Flotsam & Jetsam, by Bing Satellites

Flotsam & Jetsam is a new Ambient/Modern Classical album from prolific UK producer Bing Satellites.

Consisting of seven piano “sketches” – Flotsam & Jetsam sees a more delicate and intimate side of Bing Satellites that is most welcome. Known best for their shoegaze-infused-ambient, opting instead for the use of Acoustic Piano which lends a feeling of emotion and closeness to the project. Even with the introduction of pads/synths within the tracks always leaves ample room for improvisation on the keys.

The album itself is incredibly relaxing, almost immediately I was instilled with a sense of calmness and introspection. Wistfully meandering between optimism and melancholy, the sounds are perfect for a moody-rainy day. There is a deep satisfaction I derive from these sounds – perhaps nested in the electro-acoustic nature, or years of emotion carefully folded into the songs.

You can pick the digital edition of the album up now via Bing Satellites bandcamp page – along with a very attractive CD package available! For those of you who are true ambient lovers, consider supporting the artist via their monthly subscription, or consider picking up the extended discography of over 200 releases for less than $50 – the amount of music you get in return is borderline overwhelming but it’s highly encouraged. Don’t sleep on this amazing producer, and if you do, be sure to throw on Flotsam & Jetsam before you shut your eyes…

Dream Recollection, by Dream Paradigm

Wholesome and lush ambience is absolutely overflowing from this new release by 夢范例 (Dream Paradigm)

夢迴想 (Dream Recollection) is a 4 track longform ambient project presented by DreamSphere net label.

The album itself is very soft and expansive, like a fuzzy weighted blanket. Foamy synthesizers, churning back and forth between swells of hope and receding melancholy, droning tones inducing a trance-like state…

Despite being only 4 tracks, the projects playtime is longer than most full-length records, sitting at 60 minutes flat. This hearty runtime paired with the incredibly relaxed nature of the sounds makes it a perfect companion for morning coffee or a yoga session.

The style of ambience is truly quite pure – as the label describes, Dreamtone – which is perhaps a new genre, or a self-assigned tag. Whatever the source, it’s a fitting name to bestow such sounds – with a focus on the beauty and the emotional possibilities of subtlety.

You can pickup the album now digitally via the DreamSphere bandcamp page !

Ingress Egress, by THE GAYE DEVICE

Soothing and wholesome ambient from THE GAYE DEVICE – ingress egress is a powerful cinematic synth journey.

Stretched over 8 luscious tracks, the album wanders through retro cyberpunk vibes, floating through a glowing synthetic haze.

Sometimes hopeful, sometimes brooding – yet always satisfying on a deep level. There is a mystical and ethereal flavor to the soundscapes while remaining quite synthetic – like a holodeck of lush wonder.

The tracks are long and thoughtful. Blissful even. Perfect to listen with a cup of coffee or light rain-showers outside.

Pick up the digital album via Bandcamp and explore the rest of the discography while you’re there!

Guo Voices, by Morteza Jahangiri

Ethereal, calm and collected sounds from ambient producer Morteza Jahangiri.

Guo Voices is a 4 track project of sublime melancholy atmospherics. Perfect for a meditation session or morning relaxation to start your day a mellow way.

With a varied electro-acoustic palette – Morteza crafts unique soundscapes with a soft, delicate touch. There’s a cinematic feeling to the music, with chord progressions being slightly more bold than other contemporary ambient. Subtle melodies float atop plush synthetic pillows.

It’s a refreshing and hearty journey – feeling a lot longer than the 4 tracks lead to believe. You will likely find yourself coming back to this one, it’s cozy and thoughtful like an old friend. Stream and Download available directly from the artists bandcamp page.

Landline, by Colonial Skyway

Calm and collected ambient from producer Colonial Skyway

Landline is an album built from 6 long-form drone tracks that, for the most part, dwell in the realm of subtle darkness and brooding nostalgia, drifting occasionally into warm hopefulness. There is an atmosphere of intimacy to the songs – often invoking imagery not dissimilar from the albums artwork – wide open fields, sprawling and epic – yet alone. Churning, fuzzy synths are abundant – leading the listener into a realm that is organic and expansive.

This one is perfect for ambient listeners who want a bit more of a passive experience – whether to fall asleep at night or have a soundtrack to your morning meditation. Be sure to check out Colonial Skyway’s other projects on their bandcamp page – and pick up the album for yourself, pay what you want style!

Water Flowing and Birds, by Heavenchord & Infinity Dots

Ethereal and atmospheric dub ambience created collaboratively by Heavenchord & Infinity Dots, released by Russian label Secret Domain.

Blending together a pleasant balance of stripped down classic ambient, subtle synthetic atmospherics and field recordings – the duo craft a selection of incredibly relaxing tracks. Perfectly suitable for morning meditations or lulling yourself into the embrace of a good night’s sleep. Each song has plenty of room to get lost inside – Water Flowing and Birds features a marvelous environment created with a satisfyingly minimal palette. The birds chirp on as you float down the Quiet River, a narrator from high above the clouds peppering his two cents about the situation.

All in all it’s a very fulfilling listen, touching lots of different concepts – breaking them down and extrapolating upon. Doing that wonderful thing that brilliant ambient releases do, providing just enough dynamics to make for an interesting listen – without being obtrusive….Perfect for either active or passive listening.

Pick up the Digital Release via Secret Domain’s Bandcamp page – and be sure to explore the catalogs of both Heavenchord and Infinity Dots!

rest, by nuages

Rest – something that a lot of us are familiar with right now, i’m sure. Thankfully we have wonderful artists like nuages to breathe some energy into our routines. These emotional and reflective 3-tracks remind us that it is okay to take a break, rest our mindsets and intentions back to some sort of equilibrium. Soothing melodies caress the compositions, as downtempo rhythms carry the tracks towards completion. It’s a very relaxing listen, with subtle touches of melancholy that I adore so much adding a pleasant emotional depth to the project. I found myself listening to this one over and over again, so I simply had to share it…

Moon Tides, by Mzungu

Excerpt taken from Bandcamp relaese page.

Sitting, trying to study I looped a sample I had been working on in my DAW. This sample stayed playing for approximately 30 minutes – on repeat. I stumbled upon ‘Moontides’, named after the complicated interplay between moon and tides. Rhythmically massive, the relationship is nevertheless tangible and can be seen at work on any coastline.

In this work I have taken sounds and stretched and manipulated them, warping tempo and rhythmic structure. All of the samples start at the same time, but due to their differing lengths they never ‘complete’ together. Combined with volume automation this allows for a release of constraint. Take, for instance, traffic noises in the early morning mingling with the sound of birds outside your window. The two sounds merge, relate to one another. They are not pre-planned, but are rather rhythmically spontaneous – the rhythm emerging as it becomes. This symbiosis, this rhythmic chance, is allowed to develop in the repeated playing of samples.

There exists, nevertheless, a structure. The song ‘wraps around’ as a bar (or a complete rhythmic unit) as the piece finishes. Therefore, each element never sits parallel, but rather its position to other elements shifts continually. Frankenstein’s monster, a complete butchery of beauty. Notes, preludes, sonatas and other flotsam and jetsam. It came out of an idea (an attempt) to do away with scales and notation and see what happened. All of the keys and scales are by ear, elements are pitched according to feeling, not rule. Tones clash, do battle and drift apart falling into harmony then dissaray.

Doing away with working within a Western theoretical understanding of music is not novel, and I do not pretend it is. This is purely a piece of pretentious imagination. However, the musical bastard – as I have so named this project – exists and is out here for your pleasure or pardon

– Jonah Hebron aka Mzungu

released September 4, 2018

Whatever it is, Whenever you feel like it, by Heart Eyes

Colorado label Community Radio Tapes presents us with this beautiful little oddity by Heart Eyes, Whatever it is, Whenever you feel like it is a 6 track tape of glazed bedroom ambience with plenty of emotion.

The tape is quite pleasant with some interesting ideas, though there is a lot of weirdness going on it always remains a comfortable weirdness. The kind that you know won’t harm you. However there is an anxiety to some of the tracks, a looming melancholy that sits really heavy! Do not panic however, it’s a very nice listen and ends on a high note.

You can download the album via bandcamp or purchase a cassette copy from the same page!

Good for

• Study Sessions
• Meditation
• Late Night Chill

Favorite Track: I am crying, I can’t talk

The Autumn Elegy, by Glowing Swords

Incoming drone goodness via collaborative project Glowing Swords, consisting of Zachary Corsa (Nonconnah, ex Lost Trail) and Scott Cortez (Astrobrite, Lovesliescrushing). The Autumn Elegy brings us 10 tracks of soaring, fuzzy noisescapes that are both lush and withering. A thick haze forms over each track, at some points obscuring the senses entirely in pieces such as Calrn which seem to be performed in some otherworldly etherial cavern, then broadcast to the countryside over AM radio. It’s musty and dusty and I love it.

What really grips me about this album is the hidden melodies my brain finds. There is a very therapeutic and rewarding quality to the blissed-out leads that seem to drift in and out of the mix.  It’s often right when I am beginning to succumb to the world the track is building, the moment disbelief is suspended, that these melodies creep onto the canvas and introduce a whole new vibe! These gems are what make this album a good repeat listen in my opinion; being an album that can be enjoyed both subliminally and intellectually.

You can download the album via Bandcamp or purchase a Deluxe CD edition via Wist Records which looks so cool! It’s got tons of additional goodies