Belgium’s taâlem Records is one of Belgium’s most venerable labels and one of the world’s best for experimental music in general. This is their ninth edition of tracks collected for the year, and this one has 71 pieces to go through.
Soundscapes
Lawrence English – The Peregrine
Lawrence English is one of Australia’s finest sound sculptors. This particular piece reminds me of the last moments of Andrey Tarkovsky’s seminal film, Solaris, where the ocean swallows up Kris Kelvin and his father to end the film.
Jeff Gburek (Mental Health Food Store) – Taurids Encke, Overture & Entanglements
This is one of the latest releases by our esteemed friend and composer Jeff Gburek. From his Bandcamp site: “Inspiration comes literally from the meteorite shower Taurids Encke as an energetic immanence, along with the other great astronomical influences on our horizon, such as comets 3I/Atlas, comets A6 and R2, Continue Reading
underlyn – gwr. 240110
This release comes from the Xian Liam label in China and is described as a mixtape. It features a pleasantly drone-laden and hazy sound.
Jeff Gburek (Senin) – Grindu
We haven’t heard from Jeff Gburek in a while, but he offers quiet and meditative field recordings on his latest release. From his Bandcamp site: “Recordings made near the town of Grindu in Tulcea County, Romania (maps.app.goo.gl/roAuvvtzmLvmM2a48) on July 22 of 2025 and the 44 minute album might be called Continue Reading
Cousin Silas & Pete Swinton – Poppy Field
Two great ambient/electronic artists, Cousin Silas and Pete Swinton, collaborate on an album that resembles a lo-fi yet elegant tribute to Tangerine Dream. Gentle and somewhat sci-fi in feel, this album is a delightful listen.
Alio Die – The Fairy Tale Theater
Alio Die, Italy’s renowned creator of ambient music, presents his latest album. This release is far more lush and vibrant than expected.
freetousesounds – Airport Sound Effects Library | Doha Qatar
Today marks the beginning of my trip to North Macedonia for a conference and a short vacation. The first leg of my journey will involve an overnight stay in Doha, Qatar. In recognition of my second stop there, I’m sharing some ambient sounds from their international airport, courtesy of FreeToUseSounds.
øjeRum – Cut Paper Flowers
From LINE Records’ Bandcamp site: “øjeRum is Copenhagen-based musician and visual artist Paw Grabowski. With releases spanning labels such as Room40, Quiet Details, LINE, Opal Tapes and many more, øjeRum has an extensive back catalogue of albums all exploring a minimal, emotive, and deeply textural style.”
Scanner & Nurse with Wound – Contrary Motion
It looks so strange to see these two names paired up together for the first time, yet it feels weird that they had never collaborated before (to my knowledge). Neither project should need an introduction as both Robin Rimbaud (Scanner) and Steven Stapleton (Nurse With Wound) have nearly four decades Continue Reading