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Played by: Juno Recommends Ambient/Drone
Review: Bristol's Idle Hands label - the imprint largely representative of the shop's mood and selection - doesn't put out tonnes of music each year, but what they do release is always brimming with quality and panache. This time the tunes come in the form of an album by the shadowy O$VMV$M duo, made up of Young Echo associates Neek and Amos Childs, who have put together a selection of dub-filtered ambient sketches in true Bristolian fashion. "Beyond", a fuzzy soundscape filled with intricate field recordings and samples, sets the scene for what's to come next: a touch of UK gutter blasting on the sparse and eerie "Sad Grime", fluttering modular bleeps on "Goodbye", watery swells of delay on "Sea Mills Cash Dub", and the absurdly spaced-out "Obeah", a truly fitting last moment to this stunning LP. Cop.
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IDLE 026
14 Aug 15
14 Aug 15
2
Review: Russian ex-pat techno maverick Dasha Rush has always been a unique talent. Even so, Sleepstep - her first full-length for the admirable Raster Noton imprint - is a high concept affair. Designed to induce a dream-like state, it offers a mix of droning ambience, slo-motion electronica, yearning ambience and hypnotic, far-out techno, all interspersed with brief readings of Rush's poems. By and large, it has the desired effect, and even the darker, more macabre moments - see the percussive hit of "Lumiere Avant Midi", for starters - have a calming, atmospheric quality. By and large, it's the beatless excursions that really stand out, with the operatic vocals and woozy strings of "Sail Away To Her" being particularly spellbinding.
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R-N 158
02 Mar 15
02 Mar 15
3
Review: It doesn't get better than this... Two stand out tracks from Fluxion's seminal 2000 album Bipolar Defect are brought up to speed by another hugely respected dubsmith - DeepChords. Crisper in finish and with more hypnotic reverberations on the seashore synth ripples, Rod Modell has brought out all the aspects that made us fall in love with Fluxion in the first place and given them a contemporary studio finish. Sublime.
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SUBWAXJPN 06
06 Jul 18
06 Jul 18
4
Review: Suzanne Ciani's first official releases came out in the 1980s, but the producer was already making music by the time she was seven. In fact, this collection of live performances dates back to a gig in 1975, where a young Ciani was already experimenting with complex Buchla synthesizers. This is terrific material, and if you're looking for looking for deep, treacherous noise experimentations, you don't need to go for something contemporary. Ciari's sounds are still cutting-edge in 2016, and we can imagine just how foreign this music must have sounded to an audience back in 1975. Big applause to Sir Votel and Sir Shipton of Finders Keepers for this one.
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FKR 082DL
02 Sep 16
02 Sep 16
5
Review: It's hard to believe that such leftfield excursions could be the work of the vocalist on the ubiquitous "We Are Your Friends" electro-house anthem, but then Astro:Dynamics is the kind of label that loves to flout convention and confound expectation. Cardamon Copy is a tape-centric voyage into unhinged tones and troubled rhythms, taking in an obtuse production style and getting deep into experimentation. It's not an exclusively dark experience, as the tender melodies of "Eggshells" demonstrates with its ghostly chords and notes, while "Fauns" revels in a swell of straining synth lines with a sunkissed finish. There are plenty more morose moments too, ensuring you don't find too much to cling onto on this particularly wild ride.
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ADCASS 10
12 May 14
12 May 14
6
Review: Traditionally, the UK's Nathan Fake has been closely associated to James Holden's eternal Border Community imprint, a label that has unapologetically stuck to its particular strain of house and techno over the last decade, and a quality that has certainly contributed to its constant success. We've always been great admirers of Fake's dreamy, progressive style of house music, and we see his recent collaborations with London's Ninja Tune as the perfect move for both himself and the mighty record label. Providence, his debut LP for the imprint, stretches the realms of his style to the limit, providing us with 12 highly diverse and explorative slices of IDM-filtered pseudi-house. In reality, there is little to none pure house music in here, but Fake manages to retain a certain momentum that renders these experimental tunes both danceable and enjoyable outside of the bedroom. Deep synths collide with glowing shards of percussion and deep, hyper-space sonics; even Prurient features one of the darker, looser tunes. Recommended!
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ZENDNL 240
10 Mar 17
10 Mar 17
7
Review: if there is one collaboration that we have bowed down to over the last few years, it's most certainly this new found friendship between London's Kevin Martin aka The Bug, and American doom metal guitarists, Earth. One wouldn't immediately make the connection between inner-city future-grime music and suburban stoner rock, but the two styles were in perfect unison, and this is because they're both fascinated with dark, looming clouds of bass. Whether that's through virtual synths or badass bass guitars, it doesn't matter, because the mood is mightily present. Concrete Desert is the alliance's debut LP, and it's all guns blazing from start to finish; tunes like "Snakes vs Rats" or "Metal Drone" represent exactly the sort of freshen-up that each respective act needed - on the one hand, The Bug could have done with some more external influences to the melodic constructions, while Earth needed a new framework to enter the minds of a new, European audience. We've dubbed this style 'metal drone', and we're pretty sure that it's gonna stick after you've hit the ol' play button. Top quality stuff - highly recommended!
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ZENDNL 239
24 Mar 17
24 Mar 17
8
Review: This new album from Kevin Martin's band of enchanting doom-mongers forms part of a new series that pits King Midas Sound against various collaborators. In this instance, Martin and vocalist Roger Robinson were moved to link up with Austrian ambient champ Fennesz, whose laconic guitar tones lend an ethereal, orchestral quality to the haunted dub that KMS have always been known for. The ballads linger in an uneasy tension, both gentle in application but unsettling in tone, while Robinson and Kiki Hitomi once again share mic duties to round out the affecting situation in an unexpected but utterly magnificent meeting of minds.
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ZENDNL 225
18 Sep 15
18 Sep 15
9
Played by: Dj N◉va ▶ Rodon FM 95, Juno Recommends Experimental, Dexta, Mind Field Records, Juno Recommends Ambient/Drone
Review: In the period since the release of his late 2012 album Hardcourage, Drew Lustman has founded his own label as well as dropping singles on Swamp81 and Ninja Tune, slipped out the odd remix and kept up a busy touring schedule. Where he managed to fit in the studio time for a fourth album In The Wild is not clear but a new FaltyDL long player will always be welcome. At 17 tracks long, In The Wild is Lustman's most comprehensive display of his production palette by some distance with the Brooklyn based artist using the afforded space to really go deep into his various creative impulses. It's a lot to take in immediately, but tracks such as "Frontin'" and "Ahead The Ship Sleeps" feel like FaltyDL on top form.
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ZENDNL 212
11 Aug 14
11 Aug 14
10
Review: Fans of A/V pioneer Amon Tobin were thrilled when he broke a three-year silence with an exclusive Record Store Day release of Dark Jovian last month. However not everyone was able to get their hands on the luxuriantly packed double vinyl set, so now a digital version has surfaced to keep everybody happy. It's a stunning five-track cosmic soundtrack inspired by Tobin's obsession with space exploration movies and an attempt 'to interpret a sense of scale, like moving towards impossibly giant objects and planets turning'. Also included are haunting reworks by Lee Gamble, Logos and Eprom!
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ZENDNLS 387
11 May 15
11 May 15
11
Played by: Juno Recommends Experimental
Review: Since the dawn of the decade, A Winged Victory For The Sullen has delivered occasional albums for Erased Tapes that effortlessly blur the boundaries between ambient, electronic experimentalism and emotion-stirring neo-classical music. "The Undivided Five" marks their first appearance on mighty British independent Ninja Tune, and as a result seems a little more grandiose in scale and ambition than some of their earlier outings. It was recorded in eight different studios around Europe, with the pair combining atmospheric orchestration and traditional instrumentation with occasional glimpses of modular electronics. It feels like a stunning soundtrack to a movie we've not yet seen - unsurprising given that they have previously composed a number of scores - and genuinely gets better with each successive spin.
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ZENDNL 255
01 Nov 19
01 Nov 19
12
Review: Wolverhampton based duo Richard Roberts and Andrew Harber aka Letherette return on Ninja Tune with their new full length: a 40-minute mix of previously unreleased productions have been unearthed in conjunction with their recently released second album for "Last Night On The Planet". This collection which explores ambient and deeper beats territory was originally released on a limited run cassette, but will see a digital release in 2017. Harber has stated that the tracks were "saturated onto cassette (Marantz CP430) a number of times to give it a crusty, aged and brittle edge, the playlist was conceived on a typically bleak night-bus ride through Birmingham."
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ZENDNLS 447
31 Jan 17
31 Jan 17
13
Played by: Juno Recommends Ambient/Drone
Review: Fake's Providence narrative continues with unique and innovative thrust as renowned experimental composer Olga Wojciechowska repurposes and re-orchestrates his most startling and original work to date. Rich, perplexing and full of drama, Nathan's signature abrasion is felt with even more emphasis and timeless scope as the eminent Polish composer works her magic. Also included is a breath-taking ambient twist from Konx-Om-Pax and live versions from Nathan himself. Providential.
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ZENDNLS 461
11 Sep 17
11 Sep 17
14
Review: Since making his debut in 2015, Laurence Guy has barely put a foot wrong. In the process, he's delivered a string of fine releases for the likes of Church, Mule Musiq, Cin Cin, Studio barnhus and, most frequently, Shall Not Fade. His latest EP for the latter label is another gem-filled treat. The EP's most potent dancefloor-centric moments - the stomping, saucer-eyed, dreamy deep house-goes-acid techno wonder that is 'Your Good Times Are Here' and the twisted, sample-heavy oddity that is 'Yeh Good, You?' - are simply superb, while the quirkier, more downtempo bonus cuts (mournful, reverb-heavy piano ambient number 'Mutual Disappointment is a Terrible Thing' and the cut-and-paste, jazz-tinged loop oddity 'I Know You Feel Sad') are interesting and entertaining in equal measure.
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SNF 069D
10 Dec 21
10 Dec 21
15
Review: London's corpulent Ninja Tune returns with a follow-up from Lee Bannon, another LP in a similarly washed out and ambient-heavy guise. Pattern Of Excel is positively abstract the whole way through, where watery shades of drone meet sparse bleeps and glitchy sonics. Many of the tracks within contain an almost free jazz feel to them - check "Good/Swimmer" and "Artificial Stasis" - making the whole album a long a complex journey into electro-acoustic treatment and experimentation. This is one you want on during a session of heavy meditation. Vast, wild and recommended.
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ZENDNL 222
10 Jul 15
10 Jul 15
16
Review: Andreas Grosser was considered an underrated hero of German synth music in the early '80s and based off only a couple of albums - a collaboration with Tangerine Dream/Ash Ra Tempel's Klaus Schulz in 1987 and of course 1981s Vinite Visum, that's reissued here on Running Back. All tracks were composed and performed between 1976 and 1980, when the East Berlin synthesist was inspired by the West German cosmic scene. He was rumoured to have made many hours of music, which he duplicated to cassette recordings for anyone that wanted them. Presented here is a collection of psychedelic ambient oddities, conjured from celestial synth sounds and other assorted classic machines.
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RBCD 11DIGITAL
30 Mar 18
30 Mar 18
17
Review: Following on from appearances on Kaleidoscope and No Pain In Pop, patten makes his way onto Warp with his stubborn brand of fractured collage music, revelling in drunken rhythm and delirious sample placement to create a hypnagogic long player rich with homespun charm. There is a consistent distance to the way patten places his sounds, whether it be a heavily treated horn or a scuffed drum hit, with everything dangling just out of reach, not least on borderline-beatless moment "Here Always". There are more tangible incidents as well, such as the gentle whir of "Drift" with its nudging bass tones, but by and large this is an album to get cast asunder by, and it does that casting very well indeed.
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WARPCDD 246
24 Feb 14
24 Feb 14
18
Played by: JC - Here And Now Recordings, Juno Recommends Experimental, GAZE ILL, Juno Recommends Ambient/Drone, K-LONE, Balearic Mike & Ben Monk, Sofie Letitre
Review: We all know and love Mark Pritchard. The Cornish producer has been one of Warp's finest artists since the '90s, and he has produced nothing but excellence from day one. We don't need to go into his history, as you should bloody well know it given the fact that you've landed here, but we will give you a little taster of what is at the heart of Under The Sun. The sound is definitely one that is shifting in shape, and while he has been known to make everything from techno to futuristic jungle, this LP is much more about mood and vibe, something that is clear from the appearance of Radiohead's Thom Yorke on "Beautiful People". That is not to say that the album is in any way too delicate or soft and, in fact, there are plenty of dark and foreboding moments that have rendered this dude's musical career so illustrious.
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WARPCDD 244
13 May 16
13 May 16
19
Review: UK electronica legend Mark Pritchard returns with his new album The Four Words, further exploring the sonic worlds first encountered on his 2016's album Under The Sun - which featured guests such as Thom Yorke. Once again, he collaborates extensively with acclaimed visual artist Jonathan Zawada, who made a 13-minute film to go along with the LP. The visual element builds on the imagined worlds the duo created previously. A collection of eight lush electronic landscapes featuring collaborations with veteran Gregory Whitehead and The Space Lady aka Susan Dietrich the San Francisco, based outsider artist.
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WARPDD 296
23 Mar 18
23 Mar 18
20
Review: "Phantom Brickworks III" is the lead single from Bibio's new album and it is a haunting yet evocative neo-classical experience. Fans of Erased Tapes, Nils Frahm or Olafur Arnalds should take note. On the album, the artist has stated that he doesn't believe in ghosts, but in places haunted by meaning. Places can change for a variety of reasons, he says, and are charged with atmosphere because of what they have been through or what they have been. Deep and intriguing stuff! Moreover, it is a collection of mostly improvised musical pieces that for some time have provided him with a 'mental portal' into places and times that are somewhere between illusion and reality. Bibio is the alias of Stephen Wilkinson from the West Midlands: Phantom Brickworks is his sixth album on UK electronica institution Warp, based in Sheffield, UK.
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WARPDD 290B
09 Dec 17
09 Dec 17
21
Review: One year on from his full length release for Sheffield institution Warp, Bibio - the alias of Stephen Wilkinson from the West Midlands - returns to the dreamlike environments evoked in the original LP. Phantom Brickworks "IV" and "V" are more haunting yet evocative neo-classical experiences; a couple of long winding and introspective pieces that are at the same time bittersweet and hopeful. Warp have hyped Wikinson's forthcoming new material coming in 2019.
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WAP 428D
09 Nov 18
09 Nov 18
22
Various
Played by: Juno Recommends Ambient/Drone
Review: Well it's that time of the year again. Wolfgang Voight compiles the best in ambient for his beloved label and it's more of the same high calibre ambient excursions you'd expect, like in previous editions. Starting off in truly breathtaking fashion with Stephan Matieu's "April Im Oktober", we're then treated to some new material by British icons The Orb, who present us with "Alpine Dawn" further testament to their otherworldly sense for sound. Label mainstay Mikkel Metal appears also with the sombre yet mesmerising cathedral drone of "Titan", as does Leandro Fresco, twice in fact. With both his sublime remix of Dave DK's "Veira" and his own "Configuracion de Atequa" featuring gorgeously uplifting tones reminiscent of old Gas material. Speaking of which, Voight himself appears with his mindblowing "Ruckverzauberung" from 2012 getting a brilliant modern revision by Thore Pfeiffer. Yet again, it goes without saying; this is essential listening.
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KOMPAKT CD 128
13 Nov 15
13 Nov 15
23
Review: Mythical UK duo The Orb return after a year of silence, and they do so with their usual elegance and mystique. Kompakt is the imprint to welcome them back, a label to which they are now residents after years of releases on its catalogue. While the duo is primarily associated to beat-centric electronica and pseudo techno, their recent sound is sparse and exploratory, crossing the lines between drone and downtempo with utter ease. COW/Chill Out, World! is a journey in every sense of the word; the album goes from a selection of cinematic drone and deep ambience, to glitchy, distorted shades of power electronics. Moreover, this is a piece of extended music that truly works perfectly as one whole unit of music, from start to finish. In fact, we think it's the best thing these legends have put out in a while, and it makes us think that they'v never really been away, just preparing to deliver their very best. Recommended!
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KOMPAKTCD 134D
14 Oct 16
14 Oct 16
24
Various
Played by: Juno Recommends Experimental
Review: As we head into a new decade of sound it's a safe feeling to know that as genres evolve and change we have Kompakt to guide us through such times. The label, a fundamental proponent in giving dance music the accessibility and popularity is has today, has always had its finger on the pulse when it comes to introducing new ideas and genre concepts going forward. Their annual pop ambient series, from the start, has remained a place for recognised label mates and associates to release music that's still appealing to the masses while remaining leftfield, avant garde and easy on the ears. Call it neo-easy listening. Expect swathes of deep piano chords, swells of emotional pads drenched in reverb and splashes of contemporary classicalisms. Your soundtrack and introduction to a new vanguard of future music.
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KOMPAKTCD 155D
22 Nov 19
22 Nov 19
25
Review: After much ado, it is finally time for the second offering by Vermont aka Danilo Plessow aka Motor City Drum Ensemble and Marcus Worgull of Innvervisions who delve into all things exotic and balearic on this sublime 12 track journey where they take a break from their more club oriented music respectively. Mostly a beatless affair, these tracks are full of shimmering vintage synths, gentle arpeggios and even more traditional instruments like bass and slide guitar that make a perfect accompaniment for drifting or road trips alike. Features the recent, gorgeous single "Nordeney" alongside a brilliant collection of many other sublime cosmic/psychedelic/ambient cuts.
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KOMPAKTCD 133D
10 Feb 17
10 Feb 17
26
Review: Berlin native, Shitkatapult founder, and all-round house freak T.Raumschmiere has been a solid member of the Kompakt cartel since the early 2000s. He's back on the infamous Cologne imprint after a lengthy hiatus, but has returned with a fully-kitted album of washed-out sonics and methodical, structured IDM. In all honesty, this is looser than material by the likes of Autechre, but there's a similar sort of vibe in the air; the colours and impressions left by these sounds linger in the same sort of territory as the very best downtempo material from the late 90s/early 00s, and will be a delightful surprise to fans of Bukem and the whole Good Lookin' sound. A surprise and delight - don't miss it.
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KOMPAKTCD 137D
19 May 17
19 May 17
27
Played by: Juno Recommends Ambient/Drone
Review: Moscow based producer Anton Kubikov is one of the key figures of the Russian electronic music scene. His recent dub techno exploits have been heard on local labels like Heisenberg and his own Pro-tez imprint. Kubikov's relationship to Kompakt extends years back, when his SCSI-9 project (with Maxim Milyutenko) made its debut and has since several releases for the label thus far. It's a predominantly atmospheric affair on his new LP entitled Whatness. The slightly Italo tainted horror soundtracks of "Liquid Mirror" or the title track soon give way to seductive soundscapes of "Other The Sea" which wouldn't have sounded out of place on one of the label's famed Pop Ambient collections while tracks like "Kurt's Forest" or "April" have that Balearic tinged style of chill-out about them that will appeal to fans of International Feel or Music From Memory. Elsewhere the modern classical bliss piece "Pia" is quite a gorgeous moment but he saves the best for last on the mesmerising shoegaze style drones of "Entrance"
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KOMPAKTCD 138D
14 Jul 17
14 Jul 17
28
Review: Albums don't get more personal than The Fifty Eleven Project. Penned by Kasper Bjorke together with three of his friends - hence the quartet name - it's a musical soundtrack to his cancer diagnosis in 2011, followed by his treatment and recovery. While the Danish producer has said that it follows emotions both 'light and dark', it also contains moments where his fear of relapse surfaces. "Line of Life (Prologue)" and "Seminom Non Seminom" presumably represent the more positive side of Bjorke's journey, thanks to their beautiful strings and fragile synth lines. There are other, more brooding, tense pieces like "11" - possibly a reference to the year of his diagnosis - but in the main this is a celebration of life in the truest sense.
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KOMPAKT 393D
19 Oct 18
19 Oct 18
29
Various
Review: In the same way that winter turns to spring and the ice and snow melt away, every year Kompakt releases a 'pop ambient' compilation. 2019 will be no exception and the textured atmospherics of Thore Pfeiffer's"Alles Wird Gut" and Kenneth James Gibson's "Gone Too Soon" both usher in this new volume. Of course the definition of 'ambient' is a fluid one in Kompakt's lexicon, as the neo-classical strings of Coupler's "A Plain Of Reeds" and Jorg Burger's Black Frame psychedelic indie project both demonstrate. However, the underlying theme throughout this flawless collection is, as always, a melancholic sensibility, best articulated by Last Train To Brooklyn's swirling, magical "Bluebird".
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KOMPAKTCD 150D
30 Nov 18
30 Nov 18
30
Various
Review: Cologne's Kompakt label requires no introductions, so we'll stick to our words and leave it at that. They do, however, like to release a diverse and immersive variety of electronic music, and this latest comp, Pop Ambient 2018, taps into the sort of mood that's occurring throughout our society. Kompakt have always been good at reflecting what is happening to people, music and situations, with this new compilation executing that better than ever before. Each artist and each tune on here manages to offer experimentation and interpretation while still grasping at something that will appeal to the contemporary listener. No sound is out of shape, nothing is gratuitous. What's more, among the many excellent waves of beat-driven ambient flexing, you even get an appearance from the legendary Orb. This is one that will be remembered.
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KOMPAKT CD 142 D
17 Nov 17
17 Nov 17
31
Review: Over the last decade, Kenneth James Gibson has released a vast amount of music under an equally vast number of aliases and side projects. The output under his own name is reserved for the minimal-leaning, downtempo-swaying side of the house and techno spectrum, delivering new and refreshing loops that push further than the material we're now usually accustomed to. In fact, In The Fields Of Nothing, out through Cologne's infamous Kompakt unit, delivers a soothing blend of lounge-tinted beats and atmospherics, guided by the distant yet present embrace of house music. A delight.
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KOMPAKTCD 143D
09 Mar 18
09 Mar 18
32
Played by: Juno Recommends Ambient/Drone
Review: Danish DJ and producer Rune Reilly Kolsch started out around 2003 and first gained success with his track "Calabria". He went on to efforts in the groups Artificial Funk and Enur together (with his brother Johannes Torpe) and then creating some big tunes in the mid noughties minimal boom, under aliases like Ink & Needle and Tattoo. The first material as Kolsch surfaced around 2010 and he's been a staple of the Cologne based Kompakt family ever since. With 1989, he presents the final chapter in a trilogy that started with an exploration of early childhood memories and influences (on 1977) and continued on 1983: which soundtracked his childhood travels throughout Europe. With 1989, we have arrived at his early teens. Kolsch explains it was "a difficult time in my life, where I mostly just remember the greyness of it all." It isn't all a brooding affair though, for the most part. From the sombre symphonic acid of "Serij", the pop inflected tech-house of "In Bottles" (featuring Aurora) to the epically euphoric style of dancefloor drama you'd usually attribute to the man like on "Grau" or the anthemic lead single "Liath". It's quite a story he presents here.
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KOMPAKTCD 139D
22 Sep 17
22 Sep 17
33
Review: Nobody quite does ambient music like Kompakt label boss Wolfgang Voigt. With an illustrious discography spanning three decades, producing under such aliases as Mike Ink, Wassermann, Freiland or House To House - it is under the Gas alias where he now presents his sixth album: Rausch. It is intended to be heard as a whole from beginning to end, with Voigt's signature brooding symphonies creating a lush landscape over nefarious, almost dystopian atmospherics - of course building altogether to a massive climax. It's yet another awe-inspiring chapter in Voigt's collection of sonic narratives. The album will premiere live in his hometown at the Cologne Philharmonie on May 9th, followed by a global tour of the project.
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KOMPAKTCD 145D
18 May 18
18 May 18
34
Played by: Juno Recommends Ambient/Drone
Review: It's so impressive to see that The Orb have managed to reinvent themselves so many times, over so many years. The legendary UK outfit is now comprised of original founder Alex Paterson and long-time Kompakt member Thomas Fehlmann. The former has been involved in the project since the late 80s, while that latter has been heavily involved in the then-called 'rave' scene from about the same time, so we're talking about true veterans here. They struck up a relationship with the aforementioned Kompakt over recent years, and their latest COW / Chill Out, World! album was a brilliantly constructed work of pure ambient delight. Here, we have an artillery of remixers to inject some beats into the original mixes, starting with Alex Willner aka The Field in what is a classic Kompakt reinterpretation of "9 Elms Over River Eno", followed by Dave DK's own tech-friendly version of "4am Exhale". Veteran Jorg Burger's remix of "5th Dimensions" unleashes a kinetic flow across the sparse planes of the original cut, and minimal techno pioneer Leandro Fresco has his say on "Wireless". It's a Kompakt family affair...
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KOMPAKT 363D
03 Mar 17
03 Mar 17
35
Review: On the back of Kompakt's expansive retrospective of his work under the Gas alias, the essential Box, Wolfgang Voigt has decided to deliver a new album - his first for 17 years. Predictably, Narkopop is as cinematic, widescreen and densely layered as anything the German ambient producer has done to date. Over 11 spellbinding tracks, Voigt blends field recordings and droning electronics with sweeping, almost orchestral movements, swirling melodic cycles, and occasional forays into rhythmic hypnotism. The result is a collection of "wall of sound" ambient compositions that does a terrific job tiptoeing the fine lines between both grandiosity and intimacy, and joy and pain. In a word: essential.
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KOMPAKTCD 136D
21 Apr 17
21 Apr 17
36
Various
Played by: Chris Coco
Review: Since launching in 2001, Kompakt's Pop Ambient series has become one of the more esteemed compilation brands in downtempo music. Such is its longevity, in fact, that listening to each successive, annual instalment has become something of fixture in the calendars of the ambient-inclined. It's little surprise, then, to find that this 15th instalment is the aural equivalent of a familiar friend; a warming, picturesque and gently stimulating selection of ear-pleasing mood-pieces that doesn't try too hard to do anything too different. Highlights come thick and fast, from the delay-laden acoustics and starry electronics of Thore Pfieffer's "Nero", to the early Orb inspired beauty of Leandro Fresco's "Nada Es Parra Siempre".
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KOMPAKT CD 120
10 Nov 14
10 Nov 14
37
Played by: Juno Recommends Downtempo
Review: Adding to an already sublime year of releases for Kenneth Bager's Music For Dreams label, it now introduces the new solo project by Danish musician and electronic producer Laurits Smedegaard. Presenting a collage of music that combines ambient, new-age, jazz and easy listening with experimental sound design and playful displays of exotica, Laudness, looks to be a project inspired by cinematic visions and alluring melodies. With the artist drawing inspiration from Oneothrix Point Never, Aphex Twin, Hiroshi Yoshimura and the like...Therapy blends organic instruments, curious samples and oddball synths in a calm yet unpredictable manner to inspire an 11-track journey through the imagination.
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ZZZCD 0228
16 Jul 21
16 Jul 21
38
Played by: Kenneth Bager // Musicfordreams
Review: UK producer Max Essa first made his name in the late 00s with a string of shimmering nu-disco releases on Nang and Bear Funk. These days, though, he's based in Japan and, for this latest long-player at least, concentrating his energies on ambient productions. Across nine tracks with mysterious titles like 'Breakfast In Yutenji' and 'Beautiful Western River', gently tinking minor-key ivories, Carpenter-esque synth sweeps, found sounds and occasional, ultra-languid drum beats create slow-moving soundscapes built for post-club comedown sessions and lazy Sunday mornings alike, while 'Twenty Types Of Dusk' nods back to his earlier days.
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ZZZCD 0161
05 Oct 18
05 Oct 18
39
Review: Lobster Sleep Sequence is developing into a fine label with each new release, with its parent brand - Lobster Theremin - doing its very best to branch out into all corners of the electronic game. This new LP form Sonikku is a delightful deviation of the senses, carrying a noticeable sway of airy melodies without the use of heavy, distorted beats, or gratuitous noise-filtered bric-a-brac. In fact, the majority of this album is composed of delicate atmospherics showcasing the more placid side of downtempo, offering listeners an ambient texture which successfully merges a whole array of styles and influences together under one banner. Lovely.
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LSS 003
23 Feb 18
23 Feb 18
40
Played by: Juno Recommends Experimental
Review: Other than being one of drum 'n' bass' long standing veterans, Darren White aka dBridge was a key player in the late noughties seminal Autonomic sound. White continues to this day with his half-time experiments in the genre's grey area on his respected Exit imprint, where he presents his latest effort M|E: an album of live, one-take recordings using varying hardware synths, samples and guitar pedals. He explores a multitude of styles: from the immersive ambient opener "The Beginnings End", to the brooding soundscape of "Addicted To", the nightmarish ritual rites of "Your Angel Shouts Through Demons" and the imaginary sci-fi soundtrack of "Idols Yet Unheard". All-in-all another fine example of the veteran British producer's multi-faceted style.
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EXITLP 023
08 Jul 22
08 Jul 22
41
Review: Reece Walker's Carmel project is taking a very definite shape as more and more of his work is released. So far, the artist has only collaborated on a number of different electronic projects, such as EBS or Fishermans Friend, so this debut solo outing on London's Lobster Theremin feels like the perfect platform on to hopefully kick-start what seems to be a solid ambient project. "12 Hours" is a tune of startling beauty, opening on a wavey soundscape that has the essence of the ocean in its underbelly, creating a lovely movement from a limited set of sounds and manipulation; "Georgia", the title track, steps closer towards the house template, eventually transforming its placid drones into a solid dance rhythm...albeit subtle in its approach and limited in its composition.
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LTCRML 700X
14 Sep 18
14 Sep 18
42
Played by: Juno Recommends Ambient/Drone
Review: In late 2016, Lobster Theremin launched their new sub-label: the ambient, drone and experimental electronics offshoot Lobster Sleep Sequence. After label head Jimmy Asquith came across Thet Liturgiske Owasendet's immense ambient epic "Catalina" on Soundcloud, it soon became 'a staple cure to a bout of recent prolonged sleeplessness and mild insomnia that he'd been unable to shake via any other means.' For the label's second release we have Richard Vergez's Night Foundation project, which launched in 2016. Already part of the Lobster network as graphic designer for Raw MT and Hedge Maze's releases, it wasn't long before Asquith soon came across Vergez's new project and decided to release it. Formed of three separate parts, Memory Bells is a mesmerising and evocative body of work.
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LSS 002
27 Oct 17
27 Oct 17
43
Review: Sam Black's Slacker project, nursed to life through Lobster Theremin over the years, is granted a debut album on the label following Amen To The Lonely (2017) and Leviathan (2019). What Would I Do With Saturn sees Slacker fully export his hybrid and atmospheric take on the hardcore and jungle continuum. Wading in with the timeless ambient number "Let These Waves Wash Upon You", heavy stepping drums, searing rave synths and mad acid sequences rear their head "Nothing Is Enough" next to a more emotive "As I Fear The Ground Opening". With tumbling drums and stutter effects holding down "My Own Moon", syncopated beats stand out in "The New Face Of England" with deep, oriental and fresh as f*** jungle hitting the spot in "One Hundred Ideas". A hugely fresh LP adopting old school influences with new school techniques for a release that looks to both the past and present.
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LT 084
02 Jul 21
02 Jul 21
44
Floating Points / Various
Floating Points - "The Sweet Time Suite, Part I - Opening" (Exclusive Kenny Wheeler Coverversion) - (2:58) 73 BPM
Review: The latest instalment in the long-running 'Late Night Tales' series has been curated by experimental beatsmith and jazzbo Floating Points. Sarah Davachi's opener 'Untitled' sets the tone: essentially seven minutes of a single modulating synth chord, it's an early warning that this is no cobbled-together collection of 'chill-out' tunes destined for Top Shop's in-store soundsystem, but instead a journey to some of downtempo music's more far-out fringes, where you'll find straight-up soul and jazz nestled up alongside 70s agit-folk, flotation tank ambience, experimental electronica and more. It might all be a little dense and daunting for the uninitiated, but Floating Points fans will lap it up.
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ALN 52
29 Mar 19
29 Mar 19
45
Jordan Rakei / Various
Jordan Rakei - "Lover, You Should've Come Over" (exclusive Jeff Buckley cover version) - (3:00) 78 BPM
Played by: Juno Recommends Downtempo
Review: A most intrepid selection for the next instalment of the Late Night Tales series come from an equally beguiling soundtrack by multi-instrumentalist Jordan Rakei. Known for lending his vocals to the music of Disclosure to releasing with Blue Note and on Ninja Tune, the New Zealand born artist introduces himself to Late Night Tales with something neoclassical. Taking on folk, jazz & free jazz to spoken word, warm instrumentals and ambient dualities, the spaces between are filled with percussive electronics, solo acoustic numbers and walls of instrumental noise, culminating in two exclusives; Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's poetic closer, "Imagination", and Jordan Rakei's very own cover of Jeff Buckley's "Lover, You Should've Come Over".
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ALN 61
09 Apr 21
09 Apr 21
46
Nils Frahm / Various
Carl Oesterhelt & Johannes Enders - "Divertimento Fur Tenorsaxophon Und Kleines Ensemble Part 4" - (4:40) 109 BPM
Review: Apart from Ministry Of Sound and Fabric, the Late Night Tales crew is perhaps the best and most respected compilation series these days. Moreover, these guys have invited some of the biggest names in the game over the last fifteen years, a highly impressive catalogue which includes the likes of Fatboy Slim, Jamiroquai, AIR, Arctic Monkeys, Sly & Robbie, and many more of the same calibre. This September is Germany's Nils Frahm who takes care of the selection, and the DJ/producer serves up a gorgeously vast selection of sounds from around the globe and from all corners of time. Inside, you get shreds of house and techno from Four Tet and Nils Frahm himself, among others, but the mix explores much wider terrains; Miles Davis makes an appearance with the masterful "Concerto De Aranjuez", electronic dub maestros Rhythm & Sound join the party the timeless "Mango Drive", and even Nina Simone's "Who Knows Where The Time Goes" gets selected. It's as excellent and compelling as you would expect from this sublime mix series. A class act.
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ALND 42
11 Sep 15
11 Sep 15
47
Played by: JC - Here And Now Recordings, Lee Burridge, Juno Recommends Downtempo, George Fitzgerald, Steve Angello
Review: While some associate Sasha's work to the late 90s and mid-00s, the veteran UK producer has never left. He's always been right here, at the centre of Europe's house scene. His recent LP for Late Night Tales, the glorious Scene Delete, is now under a process of remixing, and this comes as no surprise; why not reshape those dance floor tracks into something different, even more visceral. "Vapour Trails" is versioned by Kiasmos, and the result is a deep, harmonic house tune with a vast landscape of sounds at its core; Rival Consoles reshapes "Cassette Session E" by stretching the arrangement out to its very limits, and what we're faced with is a long and subtly-developing progressive house monster with a minimal edge. Excellent.
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ALND 4301
14 Oct 16
14 Oct 16
48
Review: On Scene Delete, Sasha has decided to flip the script, jettisoning his usual progressive-leaning club fare in favour of original productions that wallow in their largely beatless, ambient nature. In some ways, it's a surprise move, but in others, it makes perfect sense; his DJ and production style has always emphasized atmosphere and texture, making it perfectly suited for the ambient genre. Musically, Scene Delete has some genuinely superb moments, with the obvious Eno, Yokota, Namlook and Reich influences joined by nods to obscure new age records, early synthesizer pioneers and, on a couple of occasions, the glitchy IDM of Autechre.
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ALND 43
01 Apr 16
01 Apr 16
49
Review: French multi-instrumentalist and electronic dabbler Ariel Kalma has been turning our heads and reaching our ears ever since Rvng Intl. put out a series of compilations by him over the past two years. This time, we have a series of 'Strange Mixes & Other Goodies' from the year 1978, the peak of Kalma's creativity and productivity, and generally a fine year for experimental jazz music. Any B-side lover and crate digger will surely lap this up for "Drum Machinery" alone, a Roland-made tune that could have easily been made yesterday by a techno or leftfield artist but, in essence, all of these thirteen songs are pretty mindblowing. "Kosmik Traffic" is pure field recording noise and didgeridoos, "Oui Ah" is a jarring ambient/drone masterpiece, "Delirium Grm" must have sounded like alien music back in 1978, and we have to say that everything else on this album is just as great and cutting-edge. What a sublime piece of long-lost music, and how perfectly it fits in with today's multi-palleted audience!
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933047 6007823
27 Aug 16
27 Aug 16
50
Olafur Arnalds / Various
Played by: JC - Here And Now Recordings, Juno Recommends Experimental, Juno Recommends Ambient/Drone
Review: Much like the Fabric mix series, Late Night Tales has been a staple of the British compilation dynasty, and the label has somehow managed to consistently call upon some of the world's biggest and most interesting talents to demonstrate their skills behind the DJ decks, and to give us a tiny view into their tastes and influences. Iceland's Olafur Arnalds, a lo-fi artist who has steadily released nothing but quality on the Erased Tapes label, is asked to do the honours for the catalogu's 44th instelment, and we are seriously digging what this dude is into. Electronica is a bit of a cop-out term to describe this gear, but there is just so much diversity in here that it's simply impossible to categorise it under one roof. Maybe sci-fi electro soul would be a good term, as it manages to capture the mood and feel of these beautiful songs by the likes of Koreless, Jamie XX via Four Tet, Samaris, Arnois, and Arnalds' own music. Spot on once again, Late Night Tales!
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ALN 44
24 Jun 16
24 Jun 16
