Currently listening, part 1

[drone on]

Next time, you might want to use something better than the Casio keyboard you bought at Radio Shack for $99...

(Now THAT was a joke)  ;D

[| broken harbour |]

HAH! My keyboard didn't even cost me $99!

[chris23]

Recent plays:

twincities - memoirs: to dust
The Polaroid equivalent of an album: sonic structures that have been so heavily processed that their original forms are barely discernible. Sounds both fade into view and fade away just as easily. Truly beautiful stuff.
Buy/Stream: https://unknowntonerecords.bandcamp.com/album/memoirs-to-dust

Bill Seaman - f (noir)
A new release from the crazy prolific Eilean Records outfit. Vocals, piano, trumpet--not really the mix of things I would typically highlight as making for good ambient. But the way the sounds are arranged, processed, and mixed makes for an incredible ambiance. Very moody, isolationist, and nostalgic. There is a bit of Tattersall dusting in there too, giving everything a "just found this in an old record bin" feel. I wouldn't be surprised if this ends up as one of my favorites for 2015.
Buy/Stream: https://eileanrec.bandcamp.com/album/f-noir

non-ambient:

Purity Ring - Another Eternity
Ethereal pop from 4AD. There are some super catchy tunes on here. And, best of all, my kids don't think I'm weird for listening to it.  ;)

[Dave Michuda]

Chris,  Thanks for the heads up on those two albums.  I just downloaded them from Bandcamp.  They sound wonderful, especially the Bill Seaman album.

Other recent spins:

Offthesky & Pleq - A Thousand Fields -  I've been waiting for this one for a long time and I'm glad to finally hear it.  Excellent orchestral tinged ambience.
https://infraction.bandcamp.com/album/a-thousand-fields

The New Honey Shade - Ozark Dream  -  At times lush, at times noisy, sometimes using synths, sometimes using found sounds or an old time guitar.  An nice odd collections of tunes.
https://scissortail.bandcamp.com/album/ozark-dream

Public Service Broadcasting - Race for Space -  My favorite album of the year so far.  This tells the story of the American & Soviet space race in the 60s.  It tells the story through archival news broadcasts and communications between the astronauts and master control intertwined with music that's a bit electronic, a bit prog, a bit krautrock.  Maybe I love it because I'm a space nerd but this is a great album.

[chris23]

Cool, I hope you enjoy them, Dave. I've also been listening to the new Offthesky and Pleq on digital and really like it a lot. Hoping the vinyl will arrive next week--I'm eager to hear the extra 7-inch tracks too.

[jdh]

I found out about PSB several years ago first with their EP and then album.It was outstanding.The idea was unique.The recording quality superb on CD.The new LP is as good.A bit more varied in tempo.Some tracks are quite sombre,others nearly R&B. See them live if you can.On tour now.

Martin Gore has a new LP coming out.The first track shows great promise.Very retro sounding and my first thought was Aphex Twin Ambient,then BOC.I lost interest in Depeche Mode a long time ago but this could be interesting.

Transonic-Virtual Current on FAX.2 long tracks by Robert Musso whom I think was the engineer for Bill Laswell.My favorite of a series of 3.

[thirdsystem]

New Composers - Boring Music....................certainly not boring, absolutely beautiful music. Out on Psychonavigation. Samples/order on bandcamp... http://psychonavigation.bandcamp.com/album/new-composers-boring-music

Robert Rich - Filaments ....Like it a lot.

Igneous Flame  - Opaline.... just downloaded off bandcamp. Beautiful album. I love it.

[petekelly]

Igneous Flame  - Opaline.... just downloaded off bandcamp. Beautiful album. I love it.

Thanks a lot Paul, glad you're digging it !

[thirdsystem]

Opaline is excellent Pete. Congratulations, a really beautiful piece of work.

Another new addition that is on constant play this week Andy Tillison Diskdrive - Fog ....... The guy from prog rockers The Tangent (ace band btw !!). Electronic/ambient/berlin school with a wee hint of jazz and prog rock. Fair few genres then :). Absolutely superb album. They have found a couple of boxes of this hard to get CD and it can be ordered from The Tangent's website. Highly recommended, something a wee bit different.

[Joe R]

Bob Dylan & The Band- The Basement Tapes- played this several times the last few weeks just to re-acquainting myself with an old classic. Very enjoyable!

Robert Rich- Trances And Drones- Another old classic that I blew the dust off of.

[chris23]

Recent spins:

Offthesky & Pleq - A Thousand Fields
Pretty neat experimental ambient from two of the most creative forces in that niche. Very dark, lonely, desolate tracks, featuring the sounds of broken machines, wistful violins, and some dramatic cinematic overtures. This wasn't the masterpiece I was hoping for, but it is a great album nonetheless and well worth a careful listening. Beautiful packaging from Infraction.
Buy/Stream: https://infraction.bandcamp.com/album/a-thousand-fields (I'm partial to the 4th track.)

Steve Roach - Bloodmoon Rising
I enjoyed this when it came out in October, but I've been finding myself drawn to it over and over again of late. Dreamy, mysterious, and hypnotic.
Buy/Stream: https://steveroach.bandcamp.com/album/bloodmoon-rising

[Antdude]

Also just picked up Opaline. Really lovely stuff there. Cheers, Pete. Hoping for a nice headphone journey later tonight.

I have to say, right now, there is an absolute glut of great ambient music out there. I can't keep up with it all and I want o fill up my Bandcamp cart and go nuts, but there just aren't enough hours in the day. But this is a good thing. Whereas in the past, we've had some long dry spells, 2015 has already produced a lot of great music, and it's only March! My musical To-Do list is almost as long as the books in my To-Be-Read stack.

[Joe R]

Recent spins:

Offthesky & Pleq - A Thousand Fields
Pretty neat experimental ambient from two of the most creative forces in that niche. Very dark, lonely, desolate tracks, featuring the sounds of broken machines, wistful violins, and some dramatic cinematic overtures. This wasn't the masterpiece I was hoping for, but it is a great album nonetheless and well worth a careful listening. Beautiful packaging from Infraction.
Buy/Stream: https://infraction.bandcamp.com/album/a-thousand-fields (I'm partial to the 4th track.)

I'm glad you suggested this, Chris! I was intrigued by your description so I bought the download, and I'm glad I did. It definitely defies all of the conventions of "ordinary" ambient, and it really took me down some unfamiliar paths. I really love that last 14 minute track... the title escapes me right now.

[APK]

Offthesky & Pleq - A Thousand Fields
Yes, it's a very nice album. And a bit different for them, to my ears at least. Kinda more pads and dark drones rather than the more minimal broken glitchy sounds I've come to associate with them both.

[Joe R]

Christopher Hipgrave- Slow, with Pages Of Fluttering Interference- beautiful, calming, keyboard ambiance, with patches of glitch and hiss. Nothing groundbreaking here, just a wonderful, well-constructed ambient experience. Highly recommended.

[Castleview]

Not ambient, but an excellent album.

[chris23]

Some recent stuff:

Federico Durand - Musica para Manuel
New release from Hibernate. Basic lo-fi tape manipulations of music boxes, piano, and guitar with some really eerie resonance. Nice background music.
Buy/Stream: https://hibernate.bandcamp.com/album/m-sica-para-manuel

Mick Chillage - Pixels II
Upcoming release on Anodize, with the digital version available now. I fell in love with this the first time I streamed it and have listened to it over and over since then. Slowly evolving soundscapes with lush washes and loops and some fun headphone ear candy. Pure awesomesauce.
Buy/Stream: https://anodizesound.bandcamp.com/album/pixels-ii-april

[thirdsystem]

Autumn Of Communion 5.

Just received this as my first disc went missing in the post !!!! This is a grower, I liked it well enough first couple of listens but now it's burned into my world......I really like it. As expected from the cover, a darker offering but some beautiful moments also.

Blake Gibson/ Robert Davies - Quiraing , has been on constant play also. Really beautiful album that will be up there as a favourite in 2015.

Need to go and check out Pixells II

[APK]

- STEINBRÜCHEL :: Parallel Landscapes

Lovely minimal release from january on 12K. Tiny percussives, minimal sines, and suchlike.
Kind of thing I like late at night while reading.
https://12kmusic.bandcamp.com/album/parallel-landscapes

[DeepR]

Enjoying baroque music at the moment. Can you Handel it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKcIB3Q_F4o