Tag Archives: ambient

Lagowski – The Telepathic Wheel (Self-Released)

Posted by John Lithium on

Label Description:

Just some thoughts and questions.

When our physical bodies die, do our souls enter the telepathic wheel?

Do you believe we even have souls….? Are the mind and soul conjoined?

Can we express our true soul via sound?

A hybrid collection, drawn largely from scattered jams which have been married together in Waveform 12. Except ‘Telepath 5′ which is a live improvised drone piece created using Bastl Instruments’ 1.5 Kastle, Bestie Mixer and Kastle 2 FX Wizard.

*Please play back on a system with good bass reproduction, otherwise I have no sympathy!

The Eyes And The Mistoids – Luna Terra Sol (Waxing Crescent Records)

Posted by John Lithium on

Label Description: Luna Terra Sol is the immersive latest album by The Eyes and the Mistoids that explores our place in the universe, combining modern-classical piano and modular synthesis to create emotive soundscapes that delve into themes of exploration, loss, hope, and beauty.

Richard Bégin – Déjà Vu (Reverse Alignment)

Posted by John Lithium on

Label Description:

Déjà vu is a fleeting yet profound sensation, a moment when time seems to fold in on itself, between past and present. It is a phenomenon of memory—both elusive and deeply personal—where recognition and strangeness coexist. Few artistic mediums can evoke this liminal state as powerfully as ambient music, where repetition, decay, and texture shape sonic landscapes that mirror the ghostly presence of the past within the present.
Canadian composer Richard Bégin has been steadily building a reputation in the realm of ambient music for his explorations of memory, crafting soundscapes that feel like echoes from a distant past, lost yet eerily familiar. His latest work, centered on the concept of déjà vu, follows in the tradition of artists like Boards of Canada, Fennesz, Philip Jeck, and William Basinski—musicians who have sculpted time-worn textures, fragile loops, and sonic artifacts to capture the essence of recollection and its inevitable dissolution.
Like Basinski’s Disintegration Loops, which document the slow decay of recorded memory, or Jeck’s ghostly turntable manipulations that awaken forgotten voices from the grooves of old records, Bégin’s music invites listeners into an auditory space where time is fluid. Fennesz’s digital deconstructions and Boards of Canada’s nostalgia-tinted melodies find an echo in Bégin’s work, which similarly embraces imperfection, layering textures that drift between clarity and erosion keeping the listener between the comfort of recognition and the disquieting realization that the past is always just out of reach.

credits

released April 16, 2025

REVIEWS

Avant Music News

avantmusicnews.com/2025/04/20/amn-reviews-richard-begin-deja-vu-2025-reverse-alignment

OvO – Split (Artoffact Records)

Posted by John Lithium on

Label Description: OvO and Mai Mai Mai, two essential figures of the Italian experimental underground, join forces for an exceptional split album. These artists have continuously pushed the boundaries of musical genres, exploring extreme and uncharted sonic territories.

Formed in 2000, OvO is a noise rock duo consisting of Stefania Pedretti (guitar, vocals) and Bruno Dorella (drums). Their music—both tribal and apocalyptic—is a relentless sonic assault, an audacious fusion of noise rock, sludge metal, industrial rock, and avant-doom. Renowned for their intense live performances and strong DIY ethos, OvO remains a unique force in extreme music.

Mai Mai Mai is the project of Toni Cutrone, a Rome-based musician and sound explorer. Blending traditional Southern Italian folklore with industrial drone, proto-techno, and heavy sonic textures, Mai Mai Mai crafts immersive performances that transport audiences into a ritualistic exploration of ancestral sounds.

After making a strong impression at Roadburn Festival 2023, OvO and Mai Mai Mai now unite for a one-of-a-kind split vinyl, merging their singular sonic worlds. On Side A, OvO unleashes four new tracks, raw and abrasive, pushing the limits of their chaotic and untamed noise rock. On Side B, Mai Mai Mai delves into experimental and electroacoustic realms, weaving an immersive and dense atmosphere filled with ritualistic sounds and electronic manipulations.

The visual identity of the release is enhanced by a striking cover artwork by tattoo artist Arthur Tête de Mouton, perfectly complementing the explosive encounter between these two visionary forces.

{AN} EeL and Steven Leak – the wholly other (M I S T)

Posted by John Lithium on

Label Description:

Introducing the collaboration between {AN} Eel and steven leak. Meditative and epic drones meet visceral, emotive vocals and an unusual combination of instruments in this beautiful musical work from the duo.

credits

released April 25, 2025

Track 1 “ Monday sky”
steven: soundscapes and treatments
neal: paino. vox

Track 2 “the magic mothswarm”
steven: soundscapes and treatments
neal: handclaps, vox, piano

Track 3 “rusted petal chains”
steven: soundscapes and treatments
neal: vox

Track 4 “the wholly other”
steven: soundscapes and treatments
neal: accordion, vox

Track 5 “dark-framed shimmering endpoint”
steven: soundscapes and treatments
neal: gamelan, guitar, vox

steven: I asked Neal if he’d be interested in sending me some music that I could deconstruct, reconstruct and treat as I saw fit. Neal is a truly generous spirit and so I received two packages of stems of music incorporating a variety of instruments as well as Neal’s voice.
The result is “the wholly other”.
I love this music.
I hope you do also.

Neal: This Music in particular resonates with the season for me – It is, the beautiful area we both live in Peterborough /Nogojiwanong ( Nogojiwanong = Translates as ” place at the foot of the rapids ” ) but it has been a particularly difficult winter – And also, we are in a particularly difficult time. However, I find great comfort in being able to come out of the depths of winter ( Literally, Figuratively, Whatever ) and make what at least counts as a gesture in the direction of hope, if not an actual healing balm. So enjoy these lovingingly crafted sounds, as we look forward to a warm future

Steven Leak made his part of this music with an Arturia Minifreak, Red Panda Tensor and Particle pedals, a TC Infinite pedal, cutlery, tuned wine glasses, a stainless steel water bottle, and a Zoom multiplex pedal.

Composed and produced in Peterborough, Ontario Canada by steven leak and Neal Retke
Mixed and Mastered in Denmark (with additional treatments) by Erik Emil Eskildsen

Ivan Black – Concrete Island (Petroglyph Music)

Posted by John Lithium on

Label Description:

“Concrete Island” is a novel by J.G. Ballard, first published in 1974. The story explores themes of isolation, survival, and the impact of urban environments on human psychology. It is often classified within the genre of speculative fiction, reflecting Ballard’s keen interest in the relationship between humanity and the modern world.

Main Themes

1. Isolation and Alienation: The setting of the concrete island serves as a metaphor for modern urban life, where people often feel disconnected despite being surrounded by others. Maitland’s isolation forces him to reflect on his life and the choices that led him to this predicament.

2. Survival and Adaptation: The novel delves into the human instinct for survival. Maitland’s journey showcases his physical and mental struggles, highlighting the lengths people will go to endure and adapt to extreme situations.

3. Urban Decay: Ballard’s depiction of the concrete island reflects a critique of modernity. The stark contrast between the vibrant city surrounding the island and the desolation within it underscores the neglect and decay present in urban settings.

4. Psychological Exploration: As Maitland grapples with his circumstances, the narrative explores his psyche. The isolation prompts a deep introspection, raising questions about identity, purpose, and the nature of reality.

Ripples On Water – III. Generation – A World After (Aural Films)

Posted by John Lithium on

Label Description:

This is the 2nd album by Ripples on Water.

This is a well-known story. The fall of the machines, the collapse of civilization. The slow rise of those who survived.

A look back into a dystopian future.

credits

released March 21, 2025

All material composed/arranged/played by Christian Fiesel & Godfried Stockmans

Godfried Stockmans – Programming/Synthesizers

Christian Fiesel – Synthesizers/Guitar

My interest in music was always there, but I also worked in the industry as a mechanic in mines, factories, gas company & finally teaching metal construction & welding. So there’s a broad real-life experience too. My interest in music recording production is still going on in reading magazines, looking things up on the internet, etc… Over the years I started to develop my own sound. More info: stockmanmusicnews.wordpress.com

Every sound has its own story. And each story can be completely different. That said, Christian Fiesel is trying to cross all borders of electronic and experimental music. His interest is not about being into a specific genre but to dare anything at least just once. All sources are allowed. So you won’t find any impressive list of gear but the will to create atmospheres with a minimum of starting material. Christian wants the listeners to close their eyes and to open their minds to be brought to an unexpected place. To get in touch with his newest ideas, get in touch via FB : www.facebook.com/christian.fiesel

Aural Films is an online record label (netlabel) that releases high-quality soundtrack albums for movies that do not exist. We cover a wide range of music styles ranging from ambient to experimental to popular to soundtrack musics. Often on the same albums. You can find our complete catalog of releases online at AuralFilms.com

Aural Films catalog AF0452

(C)+(P) 2024

Hablamos Muertos – The Ship Is Sinking (Submarine Broadcasting Company)

Posted by John Lithium on

Label Description:

Hablamos Muertos is the work of Lisbon based artist José Trujillo.

Jose has been producing solo work since 2017, working with personal experiences filtered through instrumental & psychedelic music

Themes, process, and influences in relation to ‘The Ship Is Sinking’

“The Ship Is Sinking is an album about fragility, transformation, and the echoes of lost spaces. Inspired by Lev Tolstoy’s “What Men Live By?”, the album is structured as a sonic shipwreck, where every piece reflects the disintegration and reconstruction of something that is slowly sinking.

The music is both simple and complex, chaotic and sublime, structured yet dispersed. I started by wanting to create something between Brian Eno, Robert Fripp, and Suzanne Ciani, embracing the contrast between noise and harmony, whispers and screams, ocean waves and deep silence.”

Technical Process & Gear Used

● Moog Mother 32 – A key element in shaping the textures.
● Minimoog (digital version) – Bringing a warm analog depth.
● Fugue Machine – Adding a sense of repetition and movement.
● Suzuki Precision Bass (1978) – Processed through expression pedals, creating fluid and unpredictable harmonics.

Each track on the album represents a stage in the descent:

Mikhail – A spectral opening where melody dissolves into emptiness.
Wreckage – The reconstruction through fragmented noise.
Deep Waters – A hypnotic descent into the abyss, where sound becomes liquid.
Ectoplasma – The lingering presence of what is lost, vibrating in a liminal space.

credits

released March 21, 2025

This is the second album I have worked on with Raúl Espinoza Garza, who handled recording and mastering. Our first collaboration was Rhetorical Figures (2019). Raúl is not just a great sound engineer—he is a friend with an incredible musical taste, someone with whom I can have deep and fascinating conversations about music and philosophy.

The album cover was designed by Anastasiia Parshina, a painter and art professor, andmy wife. She has collaborated with me on several projects, including the cover for Mechanik Mushrooms. Her work bridges visual art and sound, making her a key artistic collaborator.

José Trujillo, Lisbon, 2025