Collected: Vol 7

Volume 7 is an ASIP artist-related special; on the odd chance you missed some of the amazing records put out by our small extended world of producers. I was thinking of maybe starting a new rating system for ASIP alumni - something along the lines of “How Annoyed I Am ASIP Didn’t Release This Out Of Five.”

Alex Albrecht - Someday Sara

Alex Albrecht on Anjunadeep wasn’t on my 2025 bingo card, but listening now, it makes complete sense. Alex’s sensibility and stewardship of —quite simply— feel-good music can be heard through his ambient field recordings all the way to the warm-up dance floor. Anjuna veers towards the more accessible side of things, of course, so here Alex has dialed up the beats, but kept consistent with the organic instruments and storied pianolines.

If you liked his release here on ASIP, imagine this record as Disc Two (Evening) versus our Disc One (Daytime) to put it in 90’s Trance Compilation verbiage.

Abul Mogard & Rafael Anton Irisarri - Live at Le Guess Who?

Guido and Rafael’s 2024 collaboration, Impossibly Distant, Impossiblt Close, is the most fitting album title I’ve ever encountered. Listening to it on headphones was a revelation—an immense soundscape unfolding while the smallest details surfaced with startling clarity. Naturally, experiencing this record of the duo playing live is just as mesmerizing.

Also, Berliners, please note our very own Lihla will be performing at the same show as these two greats on March 20th… don’t miss!

Yagya - Vor

Shawn Reynaldo (First Floor) recently featured this album in his newsletter, and his short review pretty much hit the nail on the head. Something along the lines of- and I may be paraphrasing here with my own POV- ‘dub techno is getting pretty popular again, but no-one does it better than some of the overlooked OGs’. Well, Yagya is one of the OGs, and on Vor, he returns to his purest manifestation. Bellowing clouds of dubby warmth take you right back to the tin shed pitter-patter vibe of Rigning, with more confident flourishes to be found after years of perfecting his style.

Deepchild - Beloved

Rick Bull swings from banging techno to swirling moods of ambiance over on his Bandcamp, so it’s hard to know when to dive in if you only enjoy one of the two (luckily, I enjoy both!) ‘Beloved’ is a similar vibe to his vocal approaches on his ASIP release ‘Mycological Patterns’, and in a textured Burial-esque way, can be even more engrossing and intriguing at points.

Markus Guentner - Black Dahlia

Markus has been getting some amazing and well-deserved praise for his new album on Affin, Black Dahlia. You don’t need to ask me, his #1 fan if it’s any good… But those who listen to Markus’ music are a special breed in today’s overbearing world. His music and sound design are truly enveloping, and great rewards can be found if attention is given from front to back. Black Dahlia is a precious reminder of this attentive listening approach, as Markus has taken an even more metallic and experimental approach to his usual widescreen world-building - it’s not all comfort in there, but the reward is just the same.

Jo Johnson - Alterations 1: Unbroken

Jo is up there with some of the masters of synthesizer minimalism, but instead of pioneering the sound in the 70’s, she’s keeping the atmospheric and dystopian side of this music well and truly alive. And I mean that in a positive light, of course. Much darkness can be found in her compositions, but she is never overbearing to the point of negativity. It was her delicate approach alongside Hilary Robinson that made their 9128 release so glorious, and once again, this record is another class in session.

No embed enabled on this one, so head on over and dive in.

Find these albums and many more over on my Bandcamp Collection.

Lihla / Socha (ASIPV047)

I’m excited to announce a new signing to the label and a new dimension to our roster of music, with Lihla’s upcoming album ‘Socha’.

“Music gives us a place to be lost. Washing away thought, place, time and identity. It’s in the falling into the river, the dream, that we find just who we could be”. 

Classically trained cellist, composer and storyteller Lihla (Lih-Qun Wong) presents her debut album, ‘Socha’ for A Strangely Isolated Place. Combining a vast instrumental skillset of piano, cello, electronics, and spoken word, she crafts intensely immersive aural-hallucinatory worlds of intricately shifting landscapes. 

A deeply personal work, Socha explores the ‘diaspora of time and space, and why we all feel so displaced.' Piano chapters capture the meeting place between memory and longing, while explorational vocal and cello textures invoke and echo the ancient, the feminine, and the otherworldly. 

Lihla’s voice guides us, weaving through electronics and field recordings of the ‘real world' to set the path for a poetic and deeply haunting journey through the internal psyche that is truly transportive and escapist. 

‘Socha’ is available on transparent smoke 12” and digital. Mixed by Sebastian Lee Philipp and mastered by Rafael Anton Irisarri, featuring artwork by Lihla and Visions of Akira.

View the release page for all details and links to buy.

Portals: Power Ambient

"Ambient as interesting as it is interesting"

The term Power Ambient is yes, another attempt at putting a badge or genre to a wide-encompassing range of music stylistically, but it’s one that I have often gravitated towards amongst many others when describing a particular style of music we are dealing with here.

When it comes to a spectrum of Ambient music styles, I’m more often than not on the ‘lean in’ side of things, than the ‘lean back’. It’s easy to throw up Brian Eno’s definition of Ambient music “…as ignorable as it is interesting” to help elaborate on what I mean, as essentially within a Power Ambient context, we are removing the desire to ignore it.

To put it another way, Power Ambient is best suited to those who want to immerse themselves in the music; the wall of sound; big movements; rumbling bass; wide frequencies, and layers of dense drones. These are elements that envelope a space in richness; be it soft and all-encompassing like a heavy blanket, or more on the noise spectrum, making your body rattle and the hairs on your neck stand-up on end. But the common output is that you're better off taking note of what's happening, than sticking it on in the background and making a cup of tea.

It’s not a new descriptive term. A 2014 Fact magazine article captured a few artists that seemed to be prevailing in this style, alongside a mix that Chris SSG loosely described as including Power Ambient (now Chris references his style as Big Room Ambient) and more. recently a Bandcamp list (although not sure all that stuff aligns with my own vision for it). There is no doubt in my mind, however, that a powerful style of Ambient music has exploded in recent years (as has the creativity of Ambient music in general, really). Perhaps this style has been more embraced due to a couple of things.

In dark times comes inherent anger and expression, and it’s pretty grim out there right now. For any music culture, this can often send people into darker production spaces. Secondly, I can feel an emerging undercurrent of rebellion for what ‘Ambient’ can stand for nowadays. With a world of meditative apps and ‘Piano Chill’ playlists continuing to give Ambient music a certain reputation, (at least we have moved on from Spa music, right?), I have a feeling this stereotyping is pushing producers, and even listeners to explore new styles of Ambient music, and opening doors into more expressive forms of music that stand out against an all too frequent beige playlist.

Don't get me wrong, this doesn't mean that Power Ambient is just noise and complexity for the sake of it (it can be) but like all music, there's an art to getting the balance right. For me, Power Ambient can range from relatively quiet, intense soundscapes with a mysterious underpinning, to just short of full-on Merzbow wall-shaking. Call it a version of Noise, Drone, Experimental, whatever, but wrapped in a different guise, it’s still bearable as Ambient music but stops short of becoming too much.

I wanted to highlight just a few of my favorite artists whose broad strokes defined ‘Ambient’ music, has always made me sit up and listen. As with all Portals features, I try to focus on a mix to bring the idea to life and a jump-off/entry point for the artists included. This was harder to mix than a regular DJ set, because of the inherent energy of Power Ambient music. Used consistently in a mix, at some point you're going to get burnt out and it will start to fade into the background just like listening to white noise. In my experience, Ambient tracks with force or energy are best used interspersed in sets to make people lean in and grab their attention, or as part of other styles to continue a certain level of energy (I’ve heard this type of music as an interlude in more heavy beat-driven sets for example). It can also work great as a live show where the listener knows what they are getting into already, of course (earplugs at the ready).

As a 1hr+ mix, I, therefore, had to be considerate of the energy and flow and tried to create a few distinct chapters with peaks and troughs and an easy onramp at the beginning.

I encourage you to use the links below to jump off into each artist’s universe on Bandcamp. Despite it being a relatively well-known list of musicians when it comes to the Ambient enthusiasts, I’ve tried to give a good snapshot of artists that might push into this style within some of their works, especially if any of this music is new to you.

RIP to two influential producers included in this mix, Cesar (Mount Shrine) and one of the greatest noise/experimental artists of our time, Mika Vainio.

Listen on Soundcloud, Mixcloud, Youtube (below), Spotify or the ASIP Podcast.

astrangelyisolatedplace · Portals Episode 11: Power Ambient

Download MP3

Tracklist:

01. James Murray - Second Sight (Home Normal)
02. Ameeva - Die Wellen (9128.live)
03. Faru - Mirror of Consciousness (Self released)
04. Sciama - Subsumed (Auxiliary)
05. Joachim Spieth - Akasha (Affin)
06. Abul Mogard - Against a White Cloud (Self released)
07. Leandro Fresco & Rafael Anton Irisarri - Baja dos Singlos (A Strangely Isolated Place)
08. Mount Shrine - Foggy Deck (Cryo Chamber)
09. Araceae - Gleaming Embers (Faint Music)
10. Markus Guentner - Cavus (A Strangely Isolated Place)
11. r beny - vestigial (Self released)
12. Caterina Barbieri - TCCTF (Important Records)
13. Christina Giannone - Realms II (Past Inside The Present)
14. Christina Vantzou - Glissando for Bodies and Machines in Space (Kranky)
15. Pechblende - Shackles of Time (Auxiliary)
16. Tim Hecker - Hatred of Music II (Kranky)
17. Bana Hafar - Intersecting Voids (Self released)
18. FRKTL - Scene I: Terra Nullius (Self released)
19. KMRU & Aho Ssan - Resurgence (Edit) (Subtext Recordings)
20. Mika Vainio - Kytkenta (Connection) (Touch)
21. Rafael Anton Irisarri - Arduous Clarity (Dais)
22. Mika Vainio - Unessa (Sleep) (Touch)

Also….

Gailes / Session 2 (9128-2)

The very first live stream on 9128.live broadcast from the studio of Rafael Anton Irisarri, as he and Thomas Meluch (Benoît Pioulard) pieced together a completely live improvisation, christening the newly created 9128 airwaves in 2019 and setting the bar for many more live takeovers.

With one album between them as Gailes, and profound work individually (also together as Orcas), Rafael and Thomas are masters of the ambient craft, combining intricate field recordings, guitar, pedals, vocals, and heady reverb across a 40-minute non-stop immersive listen, split into two 20-minute sides for the inaugural 9128 vinyl release.

The 9128 label aims to document significant live performances by artists that previously performed on the 9128.live platform. With recordings initially created for a singular collective listening moment, and often as part of a festival or takeover weekend, label recordings will re-present this music for further listening across various formats that best suit each release.

Gailes - Session Two, is available as a digital download and 12”, printed in a reverse-board die-cut sleeve, black vinyl.

Buy on Bandcamp

Buy on Juno (UK/ROW)

Buy on One Eye Witness (EU)

ASIP - Reflection on 2020

As with all past ‘Reflection’ year-end mixes, I start with a collection of albums I have enjoyed over the year. Through the process of compiling a mix that flows well, songs are whittled down and selected from this collection. This means many of my favorite tracks and albums are often omitted in the process, due to the need for them to fit in a mix that comes together as organically as possible. As I say every year, this isn’t a definitive ‘best-of’ list, but a selection of some of my favorite music from the year in one easily 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, for you to then enjoy and discover more. I encourage you to use the mix to jump off and explore each artist, album and label (and check the Buy Music Club list).

~

This year was different. Well, of course, in an obvious mask-over-the-face-lock-down kinda way, but all that aside, the amount of music made and consumed by all accounts was like no other year. No doubt, because everyone is locked-up inside, encouraged by platforms like Bandcamp and the now regular ‘Bandcamp Fridays’. As a result, this years Reflection mix started as a daunting effort and took me to developing a slightly new process to get it over the line.

Listening behaviors were forcibly changed for all of us. In addition to the crazy Bandcamp Friday release rampages, Live streams became the weekend plans and we had a brilliant year over on 9128.live hosting five weekend takeovers, which, by all accounts provided some amazing respite as we all hunkered down inside. We never would’ve guessed in August 2019 when we launched 9128.live, that online streaming events would be such a focus for the entire year ahead. As a result of the takeovers; the DJs; live acts; labels, and a bunch of listeners ID’ing music in the chat, music discovery accelerated even further (for me atleast) during these takeovers. An example track ID list from the last takeover can be found here.

This seems to be the first year I haven’t been able to keep up syncing purchases on my hard-drive (which is primed for mix prep due to my playlist organization OCD). I still listened to it all, but I listened even more through the Bandcamp app, so haven’t felt the need to obsessively download it all throughout the year. That was a problem if I was going to start compiling the mix in my usual way with digital files…

As a result, I decided to create even more self-imposed-restrictions (always needed given the enormity of choice) and began by mixing some vinyl from the past year.

I got about an hours worth of a good mix which I was happy with enough to exist online for eternity - just cherry-picking records from my 2020 collection, recording until I had a mix that sounded a bit shoddy. At that point, I was a little relieved, as a direction and vibe had already been set and would pave the way for the rest of the mix to be built. (It also gave me the opportunity to swap out the first track post recording, which began with some bad static for some reason). So the mix ended up being about an hours worth of vinyl, followed by digital. I know some people really don’t give a crap how a mix was made, but this helped with my overall curation process and ensured it actually got done!

Upon reflection, the mix manages to hit on my 2020 music spectrum and gives a good idea of what I’ve had on rotation. Lots of deep textured ambient (LOG, Slow Reels, KMRU, Patricia Wolf, Chronovalve etc - this part could go on forever), abstract beat driven atmospheres (Evan Caminiti, Daniel Avery, Space Afrika, Tomas Jirku etc) and the more joyous, playful, euphoric side of electronic music (Ian Boddy, Pub, DJ Lostboi, Rone etc). My rave roots rarely disappear it seems and muscle memory still finds a way through via Sophia Loizou and later on in full force with Wardown. Maybe in a desperate desire to return to events listening to DJs and Live acts, I wanted to end the mix on a high-note, and hopefully lift-up the terrible year it’s been for everyone.

This year’s mix; vinyl or not, every track is available on Bandcamp. Score any of them below using the Buy Music Club list and for even more music I’ve been enjoying this this year, see my Bandcamp collection.

Thank you for reading, listening, supporting in 2020, before and beyond. I hope you can escape for a few hours with this mix, as it ending up being a joy to piece together and reflect on the great music from the year, not only included in the mix, but also the many other albums I simply could not fit in but had fun revisiting during the process.

Listen on Soundcloud, Mixcloud, or the ASIP Podcast.

Download

astrangelyisolatedplace · ASIP - Reflection on 2020

Tracklist:

000.00. Yumiko Moriaka - 銀の船 (Métron Records)
004.41. LOG - Log 9 (Experiences Ltd)
008.19. Úlfur (Ft. Cellist Gyda Valtýsdóttir) - Feathered (Touch The Plants)
011.13. Yumi Iwaki - Initial Tidings (Mystery Circles)
015.00. Slow Reels - Miya (Morr Music)
016.45. Rafael Anton Irisarri - Arduous Clarity (Dais)
020.13. Ian Boddy - Omicron (Behind The Sky)
025.00. Jonathan Fitoussi - Oceans (Transversales Disques)
028.00. Evan Caminiti - Plume (Dust Editions)
031.20. LF58 - Iniziazione (Astral Industries)
034.45. Night Sea - This Will Take Time (Silent Season)
039.25. Neel - Alchemy (Ido)
043.20. Sophia Loizou - Vestal Waters (Houndstooth)
047.06. Tomas Jirku - Entropy 8 (Silent Season)
051.05. Daniel Avery - Into The Arms of Stillness (Phantasy Sound)
056.32. Abfahrt Hinwil - Phase4 (Lapsus Records)
059.00. Pub - Fragile Root (Ampoule)
1.03.10. Space Africa - Self (Self)
1.04.45. DJ Lostboi - Ordinary People (Queeste)
1.07.09. Lucy Gooch - We Carry (Looking Glass)
1.10.15. Robert Lippock - With Tomorrow (7K!)
1.12.30. HVL - newenslo (Self)
1.20.00 KMRU - ulmma (Seil)
1.23.10. Patricia Wolf - All Things Change (Beacon Sound)
1.25.17. Perila & Ulla - Every something is an echo of nothing (Silence)
1.27.53. Awakened Souls & Pepo Galán - Center of the Sea (Hush Hush)
1.30.25 Chronovalve - Breathing Space (Home Normal)
1.34.39. Adam Wiltzie - How to Disappear inside a thirty-piece Orchestra (7K!)
1.37.37. Epic 45 - Sidings (Wayside & Woodland)
1.39.24. Ocoeur - Ascent (n5MD)
1.43.47. nthng - With You (Lobster Theremin)
1.50.10. Wardown - Culverhouse (Blu Mar Ten)
1.53.17. Rone - Human (InFiné)
1.58.55. Malibu - Lost At Sea (Kelly Moran remix) (Uno NYC)
2.02.34. Il Quadro di Troisi - Real (Raster)
RIP Harold Budd, Pauline Anna Strom & José Padilla.