Fading Tapes – Music From Attic

This is the debut album of the Polish band Fading Tapes, which was formed by the guitarist (Krzysztof Siwkowski) and the drummer (Marcin Lasek), which connected the same journey of melancholic, sublime and subtle sounds, with some story that can be compared to Stars of the Lid or Surface of Eceon, but also slightly heavier, like Godspeed You! Black Emperor. They like to go beyond well-known sounds and experiments with them, stayed at the clearly melodic sound at the same time.

Album was made in attic, late summer. In silent, lonesome space that was ready to cooperate with the band that allowed to create this spatial atmosphere. They find there a new instrument, some kind of trumpet that was used as a thready, tearful voice. "Music From Attic" have long, dreaming guitar compositions decorated with the silenced or sharpened sounds of percussion. Every song is a story expressed instrumental lyricism. A story that was mostly improvised. It means that there was no any plan, no arrangement, only experiences of everyday life and sounds that moved artists to specific, imaginary places, when they could create the stories. As they themselves admit, each song has its own story that can be received in various ways every time.

Dan Caine – Transitions

The sixth solo album from the prolific ambient music / post-rock guitarist, Dan Caine, Transitions is an exploration of progressive melodies and beautiful chords layered over down tempo, yet energizing beats. The sense of mounting joy and positivity in this introspective piece is subtle, but impossible to ignore. The album is a journey through one man’s emotional evolution, from one phase of life to another, and each of the seven tracks is a uniquely expressed facet of that process.

The premiere track, Peripeteia, propels the album right out of the starting gate with a tidal wave of passionate guitar riffs and a marching, tribal beat. It is the anthem of a revolution, the acknowledgement of a need for change. In short, the journey has begun.

As the journey through the forests of human psyche continues with the title track, Transitions, we hear an unmistakable farewell to older thoughts and patterns as more familiar guitar styling from previous albums are incorporated into a new movement.

The first burst of unbridled joy is discovered in the piece, Aka’aka (or, “Laughter”) (Track Three). The blithe Hawaiian chorus (performed by featured artist Hailey Rose) gives a sense of bright sunlight and a relaxed, friendly sense of welcome into a new stage of life.

In track four, Lifeforms, an impassioned and distorted guitar riffs over delicate ethereal layers, almost as if to hear the isolated cries of a soul in search of answers to remaining questions. There is an un-ignorable sensuality and romance involved in this track as well; the painful aspects of discovering love and connection are masterfully represented.

A New Chapter (Track Five) is the pinnacle of blissful peace on this album. It emits joy with an energized beat and ethereal, tinkling guitar picking.

Journeys (Track Six) is the perfect follow up to the previous movement, a warmer and slightly calmer feeling, expressed with more lingering layers that wash over the listener accompanied by a simple, clean beat. Contentment and companionship represented by layers of calm, dulcet tones. A beautiful sunset to the perfect day that was A New Chapter. The final track, Wolf’s Moon, features the beautiful harmonized vocals of Hailey Rose, and gives a sense of the peaceful night. A perfect closing of an emotional journey to a stronger, wiser, and happier place.

Okada – Division Of Self

“Division of Self" has a cinematic quality, the silver screen brought to life through music. You can barely make out a child’s whisper, a placid, slightly melancholic piano and a female vocal that repeatedly cries out: ‘Tell me that it’s over‘. The dark ambient music facade fades, and the listener approaches a lovely, inviting ambient interior, with rose-colored paint and dusty, forgotten statues, decaying together like former lovers tangled up in the dirty sheets of a dead romance.

The sedate strolling pace is just what’s needed. Okada creates a dreamy vibe that is intensely warm and understanding, full of theatrical flourishes and quieter moments for reflection and stillness. Ethereal in sound, and yet flirting with clipped n’ clunky beats, Division of Self has an ambient heart that treads over a weary soul. The music has recovered from its troubled opening. It’s almost as if it were saying “don’t give up just yet”.

Vinc2 – By The Third Sea

Living in The French Alps, French ambient artist has created music that aims to take you among the mountains of his soul. All pieces we all made between 2007 and 2008. What might have caused this significant delay of the album’s release?

“The album was born in special conditions. Certain events forced me to consider this album as if it was the last, so more than ever, I put my whole soul into it. Also the songs were not finalised over night. I was able to give my ideas better shape as I was gradually acquiring real professional equipment for my home studio. It is one thing to acquire equipment and another thing to use it. It took me some time to explore the possibilities of my new “plaything”.

"By The Third Sea" was originally to be minimalist but the instrument tracks have gradually accumulated. In the end, the album has a very dense production and looks like a sea of sounds, it feels like a slow boat rocked by the waves in the middle of a starry ocean, sometimes calm, sometimes unbridled. The near absence of rhythm was intended to strengthen the feeling of floating.

What is the “Third Sea” from the name of the album? Vinc2 does not want to bias his listeners with pictures that lead to its creation. He wants them to create their own opinion. However, the album cover gives a very accurate representation of the Universe he intended to create for those who want at least a small peek into his wonderful imagination.

If you are ready to get lost in a sea of feeling, you can weigh anchor and let the boat of your thoughts leave the firm ground.

This album is a piece of life. We hope those of you who immerge into it will feel very good.

Diamond Gloss – Primavera

Portugal's ambient music genius is here again. Primavera is the third album by Diamond Gloss. The album differs from the previous releases. The sound is more organic, the piano is definitely the main instrument. Primavera is the logical step forward from 2014’s Nomawkish, details and string arrangements were carefully written and recorded. For the first time in a Diamond Gloss album, a second musician appears on this new release. A long time friend of Gonçalo Pereira, the violinist player Maria do Mar, accepted the invitation and helped Pereira on strings arrangements. The photography and artwork design has been made by his long time collaborator, Paulo Romão Brás.

Gonçalo Pereira (born 1984. Lisbon, Portugal) is a multi-instrument player, post-rock, ambient electronica musician and producer. Pereira first started as the frontman of the post-rock band “How Comes The Constellations Shine” before establishing himself as a solo artist under the moniker of Diamond Gloss.

Secoya – The World Is Yours

The World Is Yours is the second album by the British composer / musician George Robinson, also known as Secoya, following his 2015 release, Ghosts. Since he wrote the music that became Ghosts, he has created a lot of music and feels that this practice has enabled a greater musical competency and understanding of composition.

The album differs from his previous album in that it is greatly influenced by classical music, putting strings and choirs at the forefront. Robinson has maintained his ability to write relatively cosy and sincere songs but has also allowed himself to add greater complexity. He feels strings and similar acoustic instruments are underused in synthesizer dominated ambient music, and that there was space to create acoustic based ambient music.

The songs convey a wide range of emotions from despairing sadness to joyous euphoria, continuing Robinson’s tendency to add emotion to his music.

Sky Flying By – Miscellany

Miscellany, an epic sensation of one man post-rock band Sky Flying By was a long time in the making. No one, including Sky Flying By, knew it. Over the course of five years and four releases there tends to be a collection of songs that simply get discarded for no apparent reason. Not that they were bad, or some how lacking, they just didn't fit, attention was drawn to other pieces that some how made it on to one of those records.

Miscellany is taking stock, revisiting those old forgotten songs that never quite got that finishing treatment others did.

This is a collection of half finished songs, worked on over the years, some released in their incomplete state, others never seeing the light of day - a cross section of where Sky Flying By was at that time until now where each piece was re-mixed, many parts re-recorded, all in an effort to take half finished ideas and transform them into fully realized songs that can now stand on their own.

Virlyn – Arctic Radio

Virlyn aka Frédéric Vanderlynden is a sound artist from Belgium, whose music was ignited at an early age. As soon as he was able, he started recording his favourite tracks off the Belgian radio and making mix tapes using an old-time mixer he acquired for a small price.

In his early twenties he went to university and got a degree in history and in film and visual culture. This did not only keep him interested in cinema but also sparked his interest in atmospheric music and sound design; a genre and direction of music making he’s still exploring. Since then his music is evolving into an organic symbiosis of classical instruments and an electronic transformation of field recordings. He also got intrigued by the use and alteration of recorded vocals and spoken word.

In his album "Arctic Radio" he further explores the unconventional use of the violin, flute, cello, piano etc to create moody and refined textures. The electronic aspect further deepens and elaborates the tone of the tracks, resulting in a varied array of ambient soundscapes. Adding to the musical aspect is the desire to convey filmic and visual thrills; encouraging and guiding the listener’s imagination into cinematic narratives and moods. The outcome is a highly conceptual album filled with detailed and sensitive ambient stories.

Dessin Bizarre – Open Your Eyes

This is a digital only release.

Dessin Bizarre is an ambient music project of a Russian composer Ivan Krasnov. His musical ship travels in the calming waters of ambient and his feeds and makes it more beautiful with the influences coming from post-rock. Ivan is a self-taught musician. He first started creating his music in 2005. His music is based on a lighter feel accompanied by simplicity combined with different acoustic techniques and sound-processing during sound recording.

In general, Dessin Bizarre live performances are held in atmosphere of light games. Also the musician takes part in creating sound design of games, performances, and other events.

“Open Your Eyes” includes compositions recorded by the use of analogue and electric instruments, digital effects that let broaden opportunities, get texture
and sound gradient of ingrained fibers and vibrations which blend lightness and depth.

If you want to discover some hidden treasures in the ocean, Dessin Bizarre invites you to take part in this journey.

Monochromie – Behind Black Clouds

Monochromie is a musical project of Wilson Trouvé. His music is emerging from many melting spots on borders of ambient, noise and post-rock; thus every song created is a pure original with the resonance of a particular atmosphere. Dark or luminous, hot or cold, wind or earth - attentive ear will detect them all. Sigur Ros, Pan American, Explosions in the Sky, Godspeed You Black Emperor, Thee Silver Mt Zion, Brian Eno, Ryuichi Sakamoto & Alva Noto or Frederic Chopin, Erik Satie and the sonatas or impromptus of Franz Schubert are among the many influences of the artist.

In 2012, he released his debut "Angels And Demons" on Fluttery Records and received the most flattering reviews. A year later, his second release "Enlighten Yourself While You Sleep" clearly contrasted with his previous piece, what only proved artists skilfulness and versatility. Between the first album releases and his latest piece, which we are going to present to you shortly, Wilson was not neglecting his career and self-released two EP, "Winter" in 2014 and "Brussel-Zuid" in 2015.

Today, he is coming with his brand new album "Behind Black Clouds". Who could introduce his art better than the composer himself?

"After a full year of composition, I am excited to finally present my fourth album: Behind Black Clouds. Like in the past, the process was erratic. Some tracks I could start and complete within a single day. Other took me weeks, even months, to come maturity. I try to keep the ear on the ground of my emotions, my mood and feelings. The time has to be right." says Wilson.

Album's core instrument is a piano. Even though most of his album was composed in his studio in Marseille, the piano types varies according to a place Wilson was in. Piano recordings together with samples taken from the street and with melodies, basic music editing effects and other instruments like metallophone or melodica created wonderful music carrying the right expression achieved through balance in artist's creative process.

Wilson further says: "Of course, the visual artist that I am influences the way I perceive and use sound. I literally view it as a palpable texture, one that can be sculpted, modeled, blended and bended in various forms. This also reflects on the way my music tells specific stories. It is no different than clay, dust, paper, colors, paint or inks. Eventually, I want the music that I create to become a collection of paintings, series of shots and screens made of all the many layers that I patiently add along months of creation. Until the balance becomes right. I feel they become landscapes, clouds, shades and lights."

Monochromie invites atmospheric electronic music fans to blissful listening session one more time.

Track List

Fading Tapes - Music From Attic

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Track List

Dan Caine - Transitions

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Track List

Okada - Division Of Self

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Track List

Vinc2 - By The Third Sea

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Track List

Diamond Gloss - Primavera

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Track List

Secoya - The World Is Yours

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Track List

Sky Flying By - Miscellany

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Track List

Virlyn - Arctic Radio

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Track List

Dessin Bizarre - Open Your Eyes

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Track List

Monochromie - Behind Black Clouds

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