DAN ARMSTRONG A Long Time Coming (Bandcamp) Dan Armstrong is a mate of Si Matthews, the gifted UK artist whose solo albums of cosmic instrumental electronica have featured regularly Ambient Music Guide’s Best of Year lists. Dan’s debut solo album of panoramic ambitronic beats is a stunner, orbiting the same sun as his friend but […]
BRUNO SANFILIPPO Pianette (ad21 Music) Spanish electro-acoustic musician Bruno Sanfilippo’s new album Pianette is played on a piano that’s not quite a piano, and it’s utterly compelling. The slightly harpsichord-toybox-mechanical sound comes from his newly acquired Una Corda piano, built by German designer David Clavins and featuring a unique one-string-per-note design instead of the usual […]
BRIAN ENO with DANIEL LANOIS & ROGER ENO Apollo: Extended Edition (1983, reissue on UMC/Virgin) Awe. That’s what the deeper tracks from ambient pioneer Brian Eno’s spacemusic classic Apollo still evoke, most of them from the album’s first half, and profoundly so. Pieces like “Under Stars”, “Drift” and “The Secret Place”. Glistening, shifting tones, mysterious […]
BLUETECH Liquid Geometries in Dub (Liquid Sound Design) Although he’s best known for his punchy, quirky, dubby ambient pop instrumentals, Bluetech’s original Liquid Geometries album from 2018 was conjured in a beatless universe – all psychedelic drones, ethereal progressions and cosmic arpeggios, generally melodic and occasionally dissonant. These beatless foundations makes it an unusual candidate […]
BIOSPHERE The Hilvarenbeek Recordings (Biophon Records) The Senja Recordings (Biophon Records) Like the sun and the moon, these two albums from Norway’s greatest gift to ambient are inseparably locked in orbit around one another, but each casts a different light. Following his welcome return to form with the atypical but evocative ghostly nostalgia of Departed […]
BERSARIN QUARTETT Methoden und Maschinen (Denovali) It’s been four years since Germany’s Thomas Bücker released an album as Bersarin Quartett, during which he’s been performing live shows around Europe with an ensemble and further developing his beguiling sound. The new opus Methoden und Maschinen (“Methods and Machines”) doesn’t disappoint. It’s another epic melange of modern […]
BANCO DE GAIA Magical Sounds: 20th Anniversary Edition (1999, reissue on Disco Gecko) Magical Sounds is the last of Toby Marks aka Banco de Gaia’s classic 90’s albums, ending a series of four groundbreaking and influential ethno-techno-trance-dub releases by which started with Maya (1994). This 20th anniversary release includes a handful of alt versions and […]
BABY GRAND Riviera e.p. (Club Grand) The cover to Baby Grand’s new five-track e.p. is an unambiguous invitation: take a leisurely drive back in time in a 60’s Sunbeam Tiger convertible along sunny shores and sparkling seas of the Italian and French Riviera, an unhurried cruise to retro lounge nirvana. Baby Grand’s follow-up to the […]
AUTUMN OF COMMUNION Folk Etymology (Neotantra) BALSAM Soul Offerings (Neotantra) DARREN McCLURE On Opposites (Neotantra) The Neotantra label is another creation of respected Brit electronic producer/composer Lee Norris who has been making and championing electronica of many different hues since the 90’s. Neotantra is the gentler, mostly beatless cousin of his recently resurrected IDM techno […]
ASHAN Transfigurations (Inner Islands) A masterclass in pastoral new age from another alias of California’s Sean Conrad, owner of the Oakland-based Inner Islands label and whose work under his Channelers alias has also featured previously in AMG’s best-of-year round-ups. The melodic fragments that comprise the six pieces on Transfigurations rise and fall like deep breathing […]
ANDREW HEATH & ANNE CHRIS BAKKER A Gift for the Ephemerist (Rusted Tone) As evidenced on solo albums like The Silent Cartographer (2014), Brit composer Andrew Heath is a master at environmental ambient, at recreating a world – real or imaginary – in three-dimensional space for you to get totally enveloped in. A Gift For […]
ANDREA CASTIGLIONI Soundtrack for the City of Tokyo (I Low You Records) A thoughtful and striking travelogue of the mind by Italian multi-instrumentalist Andrea Castiglioni, who writes that “I’ve never been to Tokyo, but since dreaming is free, I picture it like this.” The clear, pulsing repetitions of cuts like “Shibuya Crossing” and “Synthetic Bokeh” […]
ALUBEN NOIRO Levitate State (Atlantic Jaxx) I had no idea until recently that Atlantic Jaxx, the electronica label owned by UK house duo Basement Jaxx, occasionally puts out downtempo and ambient releases. Levitate State is a fresh and astonishingly accomplished cinematic spacemusic album by Aluben Noiro, the alias of young Jaxx in-house engineer and producer […]
AERIUM Visions of Vega (Bandcamp) Rotterdam-based Leander Rispens aka Aerium is known for his melodic club tracks, but recently he has also shown a gift for more subtle fare. On Visions of Vega he creates sparkling, other-worldly sounds using just a few simple elements and lots of crystal-clear space in between, a bit like Swedish […]
A WINGED VICTORY FOR THE SULLEN The Undivided Five (Ninja Tune) This is Winged Victory’s second ‘proper’ album – if you discount two intervening soundtracks, that is – and what I found most striking on first listen was that, on the surface, it sounded closer to traditional classical music than most other modern classical hybrids […]
Science fiction films and ambient music are natural partners. Here are 10 mind-blowing original scores. My own concept of ambient music has always been a broad one. It touches nearly every genre, yet makes its home in none of them. It revels in ideas and mystery. It’s often been the product of cutting-edge technology, yet […]
It’s been four years since Germany’s Thomas Bücker released an album as Bersarin Quartett, during which he’s been performing live shows around Europe with an ensemble and further developing his beguiling sound. The new opus Methoden und Maschinen (“Methods and Machines”) doesn’t disappoint. It’s another epic melange of modern classical, post-rock and ambient synth music, […]
Maybe it had to happen sooner or later. I’ve started getting approaches from marketing agencies asking me to become – I retch at even saying this word – an influencer. Translation: a sell-out. Further translation: taking money or free product in return for doing advertising disguised as personal reviews, recommendations, playlists or whatever. As I […]
Although he’s best known for his punchy, quirky, dubby ambient pop instrumentals, Bluetech’s original Liquid Geometries album from 2018 was conjured in a beatless universe – all psychedelic drones, ethereal progressions and cosmic arpeggios, generally melodic and occasionally dissonant. It’s beatless foundations makes it an unusual candidate for remixing by dub and beat-driven electronica producers. […]
The steady trickle of New Release reviews on the AMG blog feed has stopped in the last 3 months because I just can’t write at the moment. My currently stressful work situation – an unrelated job where I’m paid to think and write a lot – has left me exhausted with zero inspiration to write […]
I had no idea that Atlantic Jaxx, the electronica label owned by UK house duo Basement Jaxx, occasionally puts out downtempo and ambient releases. So it was a great surprise when this landed in my box, a fresh and astonishingly accomplished cinematic spacemusic album by the mysterious Aluben Noiro. Well not so mysterious now, because […]
I suppose it’s okay to give this fine release the nebulous tag of “post-rock”, insomuch as it has loopy processed guitars and drones and some organ and semi-Gothic piano, and progressions that might vaguely resemble the quieter passages done by more adventurous rock bands like Pink Floyd or Sigur Ros over the last 50 years. […]
Dan Armstrong is a mate of Si Matthews, the gifted UK artist whose three solo albums of cosmic instrumental electronica have all made Ambient Music Guide’s Best Albums of the Year lists. Dan’s debut solo album of panoramic ambitronic beats is a stunner, orbiting the same sun as his friend but tracking its own distinctive path. […]
Ishq may be in hibernation for now, but under different aliases UK composer/producer Matt Hillier remains as prolific and creative as ever. Fans of psyambient maestros Ishq (Matt Hillier & Jacqueline Kersley) might remember Matt’s announcement at the end of 2017 that he was putting Ishq to sleep so he could focus on other projects. […]
Daniel Segerstad of Swedish ambient trance-tech duo Carbon Based Lifeforms talks with Ambient Music Guide about his third solo album under his Sync24 moniker. AMG: When I first saw the title for the new album I thought it was “Ominous” and so I was puzzled it wasn’t lot of darkish ambient tech/trance. So what’s with […]
What I’m loving right now in ambient, downtempo and sounds we don’t even have names for yet. Reviews of new album releases by Gold Lounge, Sankt Otten, Lingua Lustra, Tangent, Ambidextrous, Richard Lewis, The Green Kingdom, Stephanie Sante, Carl Weingarten, Dr. Deep House and the compilation Strange-Eyed Constellations 2. GOLD LOUNGE Floating (Sine Music) buy […]
Artist and music reviewer TJ Norris from Toneshift.net got in touch recently and I was intrigued by how relatively little crossover there was between our sites. So I suggested we quiz each other and share the responses. Here are 5 questions I asked him. Q: I see that Toneshift reviews a lot of artists not featured […]
Reviews of what I’m loving right now in ambient, downtempo and sounds we don’t even have names for yet. New album releases by Kaya Project, David Parsons, Connect.Ohm and EugeneKha. DAVID PARSONS Atmanaut (Celestial Harmonies) buy / stream An uncommonly gifted Westerner mining deep Eastern sounds since the 1980’s, New Zealander David Parsons’ latest album […]
Reviews of what I’m loving right now in ambient, downtempo and genres we don’t even have names for yet. New albums by Brian Eno, Jeff Greinke, One Arc Degree, Bruno Sanfilippo, Kuba, Peppermoth, I-One, Baby Grand and Shunkan Idou. BRIAN ENO Music For Installations (Opal) cd / stream / download Okay, I recant: not all the ambient […]
Reviews of what I’m loving right now in ambient, downtempo and genres we don’t even have names for yet. Albums by Tom Middleton, Alecsi, Moderna Records, Porya Hatami & Arovane and The Heart Is Awake. TOM MIDDLETON Sleep Better (UMC) buy/listen Although he’s usually associated with club music, versatile DJ/composer/producer Tom Middleton has also created some […]
Reviews of what I’m loving right now in ambient, downtempo and genres we don’t even have names for yet. Albums by Steve Roach, Taylor Deupree, Dronarivm Records, 20 Hours After Dawn, Catpilot, Hypnodial and Delia Derbyshire Appreciation Society. 20 HOURS AFTER DAWN Sun Will Crackle (I Low You Records) buy/listen More dreamlike, deliciously imperfect ambience […]
My Youtube channel has never been the main outlet for the mixes and radio I create via Ambient Music Guide. But I appreciate that my work does have some fans on Youtube, and recent developments involving wholesale video blocking have been frustrating. Over the last 12 months or so, I’ve noticed that certain independent labels, […]
*Sam from Projekt Records asked me to write this promotional piece on Steve Roach to mark the occasion of his Grammy Award nomination for Best New Age Album with Spiral Revelation (2017). Electronic and ambient pioneer Steve Roach started creating his music during the late ‘70s golden age of analog synthesizers, a time when the […]
*Originally published in an Oz version of Red Bull Music Academy’s street zine The Note to coincide with the Red Bull Weekender arts and music festival, Sydney 31 August-3 September 2017. While Oz ambient and downtempo lacks a unifying scene, gems abound. Mike G from Ambient Music Guide picks 10 albums from the past 30 years that […]
Baz Bardoe from Australian Musician Magazine approached me with a request for an interview about Ambient Music Guide. Not being a complete fool, I said yes. READ THE INTERVIEW Back to Blog home
I started playing around with samples from John Lunn’s Downton Abbey TV theme and this 7-minute piece is what came out. It was done with time-stretches, edits, loops, reverb and other manipulations. The original version is an incredibly lush and harmonically rich piece of music. I was always fascinated by its textural depth and sensed […]
Over my 30 or so years of playing and reviewing other people’s music, I’ve had a lot of approaches from artists and labels to promote their stuff. I could tell you some stories. Today I’ll stick to just one, plus offer a few tips to increase your chances of getting heard. First let me say that I encourage […]
Despite the rise of on-demand streaming services, the world of 24-hour net radio is still with us and the offerings for ambient and downtempo fans are awesome indeed. Here are five of the very best. Has the Spotify glow worn off? Are you sick of organising what to listen to next? And do most of those playlists […]
This week I got a surprise: Silent Records – the legendary 90’s ambient electronica label – is back. In fact it relaunched earlier this year and I had no idea until now. Label founder Kim Cascone (aka Heavenly Music Corporation) explained all in an interview with Stillstream.com: “I’d been a fan of the web radio […]
I had a curious experience after I started walking daily in the city with crowds of commuters while wearing isolating earphones. In short, the space that I normally give other people around me diminished – without me even realising it. It got me thinking about what an extraordinary human sense our hearing is, and how […]
I’m utterly engrossed by the new Marconi Union album Ghost Stations. The UK trio has been doing their melange of rock, ambient, jazz, classical minimalism and electronica for well over a decade now and they really took their time on this one: two years, in fact. Ghost Stations contains four long, episodic tracks. What blows […]
My New Ambient 2016 mix series kicks off with three very contrasting ambient and downtempo mixes. Volume 1: Infinite Meadow Pastoral ambience and hyperreal impressionism from recent releases by Inner Travels, Hybrid Palms, Robert Rich, Sinepearl, Jim Ottaway, Erik Wøllo, Byron Metcalf, Slow World, Miyake and Omni vu Deity (Ishq). Volume 2: Sunshine Grooves Downtempo […]
Short but sweet recent documentary about American new age music pioneer Iasos. From Jacob and Nick @ Far Off Sounds: Far Off Sounds, a webseries about obscure, unusual, and ecstatic musical experiences, presents Iasos, a mini-doc about one of the founding fathers of what is now called new age music. When Iasos performed for British […]
Hands up who doesn’t touch their CD collection much anymore? I see plenty of hands. Until a few weeks ago, mine included. I still own a truckload of vinyl and CD’s. But neither has been getting much love from me in the past five years or so. It hardly needs saying, but I’ll say it anyway: file downloads […]
Enjoy my new mix spotlighting the deep, seductive, personal sound of American synthesist-pianist-composer Tim Story – chamber music for the 21st century. With a rich catalogue reaching back to the early 1980’s, Tim Story remains a highly distinctive voice in American ambient. The 90 minute mix spans his first album (1981) to his most recent (2014) and touches […]
“Go as deep as you can go.” – Stephen Hill 40 years is a long time for any radio show. For a radio show that plays music not easily defined or understood by many, an unbroken 40 year run seems little short of miraculous. Yet Music From The Hearts of Space still stands, a testament […]
And so it came to pass, so many years after leaving our shores. Kicking off the second leg of their 2012-13 world tour, the recently reformed Dead Can Dance gave a focused, powerful performance at the Sydney Opera House on Sunday night to a rapt home crowd. Astonishingly it was the duo’s first Australian show […]
