Mexican record label Umor Rex has released an album by Italian composer Francesca Marongiu, which is heavily influenced by some spectacular Japanese New Age/Ambient releases from the mid-1980s. This was a wonderful time for ambient music in Japan, and Francesca captures the spirit perfectly while adding her own spin.
Ambient
Alphaxone – ARCHIPENOM.II
From the Alphaxone Bandcamp site: “A continuation of fractured atmospheres, slow-moving tension, and submerged emotional weight. This chapter dives deeper into erosion, distance, and the quiet violence of time.” Iranian artists could use a hand at the moment, as do all good souls suffering in their war-torn homes.
Marco Lucchi – All Day Long
A musician we admire here at the blog, Marco Lucchi, comes to us today with a new work where he uses a Buchla synthesizer, mellotron, and flute to create a very peaceful, almost proggish ambient album.
Pefkin – Unfurling
Pefkin have released an ethereal masterpiece. From their Bandcamp site: “On her fourth full-length for Morc, Gayle Brogan raises the bar once more. The familiar Pefkin elements are present: melodies that unfold patiently and graciously, with textures so vivid they feel almost tangible. Across six tracks, around forty minutes in Continue Reading
Dou Wei; Chao Jian (竇唯;朝簡) – 安神符
Instrumentalists Dou Wei and Chao Jian are names I came across last year thanks to my former student Ben, who did me the honor of pointing me to their new album. The record features two long instrumental pieces that sound like ethno-ambient music and like what you would have found Continue Reading
Toshiyuki Tsuchitori & Ryuichi Sakamoto – Disappointment / Hateruma
The void left by Ryuichi Sakamoto’s passing is far too immense to ever be filled. One can hope for a reissue here and there, for some lost studio and live recordings to resurface, and for some demos and live tracks to pop up. However, this month, we’re graced with a little Continue Reading
Subverge – Triox Rudna
Perhaps it’s because I am watching a lot of snow fall here in Bakuriani, but today feels like a dark ambient day. This is my first time hearing Subverge, an act based in Minnesota, and their music is bleak yet somehow pleasant to the ear. There is a sense of Continue Reading
Daniel Menche – Sleeping Ink
Daniel Menche is one of America’s finest noise composers. This, however, sounds like a work of art. It is frighteningly dark, far darker than much of the black ambient music composed today—sumptuous listening.
Abul Mogard – In a Few Places Along the River
Italian sound sculptor Abul Mogard has reissued a vinyl-only release for digital consumption. In A Few Places Along The River was originally released in 2022 and was limited to 500 copies.
Various Artists – Unexplained Sounds Group: The Third Mind. A Sonic Tribute to the Dreamachine
As someone who once owned a homemade dream machine, it’s nice to see this old relic get a sonic reassessment. Our dear friends at Unexplained Sounds Group start the year off with yet another brilliant experimental music compilation. From the label’s Bandcamp site: “The Dreamachine, conceived by Brion Gysin with Continue Reading