Now Listening

[jkn]

Post your latest listening...  either a quick listing or feel free to comment and do mini-reviews.

[rikm]

Just finished listening to Silvercord's Symphony of Sighs from Earth Mantra, and I have to say that it's a stunning piece of work!

Download it for free at http://earthmantra.com/release-detail.php?id=117

Listening now to Steve Brand's Relaxed Machinery release, very nice so far... =-)

[åpne sinn]

Having an APK kind of day.

Is: "Lost" - The Winterhouse
Was: "Invisible Cities" - The Circular Ruins
Before: "Meridian" - Nunc Stans

[jkn]

Had StillStream.com on while balancing checkbook and paying bills...

[jkn]

Rik - here's a review of this album from Phil Derby - electroambientspace.com

Silvercord “Symphony of Sighs”

(Free download here from Earth Mantra netlabel, 2010)

4 tracks, 61.52 mins



Silvercord is Geoff Nostrant and Symphony of Sighs is a wonderfully delicate ambient release. This intricately weaved collection of swirling sounds is one of the most entrancing releases I’ve heard in a while, the sort of thing you can truly immerse and completely lose yourself in. The first movement, “Within My Heart’s Slumbering Soul,” is nearly 12 minutes of the purest dream-inducing stuff I’ve come across in 15 years of reviewing. Each piece is deceptive in that it seems to be fairly static, but as you listen all these nuances come through. The effect reminds me very much of drone specialist Jliat, who makes tone poems that have an amazingly hypnotic, meditative quality. Movement two, “Rapture”, is nearly 20 minutes long, and while the timbres are quite different, but listening experience is quite similar. There seem to be more distinct changes here, but that could just be my perception, and that’s still a relative term only. Those who prefer structure in their music will likely just not get it. Of note, “Shores of Never” has great spatial separation – when the track started I thought another stereo was playing to the left of me, and that’s just on my PC speakers! Male choirs give this brief number a more melancholy feel. The last track is the most sudbued yet, with sparse pianos that seem to echo into infinity. I’m reminded somewhat of Harold Budd’s collaboration with the Cocteau Twins, The Moon and the Melodies. This is the most distinctive piece, with some semblance of melody and a definite though quite gradual progression throughout its nearly 25-minute course. Perfect for late night listening.


rikm said:

Just finished listening to Silvercord's Symphony of Sighs from Earth Mantra, and I have to say that it's a stunning piece of work!

Download it for free at http://earthmantra.com/release-detail.php?id=117

Listening now to Steve Brand's Relaxed Machinery release, very nice so far... =-)

[jkn]

The Verve - The Verve E.P. - thanks to Bob O. for 'forcing' me to go out and buy this album... it immediately triggered me buying their next album - and will most likely have me filling in more.

Bob O also turned me onto Stars of the Lid lately - I'm loving this stuff.

Forma Tadre - Automate - minimal ambient sci-fi sounding - somewhat like music carved from a vacuum.

[Bob Ohrum]

That`s awesome John !!

John Koch-Northrup said:

The Verve - The Verve E.P. - thanks to Bob O. for 'forcing' me to go out and buy this album... it immediately triggered me buying their next album - and will most likely have me filling in more.

Bob O also turned me onto Stars of the Lid lately - I'm loving this stuff.

Forma Tadre - Automate - minimal ambient sci-fi sounding - somewhat like music carved from a vacuum.

[rikm]

Ohhhhhhh, new Massive Attack is brilliant, brilliant, brilliant!

Really impressive work with a deceptive simplicity that works really well. A beautiful use of minimal sound sources to create a really clean and uncluttered sound.

Loving the Hope Sandoval track in particular.

[åpne sinn]

Just picked up Loscil's latest entitled "Endless Falls". Absolutely brilliant.

[Bob Ohrum]

I`m listening to "Fixed Context" by Labradford .
I love Labradford I hope they put out a new album

[Bob Ohrum]

I have to get that as soon as possible

åpne sinn said:

Just picked up Loscil's latest entitled "Endless Falls". Absolutely brilliant.

[jkn]

Ok - below are all the "now playing" type tweets that I posted to http://twitter.com/jkn over the last week - top is most recent. I've removed all the replies and conversations and non-music posts.

jkn: Swaying Smoke - Hidden Beneath The Soil: #minimal controlled feedback #drone darker tension #ambient #netlabel @pulicspaceslab @swayingsmoke

jkn: New Altus album "Black Trees Among Amber Skies" will be premiered on stillstream.com on Friday, March 26. Check site for times.

jkn: Just posted a link to @publicspaceslab on our rM community site: bit.ly/dzZUKE - rM will soon be home to several label communities.

jkn: Subterminal - Bright Dawn Sketches: worth repeat listening #ambient #drone #netlabel lab.pubspaces.com @sbtrmnl @publicspaceslab

jkn: RT Wow! Sound, Woodentops, House of Love, Wild Swans @compactrobot: @jkn try this? www.renascent.co.uk/

jkn: The classic album by The Sound for me was "All Fall Down". Other good ones: "Heyday", "From the Lion's Mouth". Guess I'll just dig out vinyl

jkn: Question: Why can't I find any albums by "The Sound"? Early 80's band, nearly impossible to search for on the net. I hate ripping vinyl.

jkn: I almost sprung for a Mighty Lemondrops album, but decided against it.

jkn: Echo and the Bunnymen - Ocean Rain is a brilliant album. Woodentops - Giant is hit and miss, but I remember them fondly.

jkn: I got sucked into an 80's mood and bought Echo/Bunnymen - Ocean Rain and The Woodentops - Giant on mp3. Got 'em on vinyl.

jkn: Also downloading the last few Earth Mantra releases for later listening this week. Will tweet if I like 'em. :-)

jkn: Downloading several releases from PublicSpaces Lab - will listen in next few days. @sbtrmnl @swayingsmoke

jkn: Adding several labels to relaxedmachinery.ning.com community. Why have several ambient islands when we can be one happy family?

jkn: Been listening to some unreleased Bob Ohrum music all afternoon. Blissful. Love it.

jkn: Goldfrapp - We Are Glitter: Goldfrapp is always fun. I hear the new album is very good. #nowplaying

jkn: Apollyon - Veror Aesik: minor tension field recordings sci-fi-ish shortwave radio? slightly dark but not really dark #ambient #nowplaying

jkn: Listening to Higher Intelligence Agency today. Only familiar with a song or two - first time listening to a couple of full albums.

jkn: Emerald Adrift - Evening Hush: I listened to the full album, thumbs up. #ambient #nowplaying #netlabel #EarthMantra earthmantra.com

jkn: Emerald Adrift - Evening Hush: quiet sedate minimal atmospheres, piano #ambient #nowplaying

jkn: Forma Tadre - Automate: #ambient #minimal sci-fi focused moody carving sound out of a vacuum. #nowplaying

jkn: The Verve - The Verve E.P.: friend told me I had to get this and happy I did. #nowplaying

jkn: Was listening to StillStream.com for a while yesterday. Peaceful ambient wallpaper to balance checkbook and pay bills by. @stillstreamnews

jkn: I'm still heavily researching guitars (electric, solidbody, under $800) and effects pedals. Analog circuits, no modelling. Recommendations?

jkn: rM update: Chris' artwork done. Bob's mastering at Sound-O-Mat. James Plotkin done mastering new Beta Cloud. relaxedmachinery.com

jkn: We launched a new community for ambient/instrumental musicians, artists, photographers, listeners, fans: relaxedmachinery.ning.com

jkn: Driving around running errands listening to the radio. I like that Crash Kings tune "Mountain Man". (I'm not driving right now obviously!)

jkn: Steve Brand / Ishq - Spiritual Science: wonderful deep #drift #ambient goodness from two amazing artists. #nowplaying

jkn: Relaxed Machinery - organic .: ambient :. techno .. Label: relaxedmachinery.com .. Community: relaxedmachinery.ning.com

jkn: Beta Cloud - Lunar Monograph: I just hit the utterly brilliant 3rd track and it fits my mood perfectly right now. #nowplaying @iambetacloud

jkn: Beta Cloud - Lunar Monograph: wow, I love this album. #nowplaying #ambient #guitar #piano @iambetacloud

jkn: Rush - Vapor Trails. Some really good stuff on this one. Hey, I don't always listen to ambient. ;-) #nowplaying

jkn: Vidna Obmana / Asmus Tietchens - Motives For Recycling: disc 2 does it for me and "4th Theme" is such a majestic track. Just jaw dropping.

jkn: Launched Relaxed Machinery community at relaxedmachinery.ning.com - stop in for #ambient #music #creative #photography #arts chat.

jkn: Antonio Testa and Alio Die - Prayers For the Forest: this was released on Green House, good one #ambient #drift #drone #ancient #nowplaying

jkn: Miles Davis - In a Silent Way: classic. #nowplaying

jkn: Steve Roach - Immersion: Four - deep longform soundworlds and coffee to bring my Thursday workday into focus. #nowplaying #nowdrinking

jkn: Relaxed Machinery: Artwork for Chris Russell - Frozen is being proofed. Mastering done. Release countdown about to begin in about a month.

jkn: RT I really like @zoecello 's Natoma. @compactrobot: got in to see Zoe Keating in spite of huge line. #sxsw.

jkn: Various - The Hundredth Mantra - Earth Mantra Netlabel. Lots and lots of ambient... #nowplaying www.earthmantra.com

[Steve Brand]

Aglaia's "3 Organic Experiences"...aaahhhh. A friend turned me on to this Aglaia album about 3 months ago, and I've been gobbling up all the Aglaia I can find since. The last several Aglaia have been on Stefano Musso's (Alio Die) own Hic Sunt Leones label, so if you know HSL and Alio Die, you know what you're in for. Organic, highly emotive, sweeping yet intimate, peaty moist, amorphous, twilight heartscapes.

The 3 latest releases finally hit Amazon in the last few days. Can't recommend them enough.