[ Hypnos Forum ]

the 1st two tracks sound like a 3rd disc of "Expanding Horizon".
similar mood and high-pitched mastering, and sounds seem also being compressed too much somehow..
for Grassow standards slightly underwhelming so far..

on the other hand, his latest "Sonnenwende" has a distinct clarity and perfect volume-level of mastering imo.
a 2013 favorite for sure and to me one of Grassow's best releases!

hello Brian,
there is no point of criticism here. i think the MP3s are giving a good idea about its overall sound and atmosphere. but after hearing the whole thing quite a few times now, i was rather surprised how good it is!
i'm also glad James got back after all those years.. his signature sound, piano is still there.
it's certainly up there with my favorites recently.

labels usually say that artists come up with their best work 'on' their label.. :-)
though this Harold Budd track is very nice indeed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=DHwT_I_v18o

steve roach - future flows
(i decided to go for the Flac download for now and purchasing my CD later on via Amazon when it comes by for a good price.
initially i didn't feel much for this release but after multiple listens over the last 2 days, i can feel it has enough depht to bite into it.. i agree the 2nd track feels a bit like the Ascension for Shadows sessions but halfway the track it unfolds into something very beautiful and graceful, i haven't heard from Roach for quite a while..)

eluder - through horizon
(digital edition while waiting for my CD to arrive, excellent release on Infraction! very nice breathing drones and sounds.. a current highlight for me)

marsen jules - the endless change of colour
(obviously a letdown for many 12k devotees but for me a 12k highlight. beautiful ever-shifting organ-like drones for 47 minutes)

vincent i watson - serene
(a classic sounding ambient album from the UK techno-head. surprisingly good, at times some tracks even remind me of Thom Brennan's majestic ambient works..)

iminazole - osaka and manipulated loops
(digital release on Cold Tear. heavy dub-techno reminiscent to Rod Modell's work, rather nice i would say)

celer - tightrope
(my warming up for his new Viewpoint CD)

seetyca - the luminous deep
(rather intense ambient-drone album divided in 3 long tracks, excellent one from Gterma)

now;

V.A. - Gyalpo (Gterma)


anticipating;

alio die & zeit - a circular quest (HSL)
luciano daini - terrae incognitae (HSL)
mathias grassow & closing the eternity (Aquarellist)
mathias grassow - sonnenwende 2CD (Gterma)
celer - i, anatomy [CD-version] (Stillstream)
david tagg - leaving this planet (Install Sound)

has been awhile since i'm not welcome to the forum residing within parts of asia..
some favorites as of late;

bvdub - a careful ecstasy
(definately best Bvdub album for me, fantastic use of sensual, soulful vocals all over, complete surprise as this album smashed me)

bvdub - at night this city becomes the sea
(this one comes damn close to ACE.. but throws succesfully soulful and more classical vocals into the mix, very nice grooves as well!)

moss garden - understanding holy ghosts
(very nice release with airy, transparent layers of sound with an eastern touch to it.. nice cover too)

amir baghiri - the serenity
(nice but doesn't reach the hights and dephts of his former Live Long & Prosper CD, i think..)

ethernet - opus 2
(6 tracks, first 4 tracks are truly stunning, i think the 2 final tracks left do not compliment the overall feeling of this release initially set..)

kuniyuki takahashi (koss) - feather world
(remarkable release, Mister Koss knows what he's doing, mixing different styles into a jazzy ambient mix with great care for detail! a great one and a grower!)

jefre cantu-ledesma - conversations with myself
(simple loops of guitar/zither with some soft-hued drones, but quite elegant and effective. at times it could sound as a young Klaus Wiese, in love..)

federsen - for future time & beings
(good dub-techno, might be new CD by him there on ZeCc this year..)

robert rich - inner landscapes
(a Rich classic i would say, the tropical dark jungles and swamps come alive here)

b/b/s - brick mask
(terrific new collab. with Aidan Baker, Andrea Belfi and Erik Skodvin, way too short)


anticipating;

marsen jules - the endless change of colours (12k)
aidan baker - aneira (glacial movements)
earth house hold (bvdub) - see through you (peach)
eluder - through horizon (infraction)
dirk serries - microphonics XXI – XXV (tone float)
parikrama - manusyaloka (gterma)
hakobune - if it were to fade (gterma)
celer - viewpoint (murmur)

sinepearl - the dance of affinity
sinepearl - through water she spoke
(beautiful dreamy fairytale soundtrackmusic ala Ishq, his' music is something to watch for! a 3rd installment is planned for early this year on bandcamp)

andrea belfi - wege
(got this somewhere last year, never gave it full attention until i did last week, good stuff, excellent percussion parts)

between - between (12k)
improvational music by some established musicians who have a knack for a great atmospheric set of sounds and music.. should be accompanied by some nice cup of herbal tea..  )

yannick dauby/john grzinich/murmer - lind, raud, aastaajad
(definately one of the best things of last year for me. disc 1 features mostly fieldrecording along with some gong-like rumbling frequencies. disc 2 is a set exquisite fieldrecordings mixed with soft subdued glowing drones, very good if you ask me)

steve roach - soul tones
(typical Roach here, nothing groundbreaking 'so far', but as a lot of his music takes time to resonate on me, i'm still behold of some potential treasure inside of this..)

abstract ballet - mk ultra
(good dubtechno from the solid french ZeECc label)



anticipating;

krill.minima (marsen jules)- secundenschlaf
ethernet - opus 2

i do agree that Max is very, very much on the Roach side, true.
though i think he delivers a very balanced and fine album here.
occasionally i can relate some of his pieces directly to some Roach pieces clearly.

i had similar impressions with his 'BreathStream', formless synth's/drones that don't go anywhere but on TOI i think he achieves more.
anyway, different ears, different impressions.
i certainly do like this release.

max corbacho - the ocean inside
(one of the best things i've heard this year, max has taken a very deep plunge here, i think the best thing he has done so far.
lots of stuff to take a 'deep dive' into it, delicate droning textures and atmospheres all around!)

mathias grassow - second gift of life
(still making up my mind on this one, but probably my favorite Grassow along with his 'Bloodmoon' for 2012.. and he has done a lot of things this year)

xoki & hieronymus - technicolour
(very great dub-techno for sure! i hope to look forward to another collab. by them)

grad_u - works & reconstructions
(this guy certainly seems to have talent for a 'minimal approach' of dub-techno, things seems to really lift off starting on the 4th track, damn!)

celer - without retrospect, the morning
celer - perfectly beneath us
(imo one of the most admiring deep sensual ambient acts of today, even though their(his) output is monstrious, the atmospheres are amongst the most intimate i do hear today.. i think the recent 'Perfectly Beneath Us' proves that)

vataff project - kalitz
(after a slightly disappointing 'Maeoma' on Ishq's label as heard on Bandcamp, i think this one is far more captivating, presenting an own sound with interesting, thrilling rhythm patterns)

and so on......


anticipating;

stephan mathieu - un coeur simple (baskaru)
stephan mathieu & david sylvian - wandermüde (samadhisound)
between - between (12k)
juppala kaapio - rewound groves (omnimemento)
chihei hatakeyama - bare strata (whereabouts)
hakobune - watching the prescribed burn (pure wave)

now some relatively short samples are up for Soul Tones;

http://steveroach.com/store/store.php?item=495

maybe feels a bit like his 'Dynamic Stillness'..

Max Corbacho-The Ocean Inside 2CD (Ad21)

thanks for the head-up on the upcoming Corbacho!

listening on my new hifi (i returned the Marantz which sounded just too plain and flat.. and exchanged it for a more decent Denon receiver)

bvdub & ASC - symbol #2
east of oceans - symbol #6
bvdub - all is forgiven

(i really can't get enough of Bvdub's uplifting soundcraft and vocals. 'all is forgiven' is really terrific as well (except for the kind of cheesy piano intros/outros)

steve roach - slow heat / vine, bark & spore (with jorge reyes)
(2 of my top-favs by Steve)

fear falls burning - he spoke in dead tongues
(sounds considerably better to me, today)

benjamin brunn - konig und drache
(some nice detail crafted ambi-dub-techno release)

mathias grassow & carsten agthe - beyond the silence
(very good live-disc by this brilliant duo, i only wish at times that the live-audio recording was done a bit better, especially the percussion parts)

ithaca trio - new music from the delta quadrant
(maybe the best thing i've heard from the Hibernate label..)

eivind aarset (with jan bang)- dream logic
(very ambient release for ECM standards, desolate, dark yet though exotic in spots.. maybe for fans of michael brook's Hybrid CD)


anticipating;

andrew chalk - forty-nine views in rhapsodies' wave
taylor deupree - faint (12k)
celer - without retrospect, the morning (glacial movements)
philippe lamy - slowfast (dronarivm)
steve roach - tales from the ultra tribe (with byron metcalf) / soul tones
martin schulte - slow beauty (lantern)
amir baghiri - the serenity (databloem)