Tag Archives: drone

øjeRum – A Juxtaposition Of Distant Realities (Cyclic Law)

Posted by John Lithium on

Label Description: The Poetic Abyss of Collage and Vision

Paw Grabowski, known artistically as øjeRum, is a Danish visionary whose work exists in the evocative realms between memory, dreams, and the passage of time. Renowned for his intricate and meditative collages and musical output, øjeRum transforms fragments of vintage materials into timeless compositions that resonate with haunting beauty. His art invites viewers to engage with a dialogue of silence—one that whispers of loss, transformation, and the fragility of existence.

Following the success of Stigma, a powerful synthesis of visual and auditory art that melded øjeRum’s distinct collages with his ambient musical compositions, this second book from Cyclic Press continues to explore his deeply introspective practice. Each piece is a window into a world of layered emotions, where the ephemeral becomes eternal and where simplicity reveals profound complexity.

øjeRum’s approach to art is deeply intuitive, driven by a fascination with decay and renewal. His work often reflects a process of deconstruction and reconstruction, echoing the cycles of nature and life itself. Themes of detachment, transience, and emotional depth permeate his pieces, encouraging viewers to pause and contemplate their own experiences of time and space.

This new collection not only builds upon the foundations laid by Stigma but also ventures into uncharted territories of øjeRum’s creative vision. It is an exploration of the void and the plenitude within; an invitation to lose oneself in the layers of meaning and texture he meticulously crafts. Through these works, øjeRum continues his quest to illuminate the unseen and to honor the stillness at the heart of existence.

Let this book be your guide into the quiet, powerful world of øjeRum—a space where art transcends form and becomes a mirror to the soul.

Hardcover book, thread-sewn binding. 170mmm x 240mm. 104 pages. Matte laminate cover. Includes CD in paper sleeve. 2 Tracks. Running time 60:22min. Limited Edition of 300 copies. ISBN: 9782957938230

Andrew Liles – Without Wisdom (Self-Released)

Posted by John Lithium on

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Label Description: Without Wisdom features 8 new songs based on those anxious moments of anticipation in the dreaded dental waiting room.

In the 1970s when I visited the dentist, the music they played in the waiting room was slow melancholy jazz, jazz featuring the vibraphone. I alluded to this on my recording ‘Bad Vibes Waiting Room’, which appeared on the 2007 album Black Hole.

Teeth. Teeth are not really fit for purpose are they? All my neuroses and fears manifest in my mouth. You have to work at keeping your teeth, it’s an eternal battle. Natural teeth are disjointed, irregular shapes and never brilliant white. They are not neat and shiny and all in a row like a Hollywood grin, unless you are lucky of course. There is no beauty in them, they are ugly, they fail, they rot, they don’t grow back and at some point they will cause unmitigated misery for practically everyone.

I have always had weird teeth. My incisors are Draculaesque. I was ridiculed at school for having them. In later life I have been asked several times where I have had them ‘done’, people assuming I have willingly had them cosmetically altered. I always reply that it’s a congenital deformity. What makes them even more pronounced is the fact that the neighbouring two teeth are, bizarrely, still milk teeth.

I’ve had some terrible experiences at the dentist. I have been in waiting rooms with people running out screaming. Once, the dentist came into the waiting room covered in blood, moaning about patients only coming to him when they were in pain. I have had unnecessary extractions and unnecessary fillings.

I was very much a victim of the ‘heavy metal’ generation. For those who don’t know, in the 1970s, the NHS in the UK encouraged dentists to ‘restore’ teeth, which led to many children receiving extensive and often pointless dental work. The ‘drill and fill’ abuse of the 70s meant that dentists were driven by financial gain rather than the patients’ wellbeing. This resulted in the ‘heavy metal’ generation, creating victims of the predictable and ugly consequences of when money and healthcare coalesce.

A couple of years ago I had a wisdom tooth extracted. It no longer had any socket left to keep it fixed in place and needed to be removed. I asked the dentist if I could keep it.

You can own it… if you like. I am literally selling my own body parts.

Send an email to andrew@andrewliles.com with a price you would like to pay for it.

The highest bidder will win the tooth, which comes in a presentation box with a signed Polaroid.

Images can be found here – www.andrewliles.com/discography/without-wisdom/

Final offers are due by midnight GMT 14th February.

P&P will be added to your bid.

Teeth. Teeth are not really fit for purpose are they?

JANUARY 2025: DESCEND AND DISINTEGRATE

Slomo – Zen and Zennor (Trilithon Records)

Posted by John Lithium on

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Label Description:

Electric drone stalwarts Slomo return with only their fifth album in 20 years, “Zen and Zennor”; their sonic palette refreshed, their focus again tuned to the spectral otherness of Land’s End. The cover star – Zennor Quoit – is a colossal megalithic structure to be found on moorland above the village of Zennor, 4.5 miles to the west of St Ives.

Primitive melodies and arcane motifs are buffeted by drifting analogue oscillators on lead track ‘Zen and Zennor’, compressing into thick saturated drones before taking a sublime turn into familiar subterranean territory. ‘Zennor Diode’ crackles into manifestation above the moorland, cautioning against – or perhaps encouraging – experiments with exposed electrics in the Cornish mizzle. Complete removal of self (and band) is provided with circuit-closing track ‘Antechamber’, dissolving the Zennor’d-out participants into the hum of the Hummadruz*.

The duo continues to be informed by their work elsewhere; Chris (“Holy”) McGrail recently contributed to Julian Cope’s Dope and Queen Elizabeth projects, while Howard Marsden co-runs Hebden Bridge’s already-legendary Ambient Bowling Club, where experimental music mixes with environmental sounds, low chatter and the soft clank of bowls.

“Zen and Zennor” wraps Slomo’s only constant – immense, eventual catharsis – in a freshness and immediacy that could perhaps suggest a quickening of their notoriously glacial pace. Time will tell.

*Hummadruz refers to a mysterious, low-frequency hum or droning sound, often said to be heard around the ancient sites of Land’s End.

released October 4, 2024

Composted by McGrail/Marsden
Published by Domesday Music

Aidan Baker / Han-earl Park / Katharina Schmidt – Thoughts Of Trio (Cruel Nature Records)

Posted by John Lithium on

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Label Description:

Thoughts of Trio was recorded live at Morphine Raum in Berlin, Germany on February 21, 2024 by Canadian guitarist Aidan Baker, Korean-American guitarist Han-earl Park, & German drummer/percussionist Katharina Schmidt. The group brings together their respective, disparate musical backgrounds to explore the intersections of ambient music, improvisational (free) jazz, and musique-concrète.
releases December 6, 2024

Recorded live at Morphine Raum in Berlin, Germany on February 21, 2024 by Rabih Beaini.

Aidan Baker (bass / guitar)
Han-earl Park (guitar)
Katharina Schmidt (drums)

aidanbakercollaborations.bandcamp.com
katharinaschmidt.bandcamp.com
hanearlpark.bandcamp.com

Limited edition CD available at emerge.bandcamp.com/album/thoughts-of-trio

Phelios – Obsidian Forest (Loki-Found)

Posted by John Lithium on

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Label Description: With his latest release, Martin Stürtzer, the mastermind behind Phelios, continues to carve out a unique space in the dark ambient genre. He blends expansive soundscapes with slowly evolving tribal rhythms to create a truly immersive experience. Obsidian Forest captures the essence of deep, shadowy woods where ancient, unseen forces seem to dwell. The album feels like a ritualistic journey into nature’s darker realms, with each track evoking a vivid, sometimes haunting, landscape of sound.

Phelios’ trademark monumental melodies are omnipresent throughout the album, merging with somber, swelling drones that pull listeners into a dense sonic fog. As the album progresses, these melodies evolve like distant, otherworldly chants reverberating through the trees. The layering is intricate, and the atmosphere is thick, yet there’s always a sense of space—an invitation to explore these shadowy woods further.

The addition of tribal percussion is a defining feature of the album, grounding the otherwise ethereal soundscapes with a primal energy. These rhythms emerge slowly, almost as if they are the footsteps of an unseen figure moving deeper into the wilderness. Phelios seamlessly blends ancient and futuristic elements, balancing tension and tranquility to craft a meditative yet eerie soundscape.

Phelios’ latest work is both a sonic journey and an imaginative exploration of nature’s darker side — a plunge into the heart of deep woods, where every echo and shadow holds an untold story.

LOKI 75

Various Artists – paisajes en tundra

Posted by John Lithium on

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Label Description:

(ENG)

Glacier retreat, while a natural phenomenon in some cases, has been exacerbated by various human activities such as burning fossil fuels, deforestation and intensive agriculture. The accelerated melting of ice leads to a series of catastrophic consequences and irreversible effects that are impacting both natural ecosystems and human life.

This album was created as an initiative to raise awareness of this phenomenon, as well as to raise funds to support Glaciares Chilenos (www.glaciareschilenos.org), a Chilean NGO founded with the aim of educating and protecting the more than 26 thousand glaciers located in the national territory, through the development of educational programs and visibility of scientific content on glaciers.

In keeping the editorial line of the previous benefit compilation “migraciones”, Bahía Mansa decides to expand the previous sound palette and invites 10 other global artists to participate in this collaborative instance as part of the annual support for ecological causes.

All proceeds will be donated directly to Glaciares Chilenos (NGO).

******

(SPA)

El retroceso de los glaciares, si bien es un fenómeno natural en algunos casos, se ha visto exacerbado por varias actividades humanas como quema de combustibles fósiles, deforestación y agricultura intensiva. Los hielos comienzan a derretirse más rápidamente, lo que conlleva a una serie de consecuencias catastróficas y efectos irreversibles que están afectando la vida natural y humana.

Este álbum nace como iniciativa para concientizar de este fenómeno, así también como para reunir fondos y donar a Glaciares Chilenos (www.glaciareschilenos.org), ONG chilena fundado con el objeto de educar y proteger los más de 26 mil glaciares ubicados en el territorio nacional, a través del desarrollo de programas educativos y visibilización de contenido científico sobre glaciares.

En esta línea, y continuando en la línea editorial del anterior compilado a beneficio “migraciones”, bahía mansa decide ampliar la paleta sonora anterior e invita a otros 10 artistas globales a participar en esta instancia colaborativa como parte del apoyo anual a causas ecológicas.

Todo lo donado va en directo beneficio de Glaciares Chilenos (ONG).

******

Thank you infinitely to all the artists who contributed their talents and passion to this project, making it possible to extend this important message!

credits

released October 25, 2024

curated by bahía mansa
mastered by Nico Rosenberg at Alt-Köpenick Studio
artwork by shesoundvisual.

THANKS TO:
Nico Rosenberg (CL) – nicorosenberg.bandcamp.com
Anto Little (CL) – antolittle.bandcamp.com
David Cordero (ES) – davidcordero.bandcamp.com
shesoundvisual (CL) – shesoundvisual.bandcamp.com
Ryan J. Raffa (US) – rjraffa.bandcamp.com/music
Carlos Ferreira (BR) – carlosferreira.bandcamp.com
M. Linnen (US) – mlinnen.bandcamp.com
Yumi Iwaki (JP) – soundcloud.com/iwakiyumi
El Encanto de Lo Discreto (UY) – elencantodelodiscreto.bandcamp.com
emho (FR) – emho.bandcamp.com

Dylan Houser – This Is Not Your Domain (Self-Released)

Posted by John Lithium on

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Label Description:

I was in this large fancy house. I guess it was a tourist attraction, but I was allowed access to this back pool area, which had an indoor swimming pool. I went in, and it looked dilapidated and abandoned, and I saw at least four dead bodies scattered about in it. There was no water in the pool, and it looked like it had caved in. The bodies looked recently deceased and were real, but were considered still “part of the exhibit.”

I proceeded to another door in the back, which led me to this small, brown/red room with water rising and separating the door I came in from and the door on the other side. I had to wait to board this platform to get to the other side. Through that door was a giant clean fancy room, nothing sketchy this time, but it was all water-themed. There was a giant bathtub, two big jacuzzis side by side, a view of the lakefront outside, and even a painting of water. I don’t remember how, but I eventually made my way back to where I started.

Later, I was in this dark wooded area, following a group of people in front of me. We’re walking down this trail when suddenly a tree falls over, causing a giant sandstorm. Then another tree falls over, then another, so I turn around only to find more trees on the other side of me individually falling over.

And the other day, there was this creepy dummy/mannequin sitting in the box in the laundry room of my house between the washer and dryer, and it was telepathically sending me threats. I left the room, went back but it was now sitting on the heater. I noticed my wife wasn’t home and so I called her phone, but this creepy guy answered and said that she “maybe should have been more careful” in a sly manner. I thought it was odd how he didn’t try to cover his tracks.

credits

released October 31, 2024

Collector Of Dust – Entropic Tapestries (Argali Records Netlabel)

Posted by John Lithium on

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Label Description:

Ten years in the making, Reon Moebius’s long awaited and threatened project Collector Of Dust makes it’s recording debut via Argali Records having retired his older venture The Jesus Fish Experience in 2019 and his short lived solo live project Seagull Died On Impact in 2024.

Lush yet minimal, spacious but dense, sweeping and intimate: Collector Of Dust’s orchestral ambitions betray the sparse instrumentation and lonely isolation that was employed to create what Reon has dubbed ‘chambergaze’. Music meant to invoke vulnerable romanticism set against the vastness of ancient, decaying hyper objects and indifference of the natural world. To lovers, dreamers, and survivors this one’s for you.

Dedicated to the memory of Peter & Ursula Megert, Dominick Pfefferkorn, Hasan Abdur-Razzaq, & J Guy Laughlin

credits

released October 30, 2024

Reon Moebius: All instruments (Ebowed bass guitar, bowed guitar, mellotron, drum machine programming), arrangements, lyrics, vocals.

Keith Hanlon: Mixing, mastering, and additional production.

Recorded at Home from 2021-2024.
Mixed & Mastered At Secret Studios 2024.

This is ARGREC61.