2019 mixes (III): Daniel Guillén

The next part of our series of mixes of 2019's music is delivered by Spanish ambient composer Daniel Guillén, known for his well-received cassette releases as Lunaria and his own name. Daniel is also part of Microphones family and passionate listener and collector of new age and ambient genres, both past and modern. Daniel's selection is full of warmest droning tapestries and coziest contemplative soundscapes, along with nature sounds and, maybe even eco-futuristic visions. 

Tracklist:

01 Lửa - Tôi thấy ~ CHO OYU records

02 Sarah Louise - Daybreak ~ Thrill Jockey

03 Warmth - Wildlife ~ ARCHIVES

04 Tim Six - Crystal Travelling  ~ Virtual Dream Plaza

05 Matt Lajoie - The Center and the Fringe ~ Flower Room

06 Inner Travels - Forest ~ Inner Islands

07 Robert Rich - The Abiding Wheel ~ Self-released

08 Hexvessel - Visions of A.O.S. ~ Century Media 

09 Prana Crafter & Tarotplane - Jagged Mountain Melts at Dawn, Pt.1 ~ Beyond Beyond is Beyond 

10 Skyminds - Morning Way ~ auasca

11 Rem Koral - Purity of Perception ~ ΠΑΝΘΕΟΝ

12 Thom Brennan - Soundgardens Part 4 ~ TMB Soundworks 

13 Max Corbacho - Echo of Longing ~ Silentsun

14 Logic Moon - I See Planets ~ Whitelabrecs

15 Anthéne - Wind Catcher ~ Home Normal

16 猫 シ Corp. & t e l e p a t h - Into the Dream ~ Hiraeth Records

daniel guillen / lunaria at bandcamp

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former selves ~ morriña

former selves ~ morriña (auasca, 2016)

«Morriña, the Galician word from the region in Spain, used to describe an intense longing for something that is no longer there. Like being homesick. Arriving in Spain with no instruments, field recordings from daily walks in the Spanish countryside form the base of this album. Field recordings were arranged into compositions before hitting a single note of an instrument. This is his most unconventional Former Selves release to date». auasca

Indeed, this album sounds unusual. As long-time follower of Former Selves output I can surely tell that. Yet, this is still ambient/drone music, but its aesthetics goes far away from regular "lo-fi cassette drone jams". The way it was created and the resulting sound reminds Dragon's Eye Recordings catalogue and solo works of Yann Novak - the man behind it. Quietly unfolding layers of pure, undistorted drone, subtle presence of field recordings and amazing space between the resonances, which gives huge space for one's imagination. What is hidden behind those hums? Was it river speaking its own language with the sky or dry leaves, whispering stories about summer? Or just bare wind, hiding in the branches? Images are easily replaceable, but sound here keep its own vibe, slowly blending the edges of what we used to call 'reality'. Map is always smaller than territory, but symbolic interpretation of landscape and what it represents (subjectively, of course) may cause a wave of universes, going through one's mind. Or, maybe, mind goes though universes, causing music to be manifested at certain points of space-time? Reflecting on this even for the short time of this cassette playback, one can easily feel that actually his own self is missing, lost somewhere at the journey with these tunes... Which brings us to idea, so beautifully reflected in Paul's project name - Former Selves. Yes, this is exactly who we are. One moment ago, two moments ago... While you thinking of yourself, your 'real' self is already not there. So, probably this Morriña longing that we may feel, is not about something, but, in first place, about our selves.

listen ~ buy