Andrew Ostler continues his artistic evolution towards choral beauty, orchestral textures, ambient drones and low woodwind, into the realms of Jóhann Jóhannsson, Arvo Pärt or Stars Of The Lid. 

Building on the string arrangements of his previous LP "Dots On A Disk Of Snow", and taking a heavy dose of sax drone from an earlier album still, this record also adds a full choir, taking the music to another level of spiritual intensity.

"This is music of transcendence, and perhaps transformation... A glimpse of something profound: not merely music, but a reflection of the sublime itself - blind, unknowable, and utterly captivating" (Chain D.L.K.).

On the first three compositions the drones are, for the most part, relatively gentle, while chant-like choral arrangements drift and weave around and above them. 'Affirmation' is quietly confident, with a surge of intensity around the midpoint; 'Confession' is perhaps more tentative, the shifting canon of the voices threatened by a distant storm of distorted synth shredding; 'Adoration' restores the straightforward choral beauty, building to an unashamed cadence.

The immense final track 'Meditation' is a quite different affair. Here the drones are more intense slabs, the choir is more demonstrative in its emotion, and the ultimate climax the more devastating for it. The journey is longer, but the rewards are greater for the committed.

Originally released on  Andrew Ostler's own Expert Sleepers label on limited edition blue vinyl last year, Cold Spring are very proud to press this gem onto CD for the first time.

Out 9th May 2025: CD in matt-laminate digipak with sleeve design by Carl Glover.

https://coldspring.co.uk/csr352cd

https://coldspring.bandcamp.com/album/the-blind-sublime-csr352cd

Listen: https://soundcloud.com/coldspring/sets/andrew-ostler-the-blind-sublime

https://andrew-ostler.bandcamp.com

Meditation (Edit)

Adoration (Edit)

Confession (Edit)

Affirmation (Edit)

Cold Spring is the UK's premier record label / mailorder for: Industrial, Dark Ambient, Esoteric, Japanese Noise, Ritual, Power Electronics, Noise, Drone, Death Industrial, Neoclassical, Neofolk, Doom, Dark Soundtracks and Experimental music.

Cold Spring Records has primarily been a label since 1990, releasing such influential artists as Coil, Laibach, Psychic TV, Merzbow, MZ. 412, Z’EV, Skullflower and more.

http://www.coldspring.co.uk / http://store.coldspring.co.uk / info@coldspring.co.uk

New tracks tagged #Drone / Choral