Hecq, Eskostatic, Selles, Low Light, 36

Hecq - Night Falls (remaster / repress)

You may remember Ben Lukas Boysen's epic 2008 album Night Falls as one of the best forays into modern classical by a primarily electronic producer. Haunting and powerful, the album has now been remastered and repressed 'to apply a more contemporary sound standard'. Vinyl copies are just 300 strong so be quick and at the very most, 299 as I just snagged one. Available on Bandcamp.

Eskostatic - Sjoenevad Lake

The first track to arrive from a new partnership between Martin Nonstatic and Marcel (Eskobarba) sees the duo dive deeper into their respective territories as Eskostatic. Evidence and promise of a extremely complementing ambient partnership. Free download available on Soundcloud.

Selles - Sunwarper

I stumbled across this album thanks to the ever-dependable Igloo Mag, who billed it as a combination of Ulrich Schnauss and Tycho, which is sure to get heads-turning. However, unlike many productions that sell this parity, Selles does a good job in spanning the broad spectrum of shoegaze inspired electronica, particularly on the Manual/Schanuss-esque Glass Tourists and Haze of Another Day.  Available from Bandcamp. 

Low Light - Cinema Atmospherica

The Oscars are soon to arrive, but like me you're probably not too excited about the visual feast of celebrities and likely more interested in whether Alva Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto's OST for The Revenant is going to clean-up. It better, because it's one of the finest soundtracks to emerge in a while.  Taking inspiration from this OST, the always great Low Light has put together this emotional scores mix, featuring some of the more recent greats as well as some classic scores. Free download available. 

Talking of soundtracks, you may be interested in this analysis of Howard Shore's genius behind The Lord Of The Rings OST. Amazing.

36 - M&Q Podcast

You can always count on 36 to put together a choice ambient mix. Featuring tracks from Max Richter, Global Communication, Markus Guentner, ASC and Acronym, it's definitely a mix fit for the ASIP world, penned as 'hugely emotional' in style and boundary. Free download available on Soundcloud.

David Elpezs - A Way For The Signal

This live mix by David Elpezs caught my ear recently, due to its breadth of ambient styles - an accomplished sound for a relatively unknown artist. David is however known well in his native country of Spain, and runs a Radio show/podcast called Electromagnética, as well as featuring on John Beltran's Music For Machines last year with, Brisa. So maybe it's just me playing catch up...

The tracks featured in the mix are taken from some his recent releases, which are all available on Bandcamp.

Some beautiful stuff...

Download

Tracklist:

1. JotaPé
2. El cielo de Lugo
3. Aeropuertos en lapso de tiempo
4. Andrómeda desde Villata
5. El vocoder del Big Bang
6. Melodíe pour les doux meduses
6. Pulsar para hablar
7. La semilla del cosmonauta

ASIP Wantlist #2 Jamie McCue (Silent Season)

Our second dive into the Wantlist comes from friend and label-head, Jamie McCue from the well respected Silent Season. I had anticipated these lists to throw out some obscure digs, bringing to life hints of personality from each person featured, and it looks like we're on track to fulfill that ambition. Some lovely hard-to-find selections from one of dub-techno's finest curators. 

1. The Future Sound Of London ‎– Lifeforms. 1994. [Discogs] 

In 1994 while I rolling around on the floor with my punk band screaming about teenage angst I completely was overlooking a genre of music that would later be hugely influential on life. I probably never heard of FSOL until the late 90’s which was maybe a good thing because this album is a masterpiece that deserved my more mature attention. My mom used to listen to Enya in the late 80’s and while it seemed cheesy at the time I think it’s what subconsciously implanted an interest in new age / ambient, which was literally the opposite style of music I was listening to at the time. Anyway, for better or worse I made it out of those years a little wiser and more open minded to downtempo and experimental electronic music. I hope to find this record in a dusty old record store one day.

2. Modern Art - Circuit Lights (1982-1986). 2011. [Discogs]

Growing up I was a huge fan of new wave, synth pop and 80’s music. I loved regularly tuning into the local radio stations and I remember hearing bands like Echo & The Bunnymen, Love and Rockets, The Cure, and similar music. It felt so right given I was listening to punk and ska at the time. It was like this gritty danceable punk influenced sound that still to this day gives me goosebumps when I hear the right song. I first heard Hello/Goodbye in a Silent Servant mix from a few years ago and it really hit home when I hear this track specifically. The Modern Art original was released on tape in 1982 but was re-released in 2011 as Circuit Lights (1982-1986). It’s on my wantlist and I hope to blast it one day.

3. Cymande - The Best Of. 1972. [Discogs]

Hey you can’t go wrong with this classic Cymande record from 1972! It’s a perfect BBQ beats record for those summer afternoon backyard parties. The record is loaded with roots, reggae, funk and soul. Not sure why I never owned a copy. I think maybe I preferred when friends play it while I puffed a spliff and got tipsy on rum. One day I’ll own it, one day. Classic!

4. Murcof - Martes [Discogs]

I completely missed buying Martes on vinyl when it first came out in 2002. I’ve regretted it all these years later until recently when the Leaf Label re-released it as a 3xLP set with Martes + Utopía. Murcof has a sound of his own that is one of a kind. As noted on his Discogs page, Murcof works with orchestral samples, microscopically detailed textures, sounds and rhythms. I”m happy to be a proud owner of the latest vinyl. Check it out!

5. The Dub Syndicate - The Pounding System (Ambience In Dub) [Discogs]

After crawling out of the 90’s with a massive hangover it was time to chill out. A trip to Central America was in order to smooth my rocker edges. What I found while down there was beautiful beaches, cheap weed, and beach bars that played some pretty cool reggae and dub music. Since those hazy days I’ve become a bit of a head for dub. A few years later I started following artists like Bill Laswell, Twilight Circus, Sly & Robbie and Pete Namlook. I loved their use of the studio to create some magical dub and ambient vibes. I first heard of Adrian Sherwood and his label On-U Sound from the Kid Hops radio show on KEXP Seattle on Saturday mornings. Instantly I was hooked on the experimental reggae/dub sounds from the label which led me to the The Pounding System album by Dub Syndicate. I still don’t own a copy, and it’s been on my wantlist for years. Once I own it you can put me in a beach chair with a spliff in hand with this playing out of the tiki bar speakers. 

~

Up next on the Wantlist, we ask another great friend, Mike Cadoo (of n5MD) for his crate digging targets. 

The Angling Loser, The Sight Below, Christian Kleine, Atomnation

The Angling Loser - Ocean Song

Forthcoming on ...txt, Lee Norris, Gordon Jones, Porya Hatami and Shintaro Aoki combine in this stunning track, taken from an upcoming album called Arena of Apprehension. An additional, more piano-centric track called Lady Of The Stream, is also available to preview.
...txt have previously responsible for Arovane's, dwell_tevvel_structure and look to be going from strength to strength.

port-royal - Heisenberg (The Sight Below remix)

There's an apparent port-royal remix album in the works titled You Ware Nowhere, and given it's at the hands of n5MD we can likely expect some quality output and some ASIP favorites to turn in a track. Proof in point, The Sight Below...

Christian Kleine - Coreal

You should know by now that we were big fans of City Centre Offices and its notorious electronica early 00's output. One of the artists involved in that movement was Christian Kleine, also known for being one half of the infamous duo Herrmann & Kleine (alongside label co-founder Thaddeus Herrmann). Christian returns with a new album titled, Coreal, self-released on Bandcamp, and it's a straight-up nostalgic trip back to the sound that helped define the infamous label. Beautiful, melodic, IDM/electronica - a certain style we haven't heard in quite some time. Available on Bandcamp.

Atomnation - 2015 Compilation

Applescal's label, Atomnation, had another great year on the release front, following a powerful 2014 including the release of Gidge (a firm favorite here at ASIP). And they're celebrating it by pulling together some sublime edits from their quality roster, including a new edit of Gidge's, You, a new track by Fran Seven and quite possibly one of the best house remixes I've heard in a while by Henry Salz. Unmissable and available on Bandcamp.

Dextro - In The Crossing

There's a unique style that exists in Dextro's music and it's one I've appreciated since I first heard his 2009 album, Winded. Ewan's combination of longing piano, euphoric drums and ambient textures is a rare recipe that straddles post-rock, downtempo, experimental and in many instances, ambient music. His upcoming album, In The Crossing, is his latest production capturing this enigmatic sound and we're lucky enough to hold an exclusive stream of the album prior to release.

Some of you may know Dextro from his inclusion on ASIP's Europe, in 2015, and it was everything I could have wished for to best depict his brilliant style I had followed for years. A swirling texture built to a crescendo of drums portraying the ascent of the Isle Of Barra. 

Dextro's upcoming album, In The Crossing, is another dive into a dramatic landscape. What starts as an unsettling and confident assault in Evacuate, soon transcends into a deeper journey. Perhaps the awakening was the rocking of the boat, the sinking of the ship, the crash on to shore, with a sudden realisation that survival is now your primary goal, amongst a barren and desolate land.

Dextro's gently rolling guitar follows the evacuation on Amor Fati, with crushing guitar drones caressing, then threatening and dancing in the background. Introducing the uptempo breaks and jagged synths of Break Off.  By now, the journey has picked up pace, and Ewan's experience with live performances dictating the flow of the recording, embracing a narrative and juxtaposing approaches to each track - Ewan's armory on full show just four tracks in, as Clearing, signals the melancholic piano we loved in his previous EP, Zero Circle.

One of my favourite tracks on the album, Clearing, is a crashing of energy, a realization of sorts and a chance to reflect before a more lively, brilliant, Silent. A swirling synth backed by a gentle chant, grows into a euphoric palette of glistening colors - a break in the sky. 

Sharp drums define a more downtempo-esque style in The Passage, with some lovely attention to detail in the guitars, as the track ascends into the powerful, climbing drones of Sum Poly; a slow post-rock style lullaby. Dextro saves his most epic treatment for last in Occupy, as heavy drones drown out an ominous string melody, immersing a tinkering beauty into a slowly sinking plateaux. 

Dextro has spent time narrating this album and developing the story, rather than trying to fit together individual pieces. Each track has an extremely distinct mood, a tangible feeling that's at times, extremely dark, or alternatively distinctly up-lifting. Either way, Dextro's strength with the album comes with his multitude of moods, told through his signature instruments and style. Brooding atmospheres, puncturing drums, melancholic pianos and just the right amount of electronic injection here-and-there, paint a beautiful, wet, windy landscape that screams adventure, drama and danger.

Embrace it with everything you've got.

In The Crossing will be pressed on limited 180g vinyl (200 copies) and 1000 Gatefold CD's through Bandcamp and available in all good record stores.