'First Vows'
Sulk Rooms
See Blue Audio SBA 025

1. Testimony in Progress
2. The Witness Is the Unknown Caller

Release date: 1 October 2021

lnk.to/SBA025

See Blue Audio: ambient / electronic / beatless / cinematic / downtempo / eclectic / introspective… Shade rather than light...

As summer fades into autumn, See Blue Audio welcomes the first in a series of new artists to its roster in the shape of Sulk Rooms. With the coming of the new season and following the sonic landscapes of Simon McCorry's 'Flow', Sulk Rooms represents an expedition into the darker side of ambient music. This takes shape on 'First Vows', the twenty-fifth release on See Blue Audio, and two longform tracks of drone aesthetics and dense atmospherics.

Sulk Rooms is the new drone-style project from acclaimed electronic artist Thomas Ragsdale. As well as being a prolific producer of shimmering, impassioned techno, he has a string of soaring and evocative electronica releases under the Ffion name, and contributed to labels like Burning Witches, Third Kind and his co-founded imprint Soundtracking The Void. Ambient textures and beatless soundscapes have long featured in Thomas' music, which draws influences from his home and studio base in the rugged West Yorkshire countryside, and they can also be found in his soundtrack work for film and television.

A hint of this new direction with Sulk Rooms can be found in the earlier 'Honley Civic Archives' releases on Soundtracking The Void, and Thomas has used his formidable production skills to channel his frustration with the more established, ethereal style of ambient music into creating something that is challenging for both artist and listener, but also intensely rewarding. Spontaneity is another key element in the Sulk Rooms equation, and once Thomas had found his musical voice, the tracks flowed naturally using as a very basic studio setup and often recorded in a single take. Subtle changes in mood also reflect the recordings taking place in a limited series of locations in his home and garden. A flurry of releases are already scheduled on independent labels in the ambient and experimental sphere. The five-track 'Overheard Conversations' EP on Anticipating Nowhere Records commences, followed shortly by 'First Vows' on See Blue Audio, and then releases to come on Waxing Crescent Records, Werra Foxma Records and others. More will surely follow as Sulk Rooms develops into a divergent route for Thomas' creativity.

'First Vows' opens with 'Testimony in Progress', a 12-minute musical embodiment of dark energy. Beatless it may be, but there's a ferocious intensity within its walls of ghostly textural noise, and sublevels of crackle and static. Sufferers of agoraphobia and claustrophobia should take note. As Thomas explains, "I wanted it all to sound like a giant physical weight on the listener's head with no real emotion attached to it – just crushing noise – but also not brutal or angry or even loud."

'Testimony in Progress' is all this and then some, while 'The Witness Is the Unknown Caller' delves even deeper into hypnotic drone over the course of its 15 minutes. Both pieces are deceptively simple, but when fully immersed within, it becomes evident to the listener that they are focused on density in sound rather than intricacy, and herein lies their sonic power. More is most definitely more with Sulk Rooms.

This may well be music for the head rather than the body or the heart, but there's also a spiritual quality at work here, even if it is a kind of disassociated spirituality. This is life seen from the outside looking in, as the track titles might suggest, and as much spectator as it is spectral. With 'First Vows' and the Sulk Rooms project in general, Thomas Ragsdale has tapped into the new normality and post-reality of the present day creating a musical tapestry that truly mirrors the zeitgeist of the moment.

Photography: Fabian Kozdon.

Sulk Rooms

'First Vows' (preview) – Sulk Rooms (See Blue Audio SBA #025)

'Ultraviolence'
Violet Mist
See Blue Audio SBA 026

1. Ultraviolence
2. Ultrazukunft

Release date: 22 October 2021

lnk.to/SBA026

See Blue Audio: ambient / electronic / beatless / cinematic / downtempo / eclectic / introspective… Shade rather than light...

Following the release of 'First Vows' by Sulk Rooms, the new drone-style project from Thomas Ragsdale, See Blue Audio welcomes another much respected figure in electronic music to its roster for the second in a series of releases from artists new to the label. This project goes by the name of Violet Mist with 'Ultraviolence' featuring two tracks of what its creator has dubbed cyberwave for the twenty-six release on See Blue Audio.

Violet Mist is an alias of Manchester-based DJ and producer Jozef K, who will surely need little in the way of introduction to anyone who has followed dance music over the last decade. As a DJ, he has played across the globe alongside summer residencies in Ibiza; as a producer, his records have been supported by a wide range of DJs, and Sasha's Last Night On Earth and Lossless are just two of the many labels on which he has released. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that his productions can take many different turns and assume many different guises, and Violet Mist is the most recent of these.

The Violet Mist adventure began in 2020 with the release of the 'Glimmer' album, followed by 'Prophecy 2096' in April 2021. Both albums came out on the Disintegration State label, close associates of See Blue Audio and co-founded by Steve Hadfield. 'Ultraviolence' is an expansion of the musical ideas expressed on 'Prophecy 2096' with its shadowy synthwave and multiple textures of sound.

At the heart of Violet Mist lies a futuristic world, but a dystopian one. This is a broken future where the bright lights and vivid glare of ever-advancing technology disguise the gloom and conflict within. This imagery is also present in the cover artwork for all Violet Mist releases, and, as the name Violet Mist suggests, rich colours and obscured vision can co-exist. The word cyberwave conjures up many images too: 'A Clockwork Orange', 'Blade Runner', electro-punks and synth hackers, alien video games, sinister technology, and visionary explorers of time and space.

Within this swirl of imagery, many contradictions can be found, which also provide a playful edge, and these are present in the music of 'Ultraviolence'. Nothing is quite what it seems on the title track: luscious sweeps of oscillating effects interplaying with delicate and sombre melodies; birdsong and the harmonies of nature meshing with the sound of sirens; and a hypnotic ambience that is soothing while also warning of a strange and foreboding future. Nature replaced by dark energy.

'Ultraviolence' is complemented and contrasted by 'Ultrazukunft' – a reference to the German word 'zukunft' meaning future – where the beatless soundscape of the title track is punctured by shuddering beats, and the sense of foreboding reaches another level. With their intricate layers of shifting sound, both tracks are a truly immersive listening experience that reveal more with every play.

Imagine walking alone through rain-washed late night/early morning city streets, brightly illuminated but eerily quiet, where danger from unknown forces could approach at any moment. This is the cinematic ambience of 'Ultraviolence' and cyberwave imagination of Violet Mist in full effect.

Mastered by Thomas Ragsdale.

Photography: Harrison Qi.

Ultraviolence

'Ultraviolence' (preview) – Violet Mist (See Blue Audio SBA #026)

'Shade Rather Than Light: Anthology | Two'
See Blue Audio SBA 032

1. At Georgetown – Bagaski
2. Senegal – Versylen
3. The Promise of Endless Possibilities – f5point6
4. Missing – Night Sky Pulse
5. Home – Fragile X
6. Leptosol – Rhombus Index
7. Mesosphere – Steve Hadfield
8. Flow 01 – Simon McCorry
9. The Witness is the Unknown Caller – Sulk Rooms
10. Ultrazukunft – Violet Mist
11. Twinned Peaks – Electric Supply Station
12. Flight of the Icarus II – f5point6
13. Long Nanny Saltmarsh – Isolated Community
14. Campan – Bagaski
15. Automata – Rhombus Index
16. Spring Prayer (Leit Motif 'Dawn Chorus' Remix) – Bagaski
17. See Blue Audio Anthology Two Mix – Fragile X

Release date: 11 March 2022

lnk.to/SBA032

See Blue Audio: ambient / electronic / beatless / cinematic / downtempo / eclectic / introspective… Shade rather than light...

On March 1, 2021, See Blue Audio released the compilation 'Shade Rather Than Light: Anthology | One' covering the first 15 releases on the label, which was launched two years previously to the day. This collection featured one track from each release to represent the full spectrum of music alongside an exclusive new track and continuous DJ mix. A little over a year later, the next 15 releases are similarly represented on 'Shade Rather Than Light: Anthology | Two' with an exclusive remix as the sixteenth track on the thirty-second release on See Blue Audio.

Several new artists joined the label over the last 12 months alongside further releases from f5point6, Fragile X, Steve Hadfield and Simon McCorry. Bagaski with an album and EP of his atonal atmospherics; Thomas Ragsdale's fast-developing Sulk Rooms drone project provided two longform tracks on 'First Vows'; and John Sellekaers released the dreamlike 'These Possible Lives' album under his Night Sky Pulse alias. Versylen, Rhombus Index, Violet Mist, Electric Supply Station and Isolated Community also presented their distinctive musical visions taking the See Blue Audio ethos of 'shade rather than light' into different spaces and uncharted territory. In addition, there has been strong support for the label from online magazines and music blogs as well as regular radio play on numerous shows and mix series on the international electronic music scene.

One of the principles of See Blue Audio is that every release should include at least one beatless track or remix and 'Shade Rather Than Light: Anthology | Two' has several. It also includes the first ever remix on the label with a Fragile X reimagining of 'Spring Prayer' by Bagaski. As well as opening his 'Final' album, this track directly follows 'Shade Rather Than Light: Anthology | One', and the original is a short, almost gothic, synthesizer piece. Using his Leit Motif minimalist guise, Fragile X has transformed it into an extended ambient excursion that’s simultaneously a joyous celebration of nature and a pause for inner reflection. It's a sublime way to herald the forthcoming return of spring with abundant birdsong as the title 'Dawn Chorus' suggests.

Fragile X has again put together the continuous DJ mix tracing the second stage of the label's evolution. As with the first compilation, it runs at almost 80 minutes to capture the vibe of a mix CD and is another meticulously crafted, immersive exploration of the See Blue Audio back catalogue. The subtle looping effects have also brought out the otherworldly, almost psychedelic undertones running through the music. Headphones are again recommended.

The closing of the second cycle of See Blue Audio is now complete and third cycle can commence with album-based projects already lined up from Night Sky Pulse, f5point6 and Bagaski as well as further additions to the label's roster. The adventure continues. 

'Home' mastered by Richard Jones at Dark Fidelity Hi Fi Studios.

'Flow 01' mastered by Ian Hawgood.

'Ultrazukunft' and 'Spring Prayer (Leit Motif 'Dawn Chorus' Remix)' mastered by Thomas Ragsdale.

Photography: R.Cleveland Aaron.

Shade Rather Than Light: Anthology | Two

'Spring Prayer' – Leit Motif 'Dawn Chorus' Remix (preview) – Bagaski (See Blue Audio SBA #032)

'La Mer'
Tanti Aglaia
See Blue Audio SBA 034

1. La Mer

Release date: 6 May 2022

lnk.to/SBA034

See Blue Audio: ambient / electronic / beatless / cinematic / downtempo / eclectic / introspective… Shade rather than light...

If the twisted beats, breaks and basslines of the recent 'Superlunar Lounge' album by Night Sky Pulse (John Sellekaers) represented a leftfield turn in musical direction following the otherworldly ambience of the second See Blue Audio compilation, 'Shade Rather Than Light: Anthology | Two', then its successor is arguably an even more radical shift. 'La Mer' by Tanti Aglaia is a standalone longform track that defies genre constraint and draws loose inspiration from the eponymous orchestral work of influential French composer Claude Debussy. As the thirty-fourth release on See Blue Audio, it also portrays the more experimental side of the label, which is a fundamental component in its ethos of 'shade rather than light'.

'La Mer' is significant in another way as it represents a return to the electronic music scene in Romania for See Blue Audio; the first release on the label came from Gabriel Slick based in Iași. Born in the historic city of Constanța beside the Black Sea, Gili Mocanu is widely known as an accomplished and unique Romanian painter whose work has been shown in numerous major galleries and museums across the world. Inspired by a generation of avant-garde Romanian composers like Iancu Dumitrescu, Octavian Nemescu and Ștefan Niculescu, Gili has also been consistently involved in sound recording since the early '90s, and under his long-running Somnoroase Păsărele and Centrul Isteric guises, sometimes in collaboration with others, his music has evolved its own distinctive character. Employing atypical synth sounds, spectralist techniques, and asymmetrical or non-rhythmic elements, the results have included several longform excursions into minimalist, ambient and drone territory.

Tanti Aglaia, meanwhile, is Gili Mocanu's most recent musical alias and references a female character of the same name in a humourous sketch from Romanian television in the early '80s, which is available on YouTube at https://youtu.be/CB6vC8y9mCo

The original Tanti Aglaia, an elderly woman, is repeatedly summoned using different voice tonalities performed by renowned Romanian actress Stela Popescu. In this way, Tanti Aglaia is more an exploration of tonality focusing on variations of expression within a minimalist but repetitive context rather than about the character herself.

Returning to the influence of Claude Debussy, 'La Mer' utilises midi parts from the innovative composer, but it's less of a tribute than an investigation into Gili's intimate relationship with the sea – specifically the Black Sea – and the particular state that is characteristic of a minimalist but ever-changing landscape as expressed in terms of tone and nuance.

Over 37 minutes in length, 'La Mer' is a mesmerising sonic passage through time and tempo; strangely soothing, occasionally jarring, and abstract while still retaining a strong sense of form and pattern. Beats function differently here than is typical in electronic music, and Gili's productions have been described as electronic poetry. Painterly may also apply to the musical strokes and textures of 'La Mer'.

See Blue Audio is honoured to be able to present 'La Mer' as part of its catalogue, and the symbiosis extends to more than an enchantment with the mysterious powers of the sea.

Project management by MMercury.

Photography: Ionuț Cornuș.

La Mer

'La Mer' (preview) – Tanti Aglaia (See Blue Audio SBA #034)

'Micro Wanders'
Lyli J
See Blue Audio SBA 035

1. A Song for T (Cicadas)
2. Onsen
3. Ossicles
4. Agave
5. Artemis
6. Anahata
7. Lucarne
8. Lueur

Release date: 20 May 2022

lnk.to/SBA035

See Blue Audio: ambient / electronic / beatless / cinematic / downtempo / eclectic / introspective… Shade rather than light...

See Blue Audio continues its exploration of new musical territories with the addition of Lyli J to its roster. Continuing the theme of leftfield turns in direction following the twisted beats, breaks and basslines of the 'Superlunar Lounge' album by Night Sky Pulse (John Sellekaers), and the longform exploration of tonality in 'La Mer' by Tanti Aglaia, the third release in this series of new musical horizons is from an artist who incorporates organic electronic, esoteric chillout, ambient textures, elements of IDM and trip hop, and folk and indie sensibilities into her music. For the thirty-fifth release on See Blue Audio, Lyli J presents 'Micro Wanders', an album suffused with warm atmospherics and a rich emotional tapestry perfectly suited to springtime and the reawakening energy of the sun.

Lyli J is the name by which French American instrumentalist, singer and electronic producer Lily Jordy releases music. Her story is one of a nomadic life – ten countries in three decades – with a classical background in the cello, guitar and composition. It was in Montreal in 2011 when she first discovered electronic music and the way in which it could allow her to truly express ideas. Since then, Lily has put out a series of releases that have gained critical acclaim and captivated the electronic community.

Now based in Grenoble in France, she is fully immersed in music with festival dates scheduled over the summer, radio play, and her work as a sound designer for audio software company Arturia. Tracks from 'Micro Wanders', meanwhile, are also included in her recent live performance at SynthFest France, a streaming event available on YouTube at https://youtu.be/vlb8b9cQBVc

'Micro Wanders' features eight tracks that bring together the many elements that make up Lily's unique musical universe: meandering layers of mystical vocals, Celtic melodies, MicroFreak '90s synth emulations, amped-up acoustic guitars, gamelan and natural element percussion, and field recordings. All the tracks come together to evoke a feeling of daydreaming and the resurgence of memories. As the title 'Micro Wanders' suggests, the technological and the spiritual play an equal role in the aesthetic of Lyli J.

The introduction of vocal, song-based compositions, including 'A Song for T (Cicadas)' and 'Anahata', and the folk sensitivities of 'Lucarne' and 'Lueur' have added a welcome new dimension to the sound of See Blue Audio. Beatless soundscapes, meanwhile, also form part of the musical landscape of 'Micro Wanders'.

This is an album to immerse yourself in; organic and rooted in the natural world, while also contemplative and, at times, transcendental. Lyli J may well be on a personal quest with 'Micro Wanders', but it's also one that we can all join and share with her.

Mastered by Thomas Ragsdale.

Photography: R.Cleveland Aaron.

Micro Wanders

'Micro Wanders' (preview) – Lyli J (See Blue Audio SBA #035)

'Praeludium'
Bagaski
See Blue Audio SBA 036

1. Juxtapose
2. Acider II
3. Saint Des Leurs
4. Treptow
5. One-Hundred FM
6. Twenty-Four Nods
7. Twenty-Seven Radars
8. Sunbath
9. Burn III
10. Twenty-Eighth
11. Was Thirty-Four
12. Wonder

Release date: 17 June 2022

lnk.to/SBA036

See Blue Audio: ambient / electronic / beatless / cinematic / downtempo / eclectic / introspective… Shade rather than light...

Sometimes time's arrow can fly backwards rather than forwards or perhaps even follow a circular path. Such is the case with 'Praeludium' by Bagaski, the thirty-sixth release on See Blue Audio. It's also his third for the label following the 'Final' album in April 2021 and then 'Dash', consisting of two longform tracks and the opening release of 2022. 'Praeludium' completes this trilogy, but not in an orthodox sense as it also represents a return to the beginning; time is ever-shifting in the musical landscape of Bagaski.

Similarly, the titles 'Final' and 'Dash' hold little clue to the music within, and the same can be said of 'Praeludium', an archaic version of prelude and predominantly used in a musical context. It's better, therefore, to consider this new album as a foreshadowing of its predecessors, and, in this way, a mercurial concept of time makes more sense.

All three have much in common as they travel through the artist's unique perspective on lo-fi, exotica, vaporwave, synth noise, cold wave electronics and experimental soundscapes. Intensely atmospheric as always and based on the sonic possibilities of the synthesizer, 'Praeludium' is abstract and atonal, while also being profoundly personal. This fusion of coalescing and contrasting forces is central to the album's depth of quality and introspective nature.

Like a spider's web, threads of sound run through all three releases. The opening track, 'Juxtapose', feels like a continuation of 'Spring Prayer', which introduced 'Final', while the homage to the 4AD label on 'AD 4' carries into 'Saint Des Leurs'. The beatless aesthetic of See Blue Audio is represented on the churchlike 'Twenty-Four Nods' and futurism of 'Twenty-Seven Radars' and 'Twenty-Eighth'. Beats crash into 'Sunbath', meanwhile, which also references 'Bellcat Melt' from 'Final', and other moments feel on the verge of electronic mayhem. Across the album's 12 tracks, myriad sounds and ideas come into play like shards of glasses falling onto hard ground, then fragmenting into smaller, almost molecular pieces.

'Wonder' closes 'Praeludium' in magnificent style as the forces of nature intrude upon this digital world; the human voice and birdsong as also used on the 'Spring Prayer (Leit Motif 'Dawn Chorus' Remix)' from the recent See Blue Audio compilation, 'Shade Rather Than Light: Anthology | Two'. We are reborn and can return to the source.

As with its companions in this trilogy, the musical lexicon of 'Praeludium' is based on experimentation. Musical composition begins with the spontaneous use of various audio sources, synthesis and quick improvisation. These techniques are more evident than ever on this album and also in the seemingly meaningless track titles that operate almost like secret codes whose starting points could be the time or date, presets on a synth, numbers on a list, photos from a mobile phone, found ephemera, or other randomness experienced in the world. Codes that are obscure but personally significant, representing the continuous flow of material from the artist's daily life documented and recycled. As such, they are open to interpretation by the listener.

In some ways, 'Dash' acted as a prelude to 'Praeludium'; in others, it feels more like a conclusion. Likewise, elements of 'Final' are taken from 'Praeludium'. Time's arrow flying backwards again, and nothing is quite what it seems. See Blue Audio is thrilled to be able to present 'Praeludium' to the world and complete, or perhaps not, a body of work from Bagaski.

Artwork and photography: Bagaski.

Praeludium

'Praeludium' (preview) – Bagaski (See Blue Audio SBA #036)

'See the World Anew Vol. 2'
Steve Hadfield
See Blue Audio SBA 037

1. Manta Ray
2. Spider Crabs
3. Six-Gilled Shark
4. The Deep Blue Sea
5. Seahorse
6. The Dead Whale

Release date: 8 July 2022

lnk.to/SBA037

See Blue Audio: ambient / electronic / beatless / cinematic / downtempo / eclectic / introspective… Shade rather than light...

It's almost a year since the last release from Steve Hadfield on See Blue Audio, 'See the World Anew Vol. 1', which marked the end of summer and a period of transformation both in his personal life and the world around him. This caused Steve to look at everything with fresh eyes, and nearly a year later, and to herald the beginning of summer this time around, we have 'See the World Anew Vol. 2', his sixth collection for See Blue Audio and the thirty-seventh release on the label.

The moon provided inspiration for volume one, and for its successor we turn to the sea; in particular, the vast oceans and the creatures that dwell within their depths. As always, Steve's creative process is highly personal and influenced by the growth of his daughter, but also forged in the cauldron of world events. From a global pandemic and populist politics to war and humanitarian crisis, it's difficult not to view the world with a mixture of wonder and dread. This is reflected in the variety of music Steve has released recently, including 'Rhubarb and Custard' for the Bricolage imprint and a forthcoming album on Waxing Crescent Records, but 'See the World Anew Vol. 2' is a return to the distinctive fusion of ambient/modern classical and glitchy electronics that always characterises his output on See Blue Audio.

As 'See the World Anew Vol. 1' was inspired by post-pandemic gazing at the night sky with his daughter, volume two also takes its cue from another visual experience: her fascination with sea creatures as seen on the television from an early age. Naturally, David Attenborough's renowned aquatic programmes were her guide, and 'The Deep' from 'The Blue Planet' series, where the carcass of a whale serves as a feeding ground for other creatures at the bottom of the ocean, kept her spellbound through numerous viewings. Steve also noticed how the soundtrack empathised the struggles of nature, and this new collection is drawn from seeing his daughter connect with this fabulous world and the joy it created within him.

'See the World Anew Vol. 2' follows a similar pattern to volume one with six succinct but diverse tracks. 'Manta Ray' opens the second collection and its beatless landscape and marine sounds set the scene perfectly, but danger is lurking in the shadows. In contrast, 'Spider Crabs' is a mass of jittery beats and anxious sounds as if moving fast is an imperative. The music takes a deeper dive on 'Six-Gilled Shark' with brooding synths and stealthy strings that reflect the predatory nature of this animal. Steve's daughter takes centre stage on 'The Deep Blue Sea' and her sampled chatter alongside playful melodies reminds us that fascination with the natural world is a vital part of the human experience. This theme continues on 'Seahorse' where Steve recreates the delicate nature of these creatures and their gentle movements in sublime style. It also provides a pause for reflection before the epic closing track.

'The Dead Whale' takes us to the origin of this aquatic odyssey. Like the event itself, it combines humility in the face of nature expressed through a beatless, symphonic soundscape, and awe at the might of the ocean with its spine-tingling crescendo. The cycle of life is now complete, and we are bystanders who can only look and learn.

As with its predecessor, 'See the World Anew Vol. 2' is an invitation through music from Steve Hadfield to look at the world in a new light. Sparked by childlike discovery but created using the contemplation that comes with the passing of time. it's a magnificent way to welcome the warmth of summer and the renewal it brings.

Photography: R.Cleveland Aaron.

See the World Anew Vol. 2

'See the World Anew Vol. 2' (preview) – Steve Hadfield (See Blue Audio SBA #037)

'A Matter of Light and Depth'
f5point6
See Blue Audio SBA 038

1. Synthesis of Internal Matter
2. A Matter of Light and Depth
3. TerraForming
4. Twelve.Three.Three.Three.
5. Chronophotography
6. Forever.Decreasing.Circles.
7. In Order to Funktion
8. In Pursuit of Efficiency
9. The Prometheus Project
10. Shifting Perspectives
11. Message from a Distant Future
12. [Outro – Memoirs from My Inner Voice]

Release date: 23 September 2022

lnk.to/SBA038

See Blue Audio: ambient / electronic / beatless / cinematic / downtempo / eclectic / introspective… Shade rather than light...

As the previous release from f5point6 revealed, this is a project in constant flux and evolution. 'The Shuttle Leaves at Midnight' towards the end of 2021 was the first chapter in a new musical quest exploring different directions and unknown territories. It also demonstrated enhancements in sound creation as synthesizer composition, jazz influences and experimentation were added to the artist's audio palette. Now f5point6 returns with a full-length album that picks up from where its predecessor left off, and then transports us to new destinations once again. 'A Matter of Light and Depth' is the seventh collection of cinematic music from f5point6, the thirty-eight release on See Blue Audio, and a finely sculpted, while also intensely personal, way to mark the end of summer's respite and re-examine the world around us.

f5point6 is the musical guise of multidisciplinary artist R.Cleveland Aaron, but it also operates as a form of storytelling; part of his internal enquiry to try to make some sense of all that surrounds him, including what came before and what will come in the future. As the earlier 'KaleidoSound' series depicted the different stages of evolution on our planet, and then 'The Shuttle Leaves at Midnight' saw us seek out new worlds and parallel universes, so onto 'A Matter of Light and Depth' and something distinct again. A deeply rooted love of science fiction is ever-present in Cleveland's work, but here it's fused with a reflection on where humanity is right now: post-pandemic, environmentally destructive, politically and socially divided, and filled with identity anxiety and fear for the future. On 'A Matter of Light and Depth' he's not afraid to get serious and ask us to think about the growing need for liberty and justice – the Black Lives Matter movement is just one example – and the crisis around mental health. How do you see the future?

As the title suggests, the music across the twelve tracks of this album moves through multiple shades, moods and tones. The twisting and turning opening track, 'Synthesis of Internal Matter' is one of several beatless soundscapes, and the title track follows with its contrasting phases of dark electronic depths and moments of rippling elation. These emotional highs and lows are a recurring motif, and it's clear that Cleveland has poured his heart and soul into this album. Open and honest, sometimes confused and at others angry, but always questioning the technology and narratives we're fed.

As we travel through 'A Matter of Light and Depth' and reach 'Message from a Distant Future', a sense of hope rises; our signals sent out into the universe have finally been detected and returned. "Come" is the only word revealed in the decryption process; the rest is in our hands. The closing track, '[Outro – Memoirs from My Inner Voice]', softens the mood as the artist tries to listen to his own inner voice away from all the clamour around him.

Welcome to the world of f5point6 and 'A Matter of Light and Depth'. Elegantly crafted this album most certainly is, but also suffused with raw emotions and smouldering energy. As with all of Cleveland's music, it travels through space and time, but on this occasion, he pauses, reflects and plants an anchor firmly in the here and now. As such, it represents his finest work to date.

Mastered by Thomas Ragsdale.

Artwork and photography: R.Cleveland Aaron.

A Matter of Light and Depth

'A Matter of Light and Depth' (preview) – f5point6 (See Blue Audio SBA #038)

'Blue Roofs'
NRV
See Blue Audio SBA 039

1. Blue Roofs
2. Sombra

Release date: 14 October 2022

lnk.to/SBA039

See Blue Audio: ambient / electronic / beatless / cinematic / downtempo / eclectic / introspective… Shade rather than light...

Following the cinematic ambience of the f5point6 album, 'A Matter of Light and Depth', See Blue Audio heads deeper into ambient territory with its next release. It also sees a new addition to the roster as NRV from Japan presents 'Blue Roofs', the thirty-ninth release on the label featuring two extended sonic sketches based around everyday life.

NRV is the drone/ambient project from Sendai-based electronic musician Nerve, best known as the producer behind the trip hop, dub and electro-pop band antennasia featuring the captivating vocals of San. Several albums on labels such as Double Life Records and Lemongrassmusic in Germany has propelled antennasia onto the global scene, while there have also been NRV releases on the FOIL imprint from New York and Tabula Rasa Records in San Francisco. Now it's the turn on See Blue Audio and the artist's musical philosophy of soft simplicity; finding inspiration in everyday life and locations, which in turn give rise to emotional spaces.

As always in life, there is a backstory to this project, and it began during the global lockdown of 2020. This period of enforced isolation enabled NRV to take his time in trying out different approaches and musical experiments, which ultimately led to the forging of a new sonic identity. Going back further in time, it's important to note that Sendai, the capital city of the Miyagi Prefecture, was one of the parts of Japan worst hit by the earthquake and tsunami of 2011. After the earthquake, many houses were covered with blue sheets in place of roofs, and the title is a reference to that. Since then, things have changed rapidly in Japan, but also little by little; even things that look the same as before do not feel the same.

Time can move in strange and mysterious ways, and this is reflected in the musical path of 'Blue Roofs'. The 20-minute title track is sublimely graceful, a slow-moving beatless river punctuated by fragments of field recordings and microscopic glitches. Changes in the course of this river seem almost imperceptible, and yet we land in a different place, swept along by the ebb and flow of musical currents suffused with a deep emotional energy and tinged with sweet melancholy.

The accompanying track, 'Sombra', is a little shorter in length, and complements and contrasts its partner with a more pastoral, optimistic feel. Based on field recordings made on the tree-lined Jozenji-dori Avenue, one of the most iconic places in Sendai, time is replaced by light on this track. On the day when these recordings were made, the contrast between the shadows of the trees and the blue sky above was a thing of rare beauty, a familiar scene but also fleeting.

Time, place, form and movement: all are in constant flux in the musical tapestry of NRV, even if it passes by almost unnoticed. It's within this world of soft simplicity that beauty can flourish, memories cherished, emotions expressed, and the imagination set free. Sonic sketches of landscapes that are thought of as all too ordinary perhaps, but as 'Blue Roofs' immaculately captures, nothing is truly ordinary, and everything has its rightful place in the universe and beyond.

Photography: Manabu Ito.

Blue Roofs

'Blue Roofs' (preview) – NRV (See Blue Audio SBA #039)

'You Cannot Cheat the Muse'
Kuma
See Blue Audio SBA 040

1. The Antidote Was Always in the Poison
2. Scribes of the Rabbit God
3. Ecclesiastic Geology
4. Written Are the Stars
5. The Body Is a Good Indicator
6. Of Great Acuity
7. Haunted Blue Ant
8. Headless Cargo
9. The Likeness of Prophetic Being
10. River House
11. Your Eyes as Lodestars

Release date: 18 November 2022

lnk.to/SBA040

See Blue Audio: ambient / electronic / beatless / cinematic / downtempo / eclectic / introspective… Shade rather than light...

Travellers through the alternative electronic music scene with surely be acquainted with the name Kuma. For the fortieth release on See Blue Audio, the label's exploration of the outer reaches of ambience continues with 'You Cannot Cheat the Muse', an album from Kuma that draws on his myriad musical influences as he celebrates the mystical, the ceremonial and, at times, the transcendental power of the world that surrounds us all. This is a space where the zen and the cosmic collide and harmonise, and where new tools for living are created.

Bristol-born and Vancouver-based, Kuma has been destroying old worlds and building new ones for over two decades, stamping his curatorial fingerprint on the Canadian dance scene as a DJ, promoter, label owner and radio presenter. The long-running and respected weekly Art of Beatz show co-hosted with Motomasa on Vancouver's Co-op Radio is the city's home for electronic music of all shapes, sizes and speeds, everything from gentle ambience to tearin' drum & bass and all points in-between.

Kuma has also established his credentials as a producer and remixer, and his most recent releases include albums on labels like Waxing Crescent Records, Fallen Moon Recordings, and Thomas Ragsdale's Frosti and Soundtracking the Void imprints. Now it's the turn of See Blue Audio, and his first release for the label is arguably his fullest statement of intent to date; this is Kuma sounding the only way he knows how.

"Cheat your landlord if you can and must, but do not try to shortchange the Muse. It cannot be done. You can’t fake quality any more than you can fake a good meal." It was this quote from William S. Burroughs that led to the creation of 'You Cannot Cheat the Muse'. As a student of the Japanese tea ceremony, Kuma took up the act whilst living in Japan because it made art out of something everyday like the making and serving of tea. Now with this 11-track album, he's created a series of sonic overtures that rise and fall with everything we do. 

Recorded at the Little Black Rain Cloud studio in Vancouver, the sound palette on 'You Cannot Cheat the Muse' is forever shifting. A series of improvised recordings based around his own vocal looping system were then chopped up and turned inside out. Tapes, synths, field recordings and the human voice are all intertwined into a series of rolling waves buffeted by orchestral overtones. Beatless soundscapes are underpinned by dub-infused pulses, and the influences of early alternative electronica can be heard trickling through. The curious and the eerie merge with the physical, the spiritual and the sometimes supernatural with the end result an ever-morphing array of musical structures designed for all things and all times.

It's impossible to single out individual tracks on 'You Cannot Cheat the Muse'; instead, this album demands to be listened to as a whole. It's a collection of music for making magic out of the mundane and making ritual out of anything you please. Put it on in the background and let the detail seep in ever so gently, or turn up the volume and transcend time. Whatever works for you.

Artwork and photography: Kuma.

You Cannot Cheat the Muse

'You Cannot Cheat the Muse' (preview) – Kuma (See Blue Audio SBA #040)

'Kernel Phase'
Rhombus Index
See Blue Audio SBA 041

1. Set Null
2. Eternal Corridor
3. Lemma
4. Float Robot
5. Genki
6. Lepto Run (Anisotropic Reimaging)
7. Spinor (Lyli J's Fractal Remix)
8. Leptosol (f5point6 'Silent' Remix)
9. Axiom (Sulk Rooms Remix)
10. Automata (Fragile X Remix)
11. Axiom (Kuma's Slightly Ecstatic Remix)

Release date: 16 December 2022

lnk.to/SBA041

See Blue Audio: ambient / electronic / beatless / cinematic / downtempo / eclectic / introspective… Shade rather than light...

Back in July 2021 Rhombus Index made his debut on See Blue Audio with the 'Planar' EP. This was followed by the 'Diatom' EP in February 2022, and both releases have become an essential part of the label's catalogue, gaining acclaim and support across the ambient electronic music scene. For his next release, it seemed fitting to combine the new with a reinterpretation of what came before. On 'Kernel Phase', the forty-first and closing release of 2022 on See Blue Audio, five new tracks are accompanied by several remixes to create an all-embracing experience representing the multitude of shades, tones and influences that constitute the Rhombus Index aesthetic.

As an experimental electronic musician based in West Yorkshire, Rhombus Index draws inspiration and solace from the natural world that surrounds him. From fragments of sound like water falling on a leaf or the rustling of leaves on a windy day – as captured in field recordings – to the enduring power of the changing seasons, and the hypnotic beauty of the maze of elements that constitute this world and the cosmos beyond. On the flipside, we have the techniques of electronic composition and sound design, and a fascination with emerging technology in general, as well as a deep knowledge and love for dance culture. All these join forces in the sonic landscapes of Rhombus Index, and on 'Kernel Phase', he gives free reign to his imagination and that of like-minded artists.

With these new tracks of varying lengths, there has been deeper focus on ambient textures and tonality, exploring rompler synthesisers and field recordings. Generative sequencers, wavetable synthesis, FM synthesis and computer file data analysed as sound are also used, while there's also a continuing exploration into the sounds of late '90s RPG games, notably on 'Eternal Corridor' and 'Float Robot'.

'Set Null' opens 'Kernel Phase', and it was born out of the idea of creating a sense of seemingly perpetual evolution; it was designed to have an almost constant build-up throughout. This is also reflected in the accompanying video with its evolving geometry; like a creature that consists only of shapes and lives in its own ecosystem.

'Lemma' can be seen as the next step in the journey of 'Axiom' from 'Diatom' with a nod to post-rave relaxation contained within its dreamlike beatless soundscape. Elsewhere, field recordings from a summer trip to North Wales feature heavily in the pastoral 'Genki' as it captures the feeling of a lazy day by the sea with nothing to do. As with all of 'Kernel Phase', it feels like taking a deep breath of clean, fresh air.

To complement these new tracks, the artist returned to his previous releases with 'Lepto Run (Anisotropic Reimaging)', an investigation into mash-ups but based on an ambient paradigm. Non-competing elements in 'Leptosol' and 'Bee Brew Run' – from 'Planar' and 'Diatom' respectively – which gelled between the two tracks, were taken to create a delicate, minimal fusion of both.

Continuing the theme of reinterpreting what came before, See Blue Audio took a step into new territory by inviting other artists from its roster to reimagine the music of Rhombus Index. The result is an expansive, visionary and exceptional body of work that traverses alternate sounds, moods and inspirations. Lyli J, f5point6, Thomas Ragsdale's Sulk Rooms, Fragile X and Kuma provide the remixes. Embrace the ride.

Image: Loui Binns.

Kernel Phase

'Kernel Phase' (preview) – Rhombus Index (See Blue Audio SBA #041)

'Pit Full of Ghosts'
Isolated Community
See Blue Audio SBA 042

1. Connections That Exist
2. Into the Mirror
3. Old Light
4. Childhood Memory
5. A Glimpse of Something Hidden
6. Sightless Windows
7. Pit Full of Ghosts

Release date: 13 January 2023

lnk.to/SBA042

See Blue Audio: ambient / electronic / beatless / cinematic / downtempo / eclectic / introspective… Shade rather than light...

See Blue Audio marked the winter solstice and closing of 2021 with 'Cold Sleet on Old Slate' by Isolated Community, an accomplished, powerful and eloquent soundtrack to the changing seasons. This time around, the label has invited the duo of Rachael Talbot Dunn and Richard Dunn from Newcastle upon Tyne to present another winter offering as the opening release of 2023, and once again the theme is ghosts and spirits. On 'Pit Full of Ghosts', the forty-second release on See Blue Audio, they journey into lonely and forgotten places, and invoke the spirits that inhabit these netherworlds to create music with a profoundly tangible sense of something otherworldly.

After 'Cold Sleet on Old Slate' Isolated Community released the 'Farmhouse Brothel' album on their own Northumberland Audio Capture imprint. Their creative output was subsequently curtailed by a period of illness, but this also served as an occasion for introspection and rediscovery from which new music was born. 'Pit Full of Ghosts' is a collection of seven tracks largely inspired by the fever dreams and insomnia experienced during this recent period of illness, which often triggered long forgotten memories. This coincided with the changing seasons and the natural response to seek withdrawal from the harsh rhythms of life during winter.

As health returned and contact with the outside world was established again, a walking trip to Cateran Hole in Northumberland provided ghostly inspiration. As the North Sea and windswept landscapes of North East England created the backdrop for 'Cold Sleet on Old Slate', so the cave-like Cateran Hole, surrounded by deserted moorland, set the mood for 'Pit Full of Ghosts'. With its tales of lost explorers and supernatural folklore, this place had a sense of hauntology that captured the experience of emerging from the shadows.

'Connections That Exist' begins this new collection in dramatic style with a distorted howling wind and the crackle of static counterbalanced by quivering strings and bursts of electronic hail. The path is laid as we descend into the pit accompanied by the disembodied voices and cascading harmonies of 'Into the Mirror' followed by 'Old Light' with its sampled dialogue, industrial-like pulse and melancholy overtones.

Memory is central to the aesthetic of 'Pit Full of Ghosts', where each track transports the listener to another time and place. Fragments of speech, field recordings, and sounds from earlier eras populate the predominately beatless musical landscape adding an undercurrent of tension, which can pass from the playful to the sinister with apparent ease. 'Childhood Memory' evokes bittersweet feelings of watching old homemade movies of the person you once were, while 'A Glimpse of Something Hidden' captures the feeling of unease experienced during illness and is constructed entirely from manipulated samples of the artists' own voices. 'Sightless Windows' continues this theme with its portrayal of the claustrophobic sound of being trapped inside your own head, unable to form rational thoughts, leading to insomnia and spiralling anxiety.

The title track concludes 'Pit Full of Ghosts' and we are deep inside the secret domain of the pit. Nothing is ever quite what it seems, however, and droplets of musical light are punctuated by dreamlike analogue synths that provide a glimmer of hope and entry to another world. As healing follows pain and spring follows winter, so life can reawaken, and ghosts finally find peace. Let Isolated Community be your guide.

Image: Rachael Talbot Dunn.

Pit Full of Ghosts

'Pit Full of Ghosts' (preview) – Isolated Community (See Blue Audio SBA #042)

'Clinical Trials'
f5point6
See Blue Audio SBA 043

1. 17 Days and 16 Nights
2. Second to the Intended
3. Face. No Face Interaction
4. Good Days, Bad Days
5. Mantra
6. The Nocebo Effect
7. The Placebo Effect
8. The Others
9. Extension Phase
10. [Outro – Thank You for Your Participation]

Release date: 9 June 2023

lnk.to/SBA043

See Blue Audio: ambient / electronic / beatless / cinematic / downtempo / eclectic / introspective… Shade rather than light...

After a short hiatus, See Blue Audio returns for its second release of 2023 and the eighth from f5point6. Last year's 'A Matter of Light and Depth' earned much critical praise and radio support for its exploration of sound creation, and, as we've come to expect from f5point6, the musical guise of multidisciplinary artist R.Cleveland Aaron, his latest album represents another change in direction. 'Clinical Trials', the forty-third release on See Blue Audio, is an audio chronicle of one person's struggle to survive in a dystopian world.

Beginning with his earlier 'KaleidoSound' series, the f5point6 aesthetic has always been a fusion of atmospheric moods and textures with storytelling and personal reflection, underpinned by a highly cinematic sensibility. With the honing of his production skills, the storytelling aspect of Cleveland's work has become increasing sophisticated and reaches new heights on 'Clinical Trials'. As the title hints at, this is a narrative about power versus the individual; namely, a young woman, Raluna, who volunteers to take part in a government funded clinical trial. These trials have primarily been set up to test a treatment for young adults, between the ages of 18 and 25, who suffer from low attention span and fatigue.

This ten-track collection opens with '17 Days and 16 Nights', a period in which the volunteers for these trials are tested and monitored, night and day. For Raluna, the rhythm of realisation ignites sporadically as she floats along an endless journey to a destination few will remember. On 'Second to the Intended', she starts to experience things she can't explain, a side effect perhaps, and an imaginary future as the present slips from her grasp.

Subsequent tracks depict a growing conflict between humanity as social animals and providers of data through our electronic devices. This reaches a crescendo on 'Mantra', a trance-like soundscape inspired by John Carpenter's 1988 movie, 'They Live', in which subliminal messages are embedded into everyday life to keep us subservient. Raluna is the only participant in the trials who can see these messages, and she starts to piece together the ultimate plan.

With increasing clarity, she recalls 'the before', a time of face-to-face interactions in human history that was erased in the quest for profit and efficiency. This could just be a placebo, of course, and part of the trials, where secrets and distrust reign. As we reach the beatless serenity of 'The Extension Phase', the conclusion of 'Clinical Trials', the tests are over and Raluna will soon be travelling home with only a hazy memory of her experiences. As her mind wanders, she is filled with a feeling of inner peace.

In customary f5point6 style, things never finish quite as you would expect, and '[Outro – Thank You for Your Participation]' provides an epilogue to the story. As Raluna joins her fellow volunteers to watch a short film before being discharged, she sees a screen that is only displaying static, but the others are all smiling. Losing consciousness and subsequently reawakening, she is consumed by the feeling that things might not work out well. The story has ended where it began; Raluna is living the same experience in a constant loop without any memory of actually being tested.

With its extended soundscapes, 'Clinical Trials' is both a meditation on authority and obedience, and the soundtrack to an imaginary science fiction film.

Artwork and photography: R.Cleveland Aaron.

Clinical Trials

'Clinical Trails' (preview) – f5point6 (See Blue Audio SBA #043)

'Animal Carnival'
Tanti Aglaia
See Blue Audio SBA 044

1. Animal Carnival

Release date: 21 July 2023

lnk.to/SBA044

See Blue Audio: ambient / electronic / beatless / cinematic / downtempo / eclectic / introspective… Shade rather than light...

Following on from the cinematic soundscapes of 'Clinical Trials' by f5point6, the next release on See Blue Audio is something different again with 'Animal Carnival'. This is the second release on the label from Tanti Aglaia and like its predecessor, 'La Mer', released in May 2022, it's a standalone longform track. Here the similarities end, however, and 'Animal Carnival' takes on strange, beautiful, hypnotic and mysterious qualities of its own for the forty-fourth release on See Blue Audio.

'Animal Carnival' is another sonic passage through time and tempo from Gili Mocanu, an accomplished Romanian painter born in the historic city of Constanța beside the Black Sea. Employing his characteristic atypical synth sounds, spectralist techniques, and asymmetrical or non-rhythmic elements, Gili's music travels through minimalist and experimental, industrial, and ambient drone territory, but with a unique character all of its own.

Tonality and repetition are prominent elements explored in Gili's artistic endeavours as Tanti Aglaia, a name inspired by a Romanian comic character of the same name from the early '80s. In the context of a narrative framework, these aspects create an interplay of rhythmic notes that evoke a dialogue-like quality. This can be likened to a kind of logical connectivity where inquiry, response and reaction link together to become integral components.

In the latter part of the piece, an electric guitar takes centre stage, illustrating the rhythmic progression with a solo performance. This creates a poignant atmosphere, evoking a bittersweet longing as if yearning for a long-lost companion. As the music unfolds, serendipity intervenes: the partner reappears, leading to a reunion.

To put it another way, the overarching theme of 'Animal Carnival' can be understood through two distinct rhythmic motifs. One embodies a feminine essence, elongated and graceful, while the other represents masculinity, concise and percussive. This entire interplay revolves around relationships, intertwining rhythm with harmony. Whether this dialogue exists in real human connections or on a conceptual and metaphysical level remains open to interpretation. In broader terms, it mirrors the workings of nature and the animal kingdom, reflecting their pattern of impulse and response to external influences.

In contrast to this, the Tanti Aglaia aesthetic also embraces paradoxes. While 'Animal Carnival' finds its backdrop in repetition and logic, the title itself implies a sense of curiosity and wonder. After all, a carnival is an explosion of sound and colour, where the boundaries blur and a touch of madness lingers. In this realm, we are reminded of our primal instincts, tapping into our animalistic nature.

40 minutes in length, 'Animal Carnivai' is another deeply immersive creation by Gili, even when it exudes an intriguing transience, and See Blue Audio is honoured to be able to present this new piece alongside 'La Mer' as part of its catalogue.

Project management by MMercury.

Photography: Gili Mocanu.

Animal Carnival

'Animal Carnival' (preview) – Tanti Aglaia (See Blue Audio SBA #044)

'I the Storm'
Simon McCorry
See Blue Audio SBA 045

1. The Earth's Sorrow for All Things That Pass
2. Misericordia
3. These Scalding Tears
4. The Ever-Evolving Reflecting Mirror

Release date: 22 September 2023

lnk.to/SBA045

See Blue Audio: ambient / electronic / beatless / cinematic / downtempo / eclectic / introspective… Shade rather than light...

As summer fades and the nights draw in, our collective consciousness can take a turn towards the melancholic. We may feel this cyclical change at both a micro, individual level and as part of a greater cosmic dimension, but its presence is undeniable. We can find ourselves in the eye of a storm, and that storm could well be within us. This is the theme of the forty-fifth release on See Blue Audio: 'I the Storm' by Simon McCorry.

Mixed ethnicity, part-British, part-Indian, and "cellist sound-sculptor of ambiguous environments", this is Simon's third release on See Blue Audio. It follows a prolific couple of years of releases on respected labels on the ambient music scene like Oscarson, Shimmering Moods, Whitelabrecs, Hidden Vibes, Rusted Tone Recordings and Polar Seas. As with Simon's first release on See Blue Audio, the 'Nature in Nature' EP from 2021, where the title track was created for a short film featuring Japanese contemporary dance artist Satoko Fukuda, so 'I the Storm' began its life in the theatre. All four compositions were written while collaborating with choreographer Travis Clausen-Knight on 'I the Storm', part of the Fabula Collective production 'Momentum'. Although not originally intended for the show, they ended up using 'These Scalding Tears' in its entirety alongside other original music from Simon, with 'Momentum' receiving its premiere at Sadlers Wells Theatre in London in September 2022.

Another important component in the backstory to 'I the Storm' is the serious health issues and periods in hospital Simon experienced at the end of 2021. As disharmony in the body can also lead to disharmony in the mind, this became a time of deep personal confusion for the artist. Seeking spiritual answers, 'I the Storm' is largely influenced and indebted to the sacred music of the 12th century Benedictine writer and visionary Hildegard von Bingen, even though it has a veneer of contemporary sonic landscapes.

'I the Storm' consists of four beatless compositions of varying length based around asynchronous live looping with the cello, a method Simon has been experimenting with for a number of years. This new work takes the process in another direction as all the loops remain 'open' in overdub mode. Five loops of five different lengths always recording and adding new material as the older material slowly fades away on each repeat. Sounds cascade and circle around each other in a network of loop and delay; sometimes like a call and response, sometimes like reverb or an audio smudge, or a choir of cellos, or dense string orchestration and harmonisation. There are moments where the music is on the edge of going out of control and tipping into chaos; a tightrope is being walked.

All the tracks on 'I the Storm' were played and recorded in one sitting. The chaotic nature of the method means this is the only way, but each piece also exists as its own dramatic whole, while contained within are smaller sections or movements travelling through different emotional states and spaces.

'I the Storm' was not conceived or executed as background ambience; this is not linear or gentle listening. Nothing is hidden, all emotions are raw, and it was designed to be experienced by the listener as such. As the track titles show, ours is a world of tumult and turmoil, of agitation and upheaval, and where the storm that's within us all ebbs and flows throughout life.

Mastered by Taylor Deupree at 12k Mastering.

Image: the Sound Camp.

I the Storm

'I the Storm' (preview) – Simon McCorry (See Blue Audio SBA #045)

'The Spirit of the Young Poets'
D-Fried
See Blue Audio SBA 046

1. The Spirit of the Young Poets

Release date: 20 October 2023

lnk.to/SBA046

See Blue Audio: ambient / electronic / beatless / cinematic / downtempo / eclectic / introspective… Shade rather than light...

Following the experimental and improvisational nature of the previous release on See Blue Audio, 'I the Storm' by Simon McCorry, the label continues its exploration of sonic landscapes with 'The Spirit of the Young Poets'. Taking the form of a longform track, Barcelona's D-Fried has created a multi-textured composition free from constraints of form or duration, while still maintaining a bold narrative that flows through many twists and turns. As the forty-sixth release on See Blue Audio, it also marks the first contribution to the label by an artist from Catalonia.

D-Fried is Jordi Saludes, a producer, musician and DJ from Barcelona, who has been releasing music since 2006 on a wide variety of labels in Europe, the USA and Japan. This is complemented by his work for short films, documentaries, performance, audiovisual installations, websites and commercials, all of which have constructed an eclectic career within electronic music that goes from intricate IDM to evocative ambience, or as Jordi himself defines it: "digital soundtracks for urban travellers". Both as a live act and a DJ, he has also performed at major electronic festivals like Sónar, Mutek, MIRA and others.

His most recent release prior to 'The Spirit of the Young Poets' was 'Butō [part 1]' for the French label Kalamine Records with 'Butō [part 2]' to follow. Jordi has also recently remixed tracks from the new album by antennasia from Japan, one half of whom, NRV, released ambient music on See Blue Audio with 'Blue Roofs'. Returning to 'The Spirit of the Young Poets', its freestyle nature doesn't tell the full story; in fact, it's inspired by real events and real people where serendipity played a crucial role.

The concept behind 'The Spirit of the Young Poets' arose after Jordi met up with an old friend who he made music with as teenagers. With a perspective drawn from the intervening years, a yearning for artistic expression filled them, drawing on moments of rich intensity, feelings of deep fascination, and above all, innocence, which provided both infinite and unfathomable motivation.

A few days later, serendipity revealed itself: after reading one of her books, Jordi found himself watching an interview with the poet and writer Sylvia Plath. Suddenly, she was talking about the same ideas that he and his friend had been talking about just days before. At that moment, the ideas for 'The Spirit of the Young Poets' crystallised; of making a piece without defined format, neither in shape nor duration, and in which all those mixed feelings could be captured. Something that would reflect all the multitude of contradictions, achievements, losses, fears and pleasures of the artists during the creative process, and also in the trajectories of their lives that followed. Parts of the interview ended up being incorporated into the music, and they can also be heard towards the end of 'The Spirit of the Young Poets'.

Another element in the creative process behind this 22-minute piece is that as critics consider Plath to be a 'landscape poet', so Jordi thought this composition should have the qualities of 'landscape music'. This quest to evoke the sensation of landscapes in the form of sound is something that he has achieved with startling results.

As the title suggests, the artistry of the poet inhabits the meandering musical river of 'The Spirit of the Young Poets'. From beatless textures to wistful melodies, and from deep ambient pools to gentle swathes of sound that raise the spirits, this is a sensitive and emotional listening experience that borders on the devotional. Embrace and be reminded of the power of words and imagination.

Mastered by Simon McCorry.

Photography: R.Cleveland Aaron.

The Spirit of the Young Poets

'The Spirit of the Young Poets' (preview) – D-Fried (See Blue Audio SBA #046)

'Azalea'
Bagaski
See Blue Audio SBA 047

1. Hawkish Torso
2. Nosebleed VII
3. Low Rules the High
4. Flower of My House
5. Rebirth VIII
6. Apotoma
7. Strater
8. Luioy
9. Azalea
10. Tetesept
11. Vanishing

Release date: 15 December 2023

lnk.to/SBA047

See Blue Audio: ambient / electronic / beatless / cinematic / downtempo / eclectic / introspective… Shade rather than light...

For the final release of 2023, See Blue Audio returns to Bagaski. If the Berlin-based artist's previous three releases were a trilogy, but in reverse, where nothing was quite what it seemed, then this new album, 'Azalea', unexpectedly came out of nowhere. What it shares with its predecessors, however, is an intense atmosphere, abstract and atonal sounds, and a fascination with hidden codes and secret numerology, which may (or may not) be known by the artist and revealed to the listener. With its harsh tones contrasted by a bright spectrum of sound, 'Azalea', as the forty-seventh release on See Blue Audio, also makes the perfect winter offering as the year draws to a close and the cold begins to bite.

Another recurring theme in Bagaski's work is that alongside this seemingly chaotic and mysterious world, the music also documents his own journey through life, and the everyday trials, tribulations and triumphs we all face. Individual and metaphysical worlds run parallel, then crash and collide, and the mundane coexists with the cosmic. Musically speaking, everything is created using the sonic possibilities of the synthesizer based around his distinctive blend of lo-fi, exotica, vaporwave, synth noise, cold wave electronics and experimental soundscapes. 'Azalea' fully embraces these as well as the artist's passion for spontaneity and improvisation.

This new 11-track album may reflect his changing domestic life and thought process, but it's also characteristic of his creative process: turning quick ideas into complete tracks by a mixture of sound making techniques, digital and analogue, and sampling memories in a frequently changing home environment. It's about grasping these ideas on the spot and finding inspiration in the most banal things. Image a worn notebook crammed with scraps of information, brief sketches and passing notions: this is how Bagaski begins.

As with previous releases, individual tracks reference his musical heritage. The opening track, 'Hawkish Torso', and 'Tetesept' reflect the gothic undertones of his cherished 4AD label, while 'Flowers of My House' and 'Rebirth VII' recall the bleep sounds of early techno. The beatless sensibilities of See Blue Audio are represented on 'Luioy', while 'Strater' is menacing dark ambience. The title track, as the name suggests, is an outburst of joy and colour with its swaths of warm sounds and human voices, a kind of flowering amid all the surrounding introspection and underlying anxiety. As always with Bagaski, the titles given to his compositions are part of the enigma.

The circle was complete, but now it has opened again, and new music sprung into life. Nothing is planned, everything just happens, and yet it feels as though 'Azalea' was always destined to be. A bright flower captured in the bleak of winter, vivid colours against a backdrop of white and grey, and contradictions that somehow complement each other. This is 'Azalea' and See Blue Audio can think of no better way to close the chapter of 2023.

Artwork and photography: Bagaski.

Azalea

'Azalea' (preview) – Bagaski (See Blue Audio SBA #047)

'Shade Rather Than Light: Anthology | Three'
See Blue Audio SBA 048

1. Heat – Night Sky Pulse
2. La Mer – Tanti Aglaia
3. Onsen – Lyli J
4. Sunbath – Bagaski
5. Seahorse – Steve Hadfield
6. Message from a Distant Future – f5point6
7. Sombra – NRV
8. Your Eyes as Lodestars – Kuma
9. Set Null – Rhombus Index
10. Into the Mirror – Isolated Community
11. Face. No Face Interaction – f5point6
12. Animal Carnival – Tanti Aglaia
13. Misericordia – Simon McCorry
14. The Spirit of the Young Poets – D-Fried
15. Azalea – Bagaski
16. Old Father Time – Mink Freud
17. See Blue Audio Anthology Three Mix – DJ SpaceTerrapin

Release date: 12 January 2024

lnk.to/SBA048

See Blue Audio: ambient / electronic / beatless / cinematic / downtempo / eclectic / introspective… Shade rather than light...

Back in March 2022, See Blue Audio released its second compilation, 'Shade Rather Than Light: Anthology | Two', covering the second 15 releases, which was preceded by 'Shade Rather Than Light: Anthology | One' covering the first 15 almost exactly a year earlier. Both featured one track from each release to represent the full spectrum of music on the label alongside an exclusive new track and continuous DJ mix. As we enter 2024, the third 15 releases are similarly presented on 'Shade Rather Than Light: Anthology | Three' accompanied by the previously unreleased 'Old Father Time' by Mink Freud as the sixteenth track on the forty-eighth release on See Blue Audio.

New artists on the label during this period include Kuma, Lyli J, NRV, Tanti Aglaia and D-Fried, and there were several album projects and longform tracks as See Blue Audio ventured into other musical territories and formats. This period also marked the label's first physical releases with cassette versions of albums by f5point6, Kuma, Rhombus Index and Simon McCorry's 'I the Storm', which has become the most acclaimed and supported release on See Blue Audio so far. Rhombus Index's 'Kernel Phase' is also notable as it featured a collection of remixes from other artists on the label, including Sulk Rooms and Fragile X.

Following several good reviews in Electronic Sound, 2023 ended with a label profile in the magazine, an indication surely that See Blue Audio has established itself as a firm presence on the international ambient and electronic music scenes.

The music released in 2023 was of a more experimental natural – Tanti Aglaia, D-Fried and Simon McCorry – but complemented and contrasted by the folk sensitivities of Lyli J, pastoral electronica from Rhombus Index, Bagaski's synthesizer atmospherics and the futuristic beats of Night Sky Pulse. All are fully represented on 'Shade Rather Than Light: Anthology | Three', with the brooding 'Old Father Time' providing a reminder of the singular musical vision of Mink Freud.

Fragile X created the continuous DJ mix for the first two compilations, but for the third instalment DJ SpaceTerrapin is at the controls. As a champion of experimental and eccentric music across time with his 'It Came From Enclosure Three' and other radio shows, he was a natural choice to capture the more abstract and ambient side of See Blue Audio. With a musical kaleidoscope that embraces kosmische and exotica as well as the latest electronica, he has used this special sensibility to tease and twist new sounds and dimensions out of the label's recent catalogue.

SpaceTerrapin's mix is a cosmic odyssey through ever shifting time, space and mood. 90 minutes long and perfectly encapsulating the essence of See Blue Audio, this is a wonderfully immersive musical dreamscape… take a breath and dive right in.
 
The closing of the third cycle of See Blue Audio is now complete and the fourth will continue in 2024.

'Onsen' and 'Message from a Distant Future' mastered by Thomas Ragsdale.

'The Spirit of the Young Poets' and 'Old Father Time' mastered by Simon McCorry.

Photography: R.Cleveland Aaron.

Shade Rather Than Light: Anthology | Three

'Old Father Time' (preview) – Mink Freud (See Blue Audio SBA #048)

'Together'
Gigi D’Amico
See Blue Audio SBA 049

1. Isolated Heart
2. Harmonic Dreamscape
3. Whispering Nebula
4. Time for Things
5. Floating through Evolution
6. Warm Tomorrow
7. Pink Tears in a Joyful Sunshine
8. Forget About Your Climax
9. Nature of Capitalism

Release date: 9 February 2024

lnk.to/SBA049

See Blue Audio: ambient / electronic / beatless / cinematic / downtempo / eclectic / introspective… Shade rather than light...

As is customary with See Blue Audio, once a cycle of releases is complete, we start again with something different. The first release of 2024 was also the label's third compilation, 'Shade Rather Than Light: Anthology | Three', which covered the previous 15 releases, many of which were of a more experimental nature. For the next release of 2024, we welcome a new artist to the roster, Gigi D'Amico, and our second from Barcelona following D-Fried's longform track, 'The Spirit of the Young Poets', released in October 2023. Here the similarities end as Gigi's 'Together' project takes the label in a new direction with a curved ball of raw electronic energy. As the forty-ninth release on See Blue Audio, it represents a musical tangent as well as drawing attention to one of the most pressing, and at times tragic, issues of our time.

To those who know the underground music scene in Barcelona, Gigi D'Amico will be a familiar name. The Sicilian-born musician, producer, sound engineer and DJ has always blazed his own trail. He also works as a shoe designer and photographer, and manages Raval Music, a recording studio, radio station, record label and DJ school based in Raval, the historic area in the heart of Barcelona where immigrants and those from marginalised groups often make their home. Raval Music and Gigi's creative work are infused with the nervous tension and bristling atmosphere of this neighbourhood.

In 2023, shocked by the images of people crossing and sometimes perishing in the Mediterranean Sea, Gigi was driven to create the 'Together' art project. Powered by direct human contact in real time, this multimedia installation, including video and live music, triggers dynamic sounds of hope and cry as a tribute to the emigrants risking their lives. It acts as a call for people to give a hand to help others.

The nine-track 'Together' album is an expansion of the soundtrack to the project. As Gigi explains, "My creative process all starts in my head based around my social and political perspectives, filtered through my experiences as a Buddhist practitioner and Sicilian, now living in the 'ghetto' of Raval. I could picture the installation in my mind; the mood was there and so was the soundtrack, permeating the message and sonically activates feelings of oneness and wholeness in the face of pain. To keep it real and raw, everything was recorded live."

This intensity and passion can be clearly heard throughout the music, produced using a minimal studio setup and analogue equipment. It also draws on Gigi's many influences, often more visual than musical, including analogue photography and black and white cinema, notably Italian neorealism and post-neorealism. The sounds and beats can be jagged and discordant reflecting the strong emotions underlying them, but these are complemented by additional tracks, including 'Isolated Heart' and 'Whispering Nebula', specially commissioned to reflect the ambient and beatless sensibilities of See Blue Audio. They add a trace of nuanced melancholy to the surrounding electronic defiance, and, as the title of the closing track, 'Nature of Capitalism', suggests, we all remain at the mercy of powerful dark forces.

This may sometimes make for uneasy listening, but these are uneasy times. As such, the 'Together’ project and its accompanying album are a vital testimony demanding and deserving of our attention.

'Together' video presentation: https://youtu.be/Rgtw90zxqiw

Photography: Ketevan Gvinepadze.

Together

'Together' (preview) – Gigi D’Amico (See Blue Audio SBA #049)

'Majjie'
Lyli J
See Blue Audio SBA 050

1. Particles of You
2. Tide
3. See
4. Within
5. Lily's Groove
6. Chaconne
7. Vision
8. Ouh
9. Fountain of You
10. Tide (Arovane Remix)
11. Tide (Rhombus Index Remix)
12. Within (cole's Fear of Drowning Mix)

Release date: 15 March 2024

lnk.to/SBA050

See Blue Audio: ambient / electronic / beatless / cinematic / downtempo / eclectic / introspective… Shade rather than light...

See Blue Audio reaches its landmark fiftieth release with the welcome return of Lyli J and her album 'Majjie'. This will be the fourth full-length album of her career and the second for See Blue Audio following 'Micro Wanders' released in May 2022. Nearly two years on, 'Majjie' builds and expands on the ideas of its predecessor and creates a musical tapestry that evokes the power of mountains, mystery and magic, and heralds the arrival of spring, while also remaining deeply personal and heartfelt in the way Lyli J brings to all her music. The album is a complete entity in its own right, of course, but the addition of three remixes from kindred artists bring further dimensions of audio expression and emotional energy and to the project.

Lily Jordy is a French American instrumentalist, singer, sound designer and electronic producer who releases under the name Lyli J. With a classically trained background to accompany her love for electronic music, she has crafted a very particular musical sensibility that draws on organic, esoteric and ambient textures as well as influences from IDM, trip hop, folk and indie. All this allows Lily to give full reign to her creativity, and this can be heard throughout 'Majjie' where a multitude of sounds complement, contrast and cascade around us.

'Majjie' is her own creative phonetic spelling of 'magie' – the word for magic in French – and it is dedicated to the breathtaking landscapes of the Alps and how hyperreal they can appear to the naked eye (she lives in the French countryside outside Grenoble). This nine-track collection takes the form of a stream of consciousness and was born in summer of 2022 while preparing for a live show at the Hadra Trance Festival. Some tracks, such as 'Tide' and 'Ouh', Lily imagined as being performed in a hot desert-like setting with just a guitar; then as autumn and the colder months arrived, she added a serene, calming glue to these more extroverted tracks with deep soundscapes like 'Chaconne' and 'Fountain of You'.

"Everything naturally came together as a reflection," Lily explains "as a closing of that year." This sense of long exploration leading to some kind of peace is a strand running throughout the music and gives the album its wonderful sense of identity. Whether with guitar and voice, dub-infused beats or beatless landscapes, every track has its special role in creating the aura of wonder that permeating throughout 'Majjie'.

Turning to the remixes that come with the album, German composer and sound designer Arovane strips 'Tide' down to its core elements to construct a vignette of ghostly ambience. Rhombus Index from the See Blue Audio roster also recreates 'Tide', but in his distinctive pastoral electronic style so evocative of the Yorkshire countryside. To complete 'Majjie', emptyvessel, the acclaimed electronic composer and musician from New Zealand, assumes his cole name for the shapeshifting and orchestral 'Fear of Drowning' reimagining of 'Within'. The result is a fervent invocation that hints at some kind of divine power.

As with 'Micro Wanders', this is an album to immerse yourself in; it's a space where nature, magic and inner reflection exist side by side in the awe-inspiring presence of mountains. 'Majjie' is a celebration of their embrace.

Mastered by Thomas Ragsdale.

Photography: Lily Jordy.

Majjie

'Majjie' (preview) – Lyli J (See Blue Audio SBA #050)

'Seasons Beyond the Ashes'
NRV
See Blue Audio SBA 051

1. Harugasumi (Spring Haze)
2. Rice Fields in May
3. Painless Morning
4. This Rain Announces the Next Season
5. Moon Garden
6. Sokyokusen
7. And the First Snow Touches Your Cheek
8. Endless Snow... or Ashes

Release date: 3 May 2024

lnk.to/SBA051

See Blue Audio: ambient / electronic / beatless / cinematic / downtempo / eclectic / introspective… Shade rather than light...

Following the label's landmark fiftieth release, the 'Majjie' album from Lyli J, the next release on See Blue Audio continues the theme of the wonders of the natural world expressed through music. As 'Majjie' evoked the power of mountains, mystery and magic, and heralded the arrival of spring, so 'Seasons Beyond the Ashes' by NRV takes its inspiration from the four seasons and the healing properties of nature. This is the second release from NRV on See Blue Audio, and it follows the widely acclaimed 'Blue Roofs' in 2022. 'Seasons Beyond the Ashes' also examines the relationship between nature and modern society, and the fifty-first release on See Blue Audio is timed to reflect the passage of spring into summer.

NRV is the drone/ambient project from Japanese electronic musician, producer and radio host Nerve, who is based in the city of Sendai and best known as one half of the trip hop, dub and electro-pop band antennasia. 2023 saw the release of their eighth album, 'Warped Lucky'. After its completion, Nerve found himself drawn to making ambient music again and created the first sketches that went on to become 'Seasons Beyond the Ashes'.

'Blue Roofs' features two extended sonic rivers of soft simplicity. Its successor inhabits similar musical territory, but instead takes the form of eight short tracks dedicated to the eternal cycle of spring, summer, autumn and winter with two for each season. They were all designed to soothe and create harmony, even when some of the sounds used have a noisy or abrasive edge.

A thread that runs through both releases is the continuing effects of the earthquake and tsunami, and subsequent nuclear accident, that hit Japan in 2011. Nature may continue to soothe the artist through all its seasons, just as it did when he was a child, but even landscapes that seem the same as they did before the disaster somehow look different now. Perhaps this reflects his own state of mind, the influence of something that has changed in Japan since the catastrophe, or the continuing destruction and tragic events happening in many parts of the world; whatever the case, it's as if a layer of noise, dust and ash has formed between his eyes and the landscape. This is the meaning of the album's title, and what the noise and disturbance heard during the music represents.

Before he began working on the album, Nerve got hold of a small cassette recorder and recorded many synthesizer patterns onto tape. The tapes were old and with irregular wow and flutter, but they felt intensely real and became a 'sound effect' utilised in the music. In this way, the past and the present are symbolically connected, and a kind of reconciliation can begin.

The tracks may be shorter, but each has its own distinct character and mood. At times beatless and as light as a feather, at others with a harder edge to reflect our industrial age. Mournful strings and floating synths, a delicate piano line reminiscent of Ryuichi Sakamoto, and field recordings from the ever-moving world of insects, frogs and plants, but always with a rich undercurrent of energy that comes from our interaction with nature.

See Blue Audio is honoured to present this subtle and sublime musical meditation on the continuous flow of the seasons, and how they can bring comfort and contrast to the fast-paced modern world. 'Seasons Beyond the Ashes' is both a beacon of hope for the artist and those of us who share his concerns, sensitivities and dreams.

Mastered by Simon McCorry.

Photography: Manabu Ito.

Seasons Beyond the Ashes

'Seasons Beyond the Ashes' (preview) – NRV (See Blue Audio SBA #051)

'En mis sueños' EP
Khuenzz
See Blue Audio SBA 003

1. En mi alma
2. En mis sueños
3. En tu memoria
4. Estoy aquí

Release date: 6 December 2019

lnk.to/SBA003

See Blue Audio: ambient / electronic / beatless / cinematic / downtempo / eclectic / introspective… Shade rather than light...

See Blue Audio closes 2019 with its third release: the 'En mis sueños' EP from Khuenzz. Little is known about the identity of the enigmatic Khuenzz, although the name was allegedly inspired by the sound of a robot's voice. The track titles may be in Spanish, but that's probably a smokescreen too. All we know about Khuenzz is that there was an earlier release this year, the 'Leviathan' EP on SLiCK Records.

Over its four tracks, 'En mis sueños' heads deep into the dubbier side of ambient electronica, where hypnotic rhythms, spooky synths and effects, and distorted voices create a mysterious musical landscape. The opening track, 'En mi alma', is built around rolling percussion and a simple piano refrain, which is interspersed with a manipulated vocal sample and layers of electronic crackle. The effect is intriguing and haunting in equal measure.

The title track is next, and it represents the beatless contribution that is part of every release on See Blue Audio. 'En mis sueños' is a short story of drifting ambience punctuated by moments of dramatic tension. As the title suggests, it has a dreamlike quality, like slowly falling through space, but then being hit by bursts of hyperreality.

'En tu memoria' has a lighter quality but is still infused with the same heavy dub textures and vocal manipulation as 'En mi alma'. It’s also feels like a reawakening after the deep dreams of 'En mis sueños'. Completing the EP is 'Estoy aquí', which continues the lighter mood with a swaying rhythm providing the foundation for gentle synth melodies and glitch-style effects.

What's most remarkable about 'En mis sueños' is the way in which it tells a musical story in relatively short chapters. There's a strong narrative throughout of sleeping and waking, falling and rising, and travelling into the unknown.

En mis sueños EP

'En mis sueños' EP (preview) – Khuenzz (See Blue Audio SBA #003)

'Displacement Activity Vol. 1'
Steve Hadfield
See Blue Audio SBA 004

1. The Sunlight
2. Tremors
3. Space
4. Reflections
5. Gaze of the Moon
6. Middle Distance

Release date: 31 January 2020

lnk.to/SBA004

See Blue Audio: ambient / electronic / beatless / cinematic / downtempo / eclectic / introspective… Shade rather than light...

See Blue Audio begins 2020 with another release from Steve Hadfield following on from the 'Temporary Lapse' EP. 'Displacement Activity Vol. 1' is the first in a series of collections of music with the second volume to be released later in the year and more to follow. Over its six tracks, Steve reveals a different side to his sound and influences, and one born out of his recent personal experiences: ambient/modern classical with glitchy electronics.

Drawing on his passion for defining experimental and ambient artists like Alva Noto, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Murcof, Steve set out to craft his own style which reaches its conclusion with the 'Displacement Activity' series. Field recordings also form part of his musical landscape; likewise, Steve's fascination with space and how Planet Earth could appear as seen from faraway. Displaced, in other words, with the full title referencing a spaceship in Iain M. Banks's science fiction novel 'The Hydrogen Sonata'.

Using his imagination as a starting point – does the Moon view the Earth with the same reverence? – and slowly finding his musical path, Steve was also brought back to reality with the impending arrival of his first child in 2019. An intoxicating mix of excitement, nervousness and uncertainty is reflected in this music, not least as the rise of far-right politics worldwide provided a distressing backdrop. This vast array of ideas and emotions has seeped into 'Displacement Activity', which uses a similarly wide range of sounds and textures from beatless soundscapes to dramatic electronica.

'The Sunlight' opens the collection and, as the title suggests, it's a burst of warm celestial light based around rich synth sounds that slowly transform into something more brittle and with a churchlike intensity. 'Tremors' follows and the theme of space is further explored; this is a journey into the deep beyond where fear and paranoia creep into the edges of your mind. By way of contrast, 'Space' is a short sketch of morphing piano notes that takes us back to some kind of natural world.

'Reflections' continues the piano form but is then slowly enveloped by ghostly electronic fragments. The feeling is one of gentle awakening and the discovery of new life. As the title 'Displacement Activity' suggests, these tracks are also about contrast, and we get that with 'Gaze of the Moon', where our perception of reality is shaped from another angle. Drone-like electronic calm is punctured by sudden rushes of cold, piercing light before sliding back into the shadows.

Completing 'Displacement Activity Vol. 1' is 'Middle Distance' with its shimmering ambience, and its dreamlike quality is a fitting conclusion to this extraordinary collection of music. With this release, Steve Hadfield has pushed through the boundaries of his own musical knowledge and capabilities, but also taken a journey inward and shared his inner psyche.

Displacement Activity Vol. 1

'Displacement Activity Vol. 1' (preview) – Steve Hadfield (See Blue Audio SBA #004)

'Shade Rather Than Light: Anthology | One'
See Blue Audio SBA 016

1. Our Nature – Gabriel Slick, RoboCrafting Material
2. Unwitting Accomplice – Steve Hadfield
3. En mi alma – Khuenzz
4. Reflections – Steve Hadfield
5. Flow – f5point6
6. Displacement Activity – Steve Hadfield
7. Glass and Lasers – Mink Freud
8. Cambrian Radiation – f5point6
9. Passing the Ley Lines – Fragile X
10. Hawksmoor – Mink Freud
11. Trilobite – f5point6
12. Alone, Dark – Steve Hadfield
13. Building Castles in Spain – Fragile X
14. Natural Selection – f5point6
15. Prometheus – Simon McCorry
16. Dream Catcher – Gabriel Slick, RoboCrafting Material
17. See Blue Audio Anthology One Mix – Fragile X

Release date: 1 March 2021

lnk.to/SBA016

See Blue Audio: ambient / electronic / beatless / cinematic / downtempo / eclectic / introspective… Shade rather than light...

On March 1, 2019, See Blue Audio was launched with the inaugural release coming from Romanian producer Gabriel Slick. Using his Gabriel Slick, RoboCrafting Material guise reserved for the more experimental and ambient side of his tech house and techno sound, the four-track 'Contact' EP with its futuristic soundscapes perfectly illustrates the See Blue Audio ethos of 'shade rather than light'.

Two years on to the day, the label's second release of 2021 sees the return of Gabriel Slick, RoboCrafting Material with 'Dream Catcher', an exclusive new track only available as part of the first See Blue Audio compilation, 'Shade Rather Than Light: Anthology | One'. The concept is simple: take one track from each release on the label to represent the full spectrum of music on See Blue Audio so far. Completing the picture is 'Dream Catcher' as the sixteenth track on the sixteenth release, which closes the first cycle of the label.

All seven artists are represented ranging from the deep techno and ambient dub of Gabriel Slick and the mysterious Khuenzz to the ambient textures, glitchy electronics and modern classical overtones of Steve Hadfield and Fragile X. The cinematic qualities of f5point6 and shadowy ambience of Mink Freud have added further dimensions to See Blue Audio, while the recent 'Nature in Nature' EP by Simon McCorry with its atmospheric improvisations and analogue modular synthesis has provided a fitting soundtrack to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and strange times we are living in.

One of the principles of See Blue Audio is that every release should include at least one beatless track or remix, and these are also represented on 'Shade Rather Than Light: Anthology | One' with tracks like 'Hawksmoor' from Mink Freud's 'In Isolation' EP and Simon McCorry's 'Prometheus'. All of which leads to 'Dream Catcher', and this new track both complements and contrasts the existing catalogue.

Approaching eight minutes in length, 'Dream Catcher' utilises many of the cosmic and otherworldly sounds found on the 'Contact' EP, wrapping them in gentle ambient waves and harp-like melodies, but this track is also a journey through the producer's influences and inspirations. Old school vocal samples and piano chords hint back to the days of early house, while the track bursts into life with an infusion of drum 'n' bass and dubstep patterns before floating back out to space. The rich history of electronic music is also a vital reference point for See Blue Audio.

As well as 'Dream Catcher', there is also a continuous DJ mix from Fragile X included with 'Shade Rather Than Light: Anthology | One', and the accomplished producer and force behind the Bricolage imprint takes a journey through the See Blue Audio catalogue. At least one track from every release is included in a meticulously crafted and immersive mix, suffused with re-edits and effects, that traces the evolution of the label. At times dramatic and at others dreamlike, it's a swirling mass of musical currents, and runs for almost 80 minutes to capture the vibe of a mix CD. One for the headphones for sure.

Photography: R.Cleveland Aaron.

Shade Rather Than Light: Anthology | One

'Dream Catcher' (preview) – Gabriel Slick, RoboCrafting Material (See Blue Audio SBA #016)

Ambient / electronic / beatless / cinematic / downtempo / eclectic / introspective… Shade rather than light... Established 2019.

Submissions: contact@seeblueaudio.com

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