I've been rotating through a lot of Matt Hillier releases this week, I think in part due to seeing some discussion of Orchid and Skyspaces in various places on forum. I realize that is would be inappropriate to state that Ishq doesn't get enough credit; Orchid, for example, is a top pick among many in the ambient crowd. But it is easy to overlook Hillier's genius. He's a mastermind when it comes to blending the mechanical and the natural. His alien soundscapes often sound surprisingly organic, for example, and his natural, pastoral pieces perfectly blend with his electronic improvisations. I always hear something new when I return to his albums; they're a reliable and rewarding source of aural exploration.
My Hillier collection is incomplete, but here is what is in my rotation: Orchid (Ishq), Skyspaces (Ishq), Under a Hexagon Sky (Ishvara), Magick Square of the Sun (Ishvara), Emerald (Elve), and Infinite Garden (Elve). Among these releases, Infinite Garden is my favorite.
