Ambient – 7th Level Music

Jon Hopkins teams up with NASA (Yes, NASA.) to bring us an uplifting new single – “Forever Held.”

English electronic musician and producer Jon Hopkins presents a new single/video, “Forever Held,” in collaboration with NASA. A full orchestral piece with string arrangements by Icelandic multi-instrumentalist Ólafur Arnalds, “Forever Held” is an emotive and deeply peaceful piece of cinematic music which touches on themes of our Earth and its context within space. “Forever Held” was created in collaboration with NASA & Erica Bernhard.

NASA JPL collaborated with Hopkins to compose “Forever Held” for Space for Earth,which isNASA’s first immersive experience open to the public, commissioned by NASA and located at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. The song was inspired by letters written by NASA Creative Director and artist Erica Bernhard during the creation of the installation. These letters, love letters from Earth to Space, ended with the phrase “Forever enveloped in your gravity.” From this, “Forever Held” was born. It has continued to evolve, grow, and live outside of the installation. The song, stills from its music video, the original letters and pieces of the Space for Earth installation, have been engraved and encoded onto a NanoFiche disk which will be sent to the moon as part of the Lunar Codex via NASA CLPS.

In discussing the music, Hopkins says:“I took this opportunity to create a full orchestral piece. I wanted to make something timeless that would transmit the feeling of being ‘held’ by the Earth. I was thinking about the fragility and power of our planet, and of the human race’s role in its own destiny.”

The music video for “Forever Held”, created and directed by Erica Bernhard, displays the range of her art-science studio COVALENT Collaboratory. It is a visual evolution of the love letters between Space and Earth – humans being an inextricable part of these interconnected systems. It poetically envelops NASA imagery and data onto two motion-captured dancers: the ‘Space’ character comprised of NASA James Webb Space Telescope while the ‘Earth’ character is wrapped in NASA satellite imagery of the Earth at night, as they perform their eternal dance.

Bernhard adds: “Space is not merely the backdrop to human existence, but a living, breathing dimension. There are invisible communications happening between Earth and the NASA satellites that observe our planet. The view from space offers a profound shift in perspective – astronauts call this the overview effect. Hopkins’ compositions capture that shift – infusing sound with the expansiveness of space while grounding us in the essence and rhythms of life on Earth. His soundscapes act as a bridge between these realms, translating the awe and wonder of space and Earth into a sonic and immersive journey that asks us to consider our place in the universe and our responsibility to the planet.”

Ahead of today’s single release, Coldplay used“Forever Held” to open their new album Moon Music and their Pyramid-headlining slot at this year’s Glastonbury. Hopkins also featured on the latest iteration of Charli XCX’s Brat, contributing to “I might say something stupid” with The 1975 on Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat.

Watch the Video For “Forever Held”

Jon Hopkins recently released his latest studio album RITUAL,a 41-minute ceremonial epic built from cavernous subs, hypnotic drumming and transcendent melodic interplay. Having premiered the album at collective immersive audio listening experiences around the globe ahead of its release, Hopkins is pleased to present the first large-scale event at London’s EartH Theatre next month which has already sold out. There will be a live piano performance and a Q&A with Hopkins and his collaborator 7RAYS.

Additionally, Hopkins will perform at London’s Southbank Centre with Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National on December 6thas part of the London premiere of All of This Unreal Time featuring actor Cillian Murphy. They will also perform at Manchester’s Aviva Studios on December 7th. Hopkins and The Dessners composed the soundtrack for All of This Unreal Time, which was written by Max Porter and directed by Aoife McArdle.

RITUAL is available to buy on DomMart-exclusive double clear vinyl (with artwork print and etching on one side of the vinyl), standard double vinyl, CD and digitally.

About NASA’s Space for Earth installation:
The interactive physical exhibit is located in the east lobby of NASA Headquarters in Washington DC, where visitors are invited to see Earth as NASA astronauts see it from space. Open M-F, 8:30AM – 5:30PM. https://earth.gov/

Stream/Purchase RITUAL :DomMart |Digital

Watch the Video for “RITUAL (evocation)”

Watch the Video For “RITUAL (palace)”

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[Thanks to Jessica at Pitch Perfect PR!]

Merope announce new album due November 05, 2024 with new single – “Namopi.”

Today Merope announce details of their forthcoming new album ‘Vėjula’, which is set for release on November 5^th via STROOM, and have shared new track “Namopi” featuring Laraaji and Shahzad Imsaily.

There’s a sense of spontaneity and playfulness hanging in the air around Merope’s fifth album that’s palpable from the very beginning. The duo of Lithuanian singer and kanklės player Indrė Jurgelevičiūtė and guitarist/producer Bert Cools, Merope are kissed by the winds of change on ‘Vėjula’, a self-styled musical rebirth that confidently fosters their ongoing narrative. It’s their most experimental and open-minded full-length to date, spreading its arms to embrace collaborations with like-minded artists Shahzad Ismaily, Laraaji and Bill Frisell. And while ‘Vėjula’still roots itself in Lithuanian folk forms, it sprouts out spiritedly from that point into unfamiliar landscapes, muddling ancient themes with contemporary philosophies, concepts and technologies.

Following previously shared tracks “Aglala” and “Koumu Lil”, today they share “Namopi” – a collaboration with legendary American multi-instrumentalist Laraaji and the band’s old friend Shahzad Ismaily, a versatile Pakistani-American player, composer and producer who’s spent the last couple of decades traveling the world and working with artists such as Arooj Aftab, Laurie Anderson, Marc Ribot and Sam Amidon.

Together, Ismaily, Laraaji and Merope find harmony in their fusion of not-so-distant worlds. Ismaily plays moog, bass, drums and adds backing vocals that drape around Laraaji’s unmistakable zither chimes and transcendent synth bleeps, while Jurgelevičiūtė and Cools provide the track’s adhesive, conducting a modest ensemble that breathes with warmth.

Speaking on the track, Merope comment “Searching for a common ground, a place we can call home, music is a place like that.Besides playing with our dearest friend Shahzad Ismaily, we were very happy to meet Laraaji. Namopi was a beautiful first meeting.”

Listen to “Namopi feat. Laraaji & Shahzad Ismaily” on YouTube: https://youtu.be/qMdcOI9VXPE?si=mCTstg7hwRMrMp46

Merope emerged over a decade ago in 2012, hitting their stride in 2018 when they released the nocturnal ‘Naktės’.Since then, they’ve developed a considerable reputation for their whimsical fusion of folk and ambient music; their last album, ‘Salos’, released on Belgium’s STROOM imprint and recorded with Vilnius-based chamber choir Juana Muzika and conductor Vaclovas Augustinas, received universal acclaim, described by Boomkat as “effortlessly enchanting” and supported by none other than Björk.

‘Vėjula’ moves their music forward by examining its beating heart, weaving delicate instrumental sequences and ethereal vocals into a rich tapestry of subtle synth work, evocative field recordings and enigmatic processes. Dazzlingly modest, the album strips down Merope to their essence, rediscovering the joy in creation and collaboration.

‘Vėjula’ is an album that reaches into the unknown without losing its tight grip on the past. Merope are in a new creative phase of their career, and they’ve never sounded quite so universal, or so vital.

‘Vėjula’ track list:
1 Koumu Lil – stream
2 Namopi feat. Laraaji and Shahzad Ismaily stream
3 Lopšinė feat. Bill Frisell
4 Vija
5 Spindulė
6 Aglala – stream
7 O Underhill feat. Shahzad Ismaily
8 Rana

Merope live dates:
08/11 – Le Guess Who? – Utrecht, NL
20/11 – Viernulvier (Ruiskamer) – Gent (double bill with Alex Zhang Hungtai)
23/11 – Explore The North – Leeuwarden, NL
28/11 – BRAND! – Mechelen, BE
29/11 – Het Bos – Antwerpen
01/12 – Bozar – Brussel

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Katie at Stereo Sanctity.]

William Tyler releases new single – “Flight Final.”

Today, the Nashville-based guitarist/composer William Tyler releases his new single “Flight Final” via Psychic Hotline, his first piece of new music since last year’s lauded collaboration with Four Tet’s Kieran Hebden. Written after Tyler left Los Angeles for Nashville in the confused hurry of early 2020, where he left behind most of his recording rig, Tyler rendered new musical sketches with an iPhone and an old tape machine he found while cleaning out his late grandfather’s Mississippi office. He leaned into this admixture of distortions new and old, welding guitar and electronics to connect past echoes to the present.

Tyler’s new single “Flight Final” explores these liminal spaces, with time and tone bending until the whole world blurs. Samples and sequences first spell out a counting game, pulses and numbers phasing into a Steve Reich fantasia for one. But sighing steel guitar and wistful country licks confuse the chronology even more, pulling the seconds apart until they seem to stretch toward forever, an endless horizon of confusion and wonder. This is a soundtrack to realizing that moving forward never entirely means escaping what is behind you. “Final Flight” is also a tease; expect more music from Tyler, exploring these same deep veins, in 2025.

Listen to “Flight Final”

William Tyler Tour Dates
Sat. Sept. 7 – Oxford, UK @ Septembersong
Sun. Sept. 8 – London, UK @ TBD
Mon. Sept. 9 – Bournemouth, UK @ ICA
Wed. Sept. 11 – Bristol, UK @ The Lantern
Thu. Sept. 12 – Falmouth, UK @ The Cornish Bank
Sat. Sept. 14 – Birkenhead, UK @ Future Yard
Sun. Sept. 15 – Todmorden, UK @ The Golden Lion (Early Show)
Mon. Sept. 16 – Newcastle, UK @ Cluny 2
Tue. Sept. 17 – Glasgow, UK @ The Glad Cafe
Thu. Sept. 19 – Lyon, FR @ Sonic
Fri. Sept. 20 – Paris, FR @ Chair de Poule
Tue. Sept. 24 – Middelburg, NL @ De Spot
Wed. Sept. 25 – Haarlem, NL @ Patronaat
Thu. Sept. 26 – Zwolle, NL @ Hedon
Sat. Sept. 28 – Barcelona, ES @ Casa Montjuic
Sun. Sept. 29 – Valencia, ES @ Centro Excursionista
Wed. Oct. 2 – Lisboa, PT @ Bota
Fri. Oct. 4 – Braga, PT @ Generation
Sun. Oct. 6 – San Sebastian, ES @ dabadabass

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[Thanks to Jacob at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Fuzzzel is a new app that provides artisanal white noise made by musicians.

Fuzzzel, the world’s first artist-driven white noise app, has launched today with six exclusive soundscapes from a formidable lineup of independent music visionaries.

Available now in the Apple App Store (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/fuzzzel/id6596783978), Fuzzzel brings a unique artistic perspective to the functional concept of “white noise.”

The initial release of Fuzzzel boasts exclusive pieces from Academy Award-nominated composer Owen Pallett, ambient music icon Eluvium, industrial hip-hop theorists clipping., genre-hopping harp journeywoman Mary Lattimore, mind-bending experimental pianist Kelly Moran and legendary wildlife recordist Chris Watson. Their longform explorations of static, drones, fuzz, wind and spectrum-filling oblivion make Fuzzzel not only a utilitarian sound-making device but a one-of-a-kind creative platform.

Fuzzzel was created by software developer and veteran music journalist Christopher R. Weingarten (New York Times, Rolling Stone), rerouting the demand for white noise into the hands of professionals, sound artists and creatives. Every piece on Fuzzzel is a lengthy, exclusive ambient journey created with the pulse of a human being and the ear of a gifted musician. Each piece — together totaling more than two hours of new music — loops indefinitely alongside a unique video provided by each artist.

Although white noise, brown noise and pink noise are traditionally marketed as tools for self care, Fuzzzel offers no preference or aesthetic suggestions on how you appreciate these works. All of them are equally appropriate for background noise, sleep aid, meditation, concentration, home atmosphere, deep listening, party accompaniment or your everyday music rotation.

“One of my core beliefs about experimental music is that there’s no ‘correct’ way to listen to it,” says Weingarten. “I’ve intentionally left Fuzzzel abstract. Play these pieces quietly or loudly. Use them for daydreaming or for focusing. Use them as ambient noise or as your favorite jams. These are open spaces for the user’s own wants and needs.”

The musicians on Fuzzzel comprise some of today’s most forward-thinking and acclaimed artists, all blurring lines between independent rock, modern classical composition and avant-garde sound art. Over the course of more than two hours of original sound, their drones run the gamut from the delicate to the thunderous. Mary Lattimore creates a fragile soundworld from harp, Moog and copper handbells, while Eluvium summons wave upon wave of churning analog seastorms. Owen Pallett’s piece recalls the wind-battered plains of a Cormac McCarthy novel, while Kelly Moran’s Prophet synthesizer culls the cosmic woosh of classic kosmische. Clipping.’s piece is constructed of the “outer space” backgrounds of their Hugo-award-nominated 2016 sci-fi concept album Splendor & Misery — each ambience represents a different room inside the interstellar vessel where the album’s story takes place. Chris Watson, whose field recordings can be heard on David Attenborough’s beloved Life series of BBC documentaries, provides a blustery audio snapshot of the Spanish peninsula of Cap de Creus, where you can surround yourself in wind gales and birdsong.

“When I started approaching these artists, many of them would tell me that they had already concocted bespoke white noise solutions for their own lives,” says Weingarten. “I’m psyched to bring these personal pieces to the world, and allow people to connect with them in their own ways.”

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Monica at Speakeasy PR.]

Kiasmos release new single, “Sailed,” ahead of new album out this Friday.

Today Kiasmos, the duo of Icelandic composer Ólafur Arnalds and Faroese musician Janus Rasmussen, share a new single from their long-awaited second album, ‘II’, which is set for release on July 5 via Erased Tapes. The single drops ahead of a sold out show at London’s Outernet tomorrow night, with an Autumn show at Troxy already announced for later this year, as well as international headline and festival appearances – dates below.

Following the recently dropped EP “Flown“ and previous single “Burst“, today they share the crisp, delicate atmospherics of “Sailed“, which Arnalds describes as “one of the more playful processes during the making of this record was the creation of Sailed. A no rules kind of affair that resulted in us putting a breakbeat, synthesisers, 808’s, a choir, piano and strings all in the same song. A personal favourite of mine from the record and one I’ve been looking forward to sharing with the world.”

Rasmussen adds: “This song indicated that we had an album ready. It serves as a summary of the work we’ve dedicated to this project over the years. It’s like the essence of Kiasmos in 2024, which excites me. This song has a slightly broken beat, synths, strings, and a lot of tension—to me, it has it all.” Listen to “Sailed”:https://idol-io.ffm.to/sailed
Pre-order/pre-save ‘II’: https://idol-io.ffm.to/Kiasmos-II

When Kiasmos started out in the late 2000s, little did they know that their part-time supergroup would go stratospheric. It was the sound of two old friends from neighbouring islands striking out against the stark piano and electropop music that they were individually celebrated for and effusively sharing their love of Berlin-inspired beats. But their pairing blew up into a world-dominating live act whose music went on to define the decade. So what does one of the most dynamic duos in electronic music do next, after all this time? There are clues in their new artwork: Kiasmos’s distinctive diamond motif, up in flames, so it can rise again from the ashes.

Kiasmos are returning, renewed and restored, with ‘II’. It’s the triumphant followup to their universally acclaimed self-titled debut in 2014, which re-envisioned minimal techno with orchestral flourishes and weightless production. They’d made most of that album in just two weeks; this time it’s been 10 years. The making of ‘II’ was a test of their friendship, but also testament to how great musical chemistry can always go the distance and be just the same as it ever was. “In the beginning, we hadn’t established any sound, so it was easy to write,” says Janus.

On ‘II’ you can clearly hear how Kiasmos have evolved as sonic architects, in the album’s deeper acoustic textures, atmospheric ambience, restless grooves and ambitious string arrangements. Each song on the album is a mini epic, effortlessly moving between electronic, classical and rave, and then pulling back before you’ve had a chance to take a breath. This is Kiasmos – but more widescreen. “It’s bigger, both in sound and production,” says Janus. “The music has matured yet there’s a playfulness to it.”

They worked on a lot of ‘II’ during the lost year of 2020-2021, including a trip to Ólafur’s studio in Bali. “We spent a month there and wrote a few songs that ended up on the record,” says Janus. The pair sampled traditional Balinese percussion like the gamelan and incorporated Janus’s field recordings of their natural surroundings – the sound of birds, crickets and echoing the sunrise over the lush landscape.

Kiasmos have an enviable knack for conveying complex emotions and evocative visuals with instrumental music. But this time they’ve got more experience as producers to draw on. The album’s expansiveness can be linked to Ólafur’s intervening years as a Grammy-nominated composer and prominent soundtracker in film and TV. And they’ve subtly shifted from four-to-the-floor to the frenetic broken beats of UK dance music, experimenting more with BPMs, echoing Janus’s time spent DJing in major venues worldwide.

“It’s emotional rave!” laughs Ólafur. The magic of Kiasmos is also in the cathartic release that can happen at their live shows. “We often talk about the idea of crying on the dance floor,” Ólafur continues. “That’s become our unofficial slogan.” But they also want to keep everyone, including themselves, on their toes. “II is livelier,” says Janus, “but it still retains the signature Kiasmos style of transitioning from a whisper-quiet ambience to an explosive dance beat that can blow your socks off.” Their phoenix is rising from the ashes, and ready to take flight.

‘II’ will be released on July 5th via Erased Tapes. Pre-order here.

Kiasmos live dates:
12.07. Audioriver Festival PL Lodz
13.07. BBK Festival ES Bilbao
26.07. Popmesse CZ Brno
02.08. All Together Now IE Waterfront
10.08. Grape Festival SK Trencin
11.08. Sziget Festival HU Budapest

14.09. Spring Attitude Festival IT Rome
15.09. Milan IT Magnolia
18.09. London UK Troxy
19.09. Paris FR Salle Pleyel
20.09. Cologne DE Stadthalle
21.09. Hamburg DE Reeperbahn Festival
22.09. Copenhagen DK Poolen
24.09. Luxembourg LU den Atelier
25.09. Amsterdam NL Melkweg
26.09. Berlin DE Columbiahalle

12.11. New York US Elsewhere Hall
13.11. Montreal CA SAT
15.11. San Francisco US 1015 Folsom
16.11. Los Angeles US The Regent
17.11. Seattle US Crododile
20.11. Mexico City MX BlackBerry Auditorio
Ticket links: http://ffm.link/tour-dates

‘II’ track list:
1. Grown
2. Burst – stream
3. Sailed – stream
4. Laced
5. Bound
6. Sworn
7. Spun
8. Flown – official video
9. Told
10. Dazed
11. Squared

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[Thanks to Kate at Stereo Sanctity.]

Review: Nathaniel Eras – Omniaglyph 0

The cover image might invoke suggestions that Nathaniel Eras‘ Omniaglyph 0 is going to be a dark metal album, but it’s actually an interesting ambient trance album full of neat synths, modulators, processed beats, and live instruments.

“Ancestral Memory” is a neat instrumental of layered percussion that builds and builds into a hypnotic meditation. “Encrypted Consciousness” brings in sizzling, snappy industrial beats to flow with the New Wave synths to a neat effect.

Then we get to “Architecture of Thought and The Subversion of Language Systems.” It’s haunting and creepy (Those bells and somber piano chords!) and will make a great addition to your upcoming Halloween playlist.

The EP ends with “Routing Systems,” an ultra-slick synthwave bumper that throbs with gristly bass and pulses with machine beats. It leaves you pumped up and ready for action.

I like the way the EP blends ambience with industrial. Not many people could pull that off this well.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Eclectica!]

Prefuse 73 signals “The End of Air” on his upcoming dark ambient album.

Today, pioneering electronic musician and producer Prefuse 73 aka Guillermo Scott Herren releases the new single, “The End Of Air,” from his new album, New Strategies for Modern Crime Vol. 1, out March 22nd on Lex Records. One of the darkest yet cohesive releases of his career, New Strategies for Modern Crime Vol.1 was inspired by Herren’s experiences of living in New York. He reflects: “I’ve lived in NYC since the 90s but I think during the post-COVID era, most ‘media’ has become obsessed with crime statistics and inflated ‘fear’ over basic human needs. I wanted to channel this surreal landscape – where crime has become a strange form of entertainment and journalistic distraction into sound.”

Listen to “The End Of Air”

“I always have a movie or some random visuals playing on mute behind me in the studio,” reveals Herren of his creative process. “It could be horror from any era or just an old Fellini film; they tend to be playing on a loop. I will turn around from the mixing board and just stare at the images to get inspired.”

Talking with the excitement of someone working on their first ever album, the re-energized veteran (once described by Pitchfork as an artist who possessed “a range of emotional grappling usually foreign to instrumental hip-hop”) adds: “It means that when you do finally hear my music, it’s hopefully created in a way that prompts you to see a whole scene play out in your head.”

This cinematic method of creating an enticing gumbo of lost soundtracks, jazz, primitive electronic production and hip hop is especially prevalent on his bold new album, New Strategies For Modern Crime Vol. 1, which sounds like the score for a surreal Robert Siodmak noir set in the year 3000

Whether pairing up MF DOOM and Aesop Rock to have a lo-fi rap existential crisis; bluntly bending an innocent Linda Perhacs psych-folk song about swirling raindrops, so it sounds more like a lost alien signal filtering in from a techno rave on another galaxy; or using the sounds of kids banging their rulers and pencils on a school table to create DIY euphoria and an innovative mimicry of Doug E. Fresh-level beatboxing, Herren (who has also operated creatively under aliases including Delarosa, Asora, and Piano Overlord) has been a consistent innovator. Having collaborated with a diverse array of artists, including MF DOOM, Ghostface Killah, GZA, El-P, Sam Prekop, Helado Negro, and more, his work reflects a constant evolution, with each album offering a new perspective on the intersection of electronic and hip-hop music.

Whether New Strategies for Modern Crime Vol. 1 paints a vivid, Philip K. Dick-esque movie in your mind or not, it’s clear the artist known as Prefuse 73 is continuing to push forward artistically.

Watch Prefuse 73’s “A Lord Without Jewels” Video

Pre-order New Strategies for Modern Crime Vol. 1

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Patrick at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Review: Nick Schofield – Ambient Ensemble

If you’re Nick Schofield, how do you follow up your beautiful ambient album Glass Gallery? Do you create something similar and explore more themes of mediation and presence?

The answer is “Yes,” but you decide not to do it alone this time. On Ambient Emsemble, you get other musicians to join you. You bring in clarinets, violins, vocals, piano, and other folks who click with you right away to create another lovely record that can transport you out of whatever malaise you might be feeling (in my case, at the time of writing this, dealing with COVID).

“Meadow” is a bit of an introduction to the record, almost like a warm breeze coming over a hill. “On Air” makes you feel like you’re floating on it. The clarinet work makes you feel like a bird coasting on air currents. “Hazen” is chilled synthwave with a bit of a dramatic flair.

“Fine Tune” and “Joy Cry” are a bit hypnotizing. You tend to lose a sense of time and space when giving them a deep listen. “Bouquet” puts the orchestral elements at the front and lets them shine. “Mourning Doves” and “Resonant World” are a nice duo, as they almost float together instead of being two separate pieces. The strings on “Heartfelt” are like fog rolling over a mountain lake.

“Picture Perfect” was the lead single from Ambient Emsemble, and it was a good choice. It’s a bit upbeat and a great way to start a morning yoga routine or even just a cup of tea. The plucky strings and flirty flute on “Undertone” are delightful. “Key Bed” closes the album with soft keys and synths, almost like a lullaby.

Scholfield’s knack for transporting you to lovely places within and without is impressive, and this album is another good example of his talents.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Gabriel at Clandestine Label Services.]

Nick Schofield returns with a “Picture Perfect” single.

Distant piano, vintage synths and faded orchestral arrangements resounding in spacious natural reverb. Nick Schofield’s Ambient Ensemble sees the Canadian composer and synth maven expanding his solo practice with an ensemble, adding his signature ambient essence to contemporary-classical and electronic music.

Where his previous two albums (Water Sine, Glass Gallery) were entirely solo endeavours and synth-focused, Ambient Ensemble invites gregarious group play. The compositions feature a chamber ensemble of grounding double bass and sliding fretless flourishes, warm violin and soothing vocals, with convivial accents of clarinet. Compelled by natural elements and intuitive composition, Ambient Ensemble is a refreshing assembly of acoustic works by Nick Schofield.

In January 2020, the album began with patient piano improvisations recorded in a church during deep Canadian winter nights. The sparse piano sketches were then slowed to half-speed and layered with classic Moog and Juno-6 synthesizers. After the project received funding from the Canada Council for the Arts in 2023, the ensemble was formed with luminaries of the Gatineau/Ottawa music scene, featuring Yolande Laroche (voice, clarinet), Mika Posen (violin) and Philippe Charbonneau (fretless electric bass, double bass).

Citing the blissful spaciousness of pioneering new age flutist Joanna Brouk as a central inspiration, Ambient Ensemble lands delicately within the contemporary cannon alongside artists like M. Sage, Blue Lake, Ana Roxanne, and Joseph Shabason.

Regarding his newest single, “Picture Perfect,” Schofield says: “Picture Perfect is my most upbeat ambient song. It features pulsing piano, sparkling synths and swelling string arrangements – all recorded in a church with naturally resounding reverb.

The song is about envisioning perfection, while also recognizing the perfection of the present moment.

This piece shows the trajectory of my music, from working solo with synthesizers to incorporating acoustic instruments with an ensemble.

I wanted to work with acoustic instruments and an ensemble of musicians after hosting a concert series at Resonance Cafe in Montreal (which is sadly now closed) from 2018-2020 called Ambient Ensemble where I invited small ensembles of local musicians to improvise over my ambient music. It was beautiful and playful, full of serene surprises. The series featured so many amazing musicians – I was joined by label-mates Pietro Amato, Michael Feuerstack and Sarah Pagé, as well as Thanya Iyer, Austin Tufts, Eve Parker Finley, Sean Michaels, Alexei Perry Cox, Desert Bloom, Adam Kinner, Sarah Feldman, Justin Wright and many more. This new album is my way to produce the ‘Ambient Ensemble’ concert series on record. I am in love with how the album turned out because it is equally playful, serene and full of surprises that I would have never come up with on my own – just like the concert series.“

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Gabriel at Clandestine Label Services.]

Astrid Sonne gives us a “Boost” with her new single.

Putting a contemporary spin on baroque composition, Astrid Sonne’s music feels at once alien and traditional. The Danish, London-based composer’s output is aloof, yet ornate—a formula that yields itself well to upcoming UK tour dates with beloved dream-pop artist and scene-mate, ML Buch.

Where Sonne’s prior work landed in the experimental, even ambient camp, the new material sees her stepping into both contemporary songwriting and beat driven productions. Her new single “Boost”, premiering on Gorilla vs. Bear today,is a perfect example of the latter, pushing into more eclectic, driving terrain. It opens with woozy synth chords, which give way to pounding drums that filter in and out of murky effects. In the final minute, the track disintegrates into a misty, freeform outro.

“Boost” concludes a run of candidly released material (“Staying here,”“Overture,”“Do you wanna”) from the recently announced album Great Doubt, which notably features the composer’s own voice in a unique blend of quintessential Astrid Sonne productions and a personal take on the art of writing a song. Great Doubt will be released January 26 via Copenhagen’s Escho.

On the single, Astrid Sonne shares: “I made Boost lying in my bed, it’s a quite energetic track coming from a not very energetic place. There’s a sense of release to Boost and a feeling of not caring too much, which can be good sometimes when you need to seek out new settings.”

Astrid Sonne is a Danish, London-based composer and viola player. Throughout her acclaimed discography, Astrid Sonne has been carefully crafting different moods through electronic and acoustic instrumental endeavours. On her forthcoming album Great Doubt, to be released January 26, 2024 via Copenhagen’s Escho, this skill is refined, now with the distinct addition of the composer’s own vocal in front. The tone of each track is unmistakably Sonne’s, structured around contrasts through an impeccable sense of timing. Lyrics on the album are sparse, merely highlighting different scenes or emotional states of being, leaving the music to fill in the blanks. Yet they also form a pattern of ambiguity, consolidated through the album title, searching for answers through looking at how and what you are asking, questions for the world, questions of love.
The viola, a trusted companion since Astrid Sonne’s youth, appears effortlessly throughout the album, fully integrated into the sonic universe; through a pizzicato driven arrangement in the poignant track “Almost” or along with booms and claps in mutated cinematic stabs during “Give my all”, paraphrasing Mariah Carey’s 1997 ballad. Yet the string section also gives way to explorations of woodwinds, counterbalancing the bowed movements with digital brass and airy flutes. Finally, beats and detuned piano are fresh additions to the soundscape, cementing how Sonne’s practice is always evolving into new territories.

Live Dates
2/3 – Oslo, NOR @ Trekanten 2/6 – Copenhagen, DK @ ALICE 2/8 – Aarhus, DK @ PART 2/14 – Barcelona, ESP @ Casa Montjuic 2/15 – Lisbon, PT @ ZDB 2/27 – London, UK @ ICA *2/28 – London, UK @ ICA *2/29 – Bristol, UK @ Strange Brew *3/01 – Manchester, UK @ White Hotel *3/02 – Glasgow, UK @ The Flying Duck *
* = w/ ML Buch

Keep your mind open

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[Thanks to Andi at Terrorbird Media.]