In Stratus ♥

13 John (but my friends call me Dante) - Thirteen Times - Until the Next Time

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

Peter van Cooten of Ambientblog is no stranger to Headphone Commute. We have been musing on our discoveries for almost a decade now, exchanging mixes and words in a tightly knit musical network. His first mix for Headphone Commute podcast appeared back in 2011, titled Dawn Secrets and it features many of my favourite artists to this day. I think it's only fair to say that Dave Michuda of Low Light Mixes is also part of the said "network", with his first mixed for Headphone Commute appearing in August of 2010 (also a decade ago), titled The Landscape Listens. For this special syndicated podcast, Dave and Peter create a cooperative voyage, each taking their turns to conduct and manoeuvre this ship in complex sonic waters to deliver you safely ashore, while in the process forever tattooing their message on your map of existence. 

For a download, full tracklisting, and more details on the mix, please stop by headphonecommute.com and subscribe to our podcast! As always, please enjoy responsibly and support the featured artists!
https://hcdi.gs/Frgmntd

Low Light Mixes / Ambientblog

Fragmented Dialogue (Low Light Mixes / Ambientblog Mix)

Tracklist

01. Danny Clay - Ocean Park I
02. Shuttle358 - Meteor heart
03. This Valley Of Old Mountains - Yvy
04. Tomotsugu Nakamura - Resolution
05. Warmth - Transition
06. The Green Kingdom - Opalescent
07. Moss Covered Technology - Quayside - November
08. Alex Bober - Shielded
09. Emanuele Errante - This World
10. M. Grig - Call

188. Sleepy Sunday Podcast (Elm Records)

Kostas Katsikas returns with his fourth full-length LP to the German Denovali imprint. I am immensely excited to hear the continuous evolution of this Greek musician’s sound, whom I have followed first through the Tympanik debut Approach (2008), then to the Ad Noiseam sophomore release, No Land Called Home (2010), and lastly via the Denovali release of Foray (2015). Four years since Subheim offers nine delicious, moody tracks, that capture the shadowy crawl through a modern metropolis. The album is titled after the last segment of that word, metro + polis, or, rather correctly, from Greek, μήτηρ (“mother”) + πόλις (“city”), aiming to capture “the unspoken tension between longing to escape and being trapped in some kind of concrete stasis.” I know exactly what Katsikas means. Having lived in numerous concrete jungles, from Kyiv to New York to Chicago and London, and having visited his home city of Athens [er, why did I forget to reach out?] there is a certain grittiness to all this man-made beauty. Millions upon millions of conscious [and, well, not so conscious] minds, each with their own distinctive story, together, yet alone [and in this lockdown we’re alone together], reflecting on the lives we’ve built around us from the past. Subheim recognizes this concealing darkness, and he attempts to scratch it out with sound, which is at once grungy, with its great use of mild distortion, and cinematically alluring, with epic chords, towering organic progressions, and insistent beats. Today I am premiering a piece called “Vertigo”, which elegantly captures that overwhelming sense.

"Despite the album being born out of a feeling of alienation from one’s surroundings, it’s impossible to ignore the sense of hope that runs through this LP. In ΠΟΛΙΣ, we hear an arrival at a deeper understanding of oneself, an inner peace amidst the decay and cautious optimism that comes from someone who just happens to feel most at home in darkness."

The album is a perfect soundtrack to your reclusive walks, preferably through dark and dingy alleys, abandoned subways, and corroded ducts. There’s even an appearance by Ben Lukas Boysen, as Hecq on a piece called “Daughter,” which is a fantastic collaboration showcasing both of these composer’s talents – melodically harmonious and lush. ΠΟΛΙΣ is out on October 30th, available from Denovali on digital, CD, and black 12″. Highly recommended for these confusing times! A perfect candidate for my selections in “Music For Crawling Through Abandoned Cities.” I’m sure we’ll see it there soon!

ΠΟΛΙΣ

TRACK PREMIERE : Subheim - Vertigo

Well... you've heard the news already. The UK is going into another lockdown in just a few days, for about a month [more like six months, really], that is if the insanity which is actively scheduled to explode in the divided states tomorrow, does not leak its vile venom into the rest of the world [which, of course, it will]. Meanwhile, everyone on this side of the pond is preparing [sort of speak] to go into a house arrest. At least we've got the toilet paper, and the books, and the newly arrived synthesizers [mine is the Waldorf Iridium, which should keep me busy]. And of course, most importantly, we've got this music. "In a moment in which traveling has become a little more complicated, we have curated a collection of songs that encourage you to wander with the mind, aided by the exploratory sounds of ambient music." On December 4th, the German label group !K7 will release a 20-track compilation from artists around the world on its 7K! imprint. This is in line with their previous thematic collections, such as String Layers and Piano Layers, designed to showcase the amazing talent defining their respective genres. Ambient Layers compiles some of the top names from the scene, including Adam Wiltzie, Ryan Teague, Robert Lippok, Michel Banabila & Machinefabriek, Pjusk, and many others [I've got another surprise for you before the release date]. Today, however, I'm excited to premiere the opening piece by Roger Goula, titled "Ontology Of Things."

"Even if for a short period of time during lockdown, Nature started to breathe and to find its own balance again, thanks to human inactivity. Drawing on Timothy Morton’s theories, “Ontology of Things” is a reflection on how humans and non-humans interact. The acoustic strings sit on analogue electronics written using a probability algorithm, creating a quasi-dysfunctional symbiosis between them, simultaneously attracting and resisting each other." --Roger Goula

album, Overview Effect, was released in 2016 on Cognitive Shift (in partnership with One Little Independent imprint). His further credits include film scores and soundtracks for Shock Head Soul (2012), Make Us Dream (2018), and Versus: The Life and Films of Ken Loach (2020). So it would be of no surprise if you connect the cinematic atmospherics with the acoustic treatments on this piece. It’s a beautiful opener for the subsequent nineteen pieces, and there are many more new artists to explore! Stay tuned for more reveals!

Ambient Layers

Ontology Of Things

TRACK PREMIERE : Roger Goula - Ontology Of Things

The latest Contemplative Guest Mix is curated by Montreal based record Label @ModernaRecords. The mix contains new and upcoming releases with some gems from their back catalogue too.

You can listen and purchase all Moderna releases here:
https://modernarecords.bandcamp.com/

Track listing: 
Tom Adams 'Particle VI (Shadow & Light)' - from LP Particles (0:00)

Ed Carlsen 'Words' - from upcoming LP Morning Hour (2:59)

Josh Alexander 'Murmur' - from LP Hiraeth (7:43)

Jacob David 'Intet Forbi' - from LP Omkuld (10:30)

Daigo Hanada 'Under the Starry Sky' - from EP Ouka (13:46)

Manos Milonakis 'Dressing' - from LP Festen (15:50)

Richard Luke 'Silent Story' - from LP Glass Island (17:37)

Snorri Hallgrímsson 'Be Still, My Tongue (Slow Meadow Rework)' - from EP Orbit Reworked (20:30)

Veroníque Vaka 'Minning Um Himinn' - from EP Erlendis (25:15)

Ed Carlsen 'Loose (Lambert Rework)' - from LP The Journey Tapes (Deluxe Edition)(31:14)

Tambour - 'The Nude And The Quiet' - from EP Chapter I (34:34)

Moderna CC Guest Mix

Moderna Records -  Contemplative Classical Guest Mix

Henrik delivers his follow-up album on Ambientologist, Kval, strengthening his crossing of medieval evocation and meditative ambient cello.

A story of choices, necessary suffering, and being human.

CDs and download available here: bit.ly/3n8EFnx

Releases January 8th.

Kval

Henrik Meierkord - Kval (Album Mini-Mix)

1. John Cage - Radio mix (00:00:08)
2. Pram - Little Scars (00:00:50)
3. Eva Van Deuren -Subliminal Season (00:05:10)
4. Waswaas - Nostalgia (00:10:41)
5. Sugai Ken - Headwaters Of The Tone River (00:17:41)
6. Mike Cooper - The Drowned World (Jalan Batu After Rain) (00:22:02)
7. Elif Yalvac - Huggin and Muninn (00:27:46)
8. Flying Saucer Attack - Popol Vuh 1 (00:30:55)
9. Moon Wiring Club - Posthumous Self-Portrait (00:39:53)
10. Ana Roxanne - Venus (00:49:58)
11. Trondheim Voices - Chant For The Multipresence(00:57:28)
12. Jon Hassell & Brian Eno - Rising Thermal 14° 16' N; 32° 28' E (01:02:55)
13. Tibor Szemzo - Snapshot From The Island (01:02:55)
14. Lottie Sebes - Träger (01:16:41)
15. Malvern Brume - Dripped Log Last Stretch (01:19:48)
16. John Tchicai - Hymn (01:24:52)
17. David Chatton Barker - Mother Red Cap (01:32:54)
18. Caterina Barbieri - After Finitude (01:50:19)
19. Ann McMillan - Amber 75 (01:57:25)

130701 - A Dream Across The Border 17 - radio show on 1BTN - 13.12.20 1

Tracklist

01. Hiroshi Ebina - Empty beach
02. Simeon Walker - Froze
03. Andrew Heath - Tree Cathedrals
04. Kinder Scout - Epilogue
05. Simon Scott - Apart F
06. The Green Kingdom - Somber System
07. Hipnotic Earth - Repose (Longplay Remix)
08. Christina Vantzou - Staircases
09. Moss Covered Technology - Gen #4
10. r beny - and fall, standing alone again
11. Josh Mason - S51

216. Sleepy Sunday Podcast (Elm Records)

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