Taken from the upcoming album 'Watering a Fake Flower'.

..........

Open to the Sea are Enrico Coniglio & Matteo Uggeri...

Enrico Coniglio: piano, organ, Yamaha TX7
Matteo Uggeri: rhythms, field recordings, samples, sort of backing vocals

with:

Mattia Costa: drums
Alessandro Sesana: trumpet
Andrea Serrapiglio: cello, drones

Recorded by Enrico Coniglio and Matteo Uggeri in Venice and Milan.
Drums recorded by Gianmaria Aprile at Argolab, Varese.
Cello recorded by Andrea Serrapiglio.
Additional VOG treatments on “I Can Hear…” by Gianmaria Aprile.

Mixed and produced by Matteo Uggeri
Mastered by Ian Hawgood
Artwork by Daniel Crossley

www.fluidaudio.co.uk

Watering a Fake Flower

Open to the Sea - If One Moment Could Be My Entire Life (Pt 1 & II)

More often than not, a respected label introduces me to a new artist or a project. Sometimes, a rare instance occurs in reverse, where a favourite artist appears on a previously unknown [to me] label. This is the case with the Philadelphia-based Andrew Tasselmyer, whom I’ve been a fan of for his solo ambient releases on imprints such as Shimmering Moods, Constellation Tatsu, Polar Seas, Eilean, Home Normal, and laaps, among the many, but also as a member of Hotel Neon, which I’ve been following via Past Inside the Present, Thesis, Archives, Sound in Silence, and Fluid Audio. All of those are very familiar to me – in fact, you can find most of them in my Labels Directory, but the Las Vegas-based Mystery Circles is definitely new, and I only recognise a few names on its roster. So, more for me to hear! Now, back to the release! Titled Where Substance Meets Emptiness, this 8-piece album features more than just Tasselmyer’s beautiful ambience, with some piano keys and field recordings. There are lots of sparkling and shuffling beats and percussive elements reminiscent of the early IDM era, where harmony met rhythm. The track I am premiering for you today, “Flowers in a Storm”, reminds me of those days when I would listen to Arovane, Dabrye, Metamatics, Deaf Center, and Secede. This makes me want to revisit my very own liftmuziek sessions!

"Beyond the edge of the world there’s a space where emptiness and substance neatly overlap, where past and future form a continuous, endless loop. And, hovering about, there are signs no one has ever read, chords no one has ever heard.
— Haruki Murakami (Kafka on the Shore)

Taking in the magical surrealism of the celebrated Japanese author, Tasselmyer composes music that fades in and out of reality, bridging the atmospheric world of dreams and the present moment, where we find ourselves floating and merging with all the beautiful vibrations. Featuring some sonic postcards from his friends (Steven Kemner, Dave Mantel, and Sean Galloway), Tesselymyer paints a new world to traverse – one that is as imaginary as it is real, where “ordinary methods and immediate results are ditched along with their traditional maps in order to reach uncharted places of the imagination.” It’s an absolute pleasure to wander within this open space, and I find myself pleasantly lost among its many turns and expansive pastures.

The full album is out tomorrow, January 30th, 2024, on Mystery Circles. Mastered by Taylor Deupree, it is available as a digital, CD, or cassette edition. Beautiful album cover by his brother, Michael.

Where Substance Meets Emptiness

Flowers in a Storm

TRACK PREMIERE : Andrew Tasselmyer - Flowers in a Storm

Today, I am happy to share with you a new piece of music that will serve as the opening to the upcoming mini-album that I will self-release later this summer. To be honest, with all these written words for many years, talking about all this music by many of my favourite composers, I'm actually pretty shit at self-promoting myself. This is why I usually leave this "job" to the many wonderful labels to spread the word. And then I amplify and filter. "Saturated Signals" is a continuation of my sonic journey initially explored on Sacred Tonalities, which was put out on the amazing Past Inside The Present in February of 2023. Initially, it was conceived as a bonus or a follow-up track until it evolved on its own, as music usually does. I then invited a few of my dear friends to rework the piece and add their special touch to the heavily layered synthesized and organic textures which I provided as a foundation for this piece. Each distinct interpretation offers a perfect tint of the individual composer's aesthetic to create a collective whole that you can experience as a unified journey in half an hour's time, connected by an interweaving theme. I will share Saturated Reworks with the world in just a couple of weeks, followed by the full mini-album, but first, here's the single.

Saturated Signals

TRACK PREMIERE : Mike Lazarev - Saturated Signals

Today, we're back with a track by Tristan Eckerson, who records under his Purple Decades moniker for the Portland-based Beacon Sound imprint. This piece is taken from his second album, Fraction of Centuries, where Eckerson continues experimenting with new textures, "creating an expansive zone of contemplation for his listener." I think that "Completely Still" is a perfect example of the aesthetic captured by this composer. Lo-fi tape hiss is holding up the lightly sprinkled synth keys as sweeps and drones slowly fill out the resonant crevices of the spacial landscape. The reverberated pads swell in as the fog slowly crawls over the sleepy lagoon, and the bass then awakens the cavernous rumble. Time stands still in this sonic projection, inviting the listener to pause, maybe close their eyes, take a breath, and awaken into another moment. With its glistening minimalism and neoclassical undertones, the music is an invitation to slow down, especially if you're a fan of contemplating the vastness of time, much like the surreal imagery that inspired its title. I've previously premiered a video from Eckerson's debut, Journey Test, and if you like this piece, I recommend you lead off there.

Fraction of Centuries

Completely Still

TRACK PREMIERE : Purple Decades - Completely Still

The 'Noise Print' project began from a desire to create deep, earthy textures. I had an image of walking along a narrow forest path and being very present in the moment. For this album I changed my usual approach by setting a one-hour time limit for each studio session. As soon as I set this limitation my ‘chattery brain’ started stirring up doubts about my ability to work under these confines- an hour wasn’t long enough to create ‘amazing music’ and that setting such restraints would be stopping me from producing quality work. However, once I started working, a diﬀerent, more grounded version of myself emerged-more sure footed and less neurotic and anxious, focused on the present moment rather than getting anxious over future outcomes. And the outcomes were good, I was really happy with the material I was creating and the whole of Noise Print was made in these sessions.  

While I made the album I started to think about identity, shadow selves, unconscious selves, versions of ourselves that are quite diﬀerent from the everyday person we think we are. In many ways this was quite comforting, the thought that my everyday self could take it’s hands of the wheel and let a grown up much more capable person could get on with the work. On reflection I realise that making music is one situation in my life where I’m able to tap into this state without too much diﬃculty (most of the time) but it was during the making of Noise Print that I actually noticed it was happening.  

This led me to think about the concept of shadow selves-alternate versions of our subconscious selves that operate beyond our everyday distractions and influences. Like the image of the forest track-a space where the noisy mental clutter fades, and a deeper, older self takes over.  

To sum this one up-it’s like a walk along a narrow forest path and the present moment is very much alive-your mind is right in ‘the now’ with past and future losing any meaning. The ‘Noise Print’ title came about by me thinking if you could print to tape the sound of your psyche/consciousness when your are in this present focused, deep state.  

- Phil Tomsett - April 2024

Noise Print

Phil Tomsett - Noise Print (Preview)

lost in translation

Dear, me.


Things have been tough lately.
The pain runs through you,
like a river.
Calm, still, endlessly.
But you have the smile
that moves the mountains,
a strong fire inside,
it burns with passion.
I know you're scared,
drowned in sadness, in despair.
But I know,
you can handle this.

Love, me.

at peace with myself

holy moly - decree and declare (bonus) ⚔️🦢

I See Planets

Under The Blue

From "Pillars". Out on limited LP 1/10/2020

North Atlantic Drift - Astray

Track for Slow sketch vol. 1: Reflections of the ambient community, on El Muelle Records.

Warmth - Dögun

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!