 'Ego Death' and 'Mycelia' instantly convinced me that I was in for a surreal and otherwordly listening experience, and that's exactly what it was. Great album. Go get it.

Stream/Download the album here...






















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ASkySoBlack - Autumn In The Water (2022)

GENRE : emo, screamo, post-hardcore, metalcore, alternative rock
RECORD LABEL : New Morality Zine

The awesome new EP from Philadelphia post-hardcore band ASkySoBlack. Their music is dark, heavy, atmospheric and beautiful - a glorious and seamless mixture of 00's emo/screamo/post-hardcore, 90's alt-rock and melodic metalcore, with some dreamy shoegaze elements thrown in there. This EP is a wonderful little blast that's all over before you know it. 

Fans of bands like Deftones, Hum, Finch, Basement, & Waterdown will likely dig this. If you like it, check out their debut EP 'What Is Yet To Come?'. I'm not sure which one I personally prefer, but they're both definitely worth a spin.

Stream/Download the album here :






















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Mila Webb - Lucky Nights (2022)


GENRE : folk pop, psych folk, indie rock 
RECORD LABEL : Perpetual Doom

Mila Webb is the sixth child of legendary singer-songwriter Jimmy Webb, and this is her debut EP as a solo artist. It's a delicious slab of dreamy wistful 70s-tinged psychedelic folk pop. Her songs speak of love and longing, and the desire to know one's place in the big bad world by diving deeply inwards. This EP is lethargic and sad, yet beautiful and captivating...it makes me feel like I'm drifting helplessly through a tunnel of misty old memories, wondering if I'll ever emerge from the other end. 

The 70's style production on this EP is gorgeous too. There's so much clarity on all the individual instruments, and so much space for the notes and melodies to breathe... yet it retains a certain amount of rawness, which complements the feel of the songs perfectly. I love it.

Stream/Download the album here...






















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Vapour Night - Snow Fled (2015)


GENRE : shoegaze, dream pop, noise rock, dark ambient, electronica
RECORD LABEL : Dead Forest Records

Vapour Night is a Scottish shoegaze/noise pop music project, and this album is a long dark winter journey into the abyss. The songs are dark, melancholy and lonely...yet sweeping and beautiful. 

There's lots going on in this album - dark post-punky guitars, bittersweet dream pop, ferocious noise rock, cold ambience, mournful electronica, sheer walls of glorious noise, and haunting vocals. Highly recommended.

Stream/Download the album here...






















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Le Morte d'Abby - Is This Machine Recording? (2021)


GENRE : experimental, lo-fi electronica, EDM
RECORD LABEL : self-released

How can something be nauseating and beautiful at the same time? I don't have the answer to that, but this album by Le Morte d'Abby proves that such an absurdity exists. It's an album of warped lo-fi instrumental electro-pop songs that makes you want to chill out and puke at the same time. Brilliant stuff.

Stream/Download the album here...






















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Abronia - The Whole of Each Eye (2020)

 

GENRE : psychedelic rock, prog rock, kosmiche, experimental, krautrock
RECORD LABEL : Cardinal Fuzz / Feeding Tube

Abronia are a unique psychedelic prog-rock sextet from Portland, Oregon. They make big brooding (sometimes thunderous) 60s/70s-influenced kosmiche art rock using heavily-reverbed/tremolo'd electric guitars, sweeping atmospheric pedal steel guitar, jazz-infused tenor saxophone, brooding basslines and monstrous drums, over which drifts the haunting soaring vocals. 

In their sound I hear elements of bands like The Black Angels, Popol Vuh, Jefferson Airplane, Nico, Shiva's Headband, etc...but the way they combine these elements, along with their particular delivery of the overall sound is very unique and refreshing.

This music makes me think of some sort of giant ominous shadow monster, slowly making its way across vast desert plains, devouring everything in its path. Great stuff.

Stream/Download the album here...
















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Mt Fog - Guide To The Unusual (2021)


GENRE : folktronica, electronica, synth pop, dark pop, art pop
RECORD LABEL : Self-Released / Ghost Mountain Records

And last but not least - here's some beautiful foggy synth pop from ''forest folktronica'' artist Mt Fog (a.k.a Carolyn B). This is a wonderful album, and not just for its fogginess... it's a mystical journey through strange twisted fragmented dreamscapes, leaving the listener unsure of whether they're going to emerge from the other side or not...

The music itself is fairly minimalistic synth-driven pop, but it's powerful and atmospheric...and pretty theatrical. Carolyn B's voice is so haunting and beautiful. It soars like a strange bird over her own magical dream world. The whole album is like a breath of foggy mountain air.  Fog songs likes Mt Fog.

Stream/Download the album here...





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