~ sleeping patterns ~

music for sleep ~ opere sole (rosh! records, 2020)

Music For Sleep is Rosh! Records' Andrea Porcu, who's been quite prolific in the last couple of years, releasing some of the best long-form tunes for relaxed activities and, actually, sleeping. Some may come from new age territories, others are more drone-oriented or even in Indian raga style, but overall it's a perfect soundscapes to fill your room and create a relaxed space for your mind and body to rest and re-energize before a new day. On this latest offering, Andrea creates a beautiful lush of nature sounds and gentle synth loops, swirling and spiraling around in the burbling of water, bird songs and crackling of the campfire. Basically, nothing can go wrong with such a recipe as it was proven since the golden years of the New Age genre and it' always nice to see such tunes being released in 2020, when we need those moments of serenity more than ever. 

listen ~ support

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SONYA™ SleepStation ~ self-titled (global pattern, 2019)

Under this funny name comes a really hypnotizing experience of two long-form drones, stylized to resemble the classic New Age cassettes from 80's ~ Program A for relaxation and Program B for sleep: seemingly static, yet slowly oscillating textures, slowly fading silence and going back from it in a cyclic manner if you put your volume setting right. An artifact from the vaporwave realms, proving that the younger generation is no less interested in getting their sleeping patterns treated. At the same time, you can easily imagine some classic guided meditation practice being narrated over any of the cassette sides and that way it will as modern as all the meditation mobile apps getting more and more attention lately. 

listen ~ support

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endurance ~ light leaks (self-released, 2019)

One can do many things using tapes and modular synths but when your mood is set to finding some stillness in the hectic course of days, these are probably the best instruments for creating slowly breathing self-evolving aural organisms, which will require less and give more. The usual minimalism of Japan-based Endurance has been taken even further on this album, which, by the artist's words was meant to serve as a personal background for daily routines. Drowning in tape hiss, textural field recordings and being mostly just a simple set of tones playing an intricate game of interactions that results in harmony, this work proves that things don't really need to be complicated to create a truly beautiful and serene time-place. 

listen ~ support

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KeepSleep ~ Time for bed (ΠΑΝΘΕΟΝ, 2020)

An interesting take on sleeping music is one this cassette by China-based KeepSleep, who defines her genre as ASMR ambient and literally combines elements of both to create quiet and mesmerizing soundscapes full of tiny elements, meant to be perceived in headphones. Unlike classic New Age era binaural programs which were supposed to interact with your brain wave patterns, the ASMR aims to a different ability of our mind to react specifically to the certain sounds, happening in the stereo panorama around our head. And while the science behind that can still be discussed, the tape works perfectly to its name ~ making you feel completely relaxed when it's time for bed. 

listen ~ support

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forest management ~ sleep to dream (distant bloom, 2020)

Forest Management must be no stranger to anyone following the ambient cassette scene, especially considering his super-prolific output, but, more importantly, the sound palette the project creates throughout its releases. Warm drones and gentle melodies appear as if coming from nowhere and fade into the oblivion of tape hiss, capturing the moments of fragile serenity. Yet, it stays there even when the music is over, so it works perfectly even only as a precursory listening before going to bed or simply daydreaming when you got that rare opportunity. A hazy vibe of pleasantly lulling melodic noise, that's what basically this short tape is and somehow it makes every moment of it kind of special. 

listen ~ support

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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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kenji kihara / joe fujinoki / h. takahashi

kenji kihara ~ scenes of scapes (inner islands, 2018)

With every new cassette released by Inner Islands, the world gets a little more peace. It feels absolutely right (though a bit surreal) that peaceful music recorded on tape and released in a small edition can make some impact on the surroundings. Even if no one listens to it, simply the fact of its existence. Maybe it's something in my mind, spoiled with esoteric teachings and drone music, yet it feels true. This album is a seed waiting for the right time. It contains everything needed to become a tree, a huge interconnectedness of colors, juices, movements, powers, stillness, shade, fruits... Between water, earth, and sky, nurtured and strengthened by wind - even until it's death in someone's fireplace, turning into smoke and ash. It will pass along this path once again when you hit play button next time. It's so miraculous if you think about it, music existing in a timeless dimension, though its nature is the time itself. Feels like everytime tape spins unfolding these vibrations to the air, it creates itself from the simple but elegant formula. Starting to sound familiar after a while, yet not exactly same. Maybe I'm going esoteric again but with music like "scenes of scapes", a strong feeling of renewal appears. Like autumn rain washes away summer's dust, the music here releases unnoticeable incense that cleanses the air and body with every single breath. Volatile music with a deep harmony hidden inside. 

listen ~ support

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joe fujinoki ~ or anywhere (πάνθεον, 2018)

After the long sleep comes awakening. The same state of mind, but a different reality – or vice versa? Deepest impressions are like self-containing virtual realities inside our mind – dreams or memories, both can be vivid and alive once you put a bit of energy into them. Every time we remember something it is a new experience and each time our mind adds new details to the picture and, at some point, it's not recognizable – what's was real and what's not... We all know it perfectly, but barely notice such things, used to the way it is. Same goes for music – our memory often holds not the actual sounds we heard and not those sensations in detail, but something quite subtle – we can call an overall mood, yet it's something more elusive than we think. Repetitive sounds and drones are meant to play with this phenomenon, changing the ground behind the given listening habit, putting us into a state of constant levitation. It's melody but it's not, you hear repeating loops, but they're different every time. This tape isn't that psychedelic as it may appear from the thoughts above, but its caries one very prominent quality of minimalist music – the ability to bring much more music than sounds from which it's made of. As well, as memories or dreams. Combined, they produce miracles. 

listen ~ support

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h. takahashi ~ elegy (muzan edition, 2018)

Muzan Editions is another place of admiration for any cassette enthusiast and with H. Takahashi it becomes even more comfortable. Loops and blips, gentle progressions of sound which envelop your head into a high-sensitive web of vibrations. Despite the track names like "Despair" or "Loser", it sounds incredibly chill and cozy, as if you are riding a driverless car which takes you to the pastoral countryside. Let it exist only inside a tiny snowball standing on the mantel. Little connotations of tiny sounds hidden behind the simply pulsating rhythm are like snowflakes on the rearview mirror. You look back and you see no road - it vanishes behind the wheels, turning into a white canvas. This music leaves no traces but same elusive sensations as the sun through the leaves of the trees. Maybe it's something highly subjective, but this elusiveness haunts every time – no need to catch it, no meaning intended. It simply exists for a moment and then it's gone. It's like trying to remember a dream when it slips away. Let it go, you'll have another one again. 

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tim six ~ infinity studies

tim six ~ infinity studies (πάνθεον, 2017)

Disco debut de Tim Six bajo este nombre, Infinity Studies es una colección de drones de factura exquisita y multifacetada. La música se siente artesanal y cuidadosamente confeccionada a partir de instrumentos acústicos (harmonium, shruti-box, santur, flautas, cuerdas), grabaciones de campo y tape loops, todo ello procesado electrónicamente en una alquimia en la que el autor es maestro tras muchos discos de su proyecto Creation VI.

Tras varias escuchas superficiales, me sumerjo por fin en una escucha atenta y absorbida y voy poniendo por escrito las sensaciones e imágenes que recrea en mi imaginación. "Noumenal Hierarchy" me introduce en un mundo de texturas y vibraciones orgánicas que se arremolinan en torno a mí como un túnel de luz de destino incierto pero de cualidad cálida y luminosa que me hace sentir arropado. En "On the Shore", el túnel me deja en la orilla de un mundo astral donde las olas no acaban nunca de llegar al final, en un incesante e hipnótico vaivén que se disuelve plácidamente en una nada que se revela como totalidad. "Towards Totality" pone en marcha un proceso misterioso elevando el tono energético de la conciencia que viaja mediante esa riqueza de texturas, armónicos y distintas profundidades que plantea este orgánico drone hipnótico de muchas capas. Por último, "One Night By Campfire" parece el descanso tras ese viaje a lo ignoto, un lugar de reposo en un mundo luminoso de azules, verdes y colores lechosos, de corrientes energéticas visibles que viven y respiran junto con el agua, las plantas y la tierra. Da la sensación de haber recorrido un largo camino sin haber salido del bosque, que es donde todo empieza. Ahora, todo se ve diferente, todo está vivo y respira, y la luz del fondo es visible.

Gracias Tim por el viaje y las visiones. Infinity Studies fue publicado en un lote junto con Tuluum Shimmering y Mrako-Su y está disponible en el interesantísimo sello que dirige Tim, Π.

listen ~ support

guenter schlienz / alineko / lunar devotion

«"Night Music Bundle" is our new batch of gorgeous ambient & drone music received from great artists around the world! New full-length album by modular synth guru Guenter Schlientz, whose music we are proud to release; huge one-track work by Alineko, whose stellar drones we already had in catalogue; and, finally, long-awaited Lunar Devotion compilation album, featuring many different styles of ambient on one disc, all dedicated to the beauty of the Night! 

Bundle is available in collectors edition - hand-painted wooden box with many inserts, including mandala prints, postcards, moss & custom made star finder» ~ pantheophania

guenter schlienz ~ sterne über der stadt (πάνθεον, 2017)

«Dedicated to the barely visible stars above your home town.» ~ guenter schlienz

In the gleam light of night streets we always see the same. City envelopes us, creating space inside itself, which is almost flat compared to the actual world around. Sometimes it seems that we live inside a dome of glass, like ones from sci-fi books about distant future in post-apocalyptic world. We don't look at the sky, unless it's raining, we are losing the feeling of vastness, of the universal endlessness, which surrounds our little tiny home planet. Cosmos doesn't fit in coordinate system produced by the rows of street lights. But still there are some dreamers, inspired by the blinking stars above the never sleeping towns, bringing the melodies of this elusive beauty, which hides between the city blocks, trembles over the rivers and dissipates in roars of the streets... This exquisite album by our favorite modular synth wizard Guenter Schlienz is a dreamlike journey over the routine of life, perfect companion for late night walks and leisurely stargazing.

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alineko ~ a guide to lucid dreaming (πάνθεον, 2017)

«A lucid dream is a dream during which the dreamer is aware of dreaming. During lucid dreaming, the dreamer may be able to exert some degree of control over the dream characters, narrative, and environment.» ~ wikipedia

Second full-length work by Alineko is an aural excursion to the ancient art of lucid dreaming, personal reflection of the interest in Yoga Nidra and modern dreaming techniques. Being minimalist drone piece only at first glance, «A Guide To Lucid Dreaming» reveals a truly mesmerizing deepness and variety during the listening, unfolding hidden, but always present possibilities of our mind. One may hear choir or orchestra, humming of the wind or murmuring water, distant voices, whale songs, etc. – but nothing of it is present here, only play of perception. This music can be anything: meditation session, simple relaxing background or a truly deep listening experience, depending on the one's mood and surrounding. 

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various artists ~ lunar devotion (πάνθεον, 2017)

Nytt Land, Tmavy Kruh, SiJ, Чайник Болотных Богов, Med Gen, lost-radio, Ugasanie, Sunmoonstar, Gamardah Fungus, Nubiferous, Ongo Oruulaa

«Lunar Devotion» is a long-awaited successor of our «Solar Devotion» release made back in 2014. For this compilation we asked artists for their vision of the Moon and everything connected with it – seasons & cycles, religions & cults, dreams, fantasies, insomnia, cosmic landscapes... All of this can be found on this release, intertwined, slowly changing moods from light ambiences to deepest dark drones and back to purest silver light of our Mistress of the Night.

listen ~ support

creation VI ~ everywhereness / omnipresence

creation VI ~ everywhereness (πάνθεον, 2015)

«Listen to the spring!». pantheon

Quiet album of field recordings and bright impressions collected on different locations in Yaroslavl, Kyiv and Crimea. Small birds and crickets in the steppe, nightingales near Volga shore, soft rain over countryside field, summer bees in the flower garden and warm drones obtained from electric guitar, flutes and voices. Three tracks which would definitely please lovers of slow quiet drones – Celer, Hakobune, Chihei Hatakeyama, etc. Also suits very well for Chinese tea ceremony :) 

listen ~ buy

 

 creation VI ~ omnipresence (πάνθεον, 2015)

«...the river is everywhere at once, at the source and at the mouth, at the waterfall, at the ferry, at the rapids, in the sea, in the mountains, everywhere at once, and that there is only the present time for it, not the shadow of the past, not the shadow of the future» ~ Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha

Two tracks of hindustani raga inspired improvisational drone music performed with Chinese flute hulusi and Indian shruti-box (surpeti) along with some other instruments, effects and voices. Raga for midday sun in the greenwood, music of spring currents of the mighty Volga, song of birches, rushing sweet juice in its branches...

listen ~ buy

ps: both releases are available as one bundle with additional booklet, wrapped in handmade envelope and including download code for previous Creation VI release "Reminiscence" 

mathias grassow & closing the eternity

mathias grassow & closing the eternity ~ self-titled (πάνθεον, 2015)

«Inspired by the astonishing nature of Ural region and folk stories from "The Malachite Box" cycle by Pavel Bazhov, this collaboration between German drone maestro Mathias Grassow and prominent Russian project Closing The Eternity reveals thoroughly crafted aural world, where deep chthonic drones interact with huge ambiences and multiple percussion sounds. Constantly breathing, organic, always changing and yet truly monolithic sound, which tells stories about hidden secrets
of the earth». pantheon

In the deepness of the earth, among the mountain roots, between the sleeping ore deposits, colourful minerals and clear crystals slowly growing... There are empty corridors, dimly illuminated with green light; luxurious halls, decorated with rare gems and mineral patterns, strange stone trees, changing their colours... Who lives there, who owns these treasures of the deep? No one knows the entrance, but at the vernal equinox, in certain hour of night, it opens for a while. Mountain moans under huge starry sky, humming and roaring, startling sleeping birds in the nearby woods, making pine crowns bow to the wind. Ancient spirit emerges among the mossy rocks, crawling its way down, where the village dogs are looking anxiously at the forest edge. Filling with rustles of leaves and chimes of unseen bells, night disguises the mystery and no one knows what exactly happens at this time. Strange lights are wandering between the cliffs, green lizard eyes might sparkle in the dark... Only rays of morning reveal strange trail of gold pebbles and shining gems on the slopes, as if giant snake made a track by its stone scales, scattering the treasures of the underworld.

Limited edition of 77 chrome tapes in handmade packaging
with several inserts.

listen ~ buy

furthers / fellirium / ugasanie & spiral of time

furthers ~ pineal dreamer (πάνθεον, 2015)

«Dedicated to coniferous structures, graceful pinewoods covered with moss, to cypresses shining in the sun along the mountain roads. We name this recording «pineal dreamer» and dedicate it to visionaries and dreamers, to all who draw their dreams and hallucinations from the gifts of the pineal gland. Shamans, dancing in the coniferous forests of their souls, and all kind of unseen creatures that came to us from the fabulous recesses of subconsciousness». furthers

Furthers are duo from Kyiv, Ukraine which music sparkles somewhere behind closed eyelids. Inspired by visionary art and ideas of Rick Strassman, always glorifying nature (especially coniferous, as you may noticed), it sounds like endless jam somewhere in the night woods, under the stars and milky way. With many instruments and effects used, totally improvised, the result may seem a bit lo-fi, but it suits the overall atmosphere very well – we hear the interaction between distant and nearby events, but they all connected by patterns of hallucinatory haziness. Every track has its own story as part one one huge trip through the subconsciousness and some track names give clear images of what is happening there – take "lovely emerald birds and velvet dolphins", for example. Slight touch of experimental new age (of kind that Rainbow Pyramid label releases) and few darker moments will keep your imagination busy. Actually, this music is kind of visionary painting itself, constantly changing, having many layers that become visible only at certain angles. Blissful and thoughtful, full of light and coniferous aromas, 80-minutes continuum to explore.

listen ~ buy ~ download

fellirium ~ mermaids (πάνθεον, 2015)

«Music that reveals horizons of unseen landscapes, silhouettes of sailboats travelling to distant lands, quietly and slowly emerging from the fog and thousands of blooming shades of sea blueness... Silent melodies and clear echoes are woven into net, that gently pulls the sea secrets from abyss of the depths». πάνθεον

Marine theme seems to be very attractive for ambient artists and it's understandable – being kind of impressionism, ambient music tends to natural landscapes, to non-verbal images of serene places and situations. At least brian-eno-type of ambient, when music is more about creating background for disctracted listener, working on subconscious level. You may be not even listening, but the certain effect will emerge afterwards. I always liked the idea, but what is even more interesting, is attentive listening to something that seems just beautiful background. Some ambient music reveals simple synth pad put on hold (and even then it may be interesting!), but Felliruim hides much more than that behind seemingly serene surface of quiet sounds. Subtle acoustic instrumentation and attentiveness to details reveals that work has been done very carefully, still making the result quiet and not too splashy. Marine landscape, that tells a story, image where every details reflects sunlight, like those paintings of Aivazovsky. Not so impressionist after all! Somewhere in between, maybe:  it's hard to put in terms of painting, because music is something always changing. Though, next listening to this disc may give me another impression, different mood and that is a very good thing. With this in mind, I have to say that Fellirium's "Mermaids" is no less, than a great example of pure ambient music.

listen ~ buy ~ download

spiral of time & ugasanie ~ in the aftersounds of echo (πάνθεον, 2015)

«Damp air of this cloudy day hovered over the grey stones, becoming a trap for sounds, even hum of sea waves crashing on the rocks seemed to be inexpressibly farther. Beside the fog only stones were visible and the grass under one's feet, also fingertips felt the rough texture of labyrinth stone walls. Curving all the time it led away and further, freeing head from thoughts, taking away fears and memories...» πάνθεον

Here everything goes a bit darker. Siberian project Спираль Времени (Spiral of Time) was simply obliged to release a collaborative album with Ugasanie – both artists are so good in transmitting vibrations of archaic and still unknown North, that every time you listen to them, your subconscious begins to pull some words and symbols from the depths of collective memory, drawing strange signs before the eyes. Balancing between classic dark ambient formulas and electronic shamanism, Ugasanie crafts his music in own distinctive style known for his releases at Cryo Chamber label. But this part goes later on the disc, while Spiral of Time fills first five tracks with foggy aural substance holding on something what seems to be neoclassical instrumentation. You may feel cold, drenched and freezing – just like Stalker in Tarkovsky movie, – but there are some romantic about that for sure. And right when you start to feel little more comfortable, Ugasanie leads you into thick forest where archaic magic creatures rule. Just read track names: "mermaid's slough", "other side of the mushroom"... Yes, these mermaids are not those cute ones from Fellirium's album – but Russian wild-forest-kind ones, be careful!

listen ~ buy ~ download