Brand new ethereal dark ambient from Sulkdrugs – presented by Illuminated Paths.
Pure Evil Bliss houses a collection of glowing-yet-gritty ambient songs forged in the fires of terrifying emotion. The duo dives deep into the recesses of the human mind, reaching in and grabbing serious moods and feelings to flip into potent samples. Radios struggle to find a station, instead succumbing to fuzzy aetherwave static. Mysterious choirs sing gently beyond the fog.
Sometimes hopeful, occasionally melancholy, and not nearly as dark as the album name suggests – Pure Evil Bliss is truly a blissful experience in bedroom ambient. Perfect soundtrack for a contemplative, balmy summer night.
You can purchase the Cassette via Illuminated Paths or enjoy the album on your favorite streaming platform.
Brought to us by Submarine Broadcasting Company – Clear Muted Sine Recovery is quite an interesting project, and a fun listen!
Following the mission statement of “the intention of being played quietly“, the sounds have a unique wholesomeness to them. Almost how music created for old video games can instill a sense of claustrophobia – the mix focusing on cramming sounds densely onto a tiny cartridge, only to be looped as background music to a greater adventure.
Within the soft tones and wandering song structure lies some brilliant lo-fi psychedelic sounds. Simply put, it’s non-jazz noodling in the best possible way.
I adore electronic music when it sheds all semblance of structure – shifting the spotlight onto other aspects of the sound. This album accomplishes this and THEN SOME. I found myself doing the opposite of the suggestion advice of listening quietly, instead opting to crank up the sounds in my nicest pair of headphones – soaking in each individual tone and synth patch.
Clear Muted Sine Recovery is an excellent exploration in outsider ambient and experimental electronics – focusing on a soft yet unique palette of sounds. The resulting listening experience is quite thoughtful and sometimes meditative. Dark enough to encourage wandering thoughts, but not enough to feel brooding or manic.
Constant Repetitive Rhythm is the latest album by Moog Conspiracy – a collection of 10 tracks with a deep and dark techno flavor.
Very energetic sounds with just the right amount of sonic experimentation. Moog Conspiracy does a nice job weaving dark ambience and fuzzy textures into the club framework – resulting in a subtly cyberpunk experience.
There’s enough going on in this project to elevate it beyond a bundle of tracks for DJ placement despite its club sensibility. The close listener will be rewarded with lush synthesizers and dank atmospherics churning beneath a pulsing kick drum.
It will come as no surprise that the tracks sit in the realm of techno (which Constant Repetitive Rhythm is a pretty solid definition of!), and Moog Conspiracy uses this framework to propel the listener forward, feeding interesting sounds along the way. Tracks like Wizard and Tristesse highlight some very satisfying synths and sounds, where others like Dark Side of the Light are constructed as classic deep-techno bangers.
If you’re a fan of club sounds, deconstructed or otherwise, you will find something to enjoy in this release! You can pick up the digital version and stream now via the artists Bandcamp page.
Lowless Records presents us with this lovely dub techno 4-track EP by Daniel[i]. Lush and vibrant while maintaining a nice relaxed atmosphere, Ileus is a hypnotically atmospheric project with satisfying depth.
Exploring different corners of deep techno and soundscape electronics, Daniel[i] builds off foundations of soft rhythmic elements, layered meticulously with luscious pads and synths sprinkled around. A wonderful balance of light and dark – that subtle melancholy vibe I adore so much.
Unfortunately the Vinyl has already sold out – but you can stream the release and purchase the digital version still via bandcamp!
The ever-intoxicating sounds of 36 are coming back to us on fresh waves – this time in the form of a so-called “mini-album” Wave Variations.
A collection of short flowing compositions – Wave Variations features 12 tracks (2 of which are exclusive to the vinyl release) presented as Sequences One to Twelve. Now that would typically seem like a full-length album, but I understand what the producer is going for when they dub it a mini-album. Each track floats around 3 minutes in length, which is a definite oddity in the world of ambient music. 36 explains…
‘I feel like a lot of ambient music (including my own) is often unnecessarily long and these small vignettes work as a nice counter to that. Don’t expect long build-ups or over-extended crescendos”
It may seem like a negative and/or blanketed statement, but it’s quite spot on. And in the case of this album, the brevity definitely plays to its advantage. I actually think this is a fantastic introduction of sorts to 36 in general, with each track highlighting different aspects of their signature sound – melodic and melancholy, expressive yet relaxing.
Wave Variations takes cues from it’s own name, with each track having pulsing hypnotic qualities. Tracks like “Eighth Sequence” masterfully coaxing the listener into a pensive state, floating in time for a brief reflective moment. The tempo and pacing of the noodling synthesizers and humming pads translate across the project, whether taking a more playful approach or sinking back into a numbing melancholy.
The album was originally released back in July by Past Inside The Present – and although the physical editions are currently sold out, we are lucky to have access to this digital edition. Support the artist directly via Bandcamp.
Fresh and wonderful modular ambience from UK producer Field Lines Cartographer. The Glimmering Plane does exactly what it sets out to do – self described as “62 minutes of long-form electronic music intended to be an immersive, transportive experience” – FLC hits the nail on the head. By the time you are halfway through the listen, it’s easy to find oneself inside this fabled Glimmering Plane, looking casually out the window as the landscape unfolds below. Massive sweeping synths coat the tracks in ethereal joy, peppered with rhythmic melodies. Touching darkness but not bathing in it, there is a expert balance of mood and emotion, letting the listener fill in some gaps regarding expression and intent. A very solid long-player perfect for rainy Mondays….
The incredible output of Coppice Halifax continues with this wonderful double-length LP – Tigress. This commissioned 2-hour double album has an interesting story (please read via the bandcamp page!), and we are certainly lucky to have it available publicly! Aside from the unique intent and concept of the album, it’s packed with lush and warm atmospheric synthwork. Tracks built with heavy ambience, evolving into trip-hop grooves that would satisfy any Boards of Canada fan. It’s a wonderful record to throw on and get lost inside…
Headphone Commute is one of my favorite places to discover interesting new ambient music – much to my delight they have a new featured mix highlighting minimal sound label Home Normal to commemorate their 10th anniversary. Quite the achievement indeed, and worthy of celebration – much like the mix, which is packed full of blissful atmospheric soundscapes, masterfully curated for optimal relaxation and immersion.
Fresh and flourishing dub-techno sounds from Schulz Audio, brought to us by Kopoc Label out of Spain. The 4 track EP packs a subtle punch – chilled rhythms and mellow synths pluck here and there, maintaining a nice causal energy. It’s pretty lighthearted as well – not overwhelmingly melodic, but also not falling into the doom-dub pit. Kopoc always brings some nice sounds to the table, and with Moving On being available at name-your-own-price, it’s impossible not to recommend!
Different Worlds is a new Various Artists compilation, put together and released by the UK’s Drift Deeper Recordings. Gathering an international roster of producers, Different Worlds does a magnificent job of highlighting the subtle differences in Deep-House style and interpretation from around the globe.
With a healthy 13 tracks, Different Worlds is a lovely long-player with a great energy. It has introduced me to a few deep-house producers I was unaware of, so I definitely encourage giving this one a listen! You can stream the whole thing via Bandcamp or purchase a digital copy from the label!
![Ileus, by Daniel[i]](https://eternitytr33.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/a1309815179_10.jpg?w=924&h=0&crop=1)
Eternity Tree 