Currently listening, part 1

[ffcal]

Margins - Fragile Existence
This is a late 2013 collaborative project between Dan Crossley (Facture/Fluid Audio) and Craig Tattersall (The Boats). Once again, this is an amazing product from Facture in which the packaging/art is as central to the release as the music. The music itself is decent, but not remarkable. It largely combines field recordings and tape loops to create a fractured but ambient atmosphere. The Crossley nature prints that accompany the release are absolutely beautiful, however, and are worth checking out on the Fluid Audio site regardless of how you feel about Tattersall.

Sound samples: http://www.fluid-radio.co.uk/2013/12/no-re-press-07-2/
Images samples: http://www.fluid-radio.co.uk/2013/12/fragile-existence/

This does give me a little pause.  Maybe Tattersall should be a little more discriminating in what he chooses to release?  These luxury packages are nice, but when the music falls a little short, you can feel a little burned.  I liked Light Folds, though I'll admit that there are a few parts I haven't heard yet out of the 10 hours or so on that release.

I liked the Orla Wren/Aaron Martin/Isnaj Dui "The Blizzard That Birthed Her" release, though the packaging seemed kind of elaborate for what was essentially an extended remix CD.

Forrest

[chris23]

Through a first listen I'd say the voices also remind me of what would happen if the Cylons from Battlestar Galactica were somehow reprogrammed to be peaceful and they all joined a hippy love cult- and I mean that in the best way possible.

I think we have a winner. 

Forrest: Good points. But, given that fans can be discriminating with respect to what they choose to buy, I assume everything balances out in the end.

[ffcal]

Forrest: Good points. But, given that fans can be discriminating with respect to what they choose to buy, I assume everything balances out in the end.

Hi Chris,

Well, yes and no.  Listeners can learn to be more discriminating once they've been burned, but I think both artist and label have an obligation not to flood the market with subpar material just because they can.  It can have a slowly corrosive effect on the genre as a whole, and people could come to view the music as largely disposible.

Forrest

[Joe R]

Tord Gustavsen Quartet- The Well; great, minimal, slow jazz.
Grey Frequency- Cold Geometry; grainy, foggy drone work. Excellent! Bleak and "cold", but not as cold as the damn weather.

[chris23]

Alio Die & Sylvi Alli - Amidst the Circling Spires
Stefano's cathedral-style drones mixed with ethereal vocals from Sylvia Alli. I've been eagerly awaiting this release since it was first announced this past summer. It is perfect. I'm a sucker, however, for dreamy music that contains haunting female vocals; it is an old 4AD hangup.

Samples: http://projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/amidst-the-circling-spires

[Castleview]

Been having a Celer day:

Within Retrospect, The Morning
Four Pieces Two
Panoramic Dreams Bathed In Seldomness

[xouoxno]

Harold Budd – Wind in Lonely Fences

[APK]

Tord Gustavsen Quartet- The Well; great, minimal, slow jazz.

Very nice, Joe.
Thought I'd put up a video for people.

[APK]

And while you are in the mood:

[Castleview]

Speaking of Keith Jarrett, I love The Koln Concert.

[thirdsystem]

First listen to Mick Chillage - Saudade.

Got the download initially from bandcamp whilst waiting for the Carpe Sonum CD to be in stock at Kudos.

https://carpesonum.bandcamp.com/album/saudade

Utterly gorgeous ambient magnificence 

[xouoxno]

Speaking of Keith Jarrett, I love The Koln Concert.

I was just spinning that in the car last week.

[Julio Di Benedetto]

Been on a Rush revisit these last few days.....it was this song that I remember understanding the power of a synth...Vast Moog leads and deep rich Oberhiem chords. It was after this album I lost touch with the group as they followed a different path and I had followed them from Hemispheres.....time to see what I missed!

[chris23]

That is such an awesome song.

[thirdsystem]

Rush have been with me since I was a 13 year old lad. Have all the studio albums. First purchase though was the live All The Worlds A Stage 

Subdivisions is wonderful. Recently bought it on 7" vinyl 

[thirdsystem]

New purchases;

The Circular Ruins - Birth Of Tragedy. One listen so far , fantastic.

Just received the ....txt  release of Move D - The Silent Orbiter. Dave Moufang's tribute to Pete Namlook. Lovely words inside from Dave and a deep space ambient release that I am sure Pete would love.

[petekelly]

Been on a Rush revisit these last few days...

I haven't followed them throughout their career, but I was a big fan of their early work. Lifeson's solo work on 'Hemispheres' (in particular) was totally unique.

[chris23]

Non-ambient listening:

Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles (aka Crystal Castles I)
Bizarre and awesome. A malfunctioning Atari video game + female vocals.
Samples/Buy: http://crystalcastles.bandcamp.com/album/i

Ambient:

Marsen Jules - Beautyfear
Okay, maybe not classic ambient. This is the latest Marsen Jules release. I wasn't a big fan of his last release on 12k, so I was a bit uncertain about what to expect with Beautyfear. Fortunately, this album is perfect in the sense that it retains elements of what I would consider his "roots" (i.e., orchestral or acoustic samples manipulated, looped, and layered in creative ways) while still trying to innovate beyond that. As the title suggests, Beautfyfear is a collection of tracks of that span the spectrum from ethereal and light to the darker and more foreboding. The cool part is that the tracks cannot be discriminated by name; the tracks are simply numbered, leaving the listener a bit uncertain about what will come next. The instrumentation itself doesn't vary much and leans more toward the synthesized end of the strings spectrum more than the acoustic one. The homogeneity of the instrumentation coupled with the split personality lurking in the atmosphere makes for a really cool listening experience.
Samples/Buy: https://oktaf.bandcamp.com/album/beautyfear

[ffcal]

Been on a Rush revisit these last few days...

I haven't followed them throughout their career, but I was a big fan of their early work. Lifeson's solo work on 'Hemispheres' (in particular) was totally unique.

I saw them during their "Permanent Waves" tour way back in 1980.  I remember being really impressed with Neil Peart's drumming--a perpetual motion machine.

Forrest

[Julio Di Benedetto]

I saw them during their "Permanent Waves" tour way back in 1980.  I remember being really impressed with Neil Peart's drumming--a perpetual motion machine.

Forrest

Thats when I first saw them.....Permanent Waves Tour, Hammersmith Odean, London.  As a inexperienced teenage drummer back then the show was a life changing experience for me. 

We are going to need a separate Rush thread shortly.....