bvdub - A Thousand Words

An expressive soul that channels his feelings through music, often the subject of those he surrounds himself with, bvdub is well known to many of us by now for his emotive and open approach to his productions.

He'll bunker down for weeks on end, to surprise us with another extensive insight into his world, evolving from his last, and keeping us guessing as to what's next. 

Brock's latest release, A Thousand Words, is his longest and largest work to date - one continuous piece that features nineteen movements, five-hundred audio channels, performed live in one take. And yep, you guessed it, is an ode to his beloved ones.

“Whatever form they take, don’t forget those who are there for you every day - and take a moment each day to be there for them. You don’t have to speak, but simply being there can mean a thousand words.”

— bvdub

Beginning with a wall of deep chords and static, A Thousand Words soon rises into lighter more melodic, piano pieces. Courageous waves of synths soar amongst the contrasting lows of melancholy - the ups and downs of a reflective journey we can only begin to imagine - and one we've come to learn and respect from Brock's work. 

Brock prides himself on the rawness of his sound, avoiding things that sound too polished, and you can hear that throughout the many drifting movements, as the static and orchestral chords seep through every open pore, in an unavoidable and purposeful wall of sound. This is Brock with his hood up, hunched over his laptop, crafting a journey deep from the heart. 

A Thousand Words is available on Bandcamp with $3 from every sale going towards rescue centers that encourage children to read to cats every day after school. 

Helios - Remembrance

Following Keith Kenniff's music since 2006(ish), I've seen the subtle twists in his beautiful productions, his maturity in sound and the complimentary aliases he has spawned.

Helios' has always existed in this perfect space between ambient music, modern classical and electronica. The warm textures create an inviting space, Keith's instruments create stories, and the subtle beat-work and electronics, often compliment the aforementioned without pushing it too far; all together, creating emotional and comforting pieces of work.

Many would say their favorite album from Helios was Eingya, from back in 2006. My favourite track of his, Vargtimme is a part of this album and captures the very essence of why I love Helios' music. It's a defining ambient piece, extremely vivid and emotional, reminding me of a slow moving landscape with a million stories to be told. 

To celebrate the 10-year anniversary of this defining album, Keith has released Remembrance; a collection of unreleased tracks, which to me echo the feel of Eingya from a decade past. Land Father in particular, gives me the same feels as Vargtimme, with its expansive strings, melancholic story and grainy texture. 

Available on Bandcamp as 'name your price'.

“10 years ago I released my second album, Eingya. The album marked a significant time in my life of self-discovery both as a young man and as a musician. Since its release I’ve traveled the world with these songs, and heard from other’s experiences with the music in times of joy, sadness, relationships, deaths and births. It brings me happiness to know that such a connection has been made, and the music has touched people. I never expected this music to find an audience outside of my studio and a handful of friends/family.

Thank You”

— Keith Kenniff

Jesse Somfay - Levamentum [Aqua Regia]

Jesse Somfay has consistently evolved since I first latched on to his productions in 2004 on Traum Schallplatten and Archipel. Pioneering a trance-like sound amongst a wave of minimal techno, Jesse provided a base for a more intelligent and happier take on the hip-output of the time, adding a surprisingly softer element to an otherwise stagnating genre with one of my favorite albums, Between Heartbeats. 

Jesse then progressed into darker territories with his Borealis alias, forging sounds that were more akin to Burial's future garage and ambient dub productions. His output as Borealis was understated and he was undoubtedly one of the most forward thinking producers at the time. Watching his every move, Borealis turned in dark and hauntingly beautiful albums such as Voidness, and spurred remixes from the likes of Hecq, and Dominik Eulberg (still one of the biggest tracks you'll hear to this day) along with unofficial remixes himself like his rework of Massive Attack's, Teardrop. 

Needless to say, news of his most recent album recently was warmly received. Released on Tipping Hand, an LA based label previously responsible for a Borealis EP in 2014, the label has ventured into its first vinyl press, affording Jesse's Levamentum, the platform it deserves. 

Going back to his full name as opposed to the Borealis alias, this signaled an obvious change in style, but one that has been hibernating for a good five years. Where Jesse would end up taking this album was anyones guess. Glistening melodic techno? Dark and dubby ambient? How would his notorious love of Trance music come into play?

Levamentum sits somewhere left-centre of all the above. A damn fine positioning considering the many places Jesse could have taken it. Jesse has evidently been having fun with a multitude of sounds; pads, synths and soaring keys, with each playing pivotal roles against a chamber of colorful, bouncing melodies. The light-hearted examples found in his early Archipel releases are still there, often with an undercurrent of slighter darker tones, whilst the progressive trance-like repetition is stripped out to make way for a more playful, pop feel.

Retro-wave in approach, experimental in execution; this is a defining piece in Jesse's evolving armory. You can hear elements of his previous productions throughout, with soaring synths in Supernatural Flirt, and emotional Borealis-style pull in album opener Scorpia White. Eno/Budd-style ambient textures in Vermeer and Lily give the album a warm, retro feel, whilst IDM style-beats in Atalanta keep you off track. Not content with this combination, the album still has the ability to leave you open-gasped at progressive-sounding tracks like Andromeida, as Jesse combines innovative beat-work with his love for the synthesizer. 

Levamentum is a dedication to the many capabilities, combinations and left-of-centre concoctions only someone as vivid in color as Jesse Somfay could manufacture.  Like the dancing ballerina you see on the artwork, this album was never going to be as obvious as what you see and hear on first sight; the thoughts going through the performers head, the work that went into it and tjhe flickering, vignetted picture you watch through the retro kaleidoscope is only half the story at play, and it gives a little more with every listen.

Available in digital and double vinyl on Bandcamp.

Tongues Of Light ‎– Channelled Messages At The End Of History

There's a certain threshold of ambient music that most people can tolerate. It's always interesting to see where this lies with friends when I play them something new, or recommend a new album. Often the dark drones are just too intense and it's "just noise"; sometimes the light and airy pads sound too "boring", or sometimes it's just a little bit "too weird" for them. "One for the chin-strokers" is a common phrase that comes to mind...

This one falls into the latter. 

From the elusive Tongues Of Light comes a unique vinyl release constructed of found sounds, from Youtube videos to be exact. I picked it up after Boomkat gave it praise and immediately held it up as one of those collectables you'll be lucky to stumble on in years to come. 

Channelled Messages At The End Of History comes from Demdike Stare and Andy Votel's label Pre-Cert Home Entertainment, but the comforting familiarity stops there. From the freaky cover-art, to the words surrounding the press, there's no doubt some serious consideration and introspective thought put into the findings and samples on the record. Split into two recordings; "Healing Side" and "Awakening Side", the record takes you through interesting sounds, interspersed with improvisation, and weaved together like a black-and-white history book of paganism and any other cult beliefs that fit a weird and mysterious stereotype.

With the drones, distorted church howls and religious callings, also comes Eno-esque moments, as the "Healing Side" finishes with a gentle ethereal experience under a calming female voice. The voices continue on the "Awakening Side", and despite not knowing what language you're listening to (likely on purpose), the new-age, medieval sounding chants are long enough to actively engage with, and short enough to evolve the storytelling throughout the chapters, and keep this thing sounding great. 

As best put on the Discogs page, the "Channelled glossolalic material from various multidimensional entities" are a dive into a very weird and wonderful world, but just as the KLF presented us with nothing but samples and weird noises on Chill Out, this record will no doubt have a similar juxtaposing cult appeal. At the very least, it will be seen as a modern (retro) dive into found sounds and sampling within ambient music. 

Elvis, an evangelist's sermon, an intense salesman, and a detailed news report of a fatal road accident featured in KLF's masterpiece. Fast forward 26 years, and Youtube has evidently inspired a new breed of found sounds, ranging from meditation videos, chanting, lullabies and gentle multi-lingual sound poetry. It's a weird and wonderful world out there.

Listen / available on Boomkat.

(Sound samples will be posted if/when they become available). 

Rising Sun - The Lamentations Of Rising Sun

This album's been on repeat for me the past few weeks. Berlin producer Rising Sun, who seemingly has a healthy back catalog, released his second full length in March on the respected Fauxpas Music label (home of Desolate and Brambles) titled, The Lamentations Of Rising Sun. 

It's hard to pin this one down and that's what makes it so good. It's 90's inspired for sure, with rave synth-lines and vocals, reminiscent of early jungle music in You Loose. Early Moby style "Go" tracks like Parade Version F, Amen Break rips in Brighter Day, Kaito style melodic ambient synths in D.E.T.R.O.I.T, Desolate/Sven Weisemann influenced slow jams like Hold The Line, and Frankie Knuckle / Robert Owens straight-up string-house influences in In My Mind. 

"More crossover than one specific style. The music itself is the sketchy attempt to detain moments that haven’t been planned, so it’s a statement that I can foresee in any way, even though the open up of a track is always the same, almost like a ritual. The character is to capture and convert the music of rising sun".

Something in here for any dance music fan that experienced the euphoria of early 90's music, with an additional new Berlin twist.

Available on Bandcamp.