n.hir / Rudy Decelière - Alcôve 07 (2022)

 

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With recordings like this, I love nothing more than grabbing my headphones, a pair of large, brightly color sunglasses and laying in a hammock in the park on a warm sunny days. Preferably with a headful of smoke. I'm relatively new to this French label, specializing in ambiance, field recordings, and general loner music. Some music nerds refer to this as lowercase, but who cares. It's great heady music, and the 7th in the series, herein featuring a split by n.hir & Rudy Decelière. Slide over to the label's page and have a look around. They're taking part in the cassette tape revival and I am into that. 

Alcôve 07

ANMA - Limbus (2020)

 

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Another gem brought to you by Andreas. This time not released on tape but instead fully digital. This collection is ANMA's concept of limbo, or that space between heaven and hell. The tracks are longish and sparse and you can definitely feel the lost floating nothingness, that eventually drifts into what I can only explain as an electronic heartbeat. This collection takes some time to digest, but eventually will wash over you. As previously mentioned, the best time for ANMA is early morning, or late evening, for me. This time I've traded the rain for snow. Have fun with this set. 

Limbus

Synth Sisters & Nikmis - Synth Sisters & Nikmis (2019)

 

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Collected here is another wonderful set of music from Muzan Editions 2019 Winter release. This tape has a much different vibe then the 2 previous collections, in that it has melody and sound structure as opposed to lush flowing ambiance and droning. 

Side A is 2 beautiful  EDM-esque tracks by the Synth Sisters. Track 1 features a wall of sound driven by a slight heartbeat sound. It reminds me of what it must've sounded like when Roy finally got on the ship and they blasted off into space. All the colors and sounds and vibrations. Disassociated voices floating in and out of his unconscious mind. This means something. 

Track 2 very much keeps to the same theme. Floating carelessly in space. There's huge walls of sound that are complimented by ping-ponging pads that bounce all over your head. This is definitely the part in Roy's trip when he's suspended in deep sleep for the big jump back home to the 3rd Kind's planet. 

Side B starts off with Nikmis creating some big ass mind opening swells that lull the listener into a false sense of calm, before taking off into a bouncing, almost Nintendo soundtrack vibe. This is the last and final stop for our hero Roy. He's reached the planet. He's wondering if he made the right choice leaving all of his friends and family behind. 

As previously mentioned, Muzan is offering this collection and many others on their bandcamp for a name you price fee. Head over there and spend some of those coins you've collected on this trip. 

Synth Sisters & Nikmis

Cheekbone & Hirotaka Shirotsubaki - Cheekbone & Hirotaka Shirotsubaki (2019)

 

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Let's end the month with another beautiful collection of ambient drones brought to you by Muzan Editions. There must be a certain level of chill an artist has exude, and I imagine they'll need to have a permanent relaxed disposition and a slight grin at all times. That's exactly how I feel whenever I listen to anything from this label. 

Featured in this collection, Cheekbone starts Side A with 4 super lush, slow burning vibes that remind me of spring rain, delicious milky tea lattes, and light jacketed walks through the woods with my Wife. It's a collection of nice droning tunes with what I imagine are a bunch of perfectly times windchimes caught in an ever-warming breeze. This shit is beautiful.

Side B continues with Hirotaka Shirotsubaki 3 track run of how I feel Sunday mornings are supposed to sound. A slow-building wall of sound that is gently guiding the sun to rise, warning us basic ass 9-5er's that tomorrow we start this shit all over again, but we might as well enjoy today to the fullest. If you're into American Football, today is also the day that you [or in my case, my wife] screams mercilessly at the television for like 6 hours. Oh, the insults are incredible. 

As previously mentioned, Muzan is offering this collection and many others on their bandcamp for a name you price fee. If you're feeling it, give them some of your coins you greedy bastards.  

Cheekbone & Hirotaka Shirotsubaki 

Standard Grey & km: (2019)

 

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Muzan Editions has been releasing a series of amazing drone/ambient albums for the better half of 4 years now. This collection presents 4 beautiful tracks, originally released on a 100 tape run in the winter of 2019. Side A features Standard Grey’s 25 minute mind-melting trip that helps dissolve any problem you thought you were experiencing. Side B shows km:’s scattered brained 3 track noise experiments, that further help you to forget those troubles.

There were a number of tapes released during the winter of 2019 that are all worth mentioning, and will eventually make their way here. The collection has long since been sold out, and it’s easy to see why. Their bandcamp does offer a name your price, so if you’re feeling the tracks go on and slide over there and check the label out. It’s well worth the time for lovers of ambient/drone.

Standard Grey / km:

Headdress – Lunes (2009)

 

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Lunes marks a deviation in sound and growth from their first album. Turquoise felt like a long walk through the desert, while Lunes feels like a hallucination brought on by dehydration and too much sun. Big ass wall of sound, disembodied voices, and densely layered guitar drones make their second effort a beautiful follow-up. Put on some sunglasses and take this album for a walk. 

Lunes

Aidan Baker / Faith Coloccia / Jon Mueller - See Through (2019)

 

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Here be a collection of minimalist electronic jams, aimed at relaxing your soul and helping you take that journey away from everyday stressors. I've managed to listen to this album 3 times today and enjoyed it each time. Pulsing drums that aren't too heavy, lush ethereal voices that float through the tracks, and beautifully layered drones that build a wall of sound, protecting you from the bullshit outside. Kick back, twist up, and enjoy.

See Through