Jason Van Wyk - All This Time

Somehow I feel that artists of all media [and particularly, musicians] have always dealt with the concept of the "end of time". Whether it's through the destruction of our own planet, some unknown apocalypse, or the universe as we may never know it, post the inevitable human existence [it all will end, after all, right?]. These thoughts, and the resulting output, are then brought on by a blip in our own very linear timeline that makes us wake up for a moment from the cycle of being and ask, "Is this it?" Perhaps a bit of existentialism never hurt anyone to refocus their energy on what truly then matters. [What truly matters to you?]. We've all experienced this, especially with our own latest global crisis, which still continues to ripple, mutate, and destroy, even as I type out these words [my friends in Shanghai are particularly distressed]. It's no wonder that so much latest output from musicians across the globe has been reflecting this temporary state of humankind [just check out the themes of the many new posts on Headphone Commute, like this Requiem or We Will Live On]. So I'm not surprised, and indeed, a bit delighted, to be bathed in an expression of human extinction by the Montréal-based Tunisian composer, multi-instrumentalist and sound designer Haythem Mahbouli, with his second album for the Japanese Schole label, titled Last Man On Earth. Across the eight pieces, "the album envisions man's final journey on our home planet and invites its listeners to immerse themselves into his last harrowing conquest." This is a beautifully produced and orchestrated journey, which leaves me aching with memories of Jóhann Jóhannsson again [and I do not just mention his name lightly], with its cinematic tendency to blend elements of electronic and modern classical genres, featuring synthetic and organic instrumentation, including a choir by the Budapest Scoring Orchestra. Today I'm giving you a taste of what you can experience on the entire album with this short track, titled "The Great Flood."

Last Man On Earth

Last man on earth

TRACK PREMIERE : Haythem Mahbouli - The Great Flood

Taken from upcoming DR-85 : anthéne - Shelter CD / DL
due out on February 28th
dronarivm.bandcamp.com

Shelter

Artifact

Euphoria

This past weekend I was digging through the many archived recordings I have on my hard drives. I've come across a series of captured sounds which I released on Headphone Commute exactly a decade ago under the series I titled Sound Postcards. I found that I've completely forgotten about these little gems shared by many of my favourite artists, including Nils Frahm, Dustin O'Halloran, Taylor Deupree, Hauschka, Richard Chartier, et al... and those who are no longer with us today, like Marcus Fjellström. If you're curious about this project, check out all of the archived clips on this Soundcloud Playlist. Among the many shared moments, I found a recording of a Meditation Bell being struck to call us back for another sitting, which I captured during my very first silent retreat 10 years ago. I remember the teacher telling us to focus on the sound, slowly receding into silence and staying with it until it could no longer be heard. This was a fascinating experience, and I wondered whether or not the sound continues to resonate forever, even if the pressure displacement of air, on a molecular and quantum level, is no longer observable. This turns out to be true. The laws of our universe dictate that energy and information can not be created or destroyed. This not only means that music is a direct causality of all previous moments but that it truly lives on forever, even when it can no longer be heard... What does this all have to do with a beautiful new record by Swedish composer and pianist Henrik Lindstrand? I think it's all there in his music: the important connections with nature and space, the influences of past and present musicians and painters, the performance of a 16-piece string orchestra conducted by LSO's Robert Ames, and the mastering touch of Francesco Donadello, all have contributed with their own past experience to the totality that makes up his new album. And I hear it all...

"Dedicated to a very close friend of mine that went through a dark period in his life. I think the melody contains hope and light and the rhythm in the chords is inspired by a traditional Swedish folk dance but slower than often used. There is a tension between melancholy and joy and the piece modulates a couple of times and ends up in a new place."

Klangland

Leva

TRACK PREMIERE : Henrik Lindstrand - Leva

Christian Balvig is a Danish composer known for his score for the Scandinavian drama series Cry Wolf [with the Copenhagen-based electropop group, When Saints Go Machine], as well as his work with orchestras like The Royal Danish Orchestra, Copenhagen Philharmonic and The Danish Chamber Orchestra. To be completely honest, this is the first time I am listening to Balvig [although I noticed him being credited on a few Efterklang albums], and it's exciting for me to discover his music from the upcoming solo debut, Night Poem. "The album is an ode to and from the night, a rebellion against constant stimuli, and a meticulous hunt for ghost notes and the almost imperceptible sound of piano keys." The piece I am premiering for you today, titled "Where All Is", features a closely mic'ed piano with all of its beautiful mechanic sounds, just enough bass to give it the platform it needs to sustain the sparkling synth arpeggios and backing acoustic percussion. This is a lovely track to wake up to in the early morning as the darkness quietly recedes to light, and we find ourselves faced with another brand new day full of possibilities and welcome prospects. All we have to do is float throughout it all and let it be, as the universe will set its course for us to follow.

Night Poem

Where All Is

TRACK PREMIERE : Christian Balvig - Where All Is

I wasn't exactly jumping at an opportunity to hear an album by Bob Holroyd, which he titled Football Chants and Nursery Rhymes. After all, it would fall somewhere between "crying babies" and "whistling drunks" for me. But I won't just judge the book by its cover, nor the album by its title or the cover art. This is something I've learned long ago, so it's time to hear the music. And given the fact that Holroyd has been deeply rooted in the world of ambient, neoclassical, and cinematic music, something tells me that this title here is tongue-in-cheek. "The album title derives from a conversation Holroyd had with a musician friend who commented on what type of music people say they like in relation to what they actually buy. This sentiment also extends to record labels which imply they are looking for something new and different yet seemingly release the same kind of music." This is something I could surely get behind. It reminds me of another circulating meme, where one is asked, "what kind of music do you listen to?" then answered with an "everything" and smile. And then they're blasted with some drill'n'bass or breakcore or the like. So Bob is right here - people want to live in echo chambers. But do soundscapes and atmospheric textures sound the same? What is it exactly that I listen for in electronic music? It's the sound of the emotion on the other side and the track's ability to move me in return, thus the artist's talent to convey a feeling. So what's exactly painted with "Big Fields"? Fragility, regret, forgotten pledges.

Football Chants and Nursery Rhymes

Big Fields

TRACK PREMIERE : Bob Holroyd - Big Fields

Tracklist

01. Tomotsugu Nakamura - Heliotrope
02. Suisen - Sunken Moon
03. Tapes and Topographies - Reflections in a glass eye
04. The Seaman & The Tattered Sail - Dusk
05. Andrew Tasselmyer - Perspectives
06. Ciro Berenguer - Lago
07. M. Grig - Form
08. r beny -  Echo's verse
09. Simon Scott - Nigh
10. Rafael Anton Irisarri - Daybreak Comes Soon
11. Stijn Hüwels - Tomodachi (patrick)
12. Foresteppe - s01e04

351. Sleepy Sunday Podcast (Elm Records)

Purchase 16/24bit Wav

Much About Nothing

To create this song was a very important process for me, as the track helped me cope with some heartbreaking news in my family — a young girl from my stepmother’s family, who was about to turn 18, took her own life. She had been suffering in silence for years. Such pain, such confusion, such deep sadness. Through this track, I tried to put into music what I was feeling in the midst of this tragedy. Before she passed, she had written a prayer. I hope this piece of music accompanies her, and that she finds peace wherever she is now.

In memory of Xu Han.

In Memory of Xu Han

Strength by time

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!