from 'The Last Garden' [CD|LP|DIGITAL]
Denovali Records · den366
available on all formats at http://denovali.com/birdsofpassage

After 3 years, New Zealand based Alicia Merz breaks her silence with her 5th Birds of Passage album ‘The Last Garden’. Alicia doesn’t share much with the public, except through her music, and so this album offers a rare glimpse into her secret world. Lose yourself in a universe of minimalist soundscapes, reinvented shoegaze, and the words of a poet who all too well knows the cold loneliness of the dark, but can find the breathless beauty in it also.

"Birds of Passage is humble and heartbroken. Her warm words are crimson berries that bear fruit in the cold depths of winter, hanging over crooked, bare branches where nothing else survives. Her dove-like vocals soar, but her introverted lyrics blossom with the fondness of love." (Fluid Radio)

"Alicia presents us with an endearing invitation into her fragile world, a captivating journey through the landscapes of her emotional euphoria and agony, a further commitment to musical experimentation… The cold minimalist-drones, distorted field recordings, and sparse instrumentation, illustrate an icy, desolate and dark world. It’s as if we are listening to the sound of winter itself; an audio exposure to the unforgiving elements of winter." (Headphone Commute)

The Last Garden

Birds of Passage - The Creed

Bing & Ruth - We Are on the Side of Angels

Sven's compositions often transport listeners to inspiring, ethereal realms. Cellos and pianos paint soft, contemplative landscapes, tinged with underlying angst and longing, showcasing Sven's talent for translating life stories into relatable and evocative music.

With 'The Undefined Feeling of Discomfort', Sven presents an album this time brimming with anxiety, fear, and anticipation. Struggle permeates the music, enhanced by distorted vocals, acoustic guitars and drone pads. Sven once again evokes deep emotions, guiding the listener through a powerful sonic journey.

The album opens with a floating, introspective tone. The atmosphere is dark, and an anxious feeling gradually emerges. As the first city lights appear from afar, a tumultuous force sweeps everything away, like an undertow shattering waves on a coastline. Moving on, choir-like vocals bring in a biblical aspect, adding darker, soul-wrenching depth. It feels like a scream from the abyss, leaving an empty shell resonating with its vastness. Soft guitar notes offer hope, but the passage ends with intense anxiety, and feelings of rapid flashes before one's eyes throwing us off balance.

Further along, a rise from uncertainty hints at a resolution. It starts with a sense of battle and resistance illustrated with hopeful strings and a heartbeat-like backbeat. A force emerges from the dark sonic cloud pierced by a tenacious sun. The second half brings resolution and lightness, offering hope and comforting certainty amidst the alarming tension of this transitional phase. The album leaves us feeling chaos after the storm, atoms crushing into one another. With a calmer end, as if the initial rumble had passed, a scar remains. The memory lingers, but things move forward. 

The Undefined Feeling of Discomfort

wlr180 Sven Laux - The Undefined Feeling of Discomfort

From the album Layers of Afternoon, Available June 13, 2025 on Western Vinyl
Pre-order / Listen https://lnk.to/layersofafternoon

Goldmund - "Darnley"

2nd track from "Balance".

"Balance" is a 2-track single from my side project "Katahimikan". 

"Shimmer" and "Gloom" are, from the starting point, both the same track. 

The difference is in the processing and resampling, which I executed in completely different ways: starting with an audio file sampled from some of my old music, I created the first track, "Shimmer", which then I resampled to create the second, "Gloom".

Get the whole release here: https://needaname.bandcamp.com/album/balance


Balance

Get "Balance" here

Katahimikan - Gloom

Cluer 14

Beneath the Cosmic Light

I'm a big fan of the TV show Nip/Tuck. There was a piece of ambient music made by the shows composer James S Levine, that featured in the more emotional scenes throughout the series. It never got an official release on any of the soundtracks, so I have edited and re-composed the track, trying to take as few personal liberties as possible, to recreate it. Obviously due to the nature of the source (aka direct from the DVD, with only about 50 seconds or so of material to work with) don't expect this to be 100% perfect, but as it stands, it's still quite a beautiful piece of music, that is perfect for looping anyway.

You'll definitely hear the Aphex Twin influence (it's effectively Rhubarb's twin brother)so fans of lush, emotive ambient music should be well at home with this.

All copyright for this track is retained by James S Levine.

James S Levine - Nip Tuck (36 Edit)

I have been away for too long.

Picture http://rce-ordinary.deviantart.com/art/void-in-our-space-295821920

Ceaseless Void

Basic Shape

Chihei Hatakeyama | norma | rigel || smf001

My name is Dennis Huddleston and I record music as 36 and SYNE. This Soundcloud account is now retired and no new music will be uploaded. You can listen to all my releases, old and new, at https://3six.bandcamp.com/

James S Levine - Nip Tuck (36 Edit)

36 / SYNE