Portals: The Varpuja of Finland

Our second Portals feature takes us to Finland, where local musician and guest-writer Utu Lautturi dives into some of the many musicians and styles to emerge from this beautiful nordic country. 

Utu Lautturi is a Finnish multidisciplinary artist, composer and experimentalist, living and breathing audio and visual arts since early childhood. Immersed in nature worship, the arcane and mythical, bending all boundaries of auditive self-expression, Utu has slowly gained recognition for his strong organic ambient/experimental releases and intense live performances as well as collaborative works with various native and international artists. Utu's debut album, Nielu, was released in January 2015 through Pale Noir.

With such high regard for the many artists and musicians to emerge from his country, I couldn't imagine a better voice to guide us through the rich spectrum of music that has grown from the mystical rivers and woodlands of Finland in recent years. Utu has selected some of the most interesting artists and styles of Finnish introspective music, portraying acoustic and electronic elements, as well as fusions, landing on a ten-track mix of lesser-known and more internationally popular artists. And as with every Portal's feature, Utu has dug-deep into the featured tracks and given us everything we need to explore even further.

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The Varpuja of Finland, by Utu Lautturi.

In a country as small as Finland, the borders between artists creating different types of ambient/electronic/atmospheric music are artificial at best. Contrary to  Finnish artists' achievements in heavy metal or psy-trance scenes, it is impossible to decipher or pin-point any distinctive style or "sound" in what I like to call, by a broader term, Finnish introspective music (engulfing styles such as ambient, electronic, ethnic, electroacoustic, neofolk and others).

It's common for musicians from different styles to collaborate, creating a plethora of musical fusions. However, I feel Finnish introspective artists have something in common. There is an indescribable melancholic magic present in their music, a fluid solidness, a solemn intent of sorts. To me, this magic is entwined with the awe-inspiring extremes present in Finnish nature. It is the magic of endless mid-summer light when the burning eye of the sky barely scathes the horizon for weeks. It is the magic of the long polar night when even tiny glimpses of the sun might stretch to over a month in-between.  Spring and Autumn in Finland are both short, colorful bursts full of wonder, inducing a strong sense of cyclic change. Perhaps it's this naturally enforced surrender unto the change of seasons, or the fact that even from the largest cities you're never more than half an hour away from vast forests, lakes and rivers, that helps us reflect upon Finnish music as primarily organic, even when produced solely by electronic means.

With the sounds of traditional instruments like the Kantele and Jouhikko (both capable of producing beautiful ambience and droney atmospheres) engraved in our cultural genes it is no wonder Finns are easily drawn towards introspective music. Not to forget, as a natural consequence of living in a country with an often harsh winter lasting up to six months there's a lot of time to sink inward, both to create music and to enjoy the creations of others.

Brelo - Pohjoinen (North)

Brelo is a group of Kantele players exploring the boundaries of traditional and modern composition. In Pohjoinen [North] Brelo do homage to our northern landscape by conjuring simple yet vivid pictures both bright and dim. The track is taken from Brelo's 2009 release Uusikuu [New Moon] which features enjoyable variations of different types of Kantele playing. The versatile Kantele also suits a wider spectrum of ambient music extremely well, as can be heard in the beautiful compositions from the likes of Finnish ambient projects Marrasmaa and Nest (not to be confused with the sublime Norway/UK-based ambient/electronica project of the same name).  Last summer A.T. of Nest invited people virtually to follow a live Kantele performance at his home, which you can watch here.

Pekka Lehti & Outo Voima - Artsi

When it comes to emotional content, acoustic instruments seem to carry more weight than electronics and I feel the following pair of tracks are great examples. Starting off is Artsi (a Finnish nickname), Pekka Lehti's collaboration with multi-instrumentalist Jouko Kyhälä. The same sounds, rhythm and melodies could be produced by various electronic equipment, but I have a feeling the end-result, although certainly beautiful in its own way, would lack the soul it has through this acoustic instrumentation. The track exhibits a rare kind of force; it drives onward; yet guides within; cosmic mysticism blending with humane spiritual longing. As one of Finland's most revered bass players and genre bending composers Pekka Lehti has a colorful musical history. Artsi is a cut from one of his more avant-garde and experimental albums, Sohjo.

Another important Finnish avant-garde artist I want to mention is the widely renown accordion player Kimmo Pohjonen. Kimmo is a virtuoso, taking accordion playing and musical composition through its extremes, as heard through his extensive multidisciplinary career. He delivers exquisite avant-garde performances with Kronos Quartet (the only non-Finnish group/artist mentioned in this article, by the way) - watch them here.

Mir-0 - Liplu

Mir-0 is one of Finland's pioneers in 'looping' and the epitome of a musician creating solely for the sake of art itself. The featured track, Liplu, is a part of Mir-0's debut album Shhh which is very hard to obtain (as are all of his releases).

Using mundane objects, self-made instruments and vocals, Mir-0 creates mind-boggling, rich, trance-inducing labyrinths of sound that he describes as inverse pyramids. In a live situation Mir-0 relies on looping and effects but Liplu and other tracks on Shhh are recorded live performances all the way through. A tiny speck of Mir-0's live magic can be witnessed through a clip from his Recycled project below. 

The underground 'looping' scene in Finland is rich with a range of interesting artists such as Kulkija [Wanderer], looping various acoustic and electronic instruments and Ihmineläin [Humanimal], an acappella loop project, to groups like the electroacoustic rhythm n' dance duo Loop Repeat and the busking trio Juurisähkö [Root Electricity], who combine various ethnic instruments and percussion with throat singing and beat-boxing - watch here.  

Salatullah - Orvokin lehto / Paavoharju - Olet maailman syli

Languages are unique but some have evolved to take uniqueness a step further. The Finnish language is one of the most versatile and difficult languages in the world and I wanted to include Finnish spoken word because of its richness and poetic phonetics. I couldn't think of a more suitable piece to represent this than Yahayakayak & Pinewoods' album Salatullah. This duo, comprised of a respected Finnish rap/spoken word artist and a talented electronic music producer, is what I regard as one of the most amazing ambient & spoken word albums ever created (and as a name your price download!) Orvokin lehto [Violet's Grove], featured here, describes and is dedicated to, Prophet Muhammad by means of a stunning, almost sacred word play. 

Sometimes when mixing, exciting and strange things take place. I had collected various suitable lyrical tracks to my computer and accidentally started playing them all at once. Muting them one by one I ended up with two tracks playing simultaneously - Orvokin lehto from Salatullah and Finnish experimental group Paavoharju's track Olet maailman syli [You Are The World's Lap], a cut from their critically acclaimed album from 2013, Joko sinä tulet tänne alas tai minä nousen sinne [Either You Come Down Here Or I Will Come Up There].

The official music video for Olet maailman syli overflows with Finnish melancholia. 

Arktau Eos - The Urn

Any mix of Finnish introspective music isn't complete without some dark ambient. As with other types of music, some of the most internationally known Finnish groups and musicians tend to be of the darker side,. And one of the most well known Finnish dark ambient groups are Arktau Eos, hailing from the incense filled halls of Aural Hypnox - a harbour for a few other strong dark/ritual ambient acts including Halo Manash. 

Arktau Eos are the very essence of ritual ambient. The trio are best known for their self-made ritual instruments and mesmorizing, powerful live performances which I strongly recommend. The Urn is part of the double-album Ai Ma Ra, released as a limited version in 2009.

In addition to excellent ritual acts, the Finnish dark ambient scene has some lesser known composers such as Ovro (unconventional conjurer of surrealistic soundscapes, and illustrator of dreams and nightmares with a very distinct style), ówt krì (operates between ambient, noise, industrial and darkness exclusively on self -modified or -assembled guitars) and Kausemus (experimental musical project jazzing around weird, ambient and futuristic themes). 

At the end of the accompanying mix, The Urn dissolves momentarily into Kantele artist 
Arja Kastinen's experimental piece Nietsivoo (the name of a traditional wind-instrument, from the album Kajo [Shimmer], 2005). Kastinen was the first person in Finland to earn a Ph.D. in music back in 2000. With an extensive and varied discography in the art of Kantele playing, she specializes in old musical style meditative Kantele improvisation. 

A wonderful example of her playing, below.

Tenhi - Salain

To anybody familiar with the international neofolk scene Tenhi doesn't really need an introduction. Since their first demos in 1997, Tenhi have enticed their audience with immaculate compositions seeping archaic mysticism, nature worship, nostalgia, poetry and musical ingenuity. Their rare live performances (the last two were eight years apart) and virtual silence, have covered the group in an enigmatic aura, leaving their fans on the look-out for more dark pearls to emerge. Tenhi's inimitable sound is immediately recognizable and each of their tracks a masterpiece, so it was extremely difficult to choose a feature.

Salain [Shapeless] is off their phenomenal, perhaps most melancholic, album Maaäet (2006). To those wanting to dig deeper into esoteric Finnish neofolk music I recommend the Anima Arctica label, home to various acts such as Pyhä Kuolema [Holy Death] and Tervahäät [Tar Wedding]. You can go through their wonderful radio/sampler for glimpses into the roster. Other noteworthy artists inhabiting the colorful Finnish neofolk scene include dirty folk/blues artists Pekko Käppi and Faarao Pirttikangas as well as the ethnic fusion group Aalto [Wave].

Ous Mal - Oksat

Ous Mal's work inspires both old and new generations of Finnish ambient and experimental artists.

His meticulous compositions fuse a myriad of elements and styles, breathing tangible life and bright, vivid tales - truly some of the most captivating and interesting sound design to emerge from Finland. Ous Mal's track Oksat [Branches], from his 2009 release Viime talvi [Last Winter] serves as a crux in the accompanying mix, pointing towards its serene end.

Ous Mal's work is at times very experimental, and so I'd like to introduce another very special Finnish experimental artist; the legendary Grand Old Man of experimental self-made instrumentation, Umpio. I've had the privilege of witnessing Umpio perform live, and he is nothing short of phenomenal (as broken, scratchy, delicate, dusty experimental sound design and noise goes). He also makes and sells different types of contact microphones at a ridiculously low-price with international shipping, so do check his stuff out.

Katajamäki - The Song Of Electric Whales / Pan Sonic - Comparative 

One of the first lesser known Finnish ambient artists that made a lasting impression on me was Katajamäki. One of his finest works is The Song Of Electric Whales, released in 2013 on the free download EP What The Swan Saw. The first time I heard this track its eerie atmosphere completely trapped me and hasn't let me go since. Whenever I want to be dragged under the surface of my mind and explore it's caverns in dim light, I listen to this piece. Katajamäki is a good example of the aforementioned high quality present in Finnish underground ambient/electronic music. From old timers
E-Musigruppe Lux Ohr and Nemesis, (both creating classic synthesizer/sequencer based ambient journeys, ranging from minimal to cosmic) to smaller scale composers like Sarana [Hinge] and Mooma.

A Finnish name anyone into ambient, experimental sound design or electronic avant-garde music should know, is of course, Pan Sonic. Nowadays mostly working solo, Pan Sonic member Mika Vainio continues to be one of the most interesting artists in the field of modern electronic experimental and avant-garde. The other half of Pan Sonic, Ilpo Väisänen, is also still active (among other projects) as a part of the Finnish/German duo Angel. 

What happened earlier in the mix with Orvokin lehto and Maailman syli also happened with Katajamäki's The Song Of Electric Whales and Pan Sonic's track Suhteellinen / Comparative (featuring Hildur Gudnadottir on cello, from the album Katodivaihe / Cathodephase). I played the tracks on top of each other and they fit perfectly. It was like they were meant to be played this way. I feel Katajamäki's track creates the emotional stage and pulse for Pan Sonic's hyper-minimalist composition.

Usually I listen to music with the intention of trying to decipher what its creator(s) had in mind and try to reflect my own experience. I don't feel the need to make my mark on other people's work, but this is one of those rare cases when through accident, two completely independent pieces of art brought together, seem to fuse into something more than the sum of their parts.

For those aching to hear Suhteellinen / Comparative in it's plain, even raw, minimal beauty and force, here it is. 

Ari Porki - Spirit Of Ice Lantern

To end this mix I chose Ari Porki's Spirit Of Ice Lantern (from his free download album Waterway, released in 2015). Not only because Ari fits into the theme of this mix perfectly with his musical inspiration of the four seasons, but also because I feel this piece beautifully portrays the two opposites of our Northern climate. The obvious all-encompassing tingling and glistening glitter of ice present, but something else too...

Throughout The Spirit Of Ice Lantern you can hear a warm soundscape reminiscent of oars and a rowing boat; of easygoing summers in a cottage beside a lake. These two opposites create a soothing yet heightening combination I felt was a great place to leave us. At the end, I mixed some of my own field recordings of summer thunder, rain and birds to give you a taste of what Finland might sound like right now, here in the endless light of the Northern summer.

The name of the accompanying mix, Varpuja [twigs], serves as a reminder that however profound and beautiful, all artists and their wonderful music are simply twigs in the huge tree of musical expression expanding through the history of humankind. I dedicate Varpuja to Avaruusromua [Spacejunk], a national weekly radio show that's been exploring and showcasing both native and international introspective music for 25 years. 

“Imagine a clear lake in the midst of a vast forest. Fir, Birch, Aspen and Pine grow on its shore, rising side by side from a lush undergrowth of Blueberry, moss, grass and hay, supporting lichen-bearded branches. Lingonberries flower, the citrus scent of northern Labrador tea. On the shore, a rock to rest upon, to dip your toes from. Fish poking tiny ripples into the lake’s still surface, feeding on water striders nearby. The distant farewell of the cuckoo echoing across a clear sky of burning dusk. This lake is one of thousands of sweet water reservoirs left in Finland after the last ice age, just over 10 000 years ago.

The lake knows all four northern seasons well enough; how, during a few short summer months the sun barely kisses the jagged tops of the forest, driving both elk and man mad. The lake has also witnessed relief from the clutches of the long grey, damp and dark Polar Night arriving in soft, pristine layers and sheets of snow. However, during the last century, snow has arrived even later and the melting ever sooner - the time of White growing shorter year after year. Only dull and dread remain. But the lake remains untouched by the mental turmoils of man. The lakes waters have served as safe haven for massive flocks of migratory birds, and so it will continue to do until it either dries out or eutrophicates. Its ever-vibrant surface will continue to provide a skating alley for water spiders and shelter for all kinds of insect and spider eggs. The lake has seen and reflected all the shifts and shapes of the sky, millennia after millennia of constant change, itself unchanged, only played by the wind at certain moments. The lake knows that in time, even the most ferocious waves will calm, and ripples turn still. This is all the lake knows. But there is one one thing the lake is a completely stranger to: haste. The lake knows no haste. It is always now for the lake, or it will forever be soon enough. Either way there is nothing the lake could, or would do if it had the power to change the course of time.

And so it is, by the shores of this lake I wish to lead you with this mix, to find a space within yourself akin to the lake, to tune into the pulse of seasons.”

— Utu Lautturi

Portals Episode 2: The Varpuja of Finland (by Utu Lautturi) d/l

Tracklist:

01. Brelo - Pohjoinen
02. Pekka Lehti & Outo Voima - Artsi
03. Mir-0 - Liplu
04. Salatullah - Orvokin lehto / Paavoharju - Olet maailman syli
05. Arktau Eos - The Urn
06. Arja Kastinen - Nietsivoo
07. Tenhi - Salain
08. Ous Mal - Oksat
09. Katajamäki - The Song Of Electric Whales / Pan Sonic - Comparative
10. Ari Porki - Spirit Of Ice Lantern

https://soundcloud.com/utu-lautturi
https://www.facebook.com/utulautturiartist

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If you missed the first Portals feature on Modern Classical, you can read it here.

Portals: Modern Classical

As described in the Portals introductory post,  this series is an attempt to help everyone explore more, maybe point you to something new, or change your mind completely about a specific style of music. It's a once-click down from the article I wrote on ambient music (Neither Scene Nor Heard...) and will likely go through the many styles described in there as the series progresses. Up first, a style that's taking on the old.

I won't be making an attempt at listing the best Modern Classical artists of today; instead, I will be looking at several artists whose influences or style may relate back to classical music, artists that could be considered as defining or even re-defining what we think of as Modern Classical and tracks that have introduced me to, or led me to explore more of this specific style of music. If you're a die-hard Modern Classical fan, then this post will hopefully help you open up to something more, or different. If you're new to the genre, it may be your way in.

To wrap a loose definition around the term Modern Classical, it's often defined as music whose influences stem from early classical music (the classical music you are probably more familiar with), as opposed to rock, pop, folk, jazz etc. 

This article by  Luke Muehlhauser, provided some great in-depth background on Modern Classical music, but I hope to bring a more ambient/electronic lens as a result of my own personal experiences. I do, however, echo his sentiments surrounding the exploration of the genre; it's pointless trying to make you enjoy all types of Modern Classical music, but I do hope you find something you enjoy, can relate to, and ultimately explore further.

I encourage your comments, recommendations, and experiences in the comments below so we can help one-another explore even more.

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When I explain to some of my friends or family that I enjoy Modern Classical music, they find it hard to understand. All my years submerged in electronic music - how can I possibly like something like Classical music?! Classical music has connotations of 70-year-old men, dusty record shops with gramophones, or theatres full of tuxedos watching the back of a conductor. Modern Classical and the many artists pioneering it today are breaking new ground, crossing into electronic and ambient music, playing at major festivals, making techno music on the side (or vice-versa), and recruiting a much younger generation of listeners.

Recomposed By Max Richter: Vivaldi - The Four Seasons - Spring 1. (2012)

Let's start as close to the origins of classical music as possible. Max Richter is one of the best composers of the modern age and for many, responsible for defining Modern Classical music.

Richter will come as no stranger to many of us, and the renowned German/Brit is the epitome of Modern Classical music - forging the gap between the old and the new. In no production is this more apparent or beautiful, as Spring 1, taken from Max's reinterpretation of a classical masterpiece, The Four Seasons by one of Classical music's very own legends, Vivaldi.

Spring 1, combines an emotional, soaring Moog synth which juxtaposes the sharp violins paving the way for the introductory piece of the record. It's the Yin to the Yang, the old parallel to the new, and this electronic addition is the most obvious of elements you'll witness amongst Max's many modern and minimal takes on classical music we've heard in the likes of Memoryhouse and Infra.

Watch a video of the entire concert here and a clip of Spring 1, below with Max on the Moog.

Steve Reich - Six Pianos (1974)

Steve Reich is often talked about in the same vein as Max Richter, both namely responsible for the modern-minimalist movement, but in many respects, Reich may be an easier 'in' for many of us - his variations and experimental approaches are more likely to resonate with you at some point along his 40+ year career. 

His track Electric Counterpoint, for example, the source for samples in The Orb's Little Fluffy Clouds, and his most notorious release, Music for 18 Musicians, recently repressed for Record Store Day 2015 and his most celebrated and respected piece to date. 

But it's the 1974 track, Six Pianos which I've chosen to feature here. The repetitive pianos, whilst absent of any obvious emotion we heard in Max Richter's piece, are something I've come to see and respect within performances from the artists of today. The ability to hang an audience on single notes, or these repetitions, for minutes on-end... it takes a special someone to pull that off. 

Ryuichi Sakamoto - Completion (2007) (With Christopher Willits) 

Ryuichi Sakaomoto is another artist responsible for injecting new life into classical music. His extensive list of collaborators ranges from: ambient and experimental visionaries such as Taylor Deupree, (here playing an experimental set at St Johns for 
Boiler Room)  Fennesz (here combining Fennesz's fuzzy electronics in the classic piano track, Amore) David Byrne (here for The Last Emperor Soundtrack) Alva Noto, (here layering keys amongst the static and glitch of Raster Noton's finest) and the track chosen here alongside Ghostly's ambient star, Christopher Willits, combining textures on
Completion. 

Sakamoto may not be down as your most obvious Modern Classical character, but he's a prime example of an artist pushing the boundaries of what we may have previously deemed classical. Starting as a member of Yellow Magic Orchestra and going on to record such infamous piano compositions such as, Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence (still a big favourite of mine - watch a live recording here), he's brought the piano to the world in as many guises as physically possible.

Nils Frahm - Said And Done (2013) (pictured)

The German is single-handedly responsible for making me fall in love with this type of music all over again and Said And Done is just one example of Modern Classical at its finest. 

The track features three parts which repeatedly sends shivers down my spine. First, the sustained keys - I've seen Nils tease out the audience with this section for what seems like hours on end. Second, this (sometimes aggressive) playing eases into the track's gentle melody, which oozes with melancholy. Until third, the keys are once again pounded with such significance you wonder if Nils is even human - head down, beads of sweat breaking across his brow, arms drawn across the stage... and then it hooks you.

Spaces, his 2014 release, was without a doubt my favourite album of the year and whilst pieces like Said And Done are strictly piano, Nils continues to push the boundaries with his modern take on classical music, combining vintage synthesizers, custom piano builds (the largest piano in the world), dub-remixes for Jon Hopkins, his very own Piano Day, and more recently debuting a motion-picture soundtrack for Victoria.

The below video isn't of Said And Done, because to single-out this track amongst Nil's performances wouldn't do it justice, but if you're familiar with Nils, you probably already know the track. If you're new to Nils, then watch the below and have your mind and ears blown. 

Said And Done begins at around 17 minutes.

Ólafur Arnalds and Alice Sara Ott - Verses - The Chopin Project (2015)

I found the following Youtube comment on one of Ólafur Arnald's videos for his recent Chopin project: "Chopin published the 3rd Sonata in 1844, Arnald's published this is 2015 ... There's 171 years of music in this 4 minute video"...

Just like Nils, Ólafur has been one of the biggest and most talented stars to emerge from this music style, bringing the pure beauty of a piano to the masses of people who now flock to his concerts and shows globally. Quotes like the above really put the gravitas of Modern Classical into context, and go to show that good music never really goes away - it just gets reinterpreted, sampled or built upon for new audiences who are willing to listen and learn. 

Ólafur began his career in a Heavy Metal band and to this day consistently reminds us of the power behind a composition. He integrates powerful vocals in For Now I Am Winter, writes music for Broadchurch, combines classical elements with dance music as Kiasmos, and here, with Alice Sara Ott, reinterprets the legendary Polish virtuoso Pianist, Chopin.

Dustin O'Halloran - A Great Divide (2011)

This entire article could go on to feature many of the stars grown by the brilliant Erased Tapes label. From Germany's Nils Frahm, to Olafur Arnalds' early works, and Portland's Peter Broderick, to more recent label additions such as "the fastest pianist in the world"; Lubomyr Melynk, veteran composer Michael Price and the soaring beauty of A Winged Victory For The Sullen. The latter of which, formed of Adam Wiltzie (of Stars Of The Lid fame) and self-taught pianist Dustin O'Halloran. 

Dustin's release Vorleben, on the brilliant Sonic Pieces record label in 2011, seemed to be a defining piece for the American pianist and label alike. The Berlin based collective, now synonymous with some of the very best modern-classical music, housed early Nils Frahm albums such as Wintermusik in 2009, Otto A Totland's short and minimalist album, Pinô, and the Norwegian dark-ambient pairing, Deaf Center.  Despite playing a modest part of this well-respected label's growth, it's Dustin's work as one half of A Winged Victory For The Sullen which has propelled him, and in many respects, Modern Classical music, forward. 

Whether you prefer your piano blanketed in ambience alongside slow riffs from Adam Wiltzie in AWVFTS (read a live review here), or more classical compositions from Dustin's individual work, productions such as A Great Divide highlight just how accomplished this man is, alone or accompanied. 

Ben Woods - Fond Of You (2014)

Diving deeper into this particular style, I have a long list of ambient artists that could be seen as having Modern Classical influences. I'll create a separate Portals specifically for those artists, and they'll likely creep-in when I focus on Soundtracks, or dive into ambient music specifically, but for now I wanted to just keep it to one track and mention a few should you want to be eased into this softly-lit world. 

Strictly speaking, ambient music tends to go one of two ways for me. Either electronic, synthesized sounds, accentuated by samples or analog instruments. Or, where Modern Classical is concerned, instrumentalists adding textures, or even playing textures through piano, strings or guitar. Sometimes they're classically trained, or as I've learned, in many instances have no training whatsoever, and have simply mastered programs like Ableton. 

There's a whole world of these talented pianists, cellists, guitarists, and violinists that form the back-bone of much of the ambient music we hear today. They deserve to be credited with opening our ears to the powerful and evocative styles behind Modern Classical music; be it hidden amongst textures, or in Ben Woods' case, playing the lead role in the beautiful track, Fond Of You.

This more ambient focused approach can also be found in the likes of: Helios, Brambles, Halo, Hior Chronik, Jacaszek, Arc Of Doves, and when leaning more towards soundtrack styles: Bruno Sanfilippo, Rhian Sheehan, Levi Patel and Luke Howard to name just a few to get you started... Expect more to come on this particular style of music in another Portals.

Christina Vantzou - VHS

I wanted to represent a few different styles throughout this post and Christina Vantzou's VHS does just that. Her experimental and omnidirectional take on Classical music is a refreshing and bold approach to reconstructing music. 

I was lucky enough to witness Christina at Substrata Festival a few years back, where she orchestrated a specially commissioned string-quartet, dancing around on stage bare-footed, her artistic qualities were evident, as are they in VHS, with its haunting 
instruments and hypnotic accompanying video.

Instead of crafting extended, complicated compositions, Christina can be found creating minimal, experimental stories, often focusing on string instruments, but as with VHS, combining a multitude of different approaches, tones, and emotions. 

Christina's albums on Kranky also provide the perfect entry point to explore a further multitude of artists that touch the Modern Classical realm; throughout her self-released remix albums No1 and No2. Loscil, Motion Sickness of Time Travel, Koen Holtkamp, ISAN, and Dustin O'Halloran are just a few artists who stepped up to reinterpret her works.

My favourite track of Christina's may actually be Going backwards to recover that which was left behind, but VHS provides a slightly different perspective to the music featured here. If you're in need of more experimental artists that have their own non-traditional approach, I'd also recommend Hauschka, whose prepared piano is an absolute spectacle. 

Jeff Mills & The Montpelier Philharmonic Orchestra (2005)

You may be aware of Aphex Twin's Remote Orchestra? It received mixed reviews, but his intentions were never faulted and at the very least it gave birth to this rather beautiful remix of Rhubarb. The idea of controlling a 48 piece string section and a 24 strong choir by remote control, using a host of electronics, midi controllers, and remote visual cues wasn't RDJ's finest moment, but it was a stroke of genius, going one step further than anyone else looking to smash down any musical boundaries.

For the techno enthusiasts amongst us you may also remember Carl Craig stepping up in front of Les Siècles Orchestra - another great example of two musical worlds colliding. Or earlier in 2005, another techno legend, Jeff Mills, playing alongside The Montpelier Philharmonic Orchestra.

For anybody my age growing up listening to electronic music, it's easy to recognise the classical elements or instruments in techno tracks; the piano leads of early house music, the Strings Of Life we came to recognize, but it's extremely hard to imagine them ever becoming so apparent. That is, until you witness the natural harmony between electronic musicians on stage backed by a 909 and fronted by an Orchestra. It's hard to not fall in love with what the likes of Jeff Mills, Carl Craig, and Aphex Twin have done for music across the board - irrespective of genre. 

The integration of classical instruments and the world of techno/electronic music can also be flipped completely on its head. From electronic music integrating classical, to classical music mimicking electronic. 

Irrespective of genre or label, these reinterpretations of early electronic music over the past few years have opened up my eyes to how powerful string, wood, and brass instruments can be, even without a kick-drum. In the same way I witnessed Jeff Mills and Carl Craig on stage in-front of an Orchestra, playing some of my all-time favourite tracks in a completely different manner; these performances gave me a whole new-found respect for anybody mastering these instruments.

Alarm Will Sound took on Aphex Twin with their version of Blue Calx (coming the closest to matching RDJ's original), but The Williams Fairey Brass Band may just be your favourite find of the article. Covering early 90's acid-house tracks from 808 State, The KLF, and A Guy Called Gerald, if this doesn't make you want to seek out the potential of a Trombone, then I don't know what will...

Moby - God Moving Over The Face Of The Waters (1995)

Lastly, something you probably weren't expecting: a track that cut straight through a plethora of electronic music during its most celebrated age, a CD full of rave music, a track that many people wouldn't consider Modern Classical, yet if played live would probably be one of the greatest performances of our times without the need for any electronic instruments at all.

God Moving Over The Face Of The Waters by Moby may be boxed as ambient, soundtrack or just simply instrumental, but it has all the elements of an epic orchestral performance. If you ever doubted the use of classical instruments, strings or piano in music, then this track could be your way in, as it was for me back in 1995.

I'm not sure if Moby has ever played this live with an orchestra but there's an amazing similarity between this song and many of the artists mentioned in this article. Moby gets a hard-rap nowadays, but he gets my nod for somehow producing one of the best instrumental tracks in the past twenty years and for being one of the very first people to make me think,"Wow. The strings and piano in this are really something, I wonder what else is similar?"...

~

Portals Episode 1: Modern Classical d/l

Tracklist:

01. Recomposed By Max Richter: Vivaldi - The Four Seasons - Spring 0 & 1
02. Nils Frahm - Said And Done.
03. Willits & Sakamoto - Completion
04. Dustin O'Halloran - A Great Divide
05. Ólafur Arnalds and Alice Sara Ott - Verses
06. Christina Vantzou - VHS
07. Ben Woods - Fond Of You
08. Jeff Mills & The Montpelier Philharmonic Orchestra - Imagine (Blue Potential Version)
09. Moby - God Moving Over The Face Of The Waters
10. Steve Reich - Six Pianos

Portals: an introduction

All of us are passionate about exploring new styles of music, and when it comes to ambient and electronic, we're pretty lucky at how far and wide that spectrum spans. With such breadth however, comes a lack of knowledge in some of the hard-to-reach areas - the less accessible music maybe. Or for some, they don't take the steps to explore any further, to go outside of what they're comfortable with. Maybe it's a lack of time, maybe it's just not knowing where to start. 

Genres are difficult and contentious subjects to navigate, but only when we draw boundaries instead of breaking them down. When exploring new music, it's much more helpful to say what genre a track may belong to, or what may have influenced it, than say what genre it doesn't belong to. And that openness often leads you into new territory. 

So I'm starting a new blog series titled Portals.

In this series, I'll focus on one specific style of music or an associated topic - often a derivative or influence of ambient or electronic music, similar to how I explored ambient music in my long-read, "Neither Scene Nor Heard: a journey through ambient music". Each episode will look deeper into the specific style or topic in an attempt to introduce you to, open-up the aperture and hold open the door to an entirely new place. There will be ten tracks in each of the posts, and they will attempt to cover some of the styles that represent that topic - think of it as one-click down from "Neither Scene Nor Heard.." 

There will be many of you down the rabbit-hole already; many of you better placed to tell the story of a style, so feel free to contribute in the comments below each post with tracks or artists you feel fit the topic. I'll also be featuring guest editors who better represent a specific style or topic.

The first Portals feature will focus on Modern Classical music, with ten tracks that have helped me fall in love with the style over the past few years. When I explain to some of my friends or family that I enjoy Modern Classical music, they find it hard to grasp. Classical music has connotations of 70-year-old men, dusty record shops with gramophones, or a theatre-full of tuxedos watching the back of a conductor. Modern Classical and the many artists pioneering it today are breaking new ground, crossing into electronic and ambient music, playing at major festivals, making techno music on the side, and doing it in style.

Coming soon: Portals: Modern Classical.

Neither scene nor heard: a journey through ambient music

**New - Spotify Playlist to accompany this feature**

~

I’ve seen a few articles over the past few years detailing the best ambient albums, the state of ambient or the return of ambient, and whilst they’re often very positive for the genre, the artists and every other person involved in making this type of music, I can’t help but feel a bit empty after reading them.

These articles rarely scrape the surface of a genre that has never gone away, and will probably never “make a comeback” but instead, the genre continues to evolve. Ambient music will always remain a sub-culture of many popular music styles out there, or more to the point of this article, be the hidden undercurrent that’s helped inspire many other styles of music.

Whilst I’m not opposed to the genre getting any more popular (hell, I might get more traffic to the site or sell more records), I can’t help but feel a little annoyed when it’s not represented well, especially when some people have been involved for years and so, so, so, so many styles, producers and labels are consistently overlooked.

It’s a big reason why I created this site back in 2008, and it’s why I’m writing now.

Since the inception of this blog, I’ve focused on those who don’t really get the exposure they deserve and the many hidden talents of not only ambient music, but electronica and to a lesser extent, techno. Why stop now? Whilst this article will dive into the early days and influences on the genre, it will also hopefully offer a different perspective from the more popular journalism outlets and instead, focus on the many styles of ambient music and it particular, the producers and labels that have accompanied me on my journey over the years.

Heads-up, it’s long. So take the time to explore the artists and labels featured and pay it a few visits once you’ve hopped off onto Discogs and Youtube. Every album and artist links out to further information, and there’s a full Youtube playlist at the bottom if you can’t wait. For anyone that really wants to dig into ambient music, I’m hoping here might be a good place to start.

Shit. Where the hell do I start?

Let me make an attempt to cover my own ass from the thousands of very opinionated music-heads first. I got into ambient music late. Very late. And I wouldn’t consider myself an expert, but I do spend much of my life listening to and writing about it, so I think it gives me a little bit of authorisation to talk on the subject.

Secondly, I haven’t listened to every ambient record out there. Like every piece of journalism ever written, this will be a subjective take, based on my own biased experiences. The last thing I want is for this to sound like a Wikipedia article on ambient. We’ll get the background done sharp, talk about how ambient music developed for me in the 90’s and then get into the many styles I experience today as a result of exploring the genre further and further. By the end of this, I hope I’ve done it justice, introduced newbies to an ever expanding landscape of music, and helped the veterans of ambient find some new pieces to enjoy.

BACKGROUND FOR BACKGROUND 

What is ambient music? (No I’m not joking). Seeing as many of my friends don’t even know what it is, this could prove a very helpful entry point. And to take a quote directly from ambient music pioneer, Brian Eno’s ‘Music For Airports’ (1978) liner notes:

“Ambient Music must be able to accommodate many levels of listening attention without enforcing one in particular; it must be as ignorable as it is interesting”. 

Which to most people means, it’s background music. But to dive deeper, a more interesting quote reads:

“An ambience is defined as an atmosphere, or a surrounding influence: a tint. My (Brian Eno) intention is to produce original pieces ostensibly (but not exclusively) for particular times and situations with a view to building up a small but versatile catalogue of environmental music suited to a wide variety of moods and atmospheres”

— Brian Eno

This is where it gets very interesting for me. I’m a big believer in music for different moods, for different times, and different feelings, and this is just one of the reasons why my site/label is inspired by Ulrich Schnauss’ album A Strangely Isolated Place. This type of music transports me to wherever I want to be. It enables me to escape; helps me picture myself somewhere else entirely. And this is often the strength of ambient music – its atmospheres, emotion and the clear intention of depicting different environments.

I listen to ambient music to help me relax and escape. And I’ve now reached a point where I can respect the power of it so much, that I pay attention to the many differences, techniques and subtleties of productions. And that’s why I do what I do, listening to so much, writing about what I love and helping musicians get their own passion of producing this music, out there.

I HEAR 1978?

Well that’s when Brian Eno coined the phrase ambient. I don’t want to dwell too much on the evolution of ambient music, as this is where many other people could tell a better story. It’s my experience. Plus, I wasn’t around in 1978 and wasn’t even listening to music properly until a good fifteen years later.

To give it some context, and in the shortest of summaries, the likes of Tangerine Dream, Vangelis, Jean Michel Jarre, Steve Roach, Harold Budd, Erik Satie, Wendy Carlos, and of course Brian Eno are just a few of the many musicians often attributed as defining the approach we know today, through synthesiser-oriented styles during the 1970’s and 1980’s. And it wasn’t until the late 80’s and early 1990’s that the more electronic styles we associate with today came into play – the style that sparked my love for the genre.

The UK is often seen as the driving force for early electronic ambient music. The Orb will always be referenced for their pioneering work on The Orb’s Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld (1991) helping spur a new approach by combining samples with innovative production techniques, depicting lengthy journeys, often with no defined beginning, middle or end.

The KLF did it one year before in 1990 (with the help of The Orb’s Alex Paterson), and their album Chill Out is often referenced as the best of its kind - and I wouldn’t argue. [Edit - check out my reimagining of the KLF’s Chill out with all new music here]. Hang on, so what’s ‘chill out’ music? Not to diverge too much, but the term was used for the more drug-induced clubbing culture who created ‘chill-out rooms’ and without trying to rile up the genre fanatics, we’re still within the loose term of ambient music – you’ll just notice, as with most genres, there’s plenty more ways to describe styles and send you around in circles.

Back on track (like the Brownsville Turnaround on the Tex-Mex Border), and a beginning wouldn’t be a beginning without Aphex Twin. Richard D James gained much of his respect through his Selected Ambient Works – his debut album (as Aphex Twin) released in 1992, documenting many of his productions from ’85 to ’92. This album is one of the most accessible and enjoyable places to start if you’re trying to understand electronic ambient music. This album was followed by Selected Ambient Works Volume II in 1994, and again continued to define much of the electronic ambient music we here today.

SHEEP LEAD TO BLEEPS

The 90’s are often cited as the good years of both electronic and ambient music, and with this growth came a multitude of takes on the style. Electronic equipment became more accessible and an underground electronic music culture began to grow.

Alongside Aphex Twin, the likes of Autechre and µ-Ziq (Mike Paradinas) pushed the electronic (and in particular) “IDM” sound to new places. Whilst neither are strictly ambient artists, both played their part in creating some of the best ambient music during this period and shouldn’t be overlooked. This recent dedication to Mike Paradinas’ ambient work as µ-Ziq, is a great place to start, and Autechre’s, Amber, whilst not often highly praised, will lead you down some seriously dark rabbit holes to explore. Autechre’s VLetrmx21 remains one of my favourite pieces to date - a dramatic, poignant and thought-provoking piece. Needless to say, record labels such as Rephlex and Warp 
played a big part during this period.

Another innovator pushing the boundaries of ambient music and introducing more urban influences during this time were The Future Sound of London. The Manchester pair are often overlooked unless you dive deep into their discography, but much like The Orb and The KLF, Lifeforms can be seen as one of those all-encompassing electronic ambient journeys.

Global Communication. 1994. Tom Middleton and Mark Pritchard. 76:14 still remains one of the most ‘underground’ ambient albums despite The Guardian listing it within their 1,000 Albums To Hear Before You Die list. With tracks titled according to length, 76:14, continued to expand on the entire listening experience album we grew to love – not just a set of individual tracks.  I couldn’t tell you the title of a particular track, because I nearly always listen to it from start to finish – the way it should be. Global Communication went on to release several other records, but none came close to the prowess of 76:14. For those who’ve dug around Tom Middleton and Mark Pritchard, their work on The Keongaku EP prior to this release is as close as you’ll get to the 76:14 experience.

Biosphere (Geir Jenssen's) 1997 album Substrata is perhaps the modern-day Brian Eno experience, focusing on intimate listening and the very definition of background ambient music. More genre terms come into play with Biosphere (ambient techno for example) but Geir is a true pioneer of ambient music and to this day can be found sampling in the plains of Norway, playing rare live performances and sometimes putting together an eclectic DJ mix. Geir remains an elusive character within my knowledge of ambient music but is no doubt one of the most respected.

It was bands like Slowdive and Seefeel that started to put a spanner in the works. Whilst primarily seen as experimental or shoegaze, Slowdive released records such as the 5 EP in 1993, which focused on synthesised sounds – a first for Slowdive and a style that was very similar to that of Global Communication. In fact, Reload’s remix of Slowdive’s In Mind epitomised the ever-expanding ambient music of 1993 and its impact of styles outside of straight-up electronic. I love the comment on the 5 EP’s Discogs page – “The burgeoning ambient techno scene in 1993 was too much for them to resist…”!

Similarly, Seefeel’s 1993 release Quiqe is a perfect example of the genre-expanding beyond its existing limitations, with steadfast ambient tracks like Signals and more experimental tracks such as Climatic Phase 3.

The late Pete Namlook and his German Label FAX were also significant drivers of ambient music during the early 1990’s (see this 2018 article for a great overview). This is an area which I still need more time to explore, but if you read any best of ambient albums you’ll be sure to find a FAX release in there somewhere. As of August 2005, Namlook and company had released 135 albums –  experience some of them through this tribute mix.

Moving towards the second-half of the 90’s, ’96 witnessed the debut of one of the most instrumental characters in the ambient scene today, Wolfgang Voigt. His self-titled album as GAS, triggered a whole new world of dubby, atmospheric ambient music. Wolfgang is undoubtedly the reason why ambient music still has its place on one of the biggest techno labels of our time (as co-owner of Kompakt) and as a result, a big reason why the genre continues to evolve and make an impact on producers today. Released on the influential label Mille Plateaux label, GAS' releases remain some of the rarest LP’s on Discogs. [Edit - now mostly available again!]

The late 90’s were pretty much reserved for one special duo, Boards of Canada. Iconic releases in ’95, ’96, ’97 and ’98 saw ambient music meld effortlessly with electronica, offering a vintage, warm sound that felt like it had been around for years. The elusive Scottish pairing are solely responsible for the biggest cult of fans within the ambient & electronica genres (second to Aphex Twin maybe). Much like their music, their unique, mysterious ways are still going strong to this day and although many purists would argue until they are white in the face that they aren’t ambient, there’s no doubt they’ve played a massive part in inspiring and making the ambient sound more appealing to others.

Alongside BoC, the late 90’s witnessed Stars of The Lid progress the beautiful drone soundscapes which are so popular in today’s ambient music. Brian McBride and Adam Wiltzie are often included amongst the best-of ambient lists and their pedigree shows to this day with Adam Wiltzie going strong as part of A Winged Victory For The Sullen. The Stars of The Lid sound would end up becoming a big influence on the many guitar manipulations we hear in much of today’s ambient and experimental music.

TRANCE AND THE AMBIENT REMIX

This is where I risk a major drop-off in readers… but the late ’90s Trance era played a big part in my addiction to ambient and chill-out music, so I feel it’s important I cover it here. Perhaps this train of thought is new to many, or some don’t want to be associated with a genre which is now quite frankly, an embarrassment and laughing stock to anyone over 21 years of age. But the true Trance era (say pre-2002) was undoubtedly an offshoot of some of the best psychedelic ambient productions, and helped define the true meaning of chill out before it was commercialised by the likes of Ministry of Sound and Hed-Kandi, and ultimately generalised into EDM.

Rabbit In The Moon, Humate, BT, William Orbit, The Art of Trance, even Tiesto (yes, just listen to his late ’90’s work as Kamaya Painters and Gouryella) and labels such as Hooj, Platipus, Lost Language, and Bonzai were responsible for some of my favourite trance music in the 1990’s and in particular, a trend which emerged to be most relevant to this article; the ambient remix. Whilst this may send shudders down many ambient fans spine, I have no shame in admitting how much I enjoyed some of the remixes to emerge from trance music in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. The ambient remix of Pete Lazonby’s Sacred Cycles (sampling Genesis no-less) and Energy 52’s Cafe Del Mar, remixed by Michael Woods (2000) come straight to the top of the pile and this compilation by Solar Stone (2001) encapsulates some of the best remixes to emerge (ironically including Tangerine Dream’s Love On A Real Train).

I won’t dwell on it here, as you’ll know by now I’m a closet Trance fan, but I still visit the likes of Salt Tanks, Sargasso Sea; Chicane’s, Far From The Maddening Crowds and Way Out West’s debut album on a regular basis. And if you still need persuading on the impact of ambient music on trance, Orion & J.Shore’s isolatedmix does a perfect job elaborating on some of the brilliant music being made in this vein today.

*2021 Edit*, a recent Trance Loops Mix features a lot of classic Trance music in “ambient loop” form that you may find interesting at this point.

I’M STILL IN A TRANCE

Something that’s along the same lines but perhaps more familiar with ambient fans, is the term space ambient or psy-ambient and for me, there’s pretty much just one label responsible for this sound recently: Ultimae Records.

Established in France in 2001 and still churning out quality to this day, Ultimae has become the go-to label for this type of electronic ambient music. Space-ambient is often reserved for similarly trance-like tracks, but can more often be recognised by the expansive pads, washes, atmospheres and futuristic samples each track contains. Whilst I’d be a fool to pigeon-hole Ultimae into this sound, they’ve produced some of my favourite artists in this style, including Carbon Based Lifeforms, Aes Dana (Ultimae co-owner) and Solar Fields.

Perhaps more obvious in design, but another great artist that pioneers this sound, is Lithuania’s Stellardrone (remind me to write an article on Lithuania’s ambient/electronica scene – it’s ridiculous) and randomly, this compilation by an old record store in London called Ambient Soho manages to traverse the ambient-space sound, in particular Innersphere’s Out Of Body, and B12’s VOID/Comm.

Spanning the more trance-inducing side of ambient and hailing from one of my favourite labels growing up, Global Underground’s Electric Calm series is also a well-respected and under-celebrated bunch of mixes and exclusive material that manages to transport you into the ether. Mixed by The Forth, they’re as formulaic as mixes come, but are packed full of great, fairly unknown material.

More recently, the likes of Petar Dundov is pushing the trance-like-ambient sound forward, invoking the spirit of synthesised ambient productions from the likes of Klaus Schulze and Tangerine Dream. And even beat-less reissues from the likes of Hiroshi Watanabe aka Kaito (Kompakt) draw parallels, with epic strings and countless moments of euphoria.

This may also be a good place to introduce Brock Van Wey aka bvdub. Whilst I definitely wouldn’t describe his music as trance, it’s certainly an original take on trance-inducing productions. His pieces are often over ten-minutes long and are a lesson in progressive atmospheres, peppered with techno undertones and more recently, garage-esque beats. He is a pioneer of the modern-day ambient sound and a must for anyone new to the genre, with an outstanding work ethic and an unparalleled output. I’d recommend starting at his 2011 release, Songs For A Friend I Left Behind, and in particular I Would Have Waited. Or, for that truly euphoric effect, try 2012’s, Don’t Say You Know.

AMBIENT ELECTRONICA AND THE BIRTH OF THE SWEET SPOT

Earyl 00's and some of my favourite labels are setting up shop, evolving the electronic sound. Electronica is a largely debated genre and in my eyes can represent a wide range of electronic music which isn’t necessarily meant for dancing, but more for listening. From glitchy IDM based analogue music, to downtempo and ambient drones infused with sparse beats and heavy melodies. This is where I truly fell in love with music. Ambient electronica managed to combine the escapism and relaxation of ambient music, alongside more interesting and complex electronic production techniques. And none can be more responsible for inspiring me more than City Centre Offices.

Beginning with Arovane, Herrmann & Kleine, Bitstream and Casino Versus Japan, it was 2002’s release of Far Away Trains Passing By, from Ulrich Schnauss that really blew me away. Two years later, and A Strangely Isolated Place followed suit, and finally Arovane’s Goodbye Forever on Lillies presented the power of the piano on a largely IDM focused album. Admittedly, these releases were a far stretch from the beat-less soundscapes of ambient purists such as Brian Eno, but for me, they were just as powerful in emotion and escapism.

It was the early 2000’s that unwittingly birthed one of today’s biggest stars of the genre, Jon Hopkins. Released on British Label Just Music, (also home to Echaskech and Honeyroot – two more gems that need more listens) Jon Hopkins began his career with a sublime style of ambient electronica on Opalescent. Both Cold Out There, and Private Universe are essential ambient tracks that epitomised the promising career Jon had ahead of him scoring films (Monsters); being nominated for a Mercury Music Prize; making head-rattling electronica on Immunity and my favourite; sampling the London Olympic Games opening ceremony fireworks on Abandon Window.

Fast-forward to today, and this style has evolved so much it would be impossible to capture the hundreds of brilliant artists making this type of music. Ghostly International is however a decent place to start.

The birth of Tycho’s Sunrise Projector in 2004 was the beginning of his more recent dominance within the Ghostly family; his blissful sun-drenched guitars and live percussion are the closest you’ll come to Ulrich Schnauss’ early work. And whilst the likes of Ghostly’s Lusine and Recondite can hold any dance-floor, their music remains within the realm of escapism and hits home with many of todays ambient fans who need that up-tempo edge every now-and-then.

Dive further into Ghostly’s catalogue and you’ll find the purest of ambient and experimental music sat alongside the more popular electronic functions it’s now famous for. With artists such as Loscil, The Sight Below, Heathered Pearls, Christopher Willits and KILN. For a true round-up of Ghostly’s amazing contribution to modern ambient music, head to their SMM Series.

It’s within this style of music that you also start see the massive impact Boards of Canada have on the evolution of the warm, nostalgic sound. Relatively unknown but highly recommend artists such as Horizon Fire, Northcape, Freescha, Sarin Sunday (Com Truise in his early days) and even ASIP’s Parks do a great job at capturing this beautiful matrimony of synth-laden electronics and blissful euphoria.

Diving deeper and one of my favourite labels, n5MD has been responsible for some of the most interesting ambient electronica of recent years. Loess, Crisopa, (ghost), Ocoeur, and Preghost are just some of the artists coming from this brilliant label. n5MD has also played host to more ‘IDM’ style artists such as Arovane and Proem and the more recent ambient crossover with shoegaze & post-rock (see further below) via port-royal, Lights Out Asia and Bitcrush. 

POP AMBIENT

Whilst his very own Kompakt Records grew synonymous with the emerging minimal techno scene hailing from Germany in the early 2000’s, Wolfgang Voigt (GAS) quietly coined his own style of ambient music – labelling it Pop Ambient. This yearly series is now synonymous with a very certain production style and ethos, challenging the very meaning of ambient music, but always rooted in layered drones, cyclical sculptures and often traditional instrumentation.

Since its first release in 2001, Pop Ambient has established some of the most respected artists in the genre and similarly, re-established some favourites who would have otherwise been lost amongst a myriad of other guises or musical styles on the label. Markus Guentner has been a staple since the very first release and to this day pushes his unique ambient washes and faint melodies far and wide, including releases here on ASIP and Moodgadget (owned by Heathered Pearls).

Marsen Jules, whilst originally releasing on the aforementioned City Centre Offices, also makes regular appearances on Pop Ambient with his intense poems in sound. As does Argentina’s Leandro Fresco, another master of beautifully composed, richly coloured ambient music.  2015’s edition sees Kompakt continue to push into new realms, bringing regulars such as bvdub, Ulf Lohmann, Gustavo Lamas and Leandro Fresco back into the fold alongside newcomers like Thore Pfeiffer.

AMBIENT INTELLIGENCE

As techno music grew and evolved in the 2000’s, ambient music was treated to some of its most defining and innovative moments. Ambient techno is an area so rich, that I still discover new (old) titles every week, but it was the likes of Mille Plateaux introducing us to GAS that kickstarted this evolution. 

More recently, German labels such as Traum Schallplatten and Raster-Noton gathered pace in the 00’s (see the ASIP tribute mix to Traum’s ambient output here) alongside the likes of Mule Musiq/Mule Electronic, artists such as Koss, Minilogue, (Sebastian Mullaert releasing a new ambient album with Eitan Reiter) and Lawrence with his ambient LP A Day In The Life.

One of my favourite releases to define the ambient techno genre of late, was the Composure Ambient Techno for Japan compilation. Put together to raise funds after the Japanese Tsunami in 2011, this compilation includes some of the finest music to grace the term ambient, techno or indeed ambient techno. From here, if you dig further, your world opens up into the multitude of amazing artists included. From following Donato Dozzy, you’ll find his 2010 release ‘K’  and perhaps stray into the sublime ambient techno world of Voices From The Lake.

The Sandwell District, a couple of techno artists who (unfortunately) came together for just one album, will lead you to Feed Forward - another classic approach to ambient techno. And finally, one of my favourite producers, Donnacha Costello – I’ve done all the hard work for you here and highlighted some of his finest pieces to date.

And perhaps one of the most respected and innovative producers in this area, is Germany’s Carsten Nikolai aka Alva Noto. In 2009 Carsten released Xerrox Vol.2, and with it, Monophaser 2. This video does a great job in capturing the sparse, yet emotive composition that sets Carsten apart from the rest.

AIN’T TALKIN ‘BOUT DUB

Given techno is such a wide all-encompassing genre, you can’t blame me for digging even deeper into its ambient half and exploring one of the most recent styles to emerge. Ambient-dub, or dub-techno whilst very similar to the likes of the artists listed above, has seen a particular focus recently, with several producers creating a very unique, deep and bubbly style. It’s often bashed by many as being very boring and repetitive, but when done correctly, it can be as dreamy as the very best beat-less ambient masterpiece.

You can’t mention dub or techno without Echospace and Deepchord. More recently home to the previously mentioned bvdub but more prominently known for releases by Model 500 (Juan Atkins), cv313 and Deepchord himself, the label is a favourite for die-hard techno fans and an innovative outlet for the more atmospheric techno productions that fall into this more ambient style.

Sharpening the ambient side of dub-techno even further, Iceland’s Yagya pioneered his unique style on his widely praised album, Rigning. It came some seven years after his first release in 2002 (Rhythm of Snow), and I can pretty much guarantee that any new fans of Yagya are working their way backwards through his catalogue, especially after his most recent release on Delsin. Despite having earlier albums, it was the sound of rain on your roof, the clap of thunder, emotional, rising pads and a driving dub-techno beat in Rigning that hit home for many. 

It seems as though this style is a thoroughly independent practice at the moment, with most of what I listen to released by the artists direct through the likes of Bandcamp. Finding dub-techno on vinyl is a nearly impossible affair, yet labels such as Dewtone Recordings, and Silent Season, two of my favourites, do their very best in pushing this type of independent music forward. Whilst neither are strictly focused on dub-techno, (or vinyl) both have a rich roster of artists that span this style, alongside straight-up ambient and more experimental sounds. ASC, Edanticonf, Purl, Alveol, Segue, Martin Nonstatic and Adam Michalak come highly recommended. The below track by Textural Being epitomises the slow burning melodies and atmospheres of dub-techno I have grown to love.

#DRONELIFE

Whilst dub-techno added rolling beats to ambient music, there are those stripping away the more obvious mechanics and focusing purely on mood, atmosphere and repeated layers of sound. Drone is one of the more reserved and less accessible styles of ambient music, yet is probably the closest to the genres original conception, and arguably pre-dates Brian Eno through the 1960’s minimalist movement. BUT, they didn’t have a hashtag back in the 60’s.

I remain less familiar with drone music due to the intricacies of its design and origins, mainly because of the appreciation needed for the instruments used in the making of this music. But attending a workshop with Rafael Anton Irisarri aka The Sight Below, (or his Substrata Festival) you begin to see the complexity involved in sound design and the meticulous detail that goes into this style of music. What can seem like one single sound, is often a series of instruments, processors, loops, delays, vocals, samples and hours of hard work. And then sometimes, it’s just a plain and simple improv between the biggest music geeks in the world.

Approaches can vary from the very light and melodic ambient tones of Loscil, through to the legendary tape-loops of William Basinski’s 2002 Disintegration Loops. And further along the spectrum, the haunting wall of noise coming from Tim Hecker.

Any mention of drone or experimental music usually throws up one of the best labels in the business – Kranky. Not only home to Tim Hecker, this label has also pioneered a wide range of ambient, drone and experimental styles from the likes of Stars Of The Lid, Loscil, Grouper, Windy & Carl, and Pan American. Kranky can also hold part responsibility for the more recent emergence of the modern-classical sound, with A Winged Victory For The Sullen and Christina Vantzou.

THE TANGIBLE EXPRESSIONISTS

Compositions and performances are often meant to be heard, studied and to a large 
extent, watched – the opposite to how we defined ambient music at the start of this article. But recent years have seen such an emergence of brilliant artists that could be considered ambient via their modern-classical success. 

Composers such as Ryuichi Sakamoto played a large part in integrating modern classical into the ambient or techno genres, partnering with the previously mentioned Alva Noto for example, alongside the well-known re-interpretations from Max Richter or the lesser-known (but hugely respected) Murcof. But more recently there’s just one label that’s heavily influenced me: Erased Tapes.

Their unbelievably talented German wizard Nils Frahm has consistently released beautiful piano compositions on the label since the very beginning, but has only recently seen his greatest acclaim with Spaces. And rightly so, this was my favourite album of last year, hands-down and his recent Boiler Room set captures his magic perfectly.

Often alongside Nils is Ólafur Arnalds, the Icelandic multi-instrumentalist. Likewise, Ólafur is a genius with the piano and together the pair have propelled the modern classical genre forward in recent years, simultaneously restoring my faith in the live performance at the same time – spellbinding, magical and utterly breath-taking every time. Expanding even further into the Nordic realm, and Otto A Totland’s Pino, (hailing from the brilliant duo Deaf Center) is another great composer (Pino boasts a beautifully packaged CD to boot).

I’ve also seen a resurgence of young talented composers. The likes of ASIP’s very own Levi Patel and Halo, both under 25 and creating masterpieces that wouldn’t sound out of place in-front of an expectant crowd of hundreds. Their talent never fails to baffle me.

Emerging label Serein recently presented us with Brambles. And Luke Howard’s Sun, Cloud remains a gorgeous yet powerful dose of theatre. New Zealand’s Rhian Sheehan continues to release some of the most spellbinding work I’ve ever heard, often traversing into an ambient guise on releases such as Seven Tales Of The North Wind.

Once I’m down this route, I often find myself leaning towards some of the masters of post-rock too. Balancing the emotion of the modern classical composition; with the raw power of guitars and drums; signed off with subtle ambient undercurrents; this style of music is yet another rabbit-hole of wonders.

The American Dollar, while specialising in post-rock, have recorded several ambient versions of their releases, highlighting the close melodic ties between the two styles. Similarly, Hammock are the true masters in this approach, producing some of the most emotional and climatic pieces of ambient, drone and post-rock you’ll come across. And should you need to dive in any further, I’ve long appreciated Stray Theories and Good Weather For An Airstrike – doing their own independent thing and definitely deserving of more ears.

And lastly, where instruments add depth and character, there are those that use them with subtlety, adding colour to an otherwise calm ambient drone. Keith Kenniff, (or Helios to many), is a great example of this approach, alongside 36 - an independent musician from the UK releasing some of the most powerful, tear-jerking, melancholic music possible. As are the many, many artists that seem to hail from Japan like Arc of Doves, Ex Confusion, Nobuto Suda and the Home Normal collective.

THE NEXT CHAPTER

As I’ve already mentioned with the strength of recent modern classical music, I’m hoping we see plenty more prodigies like Nils Frahm shine. If a young pianist needs any inspiration they needn’t look any further than his Spaces album, or any of his live shows.

There’s a lot of love for what Burial started a few years back and I’m enjoying seeing this type of music evolve, (especially as I absorbed plenty of UK Garage when I was younger!) Artists such as Borealis and Sven Weisemann’s Desolate project nail the fine-line between this urban approach to electronica and the subtleties of ambient atmospheres. It’s hard to come across this type of stuff on a regular basis without it feeling too repetitive, but news of a new Desolate album is sure to keep it moving along nicely.

Similarly, the blissful sparse beats coming from the likes of Kiyoko push a new style forward, along with James Clements’ more ambient focused work as ASC and his label Auxiliary. With drum’n bass influences, productions range from industrial ambient to 170 BPM electronica (the Autonomic sound).

Recently we’ve seen a few artists start to integrate ambient textures and in particular modern classical elements into house and techno music. Max Cooper has been doing this brilliantly for the past few years, mainly through his remixes, and now Erased Tapes’ Kiasmos (Ólafur Arnalds and Janus Rasmussen) are set to show what it truly means to integrate a piano composition into dance-floor-oriented music.

~

There’s no doubt that ambient music is at one of its strongest points for a long time (as FACT Mag politely pointed out recently – and to answer the question I don’t think we’ll ever beat the 90’s!) It would be easy for me to list some releases that are coming up this year that excites me, but that’s one of the main reasons my site exists. Ambient music, drone, and modern classical in its purest form will undoubtedly remain the same, as they aren’t scenes revolving around a place, a movement, or a bunch of people. But I’m always excited by the producers, labels, and artists that are looking to push this type of music further.

 I’m guessing ambient music will always be in the background like Eno meant it to be. It will continue to take many forms, add different perspectives to more popular styles, and appear in places you probably wouldn’t expect it (hell, Zane Lowe may even launch Apple Music with an ambient track ;-)

But that’s the magic of it for me; the modest, fluid and intimate nature of ambient music demands attention, and if it’s given, you’ll be rewarded with some of the best music out there.  

I started this article to help dive a little deeper into ambient music, but upon reflection, I’ve still only scratched the surface. There’s no doubt some subjective inconsistencies, a whole heap of brilliant artists and labels missing, and I’ve probably riled the genre police in every paragraph.

Hopefully, I’ve either introduced you to a new genre, style, artist, or label and from there, you’ll never know where you end up. You may even be inspired to set up a blog, site, or record label after your favorite album…

Below is a Spotify playlist featuring some of my favorite tracks mentioned in this article. It should keep you going for a very, very long time. And lastly, always remember to support the many artists featured in this article, doing their own thing and making our lives much more pleasurable. Thank you for reading this far.

An edited version of this article was featured in the final Substrata 2015 festival program.