due out on September 22nd, CD / DL
pre-orders from September 8th
dronarivm.bandcamp.com


"Nocturnal" is a trip that takes place during the night and ends at
the break of dawn. A lonely and (sometimes) melancholic journey through a calm and deep night.

Nocturnal

Buy CD / DL

Federico Mosconi - At 10.00 P.M.

The universe would like some stillness. In the insanity created by us, we try to find some peace and quiet. But even that has been commoditised and sold as yet another refuge from this all. The focus on our mental health has brought with it another pathway of escape. But when you run, you find yourself again, with all your demons. Wherever you may sit in silence - there you are. Perhaps some music will unhinge those thoughts and carry you throughout this session. It's time for self-reflection and repose. I have recited many words on this entrancing topic. Five years ago, I even shared guidance on meditation and on music. Can music be a tool to help you breathe? I think so. Yes. And here's one example of such wonder. "‘Demain, dès l’aube’ is a quietly powerful collaboration between From Overseas and zakè with a beautiful stillness at its center. It is meditation music that secures a clear pathway to intimate contemplation." And now is a good time to sit and to breathe. Some music reminds me of breathing: a cyclical motion that sustains our lives yet goes somehow unnoticed (until it's too late)... This is why, during meditation, it is important to bring your attention to the steady flow of your breath... This is why, during these turbulent times, I remind myself to focus on the steady flow of this beautiful music... Don't let this one go unnoticed...

Demain, dès l’aube

TRACK PREMIERE : From Overseas & zakè - Day Will Be As The Night

New track from Moss Covered Technology; forthcoming on Fluid Audio...

Dartmoor! thou wert to me, in childhood's hour, 
A wild and wondrous region. Day by day 
Arose upon my youthful eye they belt 
Of hills mysterious, shadowy, clasping all 
The green and cheerful landscape sweetly spread 
Around my home; and with a stern delight 
I gazed upon thee. How often on the speech 
Of the half-savage peasant have I hung, 
To hear of rock-crowned heights on which the cloud 
For ever rests; and wilds stupendous swept 
By mightiest storms; of glen, and gorge, and cliff, 
Terrific, beetling o'er the stone-strewed vale; 
And giant masses, by the midnight flash 
Struck from the mountain's hissing brow, and hurled 
Into the foaming torrent; and of forms 
That rose amid the desert, rudely shaped 
By Superstition's hands when time was young; 
And of the dead, the warrior dead, who sleep 
Beneath the hollowed cairn!  My native fields, 
Though peerless, ceased to please.  The flowery vale, 
The breezy hill, the river and the wood, 
Island, reef, headland, and the circling sea, 
Associated by the sportful hand 
Of Nature, in a thousand views diverse, 
Or grand, or lovely, -to my roving eye 
Displayed in vain their infinite of charms; 
I thought on thy wild world, -to me a world,- 
Mysterious Dartmoor, dimly seen, and prized 
For being distant and untrod; and still 
Where'er I wander'd, -still my wayward eye 
Rested on thee!

In sunlight and in shade, 
Repose and storm, wide waste! I since have trod 
Thy hill and dale magnificent. Again 
I seek thy solitudes profound, in this 
Thy hour of deep tranquillity, when rests 
The sunbeam on thee, and thy desert seems 
To sleep in the unwonted brightness, calm, 
But stern; for though the spirit of the Spring 
Breathes on thee, to the charmer's whisper kind 
Thou listenest not, nor ever puttest on 
A robe of beauty, as the fields that bud 
And blossom hear thee. Yet I love to tread 
They central wastes when not a sound intrudes 
Upon the ear, but rush of wing or leap 
Of the hoarse waterfall. And oh, 'tis sweet 
To list the music of thy torrent-streams; 
For thou too hast thy minstrelsies fro him 
Who from their liberal mountain-urn delights 
To trace thy waters, as from source to sea 
They rush tumultuous. Yet for other fields 
Thy bounty flows eternal. From thy sides 
Devonia's rivers flow; a thousand brooks 
Roll o'er they rugged slopes; -'tis but to cheer 
Yon Austral meads unrivalled, fair as aught 
That bards have sung, or Fancy has conceived 
'Mid all her rich imaginings: whilst thou, 
The source of half their beauty, wearest still 
Through centuries, upon they blasted brow, 
The curse of barrenness.

- Noel Thomas Carrington

A Weather Internal

Moss Covered Technology - River Slows Pt.1

There's a lot of work behind the scenes in Headphone Commute headquarters. All the email reading, promo sorting, and, of course, the listening and writing take up lots of time to make sure that I can bring you honest music on a regular basis. Sometimes, my "job" is mitigated through the trusted filter of a record label. After all, they invest more than just time into their supported artists. There are many such examples where I can turn to a favourite imprint and pretty much enjoy every single release. For many years now, since 2006 to be exact, I have been following the output of an Italian label founded by Alessandro Tedeschi, which he called Glacial Movements. As the name implies, the music put out by the imprint specializes in glacial and isolationist ambient soundscapes, "places that man has forgotten... icy landscapes... fields of flowers covered eternally with ice..." It's a beautiful place, and I have been a fan of the albums, including that of Tedeschi's own Netherworld project. Today, we're stepping away from these frozen territories of the inevitable future and instead take a look back at the ancestry of the past. In particular, the new album by Massimo Pupillo turns our attention towards the Indigenous people of the Arctic, who have been inhabiting some of these hospitable lands since the dawn of human civilization. The track I am premiering for you today, "Horagalles", is titled after the thunder god, often depicted with a sledgehammer in one hand and a cross-hammer in the other on the Sami shaman drums. It's a beautiful and slightly eerie piece, full of enigmatic worship, belief in the unknown, and of course, the distant rolls of thunder.

Our Forgotten Ancestors

Horagalles

TRACK PREMIERE : Massimo Pupillo - Horagalles

I've got a very lovely piano piece for you this morning from the ever-lovely Moderna imprint, which continues to scour the hidden corners of the scene to bring you some of the most heartfelt music. This one comes from the emerging [and pretty young] Augsburg-based (Germany) composer Linus Alberg, offering us his label debut, titled Elements. On this collection of eight tracks, Alberg shares his sentimentality, initially inspired by the changing of the seasons but somehow evoking something else entirely, at least in me, as if uncovering a buried key to a forgotten memory. His incredible compositional musicality is only surpassed by the execution, whereby remarkably gentle melodies effortlessly flutter in the curated space, held together by the solid bass, frequency-rich harmonium, and occasional echoes of the breathy trumpet, played here by Matthias Lindermayr. Oh, but then, there is that Yamaha upright that carries a flavour so lush of its own. Here, Alberg is able to ring out the textural tone shifts with his exceptional, flawless control of the instrument, painting wide pastel landscapes with a gorgeous sonic palette. And yeah, okay, I am jealous. I'm jealous that I'm no longer in my twenties, making music as beautiful as this. But that is okay. I'm delighted. I'm happy to sidestep and listen and offer this space to a lovely new voice.

Elements

Vienna

TRACK PREMIERE : Linus Alberg - Vienna

Taken from the upcoming album 'Oyasumi', forthcoming on Fluid Audio...

In a musical exchange back and forth between Tokyo and Copenhagen, Kei Nogami (JP) and Mathias Lystbaek (DK) has the created the album Oyasumi. The album is centered around eclectic electroacoustic loops with the addition of piano, flute and cymbal. Oyasumi means ‘Goodnight’ in Japanese, and the music reflects the sleepy haze before dreaming, with repeated fragments of melodies reminiscent of childhood lullabies and music boxes. This quiet album is an exploration of looped and improvised material, suitable for tranquil moments and contemplative pauses.

- Kei Nogami (K Nogami): Loops, electronics, field recordings & found objects. 

- Mathias Lystbaek (Circa Alto): Piano, flute, bass & cymbal.

Credits:

Artist: K Nogami & Circa Alto
Album: Oyasumi
Composition & mix: Kei Nogami & Mathias Lystbaek 
Cover photo: Kei Nogami
Label: Fluid Audio
Design: Daniel Crossley

Oyasumi

K Nogami & Circa Alto - Kasumi ka kumo ka

On August 27th 2023, I received the very sad news of the untimely passing of Brian McBride at the age of 53. There is so much more that I can say about the emotional turmoil that this has caused in me and the entire music community. But today, I won't talk about the darkness in which the world is left with one more going-out light. Instead, I'll celebrate his music, which is still among us, flickering with energy to light and show the way. "Far From Home" is the "Diminished Stories Mix" which Brian made for Kenneth James Gibson's Further Translations album, collecting remixes by the likes of Jack Dangers, Christopher Willits, Scanner, Awakened Souls, and a few others, reworking pieces from Gibson's previous albums (in this case, "Far From Home" appeared on his 2018 release In The Fields Of Nothing). Gibson met McBride in the late 2000s, and the duo started a band, Bell Gardens, in 2009, exploring "the realms of Americana, chamber pop, folk, and psychedelic pop." For this remix, McBride begins with shimmering waves of wistful strings, which, after their introduction, subside into a bit of darkness, maybe sadness, and introspective grief, the way my mood turns every time I think about this world without the many great musicians that we lost along the way. Or, is it possible that we mourn for ourselves, and music is the way to leave a piece of us behind and be immortal, even for a bit? In any case, I'll close my eyes and play this gorgeous music, and for a moment, I'll pretend that Brian's still around. To me, that is as real as the rest...

Further Translations

Far From Home (Brian McBride's Diminished Stories Mix)

TRACK PREMIERE : Kenneth James Gibson - Far From Home (Brian McBride's Diminished Stories Mix)

In September 2015, I got swept away by the sonic tapestry of modular synthesis, deep textures, and fluid dynamics (the sonic composition, not the discipline of physics and engineering) coming out from a mysterious Serbian composer calling himself Abul Mogard. The story was that this Belgrade-based retired metal factory worker, with no previous music background, picked up a vintage Farfisa organ and self-build modular synthesizer and began recreating the sounds surrounding him for many years.  It was a great story, but I didn't buy it because the production quality was simply top-notch, and I knew that it would have come from an experienced electronic musician. I wasn't wrong, and years later, we learned that it was an alter ego of an Italian Guido Zen. "Great story, Mike, but what does it have to do with today's track premiere?" Well, as far as I know, Jan Nemeček _is_ from Belgrade, and he does indeed build rich layers of sound from "raw tonalities of partially defunct digital synthesizers." In this organic meets digital sound-generating chain of "neural" synth network, Nemeček reveals lovely hidden depths with low sub-bass, drony mutations, and granulated particles, which slowly evolve on this subtle horizon. It's an absolutely delectable track, which would keep many sound designers entranced with its tasty details. And yes, albeit I enjoyed that fable of Mogard, I am indeed delighted that Jan Nemeček is real. Lovinly mastered by Stephan Mathieu!

Dissolved

On Subtle Horizon

TRACK PREMIERE : Jan Nemeček - On Subtle Horizon

Following the 130701 imprint for over two decades has been a rewarding experience. After all, this is the same offshoot of FatCat that brought us the best of Max Richter, Hauschka, Jóhann Jóhannsson, and yes, even introduced the world to Sigur Rós. This is what a label does best - it puts a "label" on its output, essentially a stamp of approval, if you will, of what it is excited to support. And this is why I hungrily continue to consume pretty much everything in its catalogue, especially by artists previously unknown to me. [And, secretly, I hope that you can say the same about the purpose of my words]. Today, I'd like to share with you a track by the Danish composers Emil Friis and Patricio Fraile, who are best known for their film and television scores (again, mostly for the Danish audience). For their collaboration titled The Expected Sounds Of Minor Music, the duo composed eleven vignettes with minimal piano melodies supported by a string quartet and solo cello performed by Joe Zeitlin. "The album's layered and intimate sound, along with its ability to encourage contemplation [...] reflect the duality of life, encompassing both the major and minor moments." This is a perfect soundtrack to wake up to and start a brand new day, bringing forth some optimism, serenity, and hope... even as it's mostly based on minor keys.

The Expected Sounds Of Minor Music

Minor Music

TRACK PREMIERE : Emil Friis & Patricio Fraile - Minor Music

Please give it your all

This is my contribution to the Rusted Tone Recordings: Sampler Vol. 1 various artists compilation.  Recorded using dual reel to reel tape decks and a single tape loop that continuously records over itself, slowly degrading over time.  Thanks for listening, and I hope you enjoy!!

https://rustedtonerecordings.bandcamp.com/album/rusted-tone-recordings-sampler-vol-1

A Thousand Tiny Heartbreaks

some original solo piano pieces...  some mixes from my podcast... some exclusive track premieres...  and some tracks from the albums I review for Headphone Commute... Enjoy!

TRACK PREMIERE : Kenneth James Gibson - Far From Home (Brian McBride's Diminished Stories Mix)

Headphone Commute

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