Category Archives: Ambient
ACL 2023 ~ Top Ten Ambient
By our estimate, there was enough ambient music released in 2023 to fill every waking minute of every day. How does one stand out in a genre that values slipping beneath the surface? These ten artists found a way, whether
ACL 2023 ~ Top Ten Ambient
By our estimate, there was enough ambient music released in 2023 to fill every waking minute of every day. How does one stand out in a genre that values slipping beneath the surface? These ten artists found a way, whether
Meitei ~ Kofū III
Back in 2020, we believed Kofū to be the end of a trilogy when it was instead the beginning of a new one. Kofū III concludes Meitei‘s mighty opus, and switches from the electronic realm to the field of experimental ambience, a
Meitei ~ Kofū III
Back in 2020, we believed Kofū to be the end of a trilogy when it was instead the beginning of a new one. Kofū III concludes Meitei‘s mighty opus, and switches from the electronic realm to the field of experimental ambience, a
James Bernard & anthéne ~ Soft Octaves
In a letter to his brother Theo, Vincent Van Gogh writes of “colors, which are heightened by being juxtaposed,” yet “will destroy one another by being mixed.” When mixed, such colors produce a sad gray, but in the right proportions
James Bernard & anthéne ~ Soft Octaves
In a letter to his brother Theo, Vincent Van Gogh writes of “colors, which are heightened by being juxtaposed,” yet “will destroy one another by being mixed.” When mixed, such colors produce a sad gray, but in the right proportions
Duelling Ants ~ in field
Folktronica may be a decreasing species these days, but Duelling Ants helps to resurrect its population with the endearing tape in field. Like the previous album, Here’s a Little Forest, the new set reflects a hunting and gathering mission in which sounds
Duelling Ants ~ in field
Folktronica may be a decreasing species these days, but Duelling Ants helps to resurrect its population with the endearing tape in field. Like the previous album, Here’s a Little Forest, the new set reflects a hunting and gathering mission in which sounds
Birds in the Brickwork ~ Twelve Months
It’s calendar time again! A calendar offers a new slate of twelve months, each represented by the turning of a page. This monthly ritual is reflected in the third annual calendar and soundtrack from Birds in the Brickwork, which gives
Birds in the Brickwork ~ Twelve Months
It’s calendar time again! A calendar offers a new slate of twelve months, each represented by the turning of a page. This monthly ritual is reflected in the third annual calendar and soundtrack from Birds in the Brickwork, which gives
Mute Frequencies ~ Svalbard Soundtracks
Music criticism has historically under-valued the role context and framing play in influencing the space of listening— knowing a piece of music was composed in relationship to images inevitably colors how one interprets its sound. The horn-like drone that enters
Mute Frequencies ~ Svalbard Soundtracks
Music criticism has historically under-valued the role context and framing play in influencing the space of listening— knowing a piece of music was composed in relationship to images inevitably colors how one interprets its sound. The horn-like drone that enters
Claire Deak ~ Sotto Voce
Claire Deak first appeared on our site with the old capital, a 2020 collaboration with Tony Dupé that was released on nearly the same date as Sotto Voce. Like that album, this one seems well-suited for October. Deak again plays
Claire Deak ~ Sotto Voce
Claire Deak first appeared on our site with the old capital, a 2020 collaboration with Tony Dupé that was released on nearly the same date as Sotto Voce. Like that album, this one seems well-suited for October. Deak again plays
Antonymes ~ The Gramophone Suite
After six years away, Antonymes (Ian M Hazeldine) returns with the sublime The Gramophone Suite, a meditation on time and its many permutations. The gramophone is evoked with the album’s opening sounds: clicks, breath, strings and distant transit. When Black Box Recorder’s Sarah
Antonymes ~ The Gramophone Suite
After six years away, Antonymes (Ian M Hazeldine) returns with the sublime The Gramophone Suite, a meditation on time and its many permutations. The gramophone is evoked with the album’s opening sounds: clicks, breath, strings and distant transit. When Black Box Recorder’s Sarah
a closer listen 