Illuvia / Iridescence of Clouds (Sea of Vapor)

The original process working alongside Ludvig Cimbrelius on his album Iridescence of Clouds, was an insightful journey through an artists’ meticulous mindset, as Ludvig let me in on the many iterations and versions of tracks he built along the way. I can be completely honest here; every single version I heard was brilliant he sent my way, but of course, his own artistic vision needed to be fulfilled, and certain versions were left by the wayside. Fast forward a year since the amazing response to this album, and we’re now treated to an entirely new album that is now presented alongside the original. Fully remastered by Ludvig himself to help fulfill every inch of his own vision in complete totality.

Now available on Bandcamp on Digital + 2CD Digipak, see the release page for full details and links to buy.

Illuvia expands upon his 2021 ambient drum'n bass hybrid album Iridescence Of Clouds, with a new suite of alternate and once discarded versions. Revisited, remastered, and presented as an extended digital album and double CD, with a new artwork version by Noah M / Keep Adding. 

"During the two-year process of creating the music that became Iridescence of Clouds, I ventured deep in attempts to give form to visions I’ve been catching glimpses of since my youth. Translating emotional landscapes to sound is somewhat of an undertaking when you care about every detail. As it often happens for me when working on an album, the alternate versions and discarded tracks were legion. Amongst them were everything from sketches to almost finished tracks that had been part of the album at some point, later to be replaced and left by the wayside. A while after the release I found myself revisiting these versions and outtakes, and I began gathering up a selection to form another album that I called Sea of Vapor.

It soon became clear to me that all these tracks felt emotionally tied to the original album, and I didn’t really have the sense that this new chapter wanted to stand on its own. That is when the idea of making a double CD came to mind—letting the two chapters come together as one story. Perhaps another reason why this idea resonated with me is that my early days of discovering and exploring the bright new world of atmospheric jungle and drum’n’ bass happened exclusively via the medium of CDs (and not uncommonly double discs). As shared in my entry for ASIP’s mix series [isolatedmix107], those CDs meant the world to me at the time and certainly left a deep imprint, perhaps even down to leaving me with an emotional affinity for the format.

So after another year of traveling through this vaporous rhythmic soundworld, it feels special to be able to present an extended edition of this album complete with a new rendition of the awe-inspiring original artwork by Noah M / Keep Adding (though the original version still leaves me speechless). As far as the music goes, there is no point in pretending that my journey with Iridescence of Clouds has been an easy one, but as a friend and fellow ASIP artist reminded me—maybe it shouldn’t be. And as time passes, it seems to me that the memory of our struggles fade while the beauty of our work remains" - Ludvig Cimbrelius

~

The digital edition of the album will be name-your-price for a limited time on Bandcamp, and all proceeds from digital sales will go directly to support the people of Ukraine. We encourage everyone to give as much as they comfortably can, and all together we will make a difference for those who need it the most right now. Human lives are at stake and your support matters. When we have received a big enough sum to make an impact, we will make an announcement and the sum of all the proceeds collected will be divided equally between Unicef Ukraine (www.unicef.org/ukraine/en) and Nova Ukraine (novaukraine.org)

Now available: Illuvia / Iridescence Of Clouds

I'm very excited to introduce our first record of 2021 and a return to the label for Ludvig Cimbrelius, under his Illuvia alias.

This record was born upon first hearing Ludvig's self-titled Illuvia album and in particular, the last track 'Illuvia (Exaltation)'. It's an absolutely immense, atmospheric drum'n bass tune, and left me yearning for more. So once I had picked my jaw up off the floor, I asked Ludvig to complete an entire record in this style for ASIP.

Not only has the result exceeded any expectations, but the journey has also been extremely gratifying, with Ludvig allowing me close to the progression of the album over the years (?!) and the rare chance for us to meet in person when he visited LA last summer, discussing the record in depth.

'Iridescence Of Clouds' evokes memories of falling in love with the classic, atmospheric side of drum'n bass whilst providing a completely new take on the genre with ambient at its heart.

View the release page for links to buy and more info.

isolatedmix 107 - Illuvia

It’s not often that we get ASIP artists to contribute with isolatedmixes, but Ludvig’s journey with his Illuvia alias revives a love for the Drum and Bass genre in all of us electronic music fans, triggering the emotion, highs, and nostalgia that so often comes hand-in-hand with the atmospheric side of DnB.

Ludvig’s upcoming LP as Illuvia (Iridescence Of Clouds) sits at the apex of both ambient and Drum and Bass - somehow quenching the thirst of both sides whilst inciting something new and exciting. After being a part of this journey with Ludvig over the past few years, we got talking about the many inspirations behind the album and I urged him to put together this mix for us all by way of further insight into the album. I will leave the rest of the introduction to Ludvig, as he has taken the time to pen an intro to the mix; the inspiration behind it, and how it connects to his upcoming release.

What I will say, however, is the exact same as the comment I left on the original Illuvia album on Bandcamp back in 2017… “LTJ Bukem, eat your heart out”!

“

I’m not too big on genre definitions per se – I prefer to describe music in terms of its emotion and energy, its flavors and colors. But when talking about music it is also helpful if we use these definitions to simplify the description process. If I say atmospheric drum & bass (or ambient jungle if you like), everyone who has an interest in electronic music knows what I’m talking about. Genres are funny though – they seem to gather their own momentum and become these overarching stylistic markers that many artists (myself included) then allow to color or even define their own unique expression, making it fit within these imaginary boundaries defined by the ones that came before – the ones who broke new ground. I’m all for staying true to one’s inner vision, and I’m also particularly fond of the aesthetics of atmospheric drum & bass, which have influenced my work from a young age. There are probably many reasons why.

During my teenage years, I was experiencing perpetual anxiety and slipping deeper and deeper into depressive states of mind. Few things had the power to reach me and lift me out of such states (at the time; being alone in nature, getting lost in music, or complete physical exhaustion basically). I remember one time in particular when I was experiencing deep anxiety, staying in an apartment with friends who lived in the city. We had been drinking and getting high, and this only exacerbated my anxiety. I always carried my portable CD-player and had brought with me a couple of newly purchased Good Looking Records compilations. I went to lie down on the floor somewhere, put my headphones on, and slipped into another world.

Gently I was lifted out of the panic that was gripping my heart and into a world full of wonder. The contrast to my previous state was extreme. The body was relaxing while I was traveling in astral realms defined by emotion and color. The senses merged, the music became visual. Of course, this experience was enabled in part by a chemically induced altered state, but I have later traveled in similar ways without that component, and I would definitely say that the experience is even more profound when you learn to just use the focus of your mind. The music becomes a bridge, letting you cross over from your present, often very limited state (such as believing that you are a person in a body), into greater awareness of the limitless nature of existence. Why do people love these experiences? Because they are natural.

Back to atmospheric drum & bass in particular, and those qualities embodied within it that my heart will always stay warm to (and, by the way, all of this is naturally my subjective interpretation and rather fluid as such).

Primarily, it is the lightness, playfulness and childlike wonder that I gravitate to so deeply. There are drum & bass tracks that are nothing but pure, distilled joy and wonderment (a few by Artemis come to mind). It’s quite rare to find artistic expressions of pure happiness among all the (man-made) troubles of the modern world. When artists “in” this genre are exploring other states in their expression, such as sadness, loneliness, longing, desolation etc., these are approached in a refreshingly non-personal way and instead interpreted more cinematically. It seems to be all about taking on a grander view of life, of existence, and the personal drama is simply not that significant in the cosmic scheme of things (thankfully). Along the same lines, there seems to be a near-total absence of “coolness” or attitude to this particular style of music, which makes me think that the intent is more about sharing a positive experience rather than that of impressing someone. Of course, not always true and definitely not exclusive to this genre (!), but it just seems peculiarly prevalent in my view. Less “look at me!” and more “look at this amazing view!”.

Possible Worlds a track by Moonchild (aka Nu-Moon) expresses some of this in the title, nicely depicted by this YT video:

Look how small we are. Look how grand this whole thing is. But contemplating this doesn’t make you feel small – perhaps only momentarily while you shift out of your familiar world and assume a more expansive outlook. Keep going and you will begin to feel cosmic. You will become an empty space full of wonder (or realize that this is what you were all along).

Back to little me. As I was already producing music at the time of the ‘atmospheric out-of-body-experience & bass’ described before, I naturally began to make my own attempts of creating these types of tracks. My musical journey started as a drummer so I was innately in love with intricate fast-paced breaks – and who on earth doesn’t love a massive sub? (Probably some, however difficult that is to fathom...). My own earliest adventures in the genre worthy of release eventually saw the light of day via this compilation released by Omni Music UK:

Chris ‘Eschaton’ Wright has been a big supporter of this side of my work, so I’m happy that this compilation remains in archives of his prolific label. And yes, Ziyal is named after a character in Star Trek: Deep Space 9 (not that you asked, but in case you would ever wonder about it!). She’s a beautiful though sadly short-lived character that bridges two opposing worlds with her childlike, open heart, and so I felt it fitting that she would be commemorated in my atmospheric drum & bass explorations. After creating a double album of epic proportions together with my brother-in-sound Bass’Flo (aka Sinius), the climax of Ziyal consolidated as the album No World But You released by another brother-in-sound and longtime supporter of my work – Kian Asamoah, operating Noisy Meditation:

A few solar cycles later, it was time for renewal. Letting two long time monikers go to rest (Alveol and Ziyal), I had no name for the new music that was coming through full-force, as the later on titled Illuvia (Exaltation) materialized during an all-night session. Somewhat lost in the dark at the time, I wasn’t very happy with it afterward and pretty much left it aside. The new music kept flowing and eventually the entire Illuvia debut album had arrived, along with this name that for me personally carried the meaning “path of illumination” or “path of light” (I have later found other meanings within it).

Years passed, and after a couple of fruitless attempts at getting this debut album pressed to vinyl, I finally decided to release it digitally on my own. At the very final stages of that process, I happened to uncover that initial version of the Illuvia track and decided to throw it on as the finale with the epithet (Exaltation). But this is turning into quite the novel, so let me conclude by taking a breath, and re-center in the present moment.

Why am I writing this? Ah yes, the mix and the new album. So, I wanted to compile a mix consisting mainly of tracks I listened to during those early years of discovering and exploring this style of music through buying CDs in local record shops. First off, there are so many gems that I couldn’t fit into this mix unless it would have been 8 hours long. It was emotionally painful to make some of these decisions – a testament to the love I feel for these pieces of sonic art that have accompanied me through life. The main inspiration behind the mix is the desire to share the experience of stepping back and taking in a grander view of life and existence, as is so emotionally articulated by Ellie Arroway in the intro (a fictional character in one of my all-time favorite movies).

And the ‘Iridescence of Clouds’ album… what is it about?

So many things. So many points connecting there (though I feel like maybe I didn’t quite manage to tie them together). Mainly, I think I’m still chasing those grand visions I had in my youth, and have had ever since… those feelings that are too vast to fit within any known definitions or boundaries, but still can only be expressed through a process of limitation. The decision to explore a certain stylistic direction is one such limitation, and it seems to be one that ignites my inspiration. It feels like there is more depth and new vistas to explore in those atmospheric worlds of big harmonic waves, deep subs and rapidly flowing beats. Sometimes I feel that my tools have gotten blunt over the years – that I’ve lost some quality of clarity that I long to recover. But I don't know that for sure. What I do know is that this album is a small part of something so much greater (endlessly greater if we continue zooming out)... and as with every other aspect of creation, it is important. It is possibly a step towards the unveiling of some even greater vision that couldn’t happen without it. Nothing we create will ever be a destination, something complete in and of itself. It will always and ever only be a step.

“ - Ludvig Cimbrelius.

Listen on Soundcloud, Mixcloud, or the ASIP Podcast.

astrangelyisolatedplace · isolatedmix 107 - Illuvia

Download

Tracklist:

01. Photek - Aura
02. Blu Mar Ten - Cumulus
03. The Architex - Escape
04. Photek - Rings Around Saturn
05. Seba & Lotek - So Long
06. Boymerang - The River (VIP)
07. J Majik - Repertoire
08. 154 - Apricot
09. Teebee & K - Cherokee
10. Flytronix - Vertical Plains
11. Photek - T'Raenon
12. Hidden Agenda - The Sun
13. Tunduska - Blush Response
14. Goldie - Sea of Tears
15. ASC - The Machinery of Night
16. Goldie - Letter of Fate
17. Alaska & Paradox - Etherous
18. Boymerang - Lazarus
19. Lamb - Just Is

The mix also contains parts of these tracks:

Jonny L - Tychonic Cycle
Alaska - Ultramundane
Hidden Agenda - Dispatches #2
Nu-Moon - Sea Town
Override - PAC 3
Nebula - Escapism
Artemis - Inner Worlds
Henrik B - Mirrors
Motive One - Loop Progression

Illuvia | Bandcamp | Soundcloud | ASIP artist page

ASIP 9128.live Takeover

*Updated with mixes from the event below*

We’re taking over our radio station 9128.live this weekend with a marathon live stream of exclusive music, DJs and live sets.

When:

Saturday March 21st, beginning at 10am PST (5pm GMT), running all the way until:-
Sunday March 22nd, ending at 9pm PST (4am GMT).

Why:

Firstly, because of what is happening in the world surrounding the Coronavirus. Most of us are at home (or should be!) And as a result, many shows are cancelled (including our first label showcase in London). So not only do we want to replicate that event online, we want to try help raise some money for a good cause, support more artists and labels, and offer some solace to everyone staying at home. We will be adding links to donate to a chosen charity during the event, should listeners want to give something back and help those in need as a way of saying thank you. We have also compiled a Buy Music Club list of all the artists featured in the program for you to support the featured artists directly.

Who:

The weekend programming will feature a mixture of live sets, new material and exclusive music to 9128 from the below artists/labels. Check the schedule tab for set times. Featured artists are listed in alphabetical order.

36 (Live) Dennis will be compiling a very special “Slow The F@ck Down” set featuring edits of his own material.

Benoît Pioulard (Exclusive material)Tom has prepared a very special hour of music containing guitar, voice, harmonium, piano, OP-1 & Moog synthesizers, and magnetic tape alongside several pieces taken from the subscriber-only album "Underwritten".

Bluetech (DJ/Live set)Evan has prepared a special hybrid DJ/live set featuring his own material along with tracks from an upcoming compilation he has compiled.

Certain Creatures (Live set)Mysteries of The Deep, Oliver Chapoy presents a rare live set.

Damm (Album Premiere)Joel Mull will be reviving his electronica alias Damm, set to be released on ASIP soon and will be playing tracks from the forthcoming ASIP album.

Digitonal (Live)A rare live set from Mr Andy Dobson of Digitonal

Field Records / AHPR & Sébastien (DJ set)Debut of a live set by Field Records’, AHPR & Sébastien taken from Organik Festival in 2018, Taiwan.

From Overseas (Album Premiere) First listen of the new album ‘Home’ upcoming on Past Inside The Present.

Gadi Sassoon (Live set)Set to release his debut album on ASIP this year, Gadi will be performing live from his studio amongst locked-down Italy. Check out his work here.

Grant Aaron (DJ set)The Mysteries Of The Deep label boss will be providing an exclusive DJ mix titled Shelter.

Isaac Helsen (Live set)The PITP co-founder and producer will be presenting new and improvised material alongside unreleased music.

James Bernard (Live set) James has been preparing a very special ambient-acid set, and will debut it here on 9128.

Jamie McCue (Live DJ set)The Silent Season label boss will be providing an exclusive Live DJ mix straight from the Silent Season Forest.

Jane Fitz (Live DJ set)Jane was set to close out our London event, and will complete her set instead from her studio with her entire vinyl collection to choose from.

Max Würden (Exclusive material)
Max will be presenting a piece of soundtrack work, mixed and edited with samples taken from the accompanying film ‘Derailed’.

Merrin Karras (Live + Album Premiere) The new Merrin Karras album is set to drop on Monday 23rd, and Brendan will be playing live with music from the album.

Multicast Dynamics (Live + exclusive DJ mix)We’ll be debuting a special previously unheard 2-hr live DJ mix from Samuel alongside as well as a live set straight from his studio.

Olga Wojciechowska (Live set)An extended, previously unheard live set by the ASIP composer.

Purl / Ludvig Cimbrelius (Live + exclusive material)
Ludvig will be making two appearances, the first with a preview of upcoming Purl material, and the second with a special raw piano live set.

Quiet Places (Album Premiere) Dennis White, Charlie May and Dave Gardner (Quiet Places) were set to debut at our London show. We’ll get a glimpse of their upcoming ASIP material this weekend.

r beny (Live set)A special live set from the admired synthesizer master.

Thesis Project (Exclusive material)Two hours of exclusive material from The Thesis Project catalog.

todos (Live DJ set)An admired DJ on ASIP for years, todos has soundtracked some of our finest journeys. Here, he will be spinning vinyl from his extensive collection in the UK to kick off the weekend program.

Tom Middleton (DJ/Live set)A very special DJ set featuring exclusive Global Communication tracks to close out our program.

Warmth (DJ set)Agus, producing as Warmth but also the man behind the Archives and Faint labels has compiled a mix full of exclusive label material including tracks from SVLBRD, Robert Farrugia, Powlos, Lauge, Christina Giannone, Purl and Javier Marimon

William Selman (Album Premiere)The Mysteries Of The Deep artist will be debuting his new upcoming album.

ASIP (Live DJ set)Lastly, A Strangely Isolated Place label boss ASIP will be spinning test-presses and unreleased label music.