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.

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

As I mature and fine-tune my musical journey, I seem to gravitate more and more towards the contemporary classical genre. Why is that, and do you feel the same? I think, for me, it’s all about the connection. I want to feel emotion expressed from the composer’s soul through instruments attached to human hands. They feel like an extension of articulations flowing into sound. I also think that electronic music has that capability as well [I’ve recently acquired the Osmose from Expressive E, and let me tell you – it’s entirely something else]. And then, there is, of course, the blend of both where certain frequencies [especially the low end] can’t be generated entirely by organic means. Or when dense atmospheres and textures cloud the landscape with a gorgeous dew. This is how I feel about the latest album from the Melbourne-based composer Callum Mintzis, who first appeared on these pages a few years ago when I premiered his collaboration with Pat Jaffe in the video for V. Murmur. Mintzis is also collaborating with Tilman Robinson, who co-produced this latest album [and yes, I hear a bit of his conjuring touch]. The album is titled "And the Wind was my Dear Friend, Once Again", and across its seven pieces, Mintzis explores the mysteries of life through many philosophical questions posed alongside the release, but it is the music itself that will make you reach deep inside your own existence for the answers you will find.

And the Wind was my Dear Friend, Once Again

TRACK PREMIERE : Callum Mintzis - Once Again

Sometimes, the music matches my mood. And this Monday morning I wake up a little distressed. Perhaps some remnants of a previous night's nightmare have spilt into this world and left me slightly edgy. Reality can surely shape one's dreams, but can it also be impacted in reverse I wonder. I haven't followed the deep catalogue of twelve-inchers from the Glasgow-based duo of Jonnie Wilkes and James Savage releasing under the Naum Gabo project name over the last 15 years, but I am happy to land on their first proper full-length album, titled F. Lux. This is a proto-techno meets industrial meets dark ambient apocalyptic dream score, encompassed in compelling rhythm, distorted soundscapes, and wicked moods. I hear a bit of Demdike Stare, Raime, Vatican Shadow, and The Haxan Cloak, and if this rope of names means anything to you at all, I reckon you'll connect with Naum Gabo. "A consistent source of fascination for us are sounds that sit with some difficulty beside one another, but once heard, just have to be. A perversion, misapplication, accident, call it what you will, but we see this inelegance as ok." I think there is pure beauty in this darkness, and its existence is a must. How else are we to tell the difference in contrast if every single moment feels the same? For today's track premiere, I select a less rhythmic piece that opens up the album - I want it to be just a prelude for your trip. And for the rest, you'll have to take the plunge.

F. Lux

Aora

TRACK PREMIERE : Naum Gabo - Aora

The other day, I was discussing with my good old friend the constant fluctuation of the music release pendulum that I follow, oscillating between my absolutely favourite artists and labels [where sometimes it can feel like I am inside an echo chamber] and chasing the latest and new [where sometimes I am guided by marketing trends of PR]. As usual, the sweet spot is somewhere in the middle, and I will still chart my own course. Today is an immensely gorgeous example of the former, where I am eagerly celebrating a brand new release from my favourite artist – Ben Chatwin. And this is a perfect model of balance, where Chatwin does not simply sharpen his skills but projects them another leap forward, creating another new style that one day, I’m sure, will stand out as prime. If you peruse these pages you’ll be sure to find nearly every release from Ben Chatwin going back to 2015, and then, once again, even further in time, to 2008, when he was recording under another named project. But with his latest releases on Village Green, the last of which was The Hum (2020), Chatwin managed to evoke the voice of the inorganic, blending melodic beauty with intense sonics and tense, edgy rhythms. “Obsessed with the physicality of sound, Chatwin utilises modular synthesis to imbue life and instability into the recordings. Pushing his exploration of analogue textures, audio is passed through an arsenal of compressors and saturators to build layers of grit and grime around this new set of tactile compositions.” So yes, I’m a massive fan of his compositions, and yes, I have even secured a coveted remix of his for an upcoming single I intend to release any day now [more on that later!]. For his new album, titled Verdigris, Chatwin set up his own imprint, Disinter, to take us down his forward-thinking evolution of sound.

Verdigris

Dolmen

TRACK PREMIERE : Ben Chatwin - Dolmen

"Bittersweet is the Moon"
from the album "Maebure" by Tatsuro Yokoyama & World Standard

アーティスト：横山起朗 & ワールドスタンダード
タイトル：Maebure
発売日：2024年3月29日
製品仕様：国内盤CD
レーベル：Stella
発売／販売元：インパートメント（03-5428-6800）
定価：2,700円（＋消費税）

＜Tracks＞
01.  Bittersweet is the Moon / 月は甘く苦く
02.  Other Voices, Other Rooms / 遠い声 遠い部屋
03.  Floating Clouds / 浮き雲
04.  A rose is A rose is A rose / ア・ローズ・イズ・ア・ローズ・イズ・ア・ローズ
05.  Evening Calm / 夕なぎ
06.  Little Sorrow / ひとしきりの哀しみ
07.  Like the Twilight Flowers / 夕暮れの花のように
08.  Marronnier / マロニエ
09.  Deeper is Our Love / 愛はふかく
10.  Wuthering Heights / 嵐が丘


プロデュース　　　　　　　　　鈴木惣一朗 (ワールドスタンダード)
録音　　　　　　　　　　　　　横山起朗
ミックス／マスタリング　　　　原真人


ぼくは、彼のピアノの音に出会えてよかったと思う。
新しい戦争が繰り返される今。
世界中で「最もやさしい音なんだ」と思う。
これは間違いなく「奇跡の音なんだ」と思う。
横山起朗くんのピアノ、ぼくは本当に好きだな。
　　　　　　　鈴木惣一朗（ワールドスタンダード）


ピアニスト／コンポーザー横山起朗が、ワールドスタンダードの楽曲をピアノ・ソロで演奏。
フェルト・ピアノのようにやわらかで、静寂と気配をまとったピアノの音色と響き ー それは窓の外で降る雪の気配や、ふと聴こえてくる鳥の声とともに、静かに変わりゆく日常の微かな前兆（まえぶれ）を感じる音楽。

2023年5月に開催されたコンサート「Polish Pianism」での横山起朗の演奏を聴いた鈴木惣一朗が、その音色に惚れ込み、自らプロデュースを申し出て誕生した作品。鈴木がワールドスタンダード名義で発表した数多くの楽曲のうち、2020年のパンデミック以降のアルバム3枚『色彩音楽』『エデン』『ポエジア...刻まれた時間』から横山が選び、ソロ・ピアノにアレンジ。2023年の秋から冬にかけて1曲ずつじっくりと録音された順に、そのままアルバムに収められました。

自作曲でない故に、横山がこだわったのは楽曲の核となる情感、フェルト・ピアノのような親密な響き、音色が纏う空気感。まるで手紙のように1編ずつ届けられる音源ごとに移ろいゆく気配を損なわないよう、丁寧にミックスとマスタリングが施され完成した本作。幾重にも重なるブルーの淡いレイヤーがうつくしい手折りジャケットとともに、このアルバムを届けます。

Bittersweet is the Moon（月は甘く苦く）

In the fall of last year, I was asked to participate in Bigo & Twigetti's fifth volume of the Perceptions compilation series, which explores various approaches to piano music. Complimenting the sound of the solo piano, these compositions also utilise nominal processing, sound effects, synthesis, and binaural recording techniques, all aiming to create an immersive listening experience while still showcasing my beloved instrument. As the clock ticked away and the deadline approached, I realised I hadn't found time to compose my contribution. For a few weeks, I've experienced a gnawing feeling of self-imposed pressure, mixed with anxiety and procrastination, that looped on itself and left me fatigued. I'm sure plenty of composers who are reading these words, especially those working on a deadline (like film soundtracks), know what I'm talking about. This, in itself, gave me a taste of this process at work. I learned that I simply cannot try and force things or make them appear. For me, music, as Victor Hugo once said, "expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent…" I needed to have something special to say...

As the end of the year approached, I found myself in that "usual space" of December, where the dark and the cold seemed to mix with my mood, and I recount the days and the moments of passing. There's always reflection on what I've achieved, and of course, I look back at my favourite albums of the year. Somewhere around this time, I arrive at the acceptance of failure, preparing to message the label and withdraw from the project. I think I'm too busy with "all other stuff". Perhaps I'll start over as the new year turns. Perhaps I'll become a bit more organised or not commit myself to the deadlines. In the very last days of the year, I find myself investing time in consoling my friend whose mother has passed away. As always, besides the grief for another, we find ourselves reflecting on our own mortality... and the meaning of it all... As the clock strikes midnight, I am deep asleep. But the morning comes, as it does every morning. And we're at it again, starting fresh and anew. The windows open, and we breathe in and out. Maybe this time, it will be slightly different. Maybe this time we have learned... On the morning of January 1st, I find myself sitting at the piano and playing this simple melody. I hope that you'll hear what I'm saying in music...

Perceptions Vol​​​.​​​5

Morning, January 1st

Mike Lazarev - Morning, January 1st

This morning, I am blissfully spending my time in the company of Swedish composer and pianist Matti Bye, who first appeared on these pages back in 2017 with a video that I premiered titled Melt. Having scored more than a few films and being awarded Sweden’s prestigious Guldbaggen for Best Original Music for Faro, Bye knows exactly how to paint deep atmospheres full of mystery and awe. Listening to his latest album for my beloved Denovali, I am transported into a shadowy speakeasy full of jazzy notes and curling smoke. I find myself comfortably sitting in a corner, sipping on Glenfarclas while Matti plays the piano, just for me. Capri Clouds is the third album in the trilogy, which began with Bethanien (2020) and This Forgotten Land (2020), and until this one drops later in the spring of this year, you may want to start your journey there. All showcase somewhat nostalgic, slightly haunting and serene imagery, barely jazzy, neo-classic, and lo-fi. Today, I am premiering the title track for you, which I hope you enjoy… rain, birds, a bit of chit-chat and all…

"These songs go straight to the heart and to the senses, and create images in your head. Stories from your own memory bank, as well as new visions – music to lean into, meditatively and hopefully longing. But there is also an undertone of something dark and desolate."

Capri Clouds

TRACK PREMIERE : Matti Bye - Capri Clouds

Dust, Alleluia

Taken from the upcoming album 'Wave Particles', released through Fluid Audio...

'Wave Particles' is a project that holds special significance for me. It delves into my ongoing fascination with the intricate interplay between nature, consciousness, and technology. Throughout the year, I've had numerous opportunities to explore these themes. I've become particularly intrigued by the role that resonance plays in connecting these elements, fostering a profound sense of interconnectivity within our surroundings.

As we find ourselves at a unique juncture where nature, consciousness, and technology converge. Through this music, I've aimed to capture the threads that bind these elements together - Alex Smalley

Maria Smalley on vocals
Jane Wild plays violi
Alex Smalley plays guitar, process synthesisers and field recordings

Mastering: Alex Smalley
Music: Maria Smalley / Jane Wild / Alex Smalley
Design: Daniel Crossley
Label: Fluid Audio

Wave Particles

Alex Smalley - Duality

This may be the first time that Dawn Chorus and the Infallible Sea are officially appearing on Headphone Commute, but I assure you, I have been listening all along, starting from their self-titled debut release on Past Inside The Present to the more established Liberamente out on Jonas Munk's (aka Manual) Azure Vista imprint in 2019. Of course, besides the solo works by these monumental ambient composers, Zach Frizzell (aka zakè) and Damien Duque (aka City of Dawn) have previously collaborated together, and their 2023 album on PITP, Ash, was picked as one of my favourites of the year. Here, they are joined by Marc Ertel to round up the project, which appears to spearhead the "dronegaze" genre, this time forward driven by orchestral textures, guitar swells, and bass ("Cadere" is my particular favourite piece). Today, I am sharing the last track from their upcoming new album, Reveries, rounding off three-quarters of an hour spent in tranquil waves, sunny rays, and drifting bliss. It's an overall positive and soothing experience, approaching cathartic and restorative treatment as if pointing something towards your entire being, which releases vital healing energy and something you can drown in, becoming one with everything at once. Maybe "curegaze" or "ambientonic" is a better term for that...

Reveries

Aufero

TRACK PREMIERE : Dawn Chorus and the Infallible Sea - Aufero

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 : Dawn Chorus and the Infallible Sea - Aufero

Headphone Commute

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