todos: Ten Years of A Strangely Isolated Place

The impossible task. Find a way to summarize the last ten years of music featured on the A Strangely Isolated Place blog and website.

First off, we have created the ‘tagged’ project, listing some of the hundreds of artists featured on the blog for you to explore over here. And pretty soon, we’ll have a special release for you all.

But I also wanted something that was closer to our blog beginnings, and a story told through a mix. What better way than tasking our favorite journey-maker, todos.

todos and his Kilchurn Sessions have been a staple of ASIP over the past ten years. We’ve even collected them all in one place, given how many posts they ended up spanning. I don’t need to add many superlatives about him here, but they are some of the best recorded mixes I have ever heard. And I mean it. You can hold-up (my personal favorite) professional mixed CD’s by Sasha, or James Holden for example, and I would be just as pleased listening to some of todos’ Kilchurn Sessions. He has a knack, a perfection and an obsession with mixing unique journeys that span everything from ambient, electronic, techno and instrumental elements, alongside a unique use of samples and movie quotes. He creates familiar and emotive narratives that need multiple revisits to appreciate the detail, skill and passion he put in.

Once todos agreed to my ask (nearly a year-ago now) I sent him the archive of posts from the old site, and a list of all the tags used across both new and old. My only criteria was that he needed to select tracks from artists or albums that were a part of that list - an attachment to ASIP and the blog. He had hundreds to sift through, some known, some new to him.

I don’t know how he did it.

I do know it was a headache for him, for months, but what he turned in, was something well beyond my expectations. He went through many iterations and different approaches, trying to do one chronologically in the order they were featured on ASIP for example, sending me revisions up until the very last minute, but in the end, he managed to find a selection of tracks that truly reflect the past ten years of discovery here on ASIP. And in a style only he knows how to execute.

A big BIG thank you to todos for soundtracking ASIP all these years. And for this, a superb piece of no-doubt painstaking work to help us celebrate ten-years of existence.

Once you’re done listening here, check out our ‘tagged’ project to explore even more.

Download MP3

Download WAV

~

Ten years of A Strangely Isolated Place - mixed by todos

Tracklist:

1. Minilogue - ‘Yesterday Bells’ edit (2008)/ Grzegorz Bojanek - A Huge Explosion After The War’ edit (2017)

2. Altus - ‘Virgo’ edit (2013) / Little Dragon - ‘Twice’ edit (2008) / Lights Out Asia - ‘Except Europa’ edit (2010)

3. Herbstlaub - ‘Softly hidden she.’ (Stray Theories remix) (2016)

4. Stellardrone - ‘Pale Blue Dot’ (2010)

5. Freescha - ‘Kite High’ (2009)

6. Benjamin Dauer - ‘Harmony Bound’ (2011) / Rhian Sheehan - ‘Standing In Silence Part 1’ edit (2010)

7. Jon Hopkins - ‘Private Universe’ (2008) / Opus III - ‘It’s A Fine Day’ edit (2009)

8. Sasha - ‘Broadcast’ (2016)

9. Umber - ‘Tomorrow We'll Throw Out Some Old Shoes’ (2011)

10. Kiyoko - ‘Sea of Trees’ (2012)

11. Bjorn Rohde - ‘Forest of Forgotten Hearts’ (2013) / Nils Frahm - ‘Peter’ (2013)

12. Jason van Wyk - ‘Eyes Shut’ (2017)

13. Roel Funcken - ‘Android Robson’ (2016)

14. Synkro - ‘Midnight Sun’ (2015)

15. Martin Nonstatic - ‘Open Minded’ (2015) / Aphex Twin - ‘Rhubarb’ (2009)

16. Sonitus Eco - ’Storegga Slide’ (2015)

17. Vermont - ‘Übersprung’ (2014)

18. Ocoeur - ‘Resonance’ (2013) / Sigur Ros - ‘Takk’ (2011) / Carbon Based Lifeforms - ‘Intro’ / ‘Hold’ (2014)

19. Donnacha Costello - ‘That Empty Feeling’ (2011)

20. Rhian Sheehan - ’Sileo’ (2013)

21. Markus Guentner - ‘Baryon’ (Feat. The Sight Below) edit (2015) / Porya Hatami - ‘Fen’ (By Segue) edit (2015)

22. Tegh - ‘Down’ (2014)

23. Arovane - ‘Woven’ (Peter Benisch Remix) edit (2015)

24. John Beltran - ‘Seasons Go’ (2013)

~

Includes audio recordings taken in and around USA, Germany, UK, Italy, Poland, Australia, Netherlands and Japan.

Special thanks to Ryan, Marcel, Eiko, Spencer and James for the support and sending me snippets of your own strangely isolated places. It was a pleasure incorporating them into this mix.

*Years indicate when tracks were featured on ASIP, not necessarily when they were released*

Artwork by ASIP, containing elements from Mario Morales and Nick Brzostowski.

Dewtone releases full back catalog of beautiful ambient and dub-techno recordings

Our good friends at Dewtone announced some bitter-sweet news recently. The deep and organic ambient and dub-techno label have put their entire Bandcamp catalog up for free (or a very low price to have it in your collection). 

The label has been quiet as of late, so it might not come as a surprise that label founder Dustin Morris has been busy planning new ventures. This gracious move to open up the back catalog, perhaps signaling a change in direction sometime in the future. Fingers crossed we see Dewtone back with even more deep and emotional ambient music. 

There's a wealth of albums to choose from, and whilst you should no doubt download every single release (not a bad one amongst them), we wanted to reflect on five standout tracks. It's a tough choice given the quality throughout the catalog, but ASIP has been supporting Dewtone from the very early years, pre-2012, so some releases have a little sentimental value attached to them. This made it slightly easier for certain tracks to stand out and pinpoint personal memories and moments as both ASIP and Dewtone evolved over the years. 

Download the catalog on Bandcamp. 

Bjorn Rohde / I Began To Float
Perhaps one of Dewtone's most ominous and sincere tracks, but Bjorn Rohde's, Forgotten Hearts is a story unto itself - heartbreak and adventure. 

Purl & Deflektion / Growing
If you enjoyed Lav & Purl's A State of Becoming, there's plenty for you to dig into amongst the Dewtone catalog, with Purl featuring across several releases (as himself and some of his many other monikers) and Lav, too. But it was this beat-laden production with Olle Hallqvist (Deflektion) that really made me realize the never-ending innovative approaches ready and willing within Ludvig (Purl's) innovative mind. 

Sebastian Paul / Zen Temple
One of the later releases on the label, Sebastian Paul's album Warm Night Fall, really struck a chord with me. Perhaps it was my similarly timed visit to Japan and a chance to reflect, or maybe the extremely engrossing textures and minutiae sound design. A lesson in doing so much with so little. 

Segue / House of Cards
Dewtone also curated  a selection of compilations that included artists and labels they admired and were inspired by called, Foundations. Their second edition, 'Foundations II', featured Segue, amongst many others, and his contribution, House of Cards formed my first introduction to his works, ultimately going on to release superb solo efforts on Silent Season, such as Pacifica. 

Halo / Hollow City
Halo is one of those under-the-radar composers that deserves so much more attention. His Places Series EP, for example, and this album from 2012 on Dewtone. Tell me you can't hear the same delicate genius of Nils Frahm or Jon Hopkins in this track (and this album). And then remember. Pasquale, who is young now, let alone six-years ago, put this album together way before the nu-modern-classical-wave we know today. 

Listen to Dewtone founder, Dustin's exclusive ASIP mix from a few years back, featuring many other favorites in a similar style to the label. 

Portals: Music For Mindfulness

Mindfulness, is undoubtedly subjective and situational. But one thing I’ve noticed, is that most of the material you hear on this topic often has a stereotypical sound; normally new-age, and often yoga or meditation focused with buddhist chanting, or crashing waves. Sometimes, you might be lucky enough to find a sweet-spot with Brian Eno, and with it, you draw a sigh of relief. 

I've often wondered how (or why) hotels and spa's choose their music and how this 'background style' has become so mistakenly synonymous with ambient music. Ask anyone who isn't familiar with ambient music is and they’ll likely say "spa music" or "meditation/yoga stuff". No digs on that type of music, I mean some elements even find their way in here - it's the root to many ambient concepts, and I could sit and listen to the sound of the sea and waves crashing for years on end. But as with all of these Portals series, I try to find and explore a different perspective where possible. 

The goal of this feature and accompanying mix was to create a journey of escapism and comfort. Whereas the previous Portals feature, ‘Music For Sleeping’ could be deemed very similar, the approach here focused on keeping an attentive layer/s that ended up being more pure to Brian Eno’s definition of ambient music: “As ignorable as it is interesting”, which aligns very well with the definition of what it means to be mindful; "the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something”. 

There’s a lot of ambient music that fulfills this goal, so what’s different here? As I was curating tracks for this mix, I found common themes that resonated with me personally when it came to mindfulness, which I tried to reflect throughout, and ultimately formed a filter for what should be included. Perhaps you’ll identify with one or more and can descend into a rabbit-hole of exploration, or hopefully you'll enjoy it as a whole. 

Nature
Field recordings and the pure sound of the outdoors is undoubtedly calming and reassuring. It’s an escape from our busy lives, and a reminder of what’s good in our world. The mix opens with my favorite field recording from Biosphere that somehow encapsulates the exact sound I used to hear from the field behind my childhood house. Nature sounds are a common theme throughout this mix, whether on purpose or inadvertently as an intro or ending to certain tracks. 

Submersion
The warm, blanket-like approach to ambient music is a favorite of mine, often created through analog equipment, or layers of undulating synthesizers that build, wrap and immerse. Markus Guentner, Donnacha Costello, Marcus Fischer, Heathered Pearls, bvdub, and Billow Observatory are just some of the many moments in here that keep you warm and comforted. 

Subtle/subliminal layers
The KLF’s ‘Chill-out’ album is one of ambient music’s most pioneering pieces, and on paper, it really shouldn’t be. The sound of trains, sheep and Elvis Presley are not the first ingredients that come to mind for relaxation, but the key here, is how they’re interwoven into a moving piece of musical art - an undercurrent of subtle moments that on their own would be distracting, but together form a story. They provide moments of interest and escapism - enough to keep one foot in the door, and one foot in a world of your own. I’ve tried to replicate this approach in this mix, by lowering volumes of certain tracks into the background, or including something a little unexpected in a few places, so if you see something you like in the track-list, don’t assume it will feature prominently. 

Choral sounds
Beautiful, emotional choir singing is pretty cliche, but who can argue against it when it comes to feeling good? Whether it’s the religious connotations, or just the simple realization that the sound you're hearing is coming from a person, is as stunning as it is comforting. Moments from Hammock and Jonsi & Alex provide the highs in this instance. 

String instruments
Whether it’s a slowly drawn cello, a harp, or a lone guitar pluck, there’s something about string instruments when it comes to reflecting positivity (and in the right context, ultimate sadness!) However, I often associate these sounds with light - I have no idea why - but perhaps thats why they feature in here so heavily. Be it the acoustic version of Aphex Twin’s ‘Rhubarb’, Mary Lattimore’s beautiful harp, or Kit’s portrayal of a walk on the beach as fireworks light the horizon. 

Strong-sounds can also go to the other end of the spectrum too, with reverb-laden guitar-haze forming complex palettes that you’d normally expect to come from synthesizers. Examples in here being Manual and to a simpler extent, Neozaïre. 

Repetition
We’re creatures of habits, and the beat of the drum is what makes all music so special. When it comes to ambient music, this often comes to life in loops, or slowly evolving textures that do just enough to keep you intrigued, yet are familiar enough to hypnotize and make you feel comfortable. Given its minimal nature, most ambient music is repetitive, but sometimes it can become more evident in its form, for example, a track here Klimek that anticipates each evolution and movement with a similar instrumental pluck of strings. 

Overall, I have tried to avoid anything that can be seen as daunting, intriguing or so vividly different that you switch into new worlds with every track. You may notice some distinct phases throughout the mix, where similar sounds are tied together, and you may prefer certain phases to others, but eventually I hope you finish on an extremely positive note. Just sat here listening back and writing this, I’m feeling better than I was a few hours back...

Thanks to everyone who commented on the original Facebook post with their own suggestions, a few of which made it into the final journey. 

Download.

Tracklist + links to buy/download:

01. Biosphere - As The Sun Kissed The Horizon [Biophon]
02. Ourson - Mountain, Calm Day, Birds, Saw [Self]
03. Brian Eno, Roger Eno, Daniel Lanois - Deep Blue Day [EG / Polydor]
04. Parks - Forest [Self]
05. Kit - Girl Walking on The Beach Wearing A Skirt [A Strangely Isolated Place]
06. Sage Taylor - Raintime Ten [Cold Fiction Music]
07. Bjorn Rohde - Intentionally Gone [Self]
08. Billow Observatory - Calumet [Felte]
09. Hammock - Now And Not Yet [Hammock Music]
10. Heathered Pearls - Glass Routine [Self]
11. Donnacha Costello - This Way [Ursa/Self]
12. James Devane - Rhubarb (Acoustic) [na]
13. Aphex Twin - Rhubarb [Warp]
14. Marcus Fischer - Arctic 2 [Luxus-Arctica records International]
15. Helios - Halving The Compass [Type/Unseen]
16. Yeter - Dart 2 [A Strangely Isolated Place]
17. bvdub - 10 [Self]
18. Markus Guentner - Express Yourself [Kompakt]
19. Leyland Kirby - Polaroid [Ghostly]
20. Martin Glass - Welcome To The Four Seasons [Kit Records]
21. David Bowie & Brian Eno - Moss Garden [RCA]
22. Klimek - Sun Rise [Kompakt]
23. Mary Lattimore & Jefre Cantu Ledesma - Borrego Springs [Soap Library]
24. Brian Eno - Music For Airports 1/1 [Polydor]
25. Jonsi & Alex - Boy 1904 [XL/Parlophone]
26. Neozaïre - Blue Bell Treasure [Fauxpas]
27. Manual - Azure Vista [Darla]
28. Peter Broderick & Nils Frahm - Sketch 24 [Fugues]

If you enjoyed this, dive deeper into ambient music with our in-depth introduction 'Neither Scene Nor Heard: An Introduction to Ambient Music', or some of the other Portals series, below. 

ASIPV002 - Europe

After the success of our debut vinyl release, Uncharted Places, I’m very pleased to announce we’ll be returning with Europe, a meticulously curated compilation inspired by some of the most beautiful locations on the continent.

Spanning ambient, modern classical, drone and electronica, it’s a journey experienced through the eyes and ears of the artists, capturing their memories, travels, tributes, and exquisite musical depictions.

Beginning with a peaceful ode to her Greek home, Dalot finds harmony on Kalathas beach, Halo is enraptured by a wet city scene in Zurich, and 36 tries to make sense of London’s countless contrasts.

In more remote parts, Horizontal Excursions (aka Roger Martinez) discovers the symphony of life on the subtropical island of La Gomera,Bjorn Rohde paints a vivid picture of the Pyrénées, and Marsen Jules finds paradise in the Andalusian mountains.

From cosmopolitan utopias to breath-taking cornucopias, every track on Europe is immersed in discovery. Effortlessly traversing geography and emotions, it’s a collection that revels in borderless ambition but also celebrates the intricacies that makes every passage unique.

Closer to sea-level, Dextro finds inspiration in the Isle of Barra’s oceanic panorama, Parks channels the coastal howl of Helsingborg, andCarbon Based Lifeforms uncovers delicate harmonies in the Spring-time forests of East Gothenburg.

Finally, Yagya brings Europe to its beautiful conclusion. Alone on Reykjavik’s north shore, the iconic producer forgets himself, and the city behind him, as the infinite ocean horizon commands his lost gaze.

Personal and poignant, the album artwork also reflects the craft of the music with a specially commissioned, mixed-print and hand-painted piece by Nick Brzostowski created exclusively for the release.

Europe is available on limited edition double-transparent blue vinyl (300 copies with digital download) from January 26th 2015.

There is also a special limited edition wooden vinyl case – just five pieces – made for this release. More details available here.

BUY THE VINYL: *SOLD OUT*
BUY THE DIGITAL: ASIP Bandcamp

TRACKLIST
A1. Dalot – Home
A2. Halo – Rain Says
A3. 36 – London
B1. Horizontal Excursions – Garajonay
B2. Bjorn Rohde – Tour De Pyrénées
B3. Marsen Jules – Andalucia
C1. Dextro – Heaval
C2. Parks – When The Last Ferry Left Helsingborg
D1. Carbon Based Lifeforms – Vakna
D2. Yagya – The North Shore

Reviews: Igloo Mag | Sceen.fm | Boomkat

Europe was manufactured by Furnace MFG / Pallas (DE), distributed by Juno, and mastered by Rafael Anton Irisarri (Ghostly International).

More on the artists involved:

Dalot
By blending post-rock and ambient textures, Greece’s Maria Papadomanolaki sculpts a delicate personal sonic territory animated by life stories, experiences, places and people. She has released music on n5MD, Coorecords, Headphone Commute, Radical Matters, This Is It Forever, Sound In Silence, Sun Sea Sky, Futuresequence and Hands Productions.

Halo
A young composer from Italy, now residing in Zurich, Pasquale Riviezzo started Halo as a very personal experience inspired by his thoughts and feelings. Playing piano for 13 years and the guitar for 8, Halo is already gaining acclaim for his beautiful compositions with releases onDewtone Recordings and the ASIP Places Series.

36
36 (pronounced three-six) is the ambient/experimental project of Dennis Huddleston from the United Kingdom. Raised on a healthy diet of old skool hardcore and techno, these days he spends his time releasing highly emotive and melancholic ambient, mainly for his own label 3six Recordings.

Horizontal Excursions
Roger Martinez is a multi-disciplinary artist from the Netherlands. He mainly works in the field of music, but is also an avid painter and poetry writer. His main musical projects include “Roger Martinez LIVE” and “Horizontal Excursions”, with a previous HE project released as part of the ASIP Places Series.

Bjorn Rohde
An elusive and varied producer hailing from the Ruhr Area in Germany, Bjorn is best known for his emotional journeys in dub-techno for the likes of Dewtone Recordings.

Marsen Jules
The German electronic music composer is a poet in sound. Focused on minimalism and abstraction he creates atmospheric and deeply emotional tunes. Since his CD debut on City Centre Offices he released 10 full-length albums and several compilation tracks on labels as12K, Kompakt, Miasmah and Dronarivm as well as his own imprint Oktaf Records.

Dextro
An avid live performer, Scotland’s Ewan Mackenzie has played alongside the likes of Ulrich Schnauss, Loscil, Jacaszek, Amon Tobin and Bonobo to name just a few. His energetic, drum-focused productions have been released through Border Community, and Ninjatune, with ‘Heavel’ recently featured on Nick Warren’s Soundgarden Compilation.

Parks
Composer Igor Bystrov has been releasing music for nearly 25 years and has only recently received deserved acclaim for his warm and emotional, analogue based electronica and ambient soundscapes. Truly unique and original in his approach, Igor has released on Infraction Records, Entropy and the ASIP ‘Places Series’.

Carbon Based Lifeforms
The Swedish ambient duo of Johannes Hedberg and Daniel Segerstad are often cited as one of the original innovators of electronic ambient music, with many acclaimed releases on the legendary Ultimae Records, it’s a rarity and a celebration to finally see CBL’s music on wax.

Yagya
Icelandic dub-techno pioneer, Aðalsteinn Guðmundsson concentrates on atmospheres and moods to reflect the beauty of the world around him. Concentrating on the softer side of music and avoiding heavy rhythms, Yagya finds harmony and beauty in the simple sounds of nature. Previous releases on Delsin, Sending Orbs and Subwax Bcn.

Vinyl photos by Hikaru: www.capturecollect.co.uk. Vinyl Case photos by astrangelyisolatedplace.

Bjorn Rohde – Forgotten Hearts

I'm finding it increasingly hard to write about dub-techno. It’s the definition of simplicity in many sense, and perhaps that’s why so many many people don’t like it. But doing ‘simple’ well is enough in my books. Dewtone consistently strive for this minimalist dub-techno approach, but their stuff is always injected with something addictive… something melodic or just something that makes you go wow.

Forgotten Hearts is a progressive number, embellished with some absolutely lush synths amongst spaced out distant vocals and detailed static. All three tracks are superb, but Bjorn Rohde’s, ‘I Began To Float’ is all of the ‘somethings’ I described above… something else.

Available on the Dewtone bandcamp page or below.