36 - Seconds & Forever (exclusive stream)

36 has always been one to conjure strong concepts, artwork and feelings amongst his albums. It's an approach I have always respected and as a result, have been a collector of Dennis Huddleston's records since the beginning. From the beautiful picture disc of Memories In Widescreen, the collection of 7" releases,  the Tape Series, or the detailed artwork of Dream Tempest; every releases has a bigger meaning or emotion to communicate. Dennis' latest album is no exception, as he explores an intrinsic and calculated framework to bring his respected ambient sound to life. 

“We stood on the edge of forever
One final dream into time
A silent voice in an empty room
The numbers; We never truly knew”

— Seconds & Forever

On the surface, Seconds & Forever is yet another beautiful 12" that expands the immersive and emotional catalog of 36 sounds. The Eno-esque pads that begin the A-side are soon transformed with the slowly evolving strings we played witness to in Dennis' Places Series release, Heather Spa, and a gentle, shining melody that often evokes the deepest of feelings we come to admire from Dennis' work.

Where past 36 albums would often focus or experiment with just one of the above elements in any-one track, you'll soon start to notice that Seconds & Forever is rapid in progression (where ambient albums are concerned anyway). New transformations become evident to the attentive listener, and if you're the keenest of ears (or mathematicians) you may realize Dennis's composition structure is planned down to the tee. 

“The entire record was recorded at 106.66bpm so that every 16 bars = 36 seconds of music, which is when each segment/loop changes and new elements are brought in, totalling 36 minutes of music. That’s where the title comes from, and the numbers became the concept for the record. When making it, I imagined someone at the end of their life, looking back on the choices they made, and understanding how key moments shaped them into the person they ultimately became”

— 36

To the unknown listener, this is 36 experimenting with the record button to glorious effect - perhaps a live session even, but with Music is Math in mind, and with such consideration, comes a calculated execution that ensures you're drifting for each of the 18-minutes sides. No beats or drastic evolutions, just subtle chords, pads and melodies shifting and playing-out like an extended live score. 

Part equation, part homage; Seconds & Forever is also a nod to some of the early pioneers of ambient/electronic music. As Dennis explains, the record was part-influenced by the "late 70's Tangerine Dream style-LP's, which were always 2 tracks, spread across multiple movements, with the interval occurring when the A side ends and the B side begins. Very few artists work to this standard any more, which is a real shame, as it makes for really enjoyable records in my opinion”.
 
The record also makes a new venture for 36 with the infamous Mystic & Quantum records (home to DMX Crew) who have adhered to Dennis' attentive detail-led presentation with a beautiful white vinyl press in a silk screen printed sleeve, limited to 200 copies.

Stream Seconds & Forever below, with pre-order available now.

Full release arriving 1st May 2016 via M&Q Bandcamp and Juno.

Roel Funcken - Iridium Flare

A perfectly suited aesthetic for the dynamic, every-changing liquid state of Roel Funcken's latest album, Iridium Flare. Roel's previous albums all don a similar look-and-feel, yet the shimmering and twisted metallics on this one are a perfect match for the electronic organism battling to emerge from the steel box that contains it. 

Most IDM can present itself as a mess - a cluster of drums, bleeps and synths that sometimes have no construct whatsoever. Beats stray so far away from the expected repetition; and the LED's light up a path so unclear you're often left wondering where the hell you'll end up - but that's the magic of IDM and what made the likes of Autechre famous in keeping a room full of heads trying to nod to a completely nondescript rhythm. A spectacle to say the least (even when the lights are off).

Iridium Flare has elements of this randomized IDM sound, yet never strays too far off the path, which is the perfect recipe for an IDM album built to be consumed personally.

Arovane'esque tracks like the opener Android Robinson sit at one end of the spectrum, rich in melody and atmosphere pinned against the ticks and punches of an entertaining beat structure. 

Greyzone Baxter's bulbous and engulfing synths play out like a live performance, as delays, echoes and filters toy with the omni-present streams of sound. Leaved introduces a lighter side to the album with a beautiful piano and vocal engulfed in the patterings and tinkering's of drum'n bass. Aggressive sounds are often underpinned with a subtle harmony; the clashing of liquid metal against the tough interior of its captor.

Iridium Flare is a class in balance and restraint. The sounds and manipulations
demonstrated throughout are carefully placed and never feel out of sync, despite the complexity of beats, progression and slowly growing electronic organisms.  It's an album built for intense listening, longing to be played out live in an epic futuristic setting. As far as Intelligent Dance Music goes, this one's begging to escape any confines you dare to place on it. 

Available on Bandcamp as Name Your Price. 

Ocoeur - Reversed

Ocoeur's 2013 album Light As A Feather, danced with all variations of electronica in one of the most accomplished albums of the year. Melodic breaks and glitch, crossed with straight-up techno, made this one of my most-listened to albums and is the type of milestone release which has helped define n5MD throughout the years.

Franck Zaragoza is back with his third album on the label titled Reversed, focusing on a beautiful modern classical approach - a stark contrast to the energy in his 2013 release. Only the subtlest electronic sounds emerge throughout the ten-tracks, carrying an understated beauty projected through elegant piano and strings.

This intersection of electronic sounds and modern classical has been made synonymous recently by the likes of Nils Frahm, Olafur Arnalds and Max Cooper and it's a hard rank to join, yet Reversed is up there with the best of them.

Title track Reversed, Timeless and my favorite piece, Reverse Yourself, blend ambient textures and gently rolling beats, accentuated by strings, with only the smallest signature electronic glitches peppering each piece, reminiscent of Franck's earlier productions and further defining his signature sound. 

Opening track Flxo, and Souffle however, center around the piano and will make any modern classical fan draw the upmost respect for the entirety of the production - the simplicity and earnest approach you'd often expect from the most seasoned composers.

While the likes of Gionis and Time To Go and Chance, delve into more textured soundtracks, painting vivid landscapes and vouching for Franck as a master of soundtrack.

Ocoeur's ability to not only dive into this territory, but draw distinct, original sounds across the album is what demands attention. Subtle changes are all that's needed when you have the skill to let a beautiful piano do the talking. Reversed is an understated blend of my most beloved sounds and will undoubtedly be one of the best albums of the year for many. 

Reversed is currently streaming in full over on xlr8r and is available for pre-order on vinyl + digital through Bandcamp / n5MD. 

Ocoeur recently put together this mix for Self-Titled Magazine, featuring Floex, Nest, Brambles and The Green Kingdom.

Biosphere - The Hilvarenbeek Recordings

As The Sun Kissed The Horizon, is one of my favorite Biosphere tracks. It's a recording of (what to me sounds like) the empty fields after a bustling summer's day, as the sun slowly sets and people leave for home. It reminds me of my summer's youth, and every time I listen, I picture myself in that exact field, the same field I spent my summers playing football in, hanging with friends and generally enjoying my childhood. Music has the power to reinvigorate lost memories and despite me never hearing this until years later, this track brings back memories every time.

Biosphere's, The Hilvarenbeek Recordings were released last week and capture a similar emotional response. Across the four pieces, we're treated to a similar summer's day in 't Schop, which then develops into a warm, repetitive analog piece. Pipistrellus descends deeper into the grass and gives life to the small ticks, tweaks and sounds of the undergrowth as insects and birds come to life. Audax forms a more traditional Biosphere ambient piece with hollow expanses and a subtle melody as bass intertwines with a gaseous exchange, very similar to his N-Plants release. Strigiformes closes the release, with a vivid night-time landscape, featuring the shriek of birds and Owls amongst crumbling twigs and leaves. 

Biosphere is known for his field recordings, but they are sometimes lost amongst his more electronic productions, or in some instances, slightly too focused on extremely obscure sounds. This EP is the perfect middle-ground and defines the Biosphere I enjoy the most. A subtle mixture of beautiful ambient formed from some of natures finest textures - sounds that have the power to transport from your own relatable experiences.

“In 2013 Biosphere was invited by the Incubate festival in Tilburg to spend one week doing field recordings at the organic farm Boerderij ‘t Schop in Hilvarenbeek. These recordings were going to be released as a single-sided limited edition vinyl EP (100 copies) “for reviews/media/relations only! Unfortunately Incubate never managed to get it out. Last month, this record was suddenly released by the Dutch label New York Haunted without the artist´s knowledge and written consent. Nor did the artist get any chance to approve the artwork and the quality of the vinyl pressing. In fact, the artist has not even seen the record. ”

The Hilvarenbeek Recordings are available on the above mentioned limited vinyl and digital through Bandcamp.

Mark Pritchard, Sasha, Herbstlaub, Echaskech

Mark Pritchard - Under The Sun

Last year, we were treated to a surprise return of Global Communication, and despite the remix of Dusky's, Skin Deep, being just one half of GC behind the controls (Tom Middleton), it was as brilliant as ever. Mark Pritchard can therefore be excused for not making an appearance, as it seems he has been busy prepping a return to his ambient form with an upcoming release on Warp. The teaser track Sad Alron, sounds beautiful, almost Autechre/Aphex in style, but it remains to be seen whether the remainder of the album will expand on this style or veer into his more recent hip-hop style... let's hope the former. 

Available May 12th on Warp. 

Sasha - Scene Delete

Sasha is undoubtedly a massive influence on me and my love for dance music, and given his legendary mixes such as Northern Exposure and Involver often dabbled with the more downtempo of intros and atmospherics, it's of little surprise to see him try a full ambient/downtempo album. The press for Scene Delete is quoting influences from the likes of Nils Frahm and Max Richter yet the preview tracks sound nothing like the minimal modern classical sounds of the infamous Germans... I can't help but think this is just an attempt to sound relevant to the re-emergence of two awesome producers. The teasers sound like the many tracks that have opened or ended an infamous Sasha set, and whether the influences are audible or not, it doesn't really when you're as experienced and reliable as Sasha. Scene Delete sounds like an ambient album he was destined to produce, even if he was locked in a room by himself for the past ten years. 

Available April 1st on a multitude of lavish, expensive formats. 

Herbstlaub - Softly Hidden (Stray Theories remix)

A switch in gears to some ASIP alumni, with Herbstlaub prepping a new album titled Seems Like Time To Remember, Seems Like The Moment To Forget. His bubbly organic sounds and haunting, melodic backgrounds return, alongside a very special remix by Stray Theories.  Both Herbstlaub and Stray Theories have free releases on ASIP as part of The Places Series.

Pre-order on Bandcamp.

Echaskech - Certainty of Tides EP

Echaskech have been a part of ASIP since the very beginning over eight years ago, so it's immensely pleasing to see them still churning out the good stuff, and sticking to what they do best. Their new EP Certainty of Tides is available for pre-order, and in true Echa' style, it's another slice of sublime electronics; hard to pin down, and hard to put down, whether you're at home or dancing the night away. 

Pre-order on Bandcamp.