Pearl Grey

Pre-order 'Golden Times 1' on EP/DL here: http://phonofile.link/golden-times-1

Electronic producer Max Cooper and ambient master Tim Hecker rework Ben Lukas Boysen on his new EP 'Golden Times 1' – out on Erased Tapes, June 30th 2017.

Championed by many including BBC Radio DJ Mary Anne Hobbs as the standout track from his most recent album 'Spells', Boysen’s 'Golden Times 1' forms the very heart of his new EP with the same name. Boysen entrusted none other than Max Cooper and Tim Hecker to meticulously shape and lure the title track plus second single 'Nocturne 4' into two entirely separate territories, yet never drifting too far away from their original soundscapes. With 'Evensong' the composer himself contributes a previously unreleased piece. It is yet another example that Boysen is still opening new and unexplored doors in a bid to challenge the existing realm of contemporary music he is very much a part of.

Words from Ben and Max, May 2017:

“Spells was somewhat of a conceptual release for me, so the choice of the remixing artists and where the original material could be taken was very important. Max and Tim, both being role models for me ever since I began listening to their work and who delivered this incredible abstraction, I felt were spot on for this release and were dream candidates to work with. Their ability to re-direct and even re-invent the original material, partially subtle, and with an almost brutish sense of imagination, honors the originals deeply.” — Ben Lukas Boysen

“Ben has been one of my most listened to artists of the past year or so. His last two albums in particular, have meant a lot to me, and provided me with focus when I needed it. So I was excited to have a chance to remix his work. I felt like I couldn't improve on his idea, but what I could do was take what was the core for me, and expand it. It was just a matter of running with the feeling I got from his original, sticking with his melodic forms and original instrumentation, and letting the growing intensity continue along it's established path to the only possible end point of total annihilation in chaos and distortion. My version is almost a continuation of his original if it was allowed to blossom into percussive format, rather than a traditional remix.” — Max Cooper

The golden EP cover art was created by Torsten Posselt at FELD as an extension from the initial album artwork he also created for 'Spells'.

TRACK LISTING

1. Golden Times 1	
2. Evensong 
3. Golden Times 1 (Max Cooper Remix)
4. Nocturne 4 (Tim Hecker Remix)

Ben Lukas Boysen - Nocturne 4 (Tim Hecker Remix)

'Promise' taken from Christian Kleine's upcoming album, 'Electronic Music From The Lost World: 1998-2001'. Preorder now available: http://asip.me/asipv010
~
Christian Kleine unearths a selection of previously unreleased tracks that capture his unique production approach and ultimately helped define an influential era of electronica. Recovered from DAT and pressed on transparent green vinyl, with Berlin-brutalist inspired artwork, A Strangely Isolated Place present Christian’s most accomplished piece of work since his 2001 CCO album, 'Beyond Repair’. More information: http://www.astrangelyisolatedplace.com/asipv010-christian-kleine

Christian Kleine - Electronic Music From The Lost World: 1998-2001

Preorder

Christian Kleine - Promise (ASIPV010)

Track take from the upcoming album ' Landscapes of Lovers' by James Murray...

www.fluidaudio.bigcartel.com

Landscapes of Lovers

James Murray - Landscapes of Lovers

Taken from the upcoming album 'Bij Wat Ook Moog' Gebeuren', forthcoming on Fluid Audio...

www.fluidaudio.bigcartel.com/mailing-list

Bij Wat Ook Moog' Gebeuren

Gareth Davis / Rutger Zuydervelt / Leo Fabriek - Bij Wat Ook Moog' Gebeuren II

This week @MattEmery shares a coffee and chat with composer and producer @EdCarlsen at a windy Barbican Centre. The conversation entails the recording process to his latest album Morning Hour, working with Moderna Records, favourite records of 2019, well being, selecting artwork and much more.

You can purchase Ed's recent album Morning Hour here: https://modernarecords.bandcamp.com/album/morning-hour

The Contemplative Podcast

10 The Contemplative Podcast meets Ed Carlsen

Available here:
https://thesisproject.us/projects/thesis-17
&
https://thesisproject.bandcamp.com/album/thesis-17-ceeys-constant-presence

To be released on the conceptual collaborative-minded, boutique label Thesis, is the new joint project by the two neo-classical and contemporary ambient acts of CEEYS, and CONSTANT PRESENCE, the new outing between Peter Broderick [Erased Tapes, Type, Efterklang], and Daniel O’Sullivan [Grumbling Fur, Guapo]. Released during Q3AMBIENTFEST, a sterling three-day event of avant-garde, experimental pop and ambient-classical taking place in Potsdam, Germany during the first weekend of April, the limited edition 10inch EP, enriched with Zen ideology, comes replete with bespoke artwork, exclusive handmade packaging, and laser-etched designs.



CONSTANT PRESENCE, the new mesmerizing project by soundsmith Peter Broderick and multidimensional songwriter Daniel O'Sullivan, has been sporadically performing across the globe since coming together in 2019. This new, recorded body of music will see their release alongside the cello-piano brothers, Sebastian and Daniel Selke aka. CEEYS, who also happen to be the founding partners and curators behind Q3AMBIENTFEST. Looking to celebrate the notions of duology, unity and harmony, the EP features two ambient tracks that are enshrined in the teachings Shunryu Suzuki, a twentieth-century Soto Zen monk who gained popularity in the Western world for his teaching of Zen Buddhism outside of Japan. This nature of dualism becomes ever more pertinent when factoring in the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the bringing together of new and old worlds, and the pairing of Potsdam and Berlin. The East-West divide is something also very admissible to the works of the Selke brother’s, who imbue various elements of their East German upbringing within their recordings and philosophical approaches. Now celebrating its fourth year, Q3AMBIENTFEST is CEEYS’ labour of love, and it was a great honor, love and respect that they can now release something together with the multitalented and accomplished minds that are Broderick and O'Sullivan.



The Thesis Project, now on its 17th release, has set about on uniting two different artists together to create limited, custom designed bodies of music. Uniquely crafted and designed by Gregory Euclide, each 10” jacket for THESIS 17 consists of laser cut-etched designs portraying brutalist architecture and atomic structures glued on top of airbrushed designs that use the homemade Black Walnut Ink that Euclide made himself from the trees on his property, then letter pressed with the THESIS logo. Each record is hand numbered in an edition of 300, and will be made available on the second day Q3AMBIENTFEST, where it is also possible to get the record hand-signed by the artists. During the second day of the festival CONSTANT PRESENCE will share the stage with CEEYS, for a unique performance that juxtaposes the notion of duality and harmony yet further, in a show that will combine professionalism with liveliness, method with lightness of touch, and efficacy with flexibility.

THESIS 17

Nothing Special

Ushering in the first Ambientologist single, Rinnovare offers a duo of stunning pieces that expand with emotion and grace. Washing over with heavenly textures, yet grounded in the soul of the strings and piano, Ingrávido presents a duality of tales, one humble and the other uplifting. 

Download it here: https://bit.ly/3ikpmVJ

More than just a pairing of tracks, these artefacts of rebirth are profoundly important to Rinnovare, and it is Ambientologist's honour and privilege to showcase them.

Ingrávido

Rinnovare - Familiar Illustration

American contemporary and neo-classical Sono Luminus appeared on my playlists ever since Collin J Rae became this label's new CEO (I think it was September of 2014). The ultra-high fidelity recordings, released on Pure Audio Blu-Ray format (and regular CDs of course) revealed a new dimension of sound from music by Bruno Bavota, Peter Gregson, and an Icelandic Nordic Affect ensemble. Iceland continues to be "one of those countries where the snow seems to melt into music…" and today's exclusive track premiere is no exception. If you are a fan of experimental folktronica act múm, then you should be no stranger to one of its founding members, Gyða Valtýsdóttir. This Nordic Council Music Prize winner is also a cellist and has appeared on numerous recordings [Headphone Commute alone lists her on albums by Dustin O'Halloran and Atli Örvarsson). This volume is a follow up to her 2016 Epicycle on which she performs music written for her, and in collaboration with, by eight of Iceland's contemporary composers: Ólöf Arnalds, Daníel Bjarnason, Úlfur Hansson, Jónsi, María, Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir, Kjartan Sveinsson, Skúli Sverrisson, and Anna Thorvaldsdóttir. The musical force is strong with this one, folks, and today we offer you an incredible piece by Anna Thorvaldsdóttir.

Shadowy, scratchy, and abundant in texture, "Mikros" is a world of its own, moody and dark, glacial and sensitive. Swelling in the low register of the cello, the notes sigh and glide across the fretboard, sending deep chills down my spine. A little over three minutes in length, this single piece has a lot to convey, using dynamics, time-shifting signatures, and complex articulations. I can only imagine what the sheet music for this one looked like. When I met Anna in Reykjavik, she told me that most of the music she composes is directly written on paper, before every being played at all. In most cases, she hears her compositions for the first time when they are performed. In this recording, Gyda brings out the sound into being, giving it life to be caught and let go.

Epicycle II

Mikros

TRACK PREMIERE : Gyda Valtysdottir - Mikros by Anna Thorvaldsdóttir

The fictitious tour of far-away lands continues, as anonymous artist Glåsbird follows the scratchy, folk-ambience of Norskfjǫrðr with a return to lonely arctic-island sounds. Novaya Zemlya is a Russian-owned island, stretching from just off the mainland between the Kara and Barents seas, with two islands split by the Matochkin Strait.

The Southern island Yuzhny is the home of a few inhabitants whereas the Northern counterpart Severny is pretty much all glacier. The added complication of sea-ice during Arctic winters have made certain parts of this land very difficult to navigate. There are accounts stretching back to the 16th century when explorer Willem Barentsz died on an expedition and his body is rumoured to have been buried on Severny.
Into more recent times, Novaya Zemlya has been a sensitive military area throughout the cold war as well as a nuclear testing site. In 1961 the world's most powerful nuclear weapon was detonated, the 'Tsar Bomba'.

In this album, Glåsbird composes a soundtrack which transcends the years of history, combining themes of explorers and Barentsz's tragic demise, isolation, climate change and polar bears, underpinned by radio broadcasts to give a slightly unsettling undercurrent, hinting back to the cold war. The track Vanya is named after a code name the Russians had for the Tsar Bomba detonation project and this piece sits at the centre of this album, in some of the most dramatic soundtrack work this artist has made to date.

The cover artwork and bonus images within the CD packaging were taken by photographer Uliana Prokhorova, who visited a few locations on the island. As always, this album uses the sounds, photography and track titles to build an imaginary soundtrack in your mind as you listen and immerse yourself in this latest sonic exploration.

Credits:
Written and produced by Glåsbird
Mastered by James Edward Armstrong
Photography by Uliana Prokhorova
Packaging Design by Harry Towell

Novaya Zemlya

wlr080 Glåsbird - Novaya Zemlya

Glåsbird composition for the forthcoming Return to Sea and Sardinia project run by photographer/artist Daniele Merzeddu and his team:
https://seaandsardinia.org/

Return to Sea and Sardinia:
January 2021 sees the centenary of D.H. Lawrence’s documented trip that resulted in his acclaimed book, Sea and Sardinia.

Return to Sea and Sardinia will follow in the footsteps of Lawrence’s journey exactly 100 years on from the day he set out.

Documenting the journey will be Daniele Marzeddu; a multi award-winning director experienced in documentary filmmaking.

The centre piece of the project will be the film that records Lawrence’s retraced journey - scheduled for release at arts and cultural venues across the UK and Sardinia in April 2021.

Return to Sea and Sardinia will also curate captured material into a limited-edition photo book, featuring a commentary about the locations and scenes as they existed in Lawrence’s day and also today, 100 years on.

Glåsbird joins the Return to Sea and Sardinia project to compose the soundtrack to the film, in which the approach will trace the signature sound/place compositional style.

return to sea and sardinia

A playlist of contemplative classical music including old friends and new discoveries.

10 The Contemplative Podcast meets Ed Carlsen

Contemplative Classical