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Celer, Cantus Libres (2 CDR self-released)

Though they only started releasing music in 2004, this husband and wife duo of multidisciplinarians has been so prolific, and are so obviously talented and imaginative, that it has quickly garned respect and admiration from all corners of the ambient listening (and performing) community. Note for... [read]
Posted by Stephen Fruitman at 06:20, 02 Jul 2009

Pocka, Uhrwerk (CDR The Hand Work Press)

A beauty of a private, letterpress edition made in only thirty copies by fellow electronic artist Matt Borghi. Brad "Pocka" Mitchell is an enthusiastic, if now maybe crestfallen, supporter of small music, which he released in a steady stream on his now-defunct Kikapu netlabel. Uhrwerk is as... [read]
Posted by Stephen Fruitman at 09:23, 01 Jul 2009

Max Richter, Songs From Before (Fat Cat)

This album has been out for a while and praised to the skies by just about all and sundry, but it´s worth reminding oneself about in the midst of the summer steam. A new breed of young, non-conventional minimalist composers - with (just names off the top of my head) Sylvain Chaveau, Nico Muhly,... [read]
Posted by Stephen Fruitman at 06:53, 01 Jul 2009

Rachel Unthank and The Winterset, The Bairns (Rough Trade)

For hundreds of years, rural England has bred balladry which reads like news reports from the soul, describing death, loss, longing, and wavering faith, and featuring a cast of remorseful murderers, lovers joined only by the roots entwining their buried bones, wives all along the coast pacing their... [read]
Posted by Stephen Fruitman at 06:26, 28 Jun 2009

Mecha/Orga, 50:01 (Echomusic)

Mecha/Orga has recently completed a trilogy of the breakdown of audio information. By his own admission, Mecha/Orga´s sounds are tortured until they become "intolerable". No argument here. "56:24" (Absurd) was a classic, long-form drone which turned slightly more vicious over the hour (see... [read]
Posted by Stephen Fruitman at 16:34, 26 Jun 2009

Various Artists, Midnight Soul Dive (Aleph Zero)

Young Israelis - especially those coming off their three years of compulsory military service - have a particular fondness, maybe even a spiritual need - for chill-out music, and Aleph Zero has quickly become an Israeli rallying point for classy downtempo ambient. Midnight Soul Dive is the label´s... [read]
Posted by Stephen Fruitman at 13:46, 26 Jun 2009

Brian Harnetty, American Winter (Atavistic)

Berea College in Kentucky houses a collection of seventy-five years´ worth of audio ephemera made throughout its Appalachian hinterland. When it finally opened its archives to researchers, Brian Harnetty was one of the first through the door. Combing through the tapes, radio broadcasts and oral... [read]
Posted by Stephen Fruitman at 04:26, 26 Jun 2009