Yahgan - Nomads

Liquid Frog Records: 2021

I could have technically knocked this off a while back, tracks from here also appearing on the double-LP collection of Yahgan tracks Land Of Fire. Considering I'd already covered half the music on that release by that point, however, it felt redundant doing so just so I wouldn't have to do this one later. Besides, it's not like this is an alias of Mr. Giacovino's that gets trotted out often. In fact, this is the last release from the project that I got with my initial bulk-buy so many years back, so I guess we can tick another-

Eh, you're saying I missed one? Well, son-of-a... Looks like I did, another N:L:E & Yahgan 'collaboration', Mystycal Journeys. You'll forgive me for doing so. It was a lot of music to download off Bandcamp back when, some releases undoubtedly slipping through the cracks. Looks like it's nothing more than another of Juan Pablo's ultra-long ambient sessions (two tracks, each twenty-six minutes in length). Maybe I'll come back to it should I do another wrap-around, but yeah, not really something I want to backtrack on.

Oh, and because this is the last solo Yahgan release I'll likely be talking up for a while (ever?), here's the obligatory update on how many more items Mr. Giacovino's put out under this side-project since I bought in. Five solos, another 'remix' session of Tribal Trip with N:L:E, and, most recently, a four-track 'single' with N:L:E called Frozen Soundscapes. So keeping the side-project's flame somewhat alive, which makes sense for one dedicated to 'The Fire Peoples'.

Nomads was the second solo Yahgan outing, though Juan Pablo had done a couple N:L:E collabs' between this and the debut LP. Not much else to say about the lead up to it, other than we're reaching the point in the Giacovino multiverse where new projects were flying aplenty. It's almost a small surprise it took him so long to let Yahgan stand on its own again, given how adventurous he was feeling about his music-making abilities.

And yeah, familiar territory as with other Yahgan releases I've covered. The slightly chilled-out downtempo aesthetic, the suggestive melancholic mood of histories lost, a general calm ambience while taking in subtle sonic splendour of unexplored and untamed sub-Antarctic coastal regions. No, really, Cold Sand (Fishing Journey) is the sort of piece I wouldn't have minded having that twenty-six minute long excursion, gentle oceanic tones and timbre gradually leading to a nifty, dubbed-out rhythm as the hunting action picks up. Shame it's the shortest track on this EP.

The rest of Nomads is nice, sure, but as with so many of the Liquid Frog Catalogue now, the unique tracks are the ones that leap out for me. And since Cold Sand didn't make the cut on Land Of Fire, well, of course it'd stand out. (White Field didn't either, but eh, that one sounds closer to an N:L:E track compared to the rest).

Spiritual Fields - Natural Conscience

Liquid Frog Records: 2021

While it's unsurprising I'd be coming back to the Liquid Frog Records 'verse so quickly within a new letter block, at least it's one that I haven't touched much upon. Aside from his recent ventures into dub techno as O:D:D, Spiritual Fields is probably Juan Pablo's least visited side-project out of them all. In fact, since I bulk-bought his entire Bandcamp catalogue a few years ago (!!), he's only returned to Spiritual Fields once.

Which may not seem like that big a deal – some artists only ever release one album in the same amount of time, much less something under a seldom-used alias. But then this is Mr. Giacovino we're dealing with here, where his Bandcamp page now hosts an additional sixty-eight releases since I bought there. Keep in mind there were eighty-six items available when I purchased what I did (yes, a weird coincidence that we're dealing with reversed numbers here, but stay with me...). That means he's added nearly eighty percent more music to his discography from when I first stumbled upon him via Neotantra, in just a few short years at that. And somehow, in all of that, he's only found the inspiration for one (1) Spiritual Fields album. Hey, man, when that allure of dub techno comes callin'...

In a way though, I can understand why this isn't an alias he felt needed much returning too. Of all his side-projects, this one feels the most redundant. Yeah, there's an obvious nod to the world beaty vein of ambient dub Juan Pablo often dwells in, but plenty of his other music retains elements of that too. And when the general market is well over-saturated with downtempo beats with Far East harmonies, Spiritual Fields doesn't stand out much from the pack either. It's music that remains nicely crafted, as much of N:L:E's work does, but is well traversed paths across the board.

Which is about as succinct a summation of Natural Conscience as I can give. Plenty of flowing pads with spacious timbre, some softer, dubbier rhythms coming and going, and sprinklings of sitars jamming with the trippy reggae melodies. Chaos In Nature towards the end leaped out at me more for offering some punchy beats that skip and stutter rather than do the usual languid bip and bob. It's all lovely sounding stuff, and if this was your first foray into the wider Liquid Frogs Records catalogue, I can imagine being intrigued by what you hear enough to splurge for more. Say, maybe the whole Bandcamp amount?

Not that it's what happened to me, oh no! Like, sure, Natural Conscience was the latest Spiritual Fields release when I did pop on over there, but it was a solid seven rows down from the most recent selections. Surely it was stuff like Space Radio or Ecovillage or Antarctica that had me going gonzo for the whole thing. No, it was all the pretty cover art, I'm sure of it. Sucker for cover art, always.

Subdream - Nameless Constellations

Exosphere: 2023

It's not that I distrust Bandcamp's Recommendation algorithm. I'm sure if I spent some time randomly clicking through on some of those items, I'd stumble upon a number of interesting releases. Still, there's a reason Fantano had a series called It Came From Bandcamp, wherein he'd scrounge about the website's most bizarre music folks would upload. And believe you me, the stray times I have randomly indulged the Recommendation algo', it's led to some very weird, amateurish stuff indeed. No, I'll stick to the artists I'm there to check out, and should their discography direct me to a few labels off the beaten path, all the better.

All that said, I discovered Subdream entirely because Nameless Constellations popped up in the Recommendation feed, and its lovely cosmic art lured me in as so much lovely cosmic art does. Why would this one in particular do so? Probably because, at the time, it was the most recent release from the Exosphere label, so got some preferential attention in the algo'. As for why this digital print would come up, I haven't a clue. Is it because Lingua Lustra's released a few albums there? Perhaps, though it may have more to do with Cosmic Replicant's The Waves, his thus-far last LP, also appears on Exosphere. Yeah, let's go with that. If there's anything Bandcamp knows for certain, it knows I likes me some Cosmic Replicant, though why it wouldn't have recommended that instead of Subdream, who knows.

Anyhow, I sadly don't have much info regarding one Michael Schubert. Seems to have floated about online circles with sporadic releases for the past decade, this and A Tale Of Distant Stars his most consistent presence on a label. Mostly doing ambient, but some synthwave leaning downtempo tunes here and there as well. And boy, I do hope he finds time to make more, because this is some exquisite stuff.

Okay, sure, we're still in the realms of 'planetarium ambient', space music best set to images of deep star fields and flying through colourful nebula. It isn't anything new under the G-type star of one standard luminosity scale. I've heard plenty of stuff like this before, and likely will again. But yeah, this hits just a little sweeter, perhaps a result of those synthwave influences. Heck, we even get a little acid action in Prismatic Forest, inching ever so close to Carbon Based Lifeform's own space ambient outing of Twentythree. Never a bad thing getting an associative namedrop like that 'round these here parts, but Cosmic Replicant works in a pinch too.

So Namelesss Constellations is nice, good even. Yet I'm more eager to start exploring this Exosphere label. Yeah, cool one of my fav's and another enjoyed artist are there, but look at all these new names: Isostatic, Stellarium, Active Region, Remote Vision, Chris Russell, Herne von Bòrmanvs, Transponder (3), Hinterland (7). All I need to do is remember it exists next time a Bandcamp Friday rolls around.

N:L:E - Mushroom Land

Liquid Frog Records: 2021

The Super Mario Brothers movie tie-in soundtrack that was a few years too early! Okay, that's silly even for me, Juan Pablo clearly more interested in actual fungi realms than the ones found on the other side of city sewer plumbing. I think this was the first one he focused more specifically on one of the more dominant forms of that particular kingdom, prior releases Seeds And Spores and Organic Adventures only touching upon them in broad strokes. Which I guess should provide Mushroom Land with some additional talking points beyond the broad strokes I default to with N:L:E reviews now, but... eh...?

Actually, it has been a while since I last talked up Mr. Giacovino's primary project, at least one that wasn't part of some conceptual mini-series. You'd hope some unique elements would be heard if he wanted to assign these pieces their own fungal-based focus. A few, yes, and since I needn't spend a couple paragraphs going over who we're dealing with, maybe it's time for a classic track-by-track review? Yeah, let's go with that.

Opener Entrance sees N:L:E engaging in another session of ambient drone, with dubby treatments on distant bright synths having me reminded of Kevin Braheny's New Age works. As with much of Juan Pablo's work, he never dips all the way there, keeping things just on this side of tasteful meditation, but the vibe remains.

The three track run of actual mushroom music - The Mushroom Guardian, Mushroom Land, and The Red Mushroom - do that N:L:E thing of offering differing styles of a similar musical motif. In this case, ambient version, the ambient dub version, and the psy-chill version, respectively. I cannot deny I was mostly ready to write Mushroom Land (the album) as just more of the same as I've heard from N:L:E for so long now.

Fortunately, things take a more interesting turn in the album's second half. While we're still in familiar sonic territory, at least Nucleus (N Mix) brings the tone down to mysterious realms. Following that with Drought Season (The Mushroom Trip), a track that's quite uplifting in its understated dubby way (it's that lead, harmonic melody, almost sounding like Uilleann pipes) brings welcome contrast to the listening experience.

Mushroom Land finishes similarly to how it started, Mycelium Dream getting in on that Braheny sparkly ambience again, while Spores From Space goes for the minimalist ambient drone, a moment quiet contemplation for the future ahead. Certainly more benign than what most 'spores from space' sci-fi will show us.

Wow, now that I've properly given this album my undivided attention rather than just playing in the background, I've come to appreciate it much more. It's almost like this N:L:E guy is really good at this music thing, and best enjoyed by not bulk-buying his whole catalogue and force-listening to it. Not that it isn't worth it (there's a lot of good stuff for an exceptionally cheap price), just needs smarter consumption scheduling.

Kiphi - Move The Stars Here

Liquid Frog Records: 2021

I surprisingly haven't had many albums from Mr. Giacovino within this 'M' block. Yeah, there was the double session of Macro and Micro Ambient, but I can't help considering those one conceptual album in of itself. Exploring similar facets of the same idea, and all that. As we move into the back end of 'M', however, there's been little since, and glancing ahead, only one more after. Does this mean the bulk of that Liquid Frog Records bulk-buy is also winding down? Eh, I wouldn't count on it, though I'll probably be highly selective in how to approach a few more releases as they come.

Meanwhile, let's touch base with the artist on Juan Pablo's label that isn't Juan Pablo, but his... I'm still gonna' assume brother: Jose, or Kiphi as he goes by. And hey, great timing on my part here, the chap having just released another album this past week called Glowing Universe. Catch the wake of all that Kiphi media hype I'm certain is flooding the internet this very moment! Okay, that's unfair, pretty clear this remains a highly niche lane of music, no matter how much I may say some of it is worth checking out. Just, y'know, don't go and bulk buy the whole darn thing like I did, much less try to write reviews of it all either. That path leads to madness. Not death, mind you, just madness.

Kiphi though, he at least brings something a little different to the table. If you recall, Jose likes his use of arps, bringing more of a trancey, sometimes Berlin-School approach to the music found on Juan Pablo's label. When they collaborate, these attributes tend to be more window-dressing for your typical N:L:E jam, but here we get them front and centre. And as this is his second solo outing as Kiphi (not to mention about half a dozen collab's with Juan), Jose had plenty of time to hone his own craft with Move The Stars Here.

The album's titular opener certainly suggests he's leaving nothing off the table, doing that gradual build both Giacovinos love deploying in their music. Only this time, the synths are bright, cascading, bold, and even multi-layered as things progress further. And what's this towards the end? Brisk rhythms, inching ever so close to the realms of progressive breaks? Geez, with an opening like that, Move The Stars Here must be in for one rollicking ride of an album.

Yeah, not quite. There's still some nice momentum in the following slew of tracks, but it's all subdued in that psy-chill sort of way most of Kiphi's music tends to go. Only mid-album track Feelings and closer track Flying Angels get close to the same uplifting space as the opener does, which doesn't make Move The Stars Here a bad album by any stretch. It's just when you shoot such a significant shot right from the jump, it does leave the listener wanting after.

Warmth - Mourning Ghost

Archvies: 2023

Mr. Mena is nothing if not incredibly consistent. It's probably why I haven't indulged in his output that much despite having an extensive catalogue. You more or less know what you're gonna' get with a Warmth album, which is great for when you're in the mood for it, but how many slight variants of dubby ambient drone do you need, especially from one artist?

Like, I picked Mourning Ghost up when it was newish because it had some cover art I couldn't resist (derelict marine machinery, 'natch), yet Agustín's released around a dozen more items under the alias since! Granted, some of these are collaborations, while others are remix albums (or 'Slowed') – it remains a hefty amount of music to 'dabble in'. Great that he's got a solid work-rate going for him, but when I scope a few of these items out, it remains the familiar lane I've heard from Warmth all along. I guess that's why he's got SVLBRD, to explore other sounds.

Which, again, is just a long way of saying I've come across another ambient record that's difficult to detail since I've long since exhausted the broad particulars with regards to Warmth and his label. Heh, I'm starting to feel like poor ol' Mark Prindle when he struggled continuing his blog by keeping up with Every. Single. Brian Eno. Release. Okay, maybe not that self-destructive, but you get what I mean.

Words can only take you so far when detailing music that, by its very nature, is not intended to have lengthy descriptions about it. The whole point of ambient music is the 'less is more' approach. Why do you think the major rags only ever cover two or three highly prominent ambient artists in their life-span? Even the masters of purple prose exhaust their vocabulary in short order. Then there's me, some two decades on, still trying to come up with fresh angles in covering a genre of music that ranks number two (#2) on this blog's most frequent tags – 688 times, for the record (“Album” being #1 at a whopping 1,512 – heh, I loves me my LPs).

Anyhow, Warmth. There's something of a cold, morning chill vibe to Mourning Ghost, which isn't that large a stretch where Mr. Mena's music is concerned. Much of his muse tends to impart feelings of mist and fog at dawn, the atmosphere slowing heating as the sun pierces the veil. Not quite so with this album though, which you'd expect with a title with 'mourning' in it. Other pieces include Distant Sun, Indifference, Anhelo ('longing') and Presencia ('presence'). A lot of sombre, reflective vibes, is what I'm getting, as though that morning fog never quite lifts. Yeah, having lived by the ocean for most of my life, I know those kinds of days.

So yeah, I liked this, as I usually do whenever I listen to Warmth. Will I get another album from him? I don't know – probably, if the cover art lures me in again.

James Murray - Mount View

Slowcraft Records: 2014

When last I talked up James Murray, it was his collaborative album with Francis M. Gri, Remote Redux on Ultimae Records. That record was something of a surprise to me, far more abstract ambient and modern classical leaning than what I was familiar of James' output to that point, but then I only knew of his works on Ultimae. So you can understand my assumption the minimalist overtones was more of a M. Gri thing than a Murray thing. Had I actually kept tabs on his musical output between Ultimae outings, I'd have realized that wasn't the case at all.

Though to be fair, it's not like his Slowcraft Records was some whirlwind of activity either. Mostly a means of Mr. Murray to self-release his own material (plus a couple others), the label was clearly a passion project where he could indulge in music perhaps not so viable for the prints he was building a name upon. I dunno', having finally taken in some of his works released through Slowcraft, I could easily hear them making rounds on other abstract, modern classical ambient outlets like Dronarivm and the like. Still, something to be said for retaining the rights to the music yourself, especially if you're launching the label with a few sessions that are clearly of a highly personal, almost intimate nature.

Mount View is the third of an introspective trilogy from James, wherein he reflected upon times past. Floods kicked it off exploring the relationship of river overflows in the lands he grew up in, followed upon by The Land Bridge, its theme perhaps not so overt but clearly deeply personal. Thus Mount View claims to “close a circle”, possibly putting some finality on an aspect of Mr. Murray's life he had difficulties moving on from. Again, all highly personal concepts, so understandable he wouldn't be keen on shopping these albums about other labels. Who's to say any would be willing to take them on? That Ultimae Bump could only take you so far.

Anyhow, we're in musical territory that's rather languid and moderate, employing slightly harsh atonal drones as steady rudders while gentle melodic elements (pianos, bells, organs) provide direction and focus. Most pieces play out similarly, a soft lead-in before things crescendo, followed upon by a lead-out. Nothing feels terribly repetitive though, each track offering something unique from the other in its primary instrumentation. Well, aside from the back-to-back of Climb The Rise and Mount View, quite similar in chosen synths and progression, the latter coming off just a tad more chipper given the reflective nature of this music. The arpy nature of the backing synths in closer Remains was also something of a subtle whiplash, following how droning most of the album had been to that point.

While I can't say Mount View (or the others in this trilogy) are as expansive as Mr. Murray's efforts on Ultimae, they're definitely nice additions to his discography, should you be looking for a little more of his music.

Logic Moon - Moonchild

Archives: 2023

For a time, Tobias Lorsbach plied his trade in the minimal techno and tech-haus scene, as most good Germans did throughout the '00s. It's tough gauging his success at it though, as Disoggian data covering his Keinzweiter project reveals only so much. Over a dozen records and a couple full-lengths are respectable enough, but I don't see his name crop up in many significant compilations or DJ mixes either. Nothing immediately recognizable to my North American eyes anyway. He tried going independent with his own spontanMusik print, but that too fizzled out after a while.

I'll assume Tobias grew tired of the club scene, as around the time Keinzweiter was winding down, he debuted Logic Moon. Initially an ambient side-project created to make use of several field recordings he'd assembled, its remained his primary musical output ever since. And while he's shopped the project around on labels like Archaic Horizon, whitelabrecs, and Tecnofonika Records (not to mention a hefty chunk of self-released items), Archives seems to be his stable home for the past decade. And how I stumbled into him, naturally.

I'd like to say I've taken in a fair amount of music from Agustín Mena's print now, though obviously just scratching its surface with it variety of artists - sticking with mostly familiar names and whatnot. Thus much of the label's aesthetic has remain consistent among those artists, particularly dubby drone championed by Warmth. All this is a long way of saying that I was actually surprised by Logic Moon's more... modern classical take on Archive's style of ambient.

For sure there's still plenty of drawn out passages of pads and guitar reverb on Moonchild, just with as much emphasis on prominent melodies grabbing your attention too. As always, I'm drawn to 36 as a comparison point of how 'maximal' drone ambient can be, and while Tobias doesn't go to quite those extremes, the music on this album is definitely of a more 'upfront' nature compared to the typical fare I've heard out of Archives. And he doesn't hold back on this either, first track Star Storm erupting with a shimmering, wailing synth lead not even two minutes in (gotta' give at least a little subtle build to it).

Nearly every track out of Moonchild's dozen does this, some with more grace than others. It lends the album to less of a 'drone out, peace out' vibe than a record you can't help but pay active attention to, even if you try playing it as wallpaper music. And given the somewhat foreboding and ominous tone the album imparts (distortion at the peak of some synth swells doesn't help), not a recommended record to fall asleep to.

But hey, not all ambient must be of such nature. If you're down for something more cinematic in its presentation, Moonchild well serve you well. As for the rest of Logic Moon's catalogue, I'll definitely return to him down the line. Why settle for just one album, right?

Various - MO_AMBIENT

Móatún 7: 2023

It's honestly quite remarkable how much music Móatún 7 released in just half a decade of existence. Seemed like so long as Mason Verger could find another quaint picture of Icelandic scenery, Árni would find another artist willing to contribute to his label. Whether much of it was worth your while likely boils down to personal preference, but given the calibre of musician that wandered through (mostly those somehow connected to the Lee Norris Multiverse), I'd wager your betting odds are rather high should you dabble some.

I cannot deny the label's extensive catalogue is daunting to dive into, and though I've dipped a bit here and there, felt it was about time to explore it more proper-like (shame it took Futuregrapher's passing to finally get me to do so). And what better way than via a compilation or two? Well, maybe if I got one that's more representative of the electro, techno, and acid works Móatún 7 typically peddled, but me being me, I had to spring for an ambient collection instead.

Actually, I'm a little surprised MO_AMBIENT, Móatún 7's first foray into such a compilation, came so late into the label's existence. True, this wasn't a focused genre for the print (pretty useless making vinyl of ambient most times), with plenty other outlets catering to those interests from the same artists. Still, so many naturalistic scenery shots, so much in common with labels like Archives and whatnot. Assumptions and all, y'know?

Some names I recognize off here include Futuregrapher, D York, Fallen, and World Circuit (Árni and Lee collab'). That's only four out of fourteen, so great stuff if I'm looking for more new names to discover! Some seem to be artists that had made their home on Móatún or closely affiliated prints like Intellitronic Bubble and Neo Oujia (Self Oscillate, Lovetrip, Mint Deluxe, DJ Dorrit). More are general wanderers over the past decade: Pageant (3) appeared on Omni Music; Peachy (15) appeared on... Oh, hey, he was also UOVI. I remember that album!

Musically, MO_AMBIENT sticks to the dronescape side of things. Some go darker (UNUIT's At The Edge Of Known Space, Self Oscillate's Intercontinental), some go dubbier (Peachy's The Dead Of Winter, Pageant's Just Go To Sleep, Augen's The Mantle Is Asleep), some go tranquil (Juan Moreno's Song For Catedral, Mint Deluxe's Amibohambi), while others get experimental (Badstøf's The Painter, Futuregrapher's Voices In My Head). Lovetrip even gets cheeky with the 'ambient' concept in Home Bakes, a soft electro rhythm firmly placing this outside the realms of proper ambient. Pretty sure it's more typical of the Móatún 7 sound though.

Ribbing aside, MO_AMBIENT is a decently varied compilation, most tracks hovering in the four-to-six minute mark with only two breaching double-digits in length (D York's MFV3 and Amibohambi). If you need a sampler of Móatún 7 to start... Well, maybe try one of their acid collections instead. This one's better served as a companion piece to the label's oeuvre.

Natural Life Essence - Micro Ambient/MicroAmbient 2

CYAN/Liquid Frog Records: 2019/2021

Can't have a 'macro' without first having a 'micro'. I mean, you technically could, but generally speaking, folks start with the 'micro' before moving on to the 'macro'. Concepts of 'micro' are so common, it's permeated pop culture far more than 'macro'. Gander: microscope, microwave, micro-organism, microphone, Microsoft. Now try flipping those with a 'macro'. Don't work, do it? Instead we get telescope, or mega fauna, or comedy-sized microphone, or Evil Corpo'. Heck, even in units of measurement, we have micrometres and micro-litres, but no 'macro' variant, just 'mega'.

Even if we are to accept 'macro' as an opposite measurement against 'micro', where exactly does the demarcation end and begin? Size is all relative, right? Typically we take a normal human as the median, everything larger being 'macro', and anything smaller being 'micro', which is fair enough. Sure, its completely biased to our perspective, but we're the ones measuring things to our scale. Should we encounter something more dominate than the scale we use, I'm sure we'd appropriately adjust. Or not, stubbornness one of humanity's defining characteristics.

So where does that leave ambient music? Like, it's easy to point out when something sounds 'micro' versus 'macro' (or whatever specific terminology you wish to utilize) - if I was to play a 36 piece after an Andrew Heath composition, the contrast would be stark indeed. At what point does noodly synth drones pass from the 'micro' to the 'macro' though? Can't help but feel like that's one of those impossible lines to pin down, something entirely subjective to interpretation and perspectives of one's own experience with the music. If anyone can point towards The Perfect Ambient Track That Divides Between The Micro & The Macro, let me hear it!

ANYhow, Juan Pablo released the first Micro Ambient while he was still peddling his wares through CYAN, so fairly early into N:L:E's lifespan. I wouldn't really call the music offered on this album especially 'micro', mostly bright synth pads performed in a minimalist fashion – more meditative than anything. I guess compared to his regular output to this point, it's more pure ambient than his forays into downbeat, but even tracks like Micro-Path and Micro-Lake have enough of a rhythmic pulse to keep these being an entirely lowercase session. They sure wouldn't sound of place on one of the Macro Ambient albums.

You'd think Mr. Giacovino would reassess what a 'micro ambient' album should entail after exploring the 'macro' side of things, and he kinda' does with the sequel. MicroAmbient 2 is certainly more subtle compared to the first, though not without its own rhythmic moments too. Just, y'know, performed in a smaller fashion compared to most other N:L:E music.

Having listened to all these 'micro' and 'macro' ambient session, I find the first is the best, if for no other reason than it feels more like a complete album. Which makes sense, since it was released on a different label than Juan Pablo's own.

Mindsphere - Mental Triplex: Presence - Mindream - Beyond

Suntrip Records: 2016/2017/2020

Instead of releasing three separate albums over a span of four years, Ali Akgün settled for nothing less than a trilogy magnum opus. Which means, for the sake of brevity, I can knock off three more Suntrip CDs for the price of one review! Eh, you say I'm not doing his artistic vision justice in giving Every. Single. Album its fair shake? Now, now, I know you don't really believe that. It's Suntrip we're dealing with here, a label we're well versed with the ins and outs by now. When I say, “Mental Triplex offers more neo-goa trance music as you'd expect from Suntrip”, that about sums it up, doesn't it. All that's left are some particulars and call it a day.

Actually, that's only true for two of these, which is a relief. Yeah, there's differences between Presence and Beyond, but only if you're versed enough in psy trance's micro genre aesthetics to notice them. The third album out of three though, Mindream, does something I've never heard any Suntrip session do: it's an honest-to-Ra chill-out album! Holy cow, I've heard, maybe, three proper downtempo tunes out of the label's entire catalogue thus far. What sort of favours did Ali have to pull to get the green light on that? Oh, that whole 'I'm making a concept trilogy, one part of which requires some slow time' idea. Not to say there potentially aren't other chill-out CDs in Suntrip's discography, but having gone through more than half of it now, odds are growing ever more slight on that.

What's actually weird about this, is that Mindream is the middle album out of this trilogy. Usually a downtempo disc would be the last, representing the comedown of a heavy night out. It makes sense as a follow-up to Presence, your standard end-to-end round of retro goa from Suntrip. Mindsphere's style is fairly simple, sometimes leaning into regular ol' trance, and never needlessly complicated or overstuffed with excessive wibble. I could see his tunes sharing compilation duty on an old school CD with the likes of Psygone and Bypass Unit.

So Ali follows that with a chill-out album, but instead of going with psy-chill or psy dub as most of his contemporaries would, he goes retro here as well. Like, way retro. I'm talkin' Jarre retro! Not really Berlin School or New Age retro, mind you, most of the tunes on Mindream still featuring squiggly synths or burbly acid straight out of the Megadog era. There's just as much prominence of sweeping modern classical synths and simple pulsing sequencers though, blurring the line of where Klause Schulz and downbeat Astralasia meet.

So where does that leave CD3 of the Mental Triplex trilogy? Out on a limb, if I'm honest, Beyond basically carrying on where Presence left off. It's still retro goa, just more on the trippier, psy side of the genre. Again, perfectly fine stuff, but even less to talk about within the context of the whole package.

Fatima Al Qadiri - Medieval Femme

Hyperdub: 2021

I'll never fake the UK funky on claiming I know all the ins and outs on whatever the post-dubstep, future garage, grime-trap, micro-genre demarcations of that scene entail. Even the dedicated bloggers and scribes that broke sonic styles down to the quantum level never seem confident they've properly classified everything out there. Have you any idea what levels of autistic you'd have to be to do so? For sure I'm partially on the spectrum, and no way in Hell I care about this stuff to such a degree.

Which may be why I was drawn to this particular album from Fatima Al Qadiri on Hyperdub. I was already browsing about the label's Bandcamp in search of music outside my comfort zone, which you can always count on with this famed print. Yet something hit me as remarkably familiar when I clicked a few samples on Medieval Femme. I couldn't immediately place it though, so the only way to figure it out further was to buy the darn record, give it some uninterrupted attention. Well, such as my attention can remain uninterrupted these days...

Fatima had already shown an ear for more 'ethnically' charged bass music, her debut on Hyperdub (Asiatisch) drawing influence from the Far East even though she hailed from the Far Afro-West (Senegal). Even her less adventurous first EP on UNO - Genre-Specific Xperience - couldn't help but have an exotic flair to it from all the steel drum sounds utilized. No matter what μ-genre folks have tried placing her in (Juke! Grime! Electro! Leftfield! Deconstructed club...?), one thing that's been consistent is an ethereal overtone to her works.

And I think that's what drew me into Medieval Femme over her other albums. This one leans about as heavy into that sound as anything I sampled from her catalogue. Yeah, there's exotic instruments, haunting vocalizations, and sinewy synths, but all presented in a dense layer of ethereal atmosphere. In fact, save a single track that has barely a minute's worth of electronic beat (Sheba), there's absolutely nothing on here that could tie the music to any of UK bass' usual assortment of styles. The layers of decaying dub, you say? Yeah, that could connect to Hyperdub's more experimental branch of artists, but is often still tied to the streets of South London, not so alien and foreign as heard on Medieval Femme.

Still, even if Fatima's music here didn't sound Hyperdub familiar, it did sound familiar in another way. A Waveform way, surprisingly. Yes, if I had to make any comparison to other music within my own collection, Medieval Femme reminds me of that label's brief flirtation with meditative exotica acts like TUU and Skin To Skin, though with a more Arabic bent. Not that these are the only artists to do it, just the ones I can namedrop in an instant. Take that for what you will, but regardless, Medieval Femme remains an intriguing record, even if it doesn't tidily fit within Hyperdub's general sound.

Anthéne - Mainland

Archives: 2023

Irony? Coincidence? Divine comedy? Whatever you want to call it, it sure is... something, that I no sooner learn that Polar Seas has shuttered that I'm finally reviewing an item from the chap that ran the label, Brad Deschamps. It wasn't his sole outlet, of course, taking his Anthéne project across many prints over the past decade. Dronarivm, Cathedral Transmissions, Sound In Silence, Lillerne Tape Club, Pyramid Blood Recordings, Home Normal, Shimmering Moods Records, Ambientologist, giraffe tapes, whitelabrecs, oscarson, Hidden Vibes... to namedrop just a dozen. Still, Polar Seas was the little corner of the ambient world he cut out for himself, bringing in some quality talent along the way. I'd like to think it made enough of an impression that folks mourn its passing. At least one person I know does.

Fortunately, there's always other areas to hawk one's wares, and for dang near every modern ambient composer, that one-stop shop seems to now be Archives. Okay, it's still almost exclusively Mr. Mena's Warmth material, but others pop in from time to time. And in the summer of 2023, Mr. Deschamps did as well.

As for the music, it's about what you'd expect of the players involved. Tranquil atmosphere, sparse sonic space, a touch of melancholic vibe as though reflecting on some distant memory of a time lost. The main thing that leaped out at me was some gentle slide guitar action, which will always get your KLF Chill Out triggers flaring (even if Harold Budd beat them to the 'ambient by way of slide guitar' idea by nearly a decade). It's not exactly twangy, which is good, but more of a gentle caress adding to the backing pads and soft orchestral swells. And the snowflaked static. And overdubbed fuzz. And layered drone. Y'know, the usual shoegazey ambient stuff, just with some comforting melody in support.

Wish I had more to say of Mainland, but music as simple and straight-forward as this doesn't offer me much else to critique. Including a Warmth remix of the opening track, the nine tracks breeze by in a stunningly brisk forty-six minutes, sounding as pleasant as you'd expect from your usual Archives fare. The tone does turn somewhat more uplifting compared to the rather sombre start, so you do get a nice little emotional journey out of it, subtle though it may be. Perhaps that's all that's needed though, Mainland playing so far in the background such that it registers as subconscious thought, requiring neither deep concentration nor attentive study.

I guess I should confess that, like those Filteria albums, I almost missed this one in my queue too. For some darn reason, I neglected downloading my Bandcamp purchase, and because Archives doesn't do spine-print on their digipaks, completely forgot to slot this in my CD rack alphabetically. It was only a random perusal through my Bandcamp library that reminded me that, oh hey, I got another 'M' album waiting in the wings. Yes, even my OCD fails me sometimes.

N:L:E - Macro Ambient & 2

Liquid Frog Records: 2020/2022

Y'know, when I think 'Macro Ambient', I'm thinking, like... MACRO. Ambient music that's almost the opposite of what its original aim t'was. Synth pads and droning harmonics so upfront and in yo' face, you're almost overwhelmed by it. Nothing so ignorable such that it could ever dissolve into wallpaper music or abstract conceptualization. Ambient so overwrought, you wonder how it could ever be technically classified as ambient music, beyond its beatless nature. So Dennis Huddleston's 36 project, then. Yeah, pretty much.

Was I expecting that going into N:L:E's duo Macro Ambient releases? Not really, no. Of the various sonic avenues I've heard Mr. Giacovino explore now, going something as 'maximal' as the Dreamloops series was never on the radar. For sure he could lay some dronescapes on rather thick, particularly several of his Caravan Of Healing Sounds releases, but to really tug at those heavenly, emotional heartstrings too? As I said, not typically the lane Juan Pablo traverses.

So I was honestly surprised when I did hear something that gets pretty darn close almost right from the jump. Macro Ambient 1 starts with gradually emergent bleepy notes, soon joined by a requisite pad that sounds rather like an ethereal flute or similar woodwind. Really lovely stuff, but also remarkably familiar too. It didn't take me long to remember whear I heard it too, a tune so memorably burned into my membrane from repeated plays. T'was towards the end of Moss Garden's The Fabric Of Sentinel, a dang-near perfect capper on their debut album Understanding Holy Ghosts. Is it one-for-one? Not quite, no, but darn close enough that I can't help but suspect Juan Pablo was at least inspired by it, if only subconsciously (he had to at least be aware of it, given he's come within the orbit of Lee Norris now). Or maybe it's a certain preset common in synths ambient producers use, which just happens to sound dang-near perfect when played in a particular chord sequence.

That's about the biggest talking point I have for Macro Ambient though. The first four tracks mostly build upon that, though recede deeper into the more meditative side of N:L:E's muse, 4 bringing back more of the bleepiness while going extra 'macro' for a climax (re: adds some beats). The second of these two releases surprisingly brings some variety among its four tracks, each track distinct from the other rather than continuations of the same theme. 5 is the most typical of a chill N:L:E cut, but 6 gets almost electro, beats incredibly crisp and punchy compared to his usual dubby rhythms. Almost reminds me of the Subnautica score. Following that is a twenty-two minute long pure ambient outing, nothing 'macro' about it beyond its length, while 8 gets back to more standard N:L:E fare, just on the proper dubby side of things.

I guess between the two, I liked the second one more, just for the variety. But man, the way that first one triggers my memories... So it goes.

Jeannine Schulz - Luminous

Polar Seas Recordings: 2021

Oh dear. I've already done one Jeannine Schulz review, wherein I didn't have much information to offer regarding the artist herself. Just very little out there to find in the first place, see, which tends to go for these minimalist ambient artists. Not that she's disappeared or anything, her Bandcamp page offering up four more items since I last talked her up. Wow, that's, like, almost N:L:E levels of work rate! Right, three of those add up to about a dozen minutes of music total, while the fourth is more of a compilation, but still!

And really, I got this more in support of the label than specifically the artist, though that may be a moot point now, Polar Seas having shuttered about a year ago. At least their Bandcamp is still up, so the catalogue isn't lost yet. May be worth my while to pick up a few more releases, stuff from Moss Covered Technology, zakè, Celer, and a whole slew of others I couldn't name-drop from memory. Yes, you can take this as my long delayed Label Info Dump on the Toronto print, as if you need any reminder of how backed-up my To Review Queue remains. Man, going out of business before I could get to it, that's gotta' sting.

So Luminous. I got this because the cover art was nice, invoking plenty of nostalgic feels for misty sea-side wanderings. Right, this may in fact be one of the Great Lakes rather than an ocean beach, but the sentiment stands. It doesn't look like it has much to do with the music within, save a few cursory connections. Titles like River, Blue, Tides, and Shimmer would work, but not Rooms And Surfaces I, Circle IV, or III. Honestly, I'd just be over-analyzing this album even if I tried.

Yeah, like Humble, this is some real minimalist music. For sure expansive in most areas, Jeannine really filling out the sonic space with ethereal drones between the sporadic guitar tones or fuzzy percussion or soft synth strokes. That's all there really is to it though, Luminous far more focused on mood than melody.

Still, there are enough unique elements between tracks such that the album doesn't fall into wallpaper abstraction. The gentle warping of plucked strings in Blue. The pastoral bliss of Zazen. The glacial progression of atonal Circle IV. The 'brisk' loops of Shimmer. The almost 'aggressive' wash of Tides. Not really material that leaps out at you with a casual listen, but definitely striking once you've zeroed in on it.

Nothing much else to say about Luminous. Wish I had more, but again, this isn't really music that requires deep thoughts. It may inspire some, losing your sense of meat-space as you snooze or meditate or blankly stare into the distance. Yeah, for some reason, I wouldn't be surprised if this is the internal symphony that plays in Puddy's mind when he's alone with is... thoughts? Well, whatever wisps through the wind between his ears.

N:L:E - Live Outside The City (with Kiphi & Yahgan)

Liquid Frog Records: 2022

Juan Pablo seems to have released every other kind of album, so why not a live one too. Three, actually, recorded over a half-year period throughout 2021. Coincidentally, around the time I believe most of the world was getting more lax about pandemic restrictions, though I haven't a clue how strict they were in Argentina about those.

Not that it would have made much difference for these sessions, as I'm fairly certain they weren't performed to a crowd or anything like that. Rather, Mr. Giacovino wanted to capture the essence of life beyond his urban settings, and what better way to do that than going to the source. Really soak in the ambience of your surroundings, connecting to open fields and unspoiled fauna. And hey, if it helps give folks who'd been cooped up indoors for nearly a year something to immerse themselves in as a bit of escapism from the Strange Days of the last number of months, all the better.

The first, Live Outside The City, features two tracks – or rather, one long track split into two parts. And once again, if you're at all familiar with the works of N:L:E – which I'm very much so by now – this will be well-tread territory. I suppose there is more improvisational work going on than his usual album fare, and even his Caravan Of Healing Sounds had more structure than these, but then free-form music making is the point of these particular pieces. Don't worry about the destination, or even if there is one, just enjoy the scenery as it passes by. Among the gentle ambient pad tones and tranquil field recordings, charming acoustic melodies happily skip about, other times receding for some meditative moments. Somewhere around the forty minute mark of the whole thing, the softest of rhythms emerge but don't linger for long, returning more of those spritely harmonics.

If all that sounds far too mellow, then follow-up Live N' Chill Outside The City ups the pace a little. Yes, despite the name, the addition of brother Kiphi to these sessions brings his use of synth arps to the jamboree, giving everything a little more sense of urgency. It's still all very loose and free-wheeling as far as how these pieces are constructed, but does provide some extra spice to the usual N:L:E caravan formula.

And finally, the third Live Outside The City brings in Yahgan... which is just Juan Pablo under a different alias. At least, I'm fairly certain its Mr. Giacovino – I haven't found any info claiming otherwise, particularly on the Bandcamp page where it would be most helpful. Anyhow, this one offers a 'chilly' excursion compared to the others, with cooler harmonies and crisp percussion. Guess that makes sense, these sessions recorded during his winter. Not that Buenos Aires has the sort of freezing season the lands from which Yahgan's inspired by experiences. Probably another reason why Juan Pablo seems fascinated by the southern tip of his continent. They get snow there!

Natural Life Essence - Linked Environments

Liquid Frog Records: 2019

Welp, it's been over a month, and at least a letter and half since I've written anything regarding N:L:E. Figures I'd be about due for another of Juan Pablo's sessions to crop up, and for sure there's a small pile nigh on the horizon. Before that though, here's a little EP from earlier in the project's lifespan. How early? We're talking pre Caravan Of Healing Sounds early, but still post Space Caravan. He'd already begun spinning off other side-projects like Spiritual Fields and Yahgan, but well before having spent much time exploring them.

Actually, small confession before continuing: I skipped on a Yahgan release prior to getting here, Land Of Fire. A double-LP compilation, it gathered up several of Mr. Giacovino's works under the alias, only offering one new titular track. Having already covered most of the music, writing another review of it would be redundant, and the rest could wait until the original releases came down my queue. I just wish I'd realized what it was before listening to the whole thing, but that unfortunately does say something about having consumed so much of Juan Pablo's output now. Too much of it has slipped into over-familiar territory that I'm having difficulty distinguishing one from the next. Or at least recognizing when I've already heard something.

So it goes with Linked Environments. Like, I'm fairly certain this is all original material unique to this four-track album. It's not like I can search these titles out on the N:L:E Discogs page, what with it being incomplete and all (and I can only be bothered submitting so much). Go through Mr. Giacovino's entire Bandcamp page to verify, you say? My dudes, you still have no comprehension of just how much music is on there. He's gone and put out three more releases in the month since I last wrote anything about him! Ain't no way I'm gonna' check Every. Single. Item. on there to make sure I won't be doubling up on Invisible Island or Drilling Worm.

Right, the tunes themselves. Invisible Island (Look Faster) mostly stays in ambient's lane, pulsing synths, shimmering tones, and field recordings of nearby surf and seagulls taking up its run-time. Cell Memory (Plant Cell) starts more minimalist, slowly bringing in layers of subtle arps, some spacious dubby rhythms joining the meditative jamboree halfway through. Despite the escalating harmonics, it doesn't really build anywhere in particular, fading out just as slowly as it emerged. Sand Trip (Little Chant) lays on the world beat vibes much heavier with sitars, tablas, and all the usual instruments you'd expect of a Loop Guru jam. And as for that Drilling Worm, it sounds like it wants to be a jaunty reggae dub outing with New Age flourishes, but for some reason, the rhythms are flatter than I usually expect from N:L:E's works. Guess ol' Juan Pablo hadn't quite figured out that aspect of his production yet. Plenty of time to get there though.

Martin Nonstatic - Ligand

Ultimae Records: 2017

The album that broke my 'buy everything Ultimae puts out' streak, for what that's worth. Which isn't much, sadly, but I won't beat around the bush on that factoid. Once I started consistently buying the label's CDs (sometime in the early '10s), I seldom missed a release once it dropped – if not right away, shortly after when I'd have the funds available (or the old Ultimae store would have a sale). Even as my interest in the label wavered, I was still pretty faithful to their output. Right up to Martin Nonstatic's Ligand, which I 'noped' out of without a second's thought.

Obviously I came around to getting it, otherwise I wouldn't be delaying a proper review of it within these paragraphs. Truthfully, I was itching to indulge in another Bandcamp bulk deal, and needed something to round the package out. Besides, maybe my earlier assessments of Mr. van Rossum's work had been too harsh, and he needed a second chance to win me over. Or would this be the third? Fourth? Well, whatever number, there had to be something I was missing to his work. After all, he wouldn't have become such a permanent fixture of Ultimae's recent catalogue if there wasn't. Right?

I guess, but if there's anything in his discography that'll give me that “ah-HAH!” moment, it ain't on Ligand. For sure there's fleeting moments, where I'll hear the kernel of a musical motif begging to get released, but Martin's fascination with glitchy sounds and overbearing reverb effects often snuffs them out before they can pick up steam. And I get it, really I do. It's so easy to get lost in the minutiae of what this particular plug-in can do, or how much delay you can layer on that sound, and absolutely there's an audience for that sort of thing. As for myself though, I kinda' prefer it when a lengthy track actually flows from beginning to end, not constantly be distracted by the technical wibble of modern production tricks.

There's still some things I can take away from this album though. As always, the Ultimae Mixdown™ remains top-notch – I may not be keen on all the glitchy interruptions, but I sure can still visualize them with a good pair of headphones. The backing pad work is generally nice, if at times vacuous. And those few times when something resembling a hook or melody does peak out, not just harmonic tonal dithering, it sounds nice enough. The end of Outermost Structure, for instance, or the subtle arps in Harmonic Mundi, and even the dubby acoustic strumming in Kepler's Laws.

Yeah, if some of these titles weren't a hint, Ligand is a very egg-headed sort of album (Parabolic View, Dendrictic Ice, Methodical Random, etc.). Which, given the sluggish, considered pace of all these glitchy effects explorations, makes thematic sense. Just gotta' be of a particular mindset to get much out of it. Say, one that consumes copious amounts of Autechre.

Circular - Kimono Kaleidoscope

Healing Sound Propagandist: 2023

One of the best Ultimae Records albums of the past decade! Except this isn't on Ultimae Records, instead Healing Sound Propagandist. I only learned of the digital print's existence by way of zakè, by way of his collaboration with 36. While in there browsing through the label's wares, I spotted Circular, with a (then) recent release, no less. Talk about being thrown for a loop. I'd thought they'd discontinued activity following Moon Pool.

Well, took a near-decade long hiatus at the very least. They may have remained active on the live circuit, or explored other projects in the meanwhile, or dealt with real-life things during the interim - any number of reasons to have such a substantial break between records. Trouble was, by the time they felt the itch to make more music, their style of opulent diversity was no longer so in vogue with the label they had previous made a home with. They couldn't return to the print where they made their '90s debut, the long since shuttered Norwegian Origo Sound (they of breaking Biosphere fame). Perhaps a return to Beatservice Records, then, the label where they'd been before getting the Ultimae nod? I don't know enough about them to figure whether they'd be a good fit – I imagine they went elsewhere for a reason.

Anyhow, here Circular are, seemingly out of the blue, with another full-length filled with the free-form music making their Future Sound Of London influence demands. Seriously, it has nearly everything you could expect from their “90s sampledelica meets '00s glitch-hop meets Ultimae widescreen sonics” style. Right, I'm pulling from a very limited sample source (mainly Substans and Moon Pool), but if you still have a hankering for that vintage Ultimae style, Kimono Kaleidoscope is that in spades. Real shame it didn't appear on Vincent's label but eh, not enough vacuous dub techno on it (re: none at all).

Particulars, then? Man, where do I even begin? If there's any critical fault to be had with this album, it's almost overstuffed with sonic goodies, but then that's been Circular's manifesto anyway. If the FSOL comparison hasn't worn out its welcome just yet, Kimono Kaleidoscope is rather like one of their Environments sessions, though more focused in singular songcraft among each track. It does still play out as one, long listening experience (or 'unfurled', should you get the single-track version), but each section is distinct from the other. Some of the transitions can be jarring – you're chilling to some nice ambience, then suddenly thrust into something bigger and bolder. And a clear thematic run-through isn't readily apparent beyond music making for its own sake.

I guess that makes Kimono Kaleidoscope not quite as good as Moon Pool, though I definitely rank it higher than Substans, a record I still have some trouble sinking fully in. Take that praise for what you will. Eh, compared to their earlier three albums? Haven't heard those so say if so. Maybe I should rectify that.

N:L:E - Jungle Stories

Liquid Frog Records: 2021

Not only did we kick off this 'J' block with three items from Mr. Giacovino, but we're now wrapping it up too. Yep, it's a complete Natural Life Essence sweep here, which probably isn't that impressive at first blush. 'J' words remain rather limited in the English vocabulary, much less to title one's album with. I've a few 'journey's, and if I was more of a Jazz Guy, Guru's Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1 wouldn't stand so alone. You'd think I'd have more 'jungle' releases too, but Congo Natty's Jungle Revolution In Dub is about it. Or was, N:L:E's Jungle Stories now joining this jumping 'J' jamboree.

Wait, why don't I have more jungle releases with 'Jungle' in the title? I'll grant I mostly missed the genre's early wave, not cluing into the scene until it had morphed into the more marketable drum 'n' bass label. Yeah, yeah, you can make technical demarcations between the two sounds, but when it came to shoving CDs onto store shelves, d'n'b was what stuck, looking classier than all the renegade 'wude-boys' artwork adorning jungle releases. Does kinda' make me want to sift through Lord Discogs' marketplace now, seeing what cheapy '90s compilations I can find there. Gotta' be a treasure-trove of them!

Anyhow, this has precious little to do with Jungle Stories from Juan Pablo. Not that I couldn't imagine him indulging in some brisk, broken beat action somewhere in his massive discography – every producer gets an itch for the 2-step or Amen break at some point. Generally though, his preferred rhythmic lane is on the dubby downbeat, with the occasional sprinklings of spritely ambient techno.

So imagine my surprise when he actually brings something... well, not exactly d'n'b, but certainly at a higher BPM than his usual fare. Granted, it's just one track out of four on this tidy EP, but it's one track more than I've heard from a lot of N:L:E in a while (ever?). Epic Land does still skew closer to dub at that, but the beats are energetic enough to pull it ever so near the realms of atmospheric jungle. Lovely sweeping synths and a groovy bassline don't hurt either.

That's about it for 'jungle' related sounds on Jungle Stories. Sun And Shadows is more of Juan Pablo's twinkly ambience, Running Through The Jungle is more of his ambient dub. And Night In The Jungle is something of a combo of the two (gentle ambience, big bassline). At no point, however, do we hear any field recordings of equatorial rainforest fauna. No birds of paradise, no incessant insect chatter, not even a jaguar roar. Man, I know Mr. Giacovino originates from Argentina. Is it so hard to bring a giant microphone to the Amazon? Yes, just as easy as it would be for me to bring one to the Cambria Icefield.

Regardless, a nice little EP here, one I was honestly shocked by its shortness, after all those lengthy Jamming Caravan sessions.