• Music

    Āustras Laīwan – Ephemerality of April Dreams

    Friends of the blog Āustras Laīwan have released one of the most sublimely engaging albums I have heard recently.  The tone is melancholy throughout, almost achingly so.  There are parts where one feels like they’re opening up a ballerina box in an old Russian film.  In terms of sound, it’s crisp and warm, and this will appeal to those who like neofolk, neo-classical, contemporary and soundtrack music.

  • Music

    Valgeir Sigurðsson – Kvika

    Icelandic composer Valgeir Sigurðsson is a classical composer who has developed into the country’s leading light in terms of modern classical music. From his Bandcamp site: “Valgeir has become a master of sound to get lost in. Through his layering of his collaborators’ instrumental and vocal parts and a nuanced balance of electronic and organic sound, KVIKA is a perfect collection of moments that last only as long as they need before taking us elsewhere. After his award winning album Dissonance, it is a measure of his artistic inclinations that he looks to a shorter form of music making. Where…

  • Music

    Adrian Copeland – If This Were My Body

    Sublime.  There’s no other word for it.  If you enjoy modern classical music, especially by composers like Gorecki, Ligeti or Penderecki, Canadian composer Adrian Copeland has something here which will appeal to you, with long, mournful drones, sparse instrumentation, and a rough, melancholic feel to the tracks.  Track 4, Heir to the Ember Sun, was my favorite track, as it stays within the classical realm, but adds elements and a pop structure that reminded me of the Penguin Cafe Orchestra. A fine album.  

  • Music

    Federico Mosconi – Air Sculptures

    Our friends at Lost Tribe Sound have at least three releases coming up which will be reviewed here.  I’m pretty excited to introduce you to ambient composer Federico Mosconi, whose compositions feel cavernous, made more impressive that he’s pulling this together with guitar and effects.  For those of you who appreciate the work of Spanish composer Rafael Anton Irisarri, you’re going to love Mosconi’s work.

  • Music

    Mattia Cupelli – Ides Of March

    As the world is in a state of free-fall at the moment, it is nice to take some time to listen to something mellow, perhaps saccharine to some tastes, but calming nonetheless.  Mattia Cupelli’s release is an appropriate one to share today considering the album’s title, most recognized as the date where Roman emperor Julius Caesar was assassinated.

  • Music

    Chris Conway – When Pianos Dream

    Though his bio on Bandcamp calls him a superlative jazz pianist, I would have to add that Chris Conway handles modern classical music with as much aplomb.  He has also worked with some stellar musicians, including Guy Barker, Andy Sheppard, Stan Sulzman, Martin Speake and the legendary Finnish sax player Sakari Kukko (leader of Piirpauke) amongst others. This album, released today, I believe, is a collection of improvisations and ambient electronic music he gathered while working with the United Isolation Ensemble, of which he is a member.  How ECM Records hasn’t signed such a prodigious talent is beyond me, but…

  • Music

    Atli Örvarsson – Wolka

    Iceland is one of those countries who seem to produce musicians at an incredible rate in comparison to the size of its population.  Atli Örvarsson is one of a handful of gifted soundtrack composers to hail from the island nation, and is the first one I can think of who doesn’t originally come from the capital, Reykjavik.  He is now a Los Angelino pursuing a career in composition, and is becoming well-known for his scores. The standout track for me on this album is one titled Anka & Robert, which reminds me of a meaty slab of post-Industrial ambient.  The…

  • Music

    D^mselfly – DF​/​C30​-​RW

    From Hreám Recordings‘ website: Originally released as a double-header with St James Infirmary’s ‘Apport’, here now on it’s own and sporting a batch of new jelly-green shelled and cased cassettes…. DF/C30-RW features six re-imagined and re-worked tracks from the first three Damselfly albums. Focussing on some of his more delicate arrangements, Damselfly’s 2020 versions breathe new life into the original soundscapes, where neoclassical meets ambient drone to serve you up an alternative sonic taste of his beloved home county of Sussex. I have to say that this release by D^mselfly is one of the most pleasant ambient discoveries I’ve come…