ASIP - Reflection on 2019

We’ve given a recap of our label releases this year and now it’s time to reflect on some of the music I’ve enjoyed listening to in 2019.

“What an amazing year for music”. I feel like I could say that every year, but really, every year has great music if you dig deep enough. But this year especially, music seems to have taken on a new lease of life and ramped up a notch in terms of output and velocity - in my world at least. If I had to guess as to why, it might be because Bandcamp is becoming more and more ubiquitous for independent artists and subsequently a daily visit for listeners like me. This ubiquity has meant a) more people getting their music out into the world, b) easier ways for people like me (who want to) to support the music we enjoy and c) new labels capitalizing on a distribution process that until a few years ago, was very hard to stand up.

2019 even played host to the mighty Radiohead embracing the Bandcamp platform with ~18,000 (last time I counted before it was removed) purchasers of their unreleased OK Computer Outtakes album at a minimum of ~$23-a-pop. That’s a crazy sum for purchased music. There’s also Buy Music Club, launched by Avalon Emerson, which (technically launched at the end of 2018 but was fully embraced this year) seems to have been used by many notable DJs using it to link to music played in their sets (you can find this Reflection on 2019 mix in a list below). And lastly, Bandcamp themselves, through their Bandcamp Daily platform, have done an almighty job of stepping up their editorial game spotlighting music on the platform through a constant stream of style/genre specific breakdowns. The clichéd music industry in-depth ‘album review’ seems to have been flipped to keep up with this increased output too, turning into an equivalent wade through micro-genres, bringing people a choice of obscure styled albums in the same vein. It’s hard to find the extended narratives on one album nowadays it seems… All this to say that it’s encouraging to see a model that goes some way to working for independent artists, labels and listeners, getting more out into the world.

Now, to wade through some (some) of it.

As with all of my ‘Reflection’ year-end mixes, I start with a long list of albums I have enjoyed over the year. Often hundreds. Through the process of putting a mix together that flows well, the songs are whittled down and selected from each album. This means many of my favorite tracks are often omitted in the process (even favorite tracks from a favorite album). But as I say every year, this isn’t a definitive ‘best-of’ list, but an organic selection of some of my favorite music from the year in a listenable format - it’s the most enjoyable way for me to boil down music I’ve loved from the year using these self-imposed restrictions. Use the mix to jump off and explore more from each artist and album.

This year’s mix ended up being primarily ambient, but with an unexpected ending. The last few yearly Reflection mixes have tended to switch-up gears throughout the mix and cover some of my other musical loves like; electronica, IDM, techno etc. But this time around, I found myself with a (roughly) two-hour ambient-leaning mix before I even came up for air. I debated stopping there (and have provided an MP3 version below to download just the ambient portion should you prefer your music more horizontal), but the full mix went on…

The initial two-hour ambient chapter of the mix is followed by a series of tracks that you could say are a nod to the early years of rave and the chill-out rooms; an alternative ‘retro-feeling suite’. This 90’s sound seems to have made a big impact on 2019 across many genres, from rave-inspired breaks in House and Techno, to Jungle and Balearic back in the game- the 90’s sound seems to be having its moment (or does it every year?!). I wanted to capture a snapshot of it here as I noticed a trend in what I was listening to. On hindsight, the mix ended up like a backwards 90’s album format - with ambient at the front instead of the usual album-ender.

Titled, ‘The Jilted Suite’, this ending chapter is a small dive into some of the non-ambient music I’ve enjoyed this year and is titled so in honor of ‘The Narcotic Suite’ from The Prodigy’s album (RIP Keith Flint - 2019).

So as a final warning, if you’re drifting off at that two-hour mark to the lulls and swells, you have been warned, things switch up after that.

I would normally do a quick written run-down of the music featured at this point, but I feel like I’ve done enough talking already to give an additional 37 track commentary.

All of these albums have been purchased (where possible) through Bandcamp also viewable via my Bandcamp collection page, and I’ve compiled them all into a Buy Music Club list here. Label names below hyperlink to each Bandcamp release (again, where possible - I think all but one release does). Please support and buy this music!

Thanks for listening and for a great year.

Listen on Soundcloud, below or head over to Mixcloud. You might also catch it on 9128.live and you can also get it in Podcasts/iTunes/RSS etc.

Download (Full mix including the Jilted Suite)
Download (Ambient mix only)

Tracklist:

01. Hollie Kenniff - Home Will Follow [n5MD]
02. r beny - Echoes Verse [Dauw]
03. Nils Frahm - Talisman [Erased Tapes]
04. Malibu - One Life [Uno NYC]
05. 36 & Black Swan - Part 2 [Past Inside The Present]
06. Ohio - Rows, Barns, Fields [12K]
07. ASC - Echo Location [Silent Season]
08. Celer - Rains Lit By Neon [Self] READ
09. nthng - Shine [Transatlantic Records]
10. Olan Mill - Metatrons Cube [Dronarivm]
11. Caught In The Wake Forever - NV Drowning [Archives]
12. Simone Giudice - Momento [Delirio]
13. Nathaniel Young - May I Speak Candidly [Mysteries of The Deep]
14. Caterina Barbieri - Fantas [Editions Mego]
15. Violeta Vicci - Violet Light [Painted World] READ
16. Susumu Yokota - Ama and the Mountain [Lo Recordings]
17. Jogging House - Traverse [Dauw]
18. Dots - Tonic Edge [Astral Industries]
19. Coppice Halifax - Slow Earth Ritual [Milieu Music]
20. Sound Awakener - Ammil [Facture]
21. Hotel Neon - Sunfire [Archives]
22. Rafael Anton Irisarri - Decay Waves [Room 40]
23. Hammock - Adnasjur [Facture]
24. Arovane & Mike Lazarev - Us, Inside [Eilean]
25. 扎克 - 000820001 [Past Inside The Present]
26. Bersarin Quartett - Siehst du das auch [Denovali]
[27 - Ambient mix version only]. Aardvarck - U Are, Not What U Think [Crowd]
The Jilted Suite
27. Desolate - Ode To Sines [Fauxpas]
28. RX-101 - Rendezvous Beacon [Suction Records]
29. Priori - 6thematic [NAFF]
30. Phillipe Cam - Manga [Traum Schallplatten]
31. Perishing Thirst - OK - [NAFF]
32. Boreal Massif - Low Forties [Pessimist Productions]
33. Homemade Weapons - Svalsat (Donato Dozzy Remix) [Samurai]
34. ASC - Nimbus [Auxiliary]
35. Nathan Micay - LeafCutAngelicDepths [Lucky Me]
36. CFCF - Closed Space (Single Edit) [BGM Solutions]
37. Coil - Alternative Theme From Gay Man’s Guide To Safer Sex [Mental Groove]

isolatedmix 84 - Black Swan

Black Swan’s music goes back to the early days of discovery here on ASIP. It was our good friend 36 who put us on to the cinematic drones of Black Swan’s 2012 album Aeterna, and by way of an introduction, the musical similarities between the two aren’t dissimilar, especially when concerning some of 36’s earlier works. The pair even teamed up in 2012 for a track called, Mist and are also set to collaborate again this summer. News also just hit that Black Swan and Hotel Neon will be collaborating in 2019. Two artists who are great at creating dense and interesting soundscapes, evident by Hotel Neon’s latest album, ‘Means of Knowing’.

But where Black Swan’s music comes into its own (dark)light, is the continual swirling descent; music that pulls you down deeper, in the very best way. Black Swan is built for cathedrals at night, with mysterious, sometimes religious connotations, and most importantly, epic walls of sound. It’s vivid ambient music that demands your attention.

Given the introduction so far, you’d probably expect a full-on drone isolatedmix to follow, but instead Black Swan draws a certain tense and suspenseful tone through numerous styles. From the recorded manipulations of Chris Watson setting the scene, to the driving pulses of The Field, and the break in the clouds with Jon Hopkins and Aural Method. It’s a journey as emotionally charged as Black Swan’s own productions.

Download

Tracklist:

01. Chris Watson - El Divisadero
02. 36 - Hollow
03. The Field - Made Of Steel. Made Of Stone
04. Witxes - Orients
05. Black Swan - Slow Oblivion"
06. Tomasz Mreńca - Pleasure
07. Jannick Schou - Veldt
08. Jon Hopkins - Feel First Life
09. Aural Method - I Dreamed of Choirs Slow and Steady, The Song Was Ours Its Woe Was Heavy
10. The Dale Cooper Quartet and the Dictaphones - Son Mansarde Roselin
11. Adam Wiltzie - Potosi
12. Daniel Hart - Post Pie
13. Burial - Archangel

Black Swan | Bandcamp

ASIP - Reflection on 2017

2017 was undoubtedly a year for many of us turning to a softer, more comforting style of music to help heal and escape the real world. Many of you reading this probably use the type of music covered here on ASIP as a remedy and form of escapism, and some may just be getting acquainted. Now more than ever, I feel like people are connecting with ambient music, and I see it in the comments, feedback, support and thoughts that accompany each release, friends releases, mixes etc, and and in the growing popularity of the genre in the wider-music spectrum. 

We’ve managed to present three vinyl releases this year, and I'm extremely proud of each one. Starting with the organic calming of Lav & Purl's, A State Of Becoming; we then went denser and deeper with Leandro Fresco & Rafael Anton Irisarri's, La Equidistancia. In August, Arovane & Hior Chronik returned for their second album, Into my own. And in the middle of all of this, we experienced the worst possible outcome with our vinyl production (as did many others), but that was put into balance with your amazing support and kind donations for La Espera; the companion EP by Leandro and Rafael, which helped raise funds and get us back on track to continue with a new press (more to come on that one soon, along with news on the vinyl for La Equidistancia).

We're already looking forward to 2018's releases, with the announcement of Christian Kleine's upcoming album in January. But before we get ahead of ourselves, it's time to look back at all the music that kept the inspiration high and the mind elsewhere over the last year...

Here's a breathless-quick rundown on what’s included...

~

Young composer, Sophia Jani opens up our mix; Kai Schumacher reimagines a Moderat favorite; and South Africa's Jason Van Wyk finds the magical atmospheric piano balance on his Home Normal release. Leandro Fresco pairs up with Kompakt companion Thore Pfeiffer (who also just dropped a new album with Max Wurden); whilst Warmth is back on the year-end list with another pure blanket of warm ambience. I watched Earthen Sea play live in a church this year, and his Silent Season anniversary release was one of the best of a brilliant bunch from the label. ASC strayed away from his Silent Season ambient home to put out a deep-cut on his own label Auxiliary. The powerful, heart-pulls of Black Swan, 36 and Secret Pyramid were some of my favorite tear-jerkers of the year, whilst Rafael Anton Irisarri's political masterpiece on Umor Rex took our emotions to the next level. Noveller moved to LA recently, which might've  inspired one of my favorites of hers in a long time. Ryuichi Sakamoto returned with a twisted and interesting set of compositions, whilst PAN released an intriguing dig through relatively new and unheard ambient artists on their highly regarded compilation, Mono No Aware. Field Records and Acronym are no strangers to us individually, but their combined output was undoubtedly one of this years best pieces of ambient music. The one sweeping piece of ambient from nthng’s original and innovative techno record makes the cut, triggering some deepness from Luigi Tozzi in a rare ambient remix- a break from his bubbling techno on the high-flying Hypnus label. Wanderwelle landed strong with one of the most innovative dub-techno records we've heard in a very long time, whilst my fandom for Alexsi Perälä went up a notch, via his relentless Colundi Sequence compositions. We get deeper with Primal Code (Hypnus with another great release) and then Artefakt pull out the swirling, progressive techno-stomp and another must-own album. Joachim Spieth finally unveils a full-length album spanning ambient and techno- one of the only people who could strike this balance so well. Loess is another big return for 2017 with their signature deep and unique glitches, and Purl continues his many guises with one of this years most original pieces under his Illuvia moniker. Speaking of originality, no-one comes close to the bvdub style, but again he manages to surprise and delight. Loscil pairs with Mark Bridges as High Plains in their brooding instrumental piece, which is followed by our very own modern-classical prodigy Hior Chronik and his debut album on 7K!. Ghostly's, Christoper Willits scores a film on The Art Of Listening with some beautiful textures and Leyland Kirby scored a lifetime of mental degradation this year with his Caretaker series, but chose to release some of his best stuff for free. Hammock and Billow Observatory were once again on point to soothe with their dreamy lulls and enchanting melodies. The Thesis Project continued to present unique collaborations with Anna Rose Carter and Dag Rosenqvist just one of the many standouts from the series. The Susumu Yokota stylings of Poppy Ackroyd, are followed by the now legendary sounds of Four Tet. And with one of my most anticipated returns in a while, The Gentleman Losers begin to end proceedings with their Air/Bibio/Quiet Village dreaminess. And finally, the curtain closer coming from the biggest return of the year, Slowdive.

~

Despite a hefty 36 tracks, and 2hr 42mins total,  I've still left-out a bunch of my favorite releases of the year from this mix. But, I let the flow of the mix dictate what is included whilst pulling from my whittled-down playlist from the past year. It's restrictive whilst also liberating doing it this way, as putting together lists is a near impossible task for me. This method forces my hand, whilst also presenting something a little different to the normal year-end lists. 

To all those artists I’ve missed out, keep doing what you’re doing, we’re still listening. If you need to see more of the music I've been enjoying, well, this blog is of course a good place to start, as well as everything I've purchased and supported on Bandcamp, shown in my Fan Collection (go Bandcamp!).

Thank you to all the artists and labels featured, and a big thank you to everyone for continuing to support ASIP this year, buy our records and listen to the music featured on the blog and the label.  Next year will be ten years since the very first ASIP blog post, so we’ll be celebrating with some very special projects.

Until then, enjoy a look back at 2017...

- Download
- Stream tracklist (Spotify/Apple Music). (Not all tracks included)

Tracklist [label & link to buy] (ASIP links) rough start time.

01. Sophia Jani - Those Who Stay [Unreleased / Soundcloud] 00.00>
02. Kai Schumacher - A New Error [Neue Meister] 04.04>
03. Jason Van Wyk - Clouds [Home Normal] (Review) 07.55>
04. Fresco & Pfeiffer - Splinter [Kompakt] (Review) 10.16>
05. Warmth - Isolation [Archives] (isolatedmix) 14.00>
06. Earthen Sea - The Time Past [Silent Season] 17.50>
07. ASC - Quaoar [Auxiliary] (ASC isolatedmix) (Review) 22.22>
08. Black Swan - The Escapist [Self] 27.06>
09. Secret Pyramid - Two Shadows [Ba Da Bing!] (isolatedmix) 30.48>
10. 36 - Black Soma [Self] (artist page) (isolatedmix) 34.30>
11. Rafael Anton Irisarri - RH Negative [Umor Rex] (artist page) 39.34>
12. Noveller - The Unveiling [Fire Records] 43.40>
13. Ryuichi Sakamoto - honj [Milan Records] 46.30>
14. Malibu - Held [PAN] 48.30>
15. Acronym - The Final Decision [Field Records] (Review) 49.32>
16. nthng - Touches [Lobster Theremin] 55.34>
17. Luigi Tozzi - Yavin (Ambient remix) [Hypnus] 60.42>
18. Wanderwelle - The Starry Night [Silent Season] (isolatedmix) 63.28>
19. Aleksi Perälä - NLL561606935 [Clone Basement Series] 68.36>
20. Primal Code - Junkan [Hypnus] 71.47>
21. Artefakt - Entering The City [Delsin] 77.58>
22. Joachim Spieth - Radiance [Affin] (isolatedmix) 88.17>
23. Loess - Wrikken [n5MD] (Review) (isolatedmix) 94.02>
24. Illuvia - Illuvia (Exaltation) [Eternell] (Review) 99.00>
25. bvdub - Limitless [n5MD] (interview) (isolatedmix) 108.18>
26. High Plains - Ten Sleep [Kranky] (isolatedmix) 113.42>
27. Hior Chronik - That Mistery Again [7K!] (artist page) (isolatedmix) 116.30>
28. Christopher Willits - Beginning [Ghostly] 118.52>
29. Leyland Kirby - Dig Deep March On [History Always Favours The Winners] 122.12>
30. Hammock - Dust Swirling Into Your Shape [Hammock music] 127.04>
31. Billow Observatory - Montclair [Azure Vista] (Review) (isolatedmix) 130.00>
32. Anna Rose Carter & Dag Rosenqvist - Nothing Ever [Thesis] (Feature) 133.26>
33. Poppy Ackroyd - The Calm Before [One Little Indian] 137.50>
34. Four Tet - You Are Loved [Text Records] 143.38>
35. The Gentleman Losers - Holding Back The Night [Grainy Records] 149.30>
36. Slowdive - Falling Ashes [Dead Oceans] 154.24>