turner williams jr.

turner williams jr. - ensoleillée (les disques omnison, 2023)

aunque solo fuera por la portada☀️...pero: 'galaxie á 8h'.

el resto es, casi, igual de bonito. alabama soul, avant/appalachian-folk de la pradera con cítara india. vinilo artesanal limitado a 100 copias, con el sol pintado de diferente color. pero ya no quedan...

"Alabama-born musician Turner Williams Jr. (now based in Marseille) manages to pay respects to the rich tradition of American folk music whilst adding his own unique spin, indebted to years spent travelling and living overseas.  His instrument of choice, the Shahi baaja, is an electrified Indian zither that is rich in overtones and timbre.  Each of the six pieces here eschew any typical song structure in favour of cylindrical forms, relying on heavy use of repetition and time-based effects to create a sound that is rich both in improvisation and atmospherics.  It’s an odd cultural hotchpotch that’s difficult to place, feint echoes of Celtic hammered Dulcimer (Dorothy Carter) or Michael O’Shea’s geographical dislocated Mo Chara pieces via the traditional Appalachian folk of Basho / John Fahey, Pierre Jean Croset’s shimmering harmonic lyre recordings or the most recent hit from Megabasse.  Limited to 100, very handmade." all night flight records

"Where does Turner Williams Jr. fit ? Let's put it this way: in a lineage where the history of strings, via folk but not only, goes back to Roscoe Holcomb and John Jacob Niles (it doesn't matter if they don't play exactly the same instruments, or if they built them themselves or not), before it was extended by John Fahey, Robbie Basho, Peter Walker, or enriched by Sandy Bull's own effects, with whom the Appalachians, India or the spirit of certain Celtic-influenced ballads cohabit seamlessly with repetitive, and why not noisy, structures. Of the latter, Turner Williams Jr. continues the syncretism from Marseille, where he has lived since leaving the United States and his native Alabama. In fact, his instrument of choice, the shahi baaja, is of Indian origin, which explains why some of his many limited-edition recordings evoke a fantastical Orient. What's more, although the shahi baaja is played from a sort of retro-futuristic typewriter keyboard, its strings are akin to the dulcimer and the Vosges spruce, providing a link between his homeland, Japan, France and Pakistan - among others. The drone and sympathetic strings, reminiscent of the bulbul tarang once electrified, are reminiscent of Michael Flower, Hans Reichel's daxophone or - above all - the self-produced cassettes of the duo Davey Williams and LaDonna Smith."

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rest in paradise, Iasos

 

Iasos ~ 1947-2024

some of you may already know that last saturday, jan 6th, New Age legend Iasos passed away. he's considered one of the creators of new age music as we know it, especially the electronic kind. his music set up a vibe for several generations of spiritual music makers. 

from the very beginning of his career Iasos claimed that he's only a medium for the higher-dimensional being named Vista with whom he was in telepathic contact his whole life. Vista is an enlightened being whose main occupation is to play music over our whole galaxy. the mission of Iasos on Earth was to translate this music into something humans can perceive and to elevate our consciousness to the higher planes. you may believe him or not about this connection or about recording an actual fairy laughter or many his other cool stories, but for me and many others, Iasos' music was a huge inspiration and influence. from ambient to vaporwave, his trademark otherworldly tunes are echoing for almost 50 years now... 

but what is time? just an illusion. it all happens now, and it is now Iasos plays this angelic music for the first time, it is now you're listening to it, it is now Iasos is united with Vista and Crystal in their beautiful purple-shaded world. and it's only a rest point for him towards the diamond center of the universe... 

thank you for everything, for your music and the way you laugh especially =)

watch Iasos trippy music videos

listen on bandcamp

visit iasos.com
(for lots of awesome new age content)

 

günter schlienz

 

günter schlienz - orph​é​e aux enfers (moon glyph, 2020)

"On "Orphée aux Enfers", Schlienz combines his synthesizers with numerous acoustic instruments: viola, strings, piano, voices and undefined textures. Bringing in these acoustic sounds allowed Schlienz to collaborate with many musicians lending their unique talents. The results are hypnotizing, a casual stroll through a wash of otherwordly melodies and unique soundscapes of looped voices, circular strings and resonant synthesizer passages. There’s a sophistication and light touch across "Orphée aux Enfers" giving the album it’s purposeful aesthetic and casual grace."

"Orphée Aux Enfers is a comic operetta and satirical treatment of the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus by French composer Jacques Offenbach. The classic story of Orpheus concerns a renowned musician who is so distraught over the death of his wife, Eurydice, that he attempts to rescue her from the Underworld, the place of the dead. It’s a myth of enduring love between Orpheus and Eurydice that has inspired artists, writers and composers such as Günter."

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günter schlienz - hundstage (blue marble 1972, 2023)

Günter Schlienz, a DIY synth wizard from Stuttgard, has released numerous tape, CD and vinyl editions under his own name since 2010, and gathered quite a fanbase looking for cosmic sonic textures. His latest offering "Hundstage" is miles apart from the minimalist debut, "The Sardinian Tapes". Over the years he added new sonic elements to his collection of DIY modular synth sounds. On "Hundstage" you can hear lots of various percussions, both male and female voice, acoustic piano, guitar + the usual synth/field recordings combo. The 9 track presented on the album have both nostalgic and contemporaneous feel to them, as if they exist outside of time. They may both appeal to listeners of original krautrock electronica, such as Cluster or Harmonia, and also those seeking similar atmospheric vibes to Grouper, William Basinski or Taylor Deupree. "Hundstage" is almost an hour of real cosmic music for astronauts who can't leave the Earth.

This edition is strictly limited to 200 copies.

primera hornada del recién estrenado sello polaco y nada más y nada menos que con Günter. así cualquiera :)  últimamente no dejo de pensar que Günter Schlienz, workaholic sin remedio y talento sinfín, es el planeta alrededor del cual han orbitado multitud de artistas y sellos minúsculos desde hace unos años, con ese bonito resurgir de las cintas de cassette y los vinilos comestibles. un diálogo entre lo moderno y lo ancestral que asimila e invita a participar en sus discos con su proverbial humildad. porque este disco (y Orph​é​e aux Enfers) para mí, significan una suma de su poliédrica personalidad. en ambos encontramos esencialmente todo: la calidez y melancolía del jazz, la experimentación sonora añadiendo voces (Ronnie Oliveras, Ruth-Maria Adam, Elisabeth von Stritzky y Teresa Smolnik), guitarras, saxo, field recordings, platillos jazzy, el crepitar de la aguja, hasta un theremin que supongo será su sinte modular y que tanto me recuerda a Clara Rockmore.. es que hay de todo. esa libertad musical que también y tan bien borda en 'husdstage', lienzo experimental que destila un sonido evocador, fluido y emocionante. pero, sobre todo, un sonido que reconoces al instante como suyo, inconfundible. destaco ese interludio library music evocador hasta el infinito que es 'don't look back', la temblorosa intro de 'eurydike' (en mi mundo particular de asociaciones les halles meets la sinfonía nº 40 primer movimiento de Mozart (!) (cuenta la leyenda: un 'tape loop' hecho con una cinta comprada de segunda mano cuyo carrete no estaba etiquetado correctamente, solo ponía "mozart" escrito a mano en su caja...visualizo ese momento perfectamente), 'winterreise' (ay..Low), la preciosíma 'ostereierfarbene lampions' y esas dos barbaridades llamadas 'erdfarbene ewigkeit' (harmonia!) y 'sirius' (debilidad).

acerca de Orfeo en el Inframundo...me encanta lo que dicen en su página de bandcamp, que Günter ha compuesto un disco como una obra de teatro mudo, sumamente narrativo sin decir una sola palabra. yo digo que algún día alguien dirá lo afortunados que fuimos quienes vivimos en tiempo real la evolución de un músico así. tendrá razón, pero lo que importa es que esta música está hecha para quedarse, la escuchemos ahora o dentro de veinte años.

(para no perder las viejas costumbres y puestos a soñar...una colaboración en el futuro de Sam Jones (Inspired School of Astral Music), Miaux y Günter. si tuviera un sello sería mi primer split. en vinilo. no puedo imaginar algo más bonito ^^. tampoco hay manera más bonita de dar la bienvenida al 2024) 

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smolnik & schlienz

  smolnik & schlienz ~ smolnik & schlienz (cosmic winnetou, 2021)

"teresa smolnik delivers her stories with alto voice and proper cries, with spoken words and quiet whispers, with eloquent passion and deep human wisdom. günter schlienz delivers his modular emissions and tape wrengling madness. together they walk into surreal landscapes full of hate and anger, love and redemption. voice & synth mash-up on colored vinyl. for your stereo, for your mind."

 teresa smolnik, voice; günter schlienz, synthesizer, tape machine, field recording, found sound.

 "Is all that we see or seem but a dream within a dream? Teresa Smolnik and Guenter Schlienz push thoughts to this question posed by Edgar Allan Poe over one hundred and seventy years ago. Music formed from ambient drifts. Sonic mass shaped like mountains reaching misty pinnacles of piano notes drifting away into the atmosphere. Stories softly sung and spoken, whispering thoughtful observations with a love filled emotion for the most obscure details. Birds chirping on communication lines, unaware of countless conversations of joy and sorrow beneath their talons. This composition simply titled Smolnik & Schlienz gently ignites the fractures of reality. The glowing details of small cracks and crevices reveal infinite worlds within minuscule dimensions. Inner beauty asking listeners to hear the dreams within and question who is listening to us.

...this is a cosmic winnetou release in a very limited edition of one hundred. very surprised to be describing this composition and still have copies available to purchase. the vinyl is transparent with multi colored splatter. a beautifully done album in both presentation and sound." lost in a sea of sound

a día de hoy me cuestiono sobre la necesidad de escribir sobre música, pero claro, aparecen discos tan bonitos y lo que más me apetece es compartirlos. y el caso es que sí, quiero (siempre desde la emoción más que de la reflexión). smolnik & schlienz es un disco en duermevela (¿es todo lo que vemos o parecemos solo un sueño dentro de un sueño?), otra muestra de irrealidad de un mago que siempre hace música desde el otro lado, un monumento a las sensaciones sobrenaturales: la trompeta de 'calliope calls' me pone los pelos de punta y me recuerda al clima y la atmósfera de "angel heart"....estamos en Nueva Orleans, 1955. y poco más puedo decir de esta maravillosa conexión entre la voz recitada de teresa y el sintetizador, las grabaciones de campo y los 'sonidos encontrados' de günter.."una tarde embriagada de armonía"...y tanto que sí. (p.d.: suscribo lo que dice lost in a sea of sound: sorprende que todavía queden copias de este vinilo transparente tan bonito por dentro y por fuera. hay que hacer algo. es lo que se suele llamar la guinda del pastel.

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monopoly child star searchers

 

 monopoly child star searchers ~ barbados wild horses (pacific city sound visions, 2023)

"Recorded on a Banana and Mango Plantation in Tenerife. Featuring Cameron Stallones of Sun Araw on Track 2 and 3. Recorded by Dani Tupper. Special thanks to Dani's Dog Unga for holding it down for the Pound Puppys forever! Stay High forever Unga! Dedicated to my minds response to the majestic Martian province of the great god Teide, and his shadowed reflection on the salted wild surf of WILD POINT PUNTA BRAVA. Dedicated to all Wild Beings everywhere and compassion for those locked down in this beast, trying to find solace and freedom within the MIND!"

"grabado en una plantación de plátanos y mangos en Tenerife". algo así solo podría venir de ese loco encantador llamado Spencer Clark, quien  lleva muchos años (y ahora con Sun Araw en dos canciones de las cuatro que forman el disco) acercándonos a su mundo desconocido, utópico, donde mezcla su pasión por la ciencia ficción con los sonidos tropicales de la jungla. el Cuarto Mundo, que diría Jon Hassell, para quien la idea de la música de ese Cuarto Mundo era como "un regreso y un paso adelante al mismo tiempo", el mismo en el que habita Spencer Clark, pero añadiendo sus peculiares tonalidades alienígenas.

"Barbados Wild Horses" es mi disco preferido de todos los que ha hecho hasta ahora (y eso es decir muchísimo) porque, sin entender nada de producciones, me parece el mejor producido, el más fluído, igual de lo-fi, igual de alucinado, pero cristalino, agradable, como si todo estuviera más cohesionado. una jam tropical sin fin. para muestra, 'upper romántico', juego de encajes múltiples de percusiones tropicales, loops, voces. las repite y las repite en busca de no se sabe qué, tal vez la puerta del futuro para reinventar un pasado que solo existe en su imaginación. 

"...seguramente me influenciaron las terrazas volcánicas y la sensación de playa natural, pero claro, es como cuando Max Ernst entró en Nuevo México y descubrió que algunos de sus paisajes mentales realmente existían allí. Hay una parte de mí que entiende que mi futuro siempre me ha estado llamando y que termino en lugares según el elenco de mis sueños."

me produce mucha curiosidad su persona, en su sello pacific visions edita los discos más raros y fascinantes que te puedas imaginar. tampoco sé cómo definirlo por mi falta de autoría en la materia (hay que entender mucho para adivinar sus singularidades!), pero es esa estética de los 80 y principio de los noventa, las cintas de vhs y miami vice que, no sé porqué, relaciono también con Palmbomen, lo que me llama la atención. en su sello ha publicado la banda sonora imaginaria de Tradewinds, por ejemplo, o un disco de Keith Fejeran que me tiene muy intrigada...algo me dice que es el propio Spencer dando rienda suelta a su vena más romántica. esa estética y esos teclados/percusiones a lo 'detective en hollywood meets spandau ballet meets devendra meets ariel pink. escuchad si no "closer to you". qué maravilla.

listen ~ support

blod

 blod ~ livets ord (aguirre records, 2022)

"Low-key synth & keyboard studio album by Swedish all-rounder Gustaf Dicksson. Limited edition of 300 copies with insert.

From the early days of the found-sounds recordings (like the downright scary Unga Röster album and the hilarious Mandys Bil 7"), the homespun kitchen recordings/tape collages of the still-going Idiotmusik series to the more carefully elaborated and precise Leendet Från Helvetet and Knutna Nävar albums, the massive Livets Ord dropped like a bomb when it originally surfaced as a self-released cassette in 2018.

Heavily based on synths and keyboards and clocking in on no less than close 70 minutes over 4 LP-sides, this is arguably THE epic album from the cluster around the Förlag För Fri Musik empire. Gustaf Dickssons' fascination for christianity/religious assemblies shines through once again, the title Livets Ord ("The word of life") derived from the Swedish free church/sect with the same name that was based in Uppsala between 1983-2013 and casting a pastoral shadow over the ambient music of the album. While dabbling with a long tradition of kosmische musik and private-pressed new age wonders, Blods now patented sound of a Björn Isfält-gone-sour still lingers throughout the entire recording. A cornerstone in contemporary Gothenburg underground music. Featuring guest appearances by Emelie Thulin and Jerker Jarold."

hay discos cuyas portadas y un cierto aura de misterio y melancolía te atraen como un imán. me pasó, por ejemplo, con 'of the dreams and ambitions' y me pasa con blod. ves a esa niña meditando en un árbol, la tipografía, suena la primera nota y ya sabes que será un disco especial por lo que representa y simboliza. apareció originalmente como una cinta autoeditada en 1988, "piedra angular de la música underground contemporánea de Gotemburgo" y aguirre records nos la trae en forma de doble vinilo comestible: trombones, flautas y sintetizadores subterráneos y un no sé qué (la hipnotiquísima 'trygghet') que me recuerda a todo lo que tenga que ver con Sam Jones de la inspirada escuela de la música astral. algo me dice que volveré muchas veces a 'livets or'... otro de esos discos que te inspiran y te recuerdan por qué a veces necesitas compartir la música que te gusta.

"el enigma sueco de culto Blod trabaja su magia sintética con muchas notas equivocadas en los lugares correctos, en momentos como Dominique Delawree con algunos dedos mordisqueados o Goodiepal regresando a su forma anterior como chamán alienígena. Zonkers modales totales."

listen ~ buy

golden brown

 

golden brown ~ weird choices (inner islands, 2023)

“Weird Choices”, Stefan Beck’s third release with Inner Islands as Golden Brown, sees Beck taking decidedly different approaches from last year’s “Luminous”. Whereas “Luminous” featured a very guitar-centric palette, these new pieces focus on augmenting the familiar guitars with keys, synths, and electronics in favor of more spacey compositions. These tracks also grew out of experiments with compositional duration as Beck elaborates, “I started a practice of making these miniatures - one to two minute long songs that still felt fully formed and expressive but simple and concise.” Glass Frog, Larvae, Worm Charming, Milton Banana, and Busted Crystal were all realized under that intention.

The longer pieces feature some of the familiar fingerstyle and slide guitar that listeners to Beck’s previous work may be acquainted with. These pieces, by and large, are layered improvisations that conjure floating moods, untether to the terrestrial. The final piece, Olas/Ondas, features a similar approach to the tracks on “Luminous” by using field recordings as a springboard for further extemporizations based on the feel and events of that space. In this case Beck used recordings from a trip to Anini Beach in Kauai to influence the gently cascading piece.

The novel “The Actual Star” by Monica Byrne played a significant role in shaping the mental images and mood that Beck was feeling while recording the album. Beck explains, “part of the book takes place in a future where society collapsed from climate change and had to be adapted/reformed by those who survive. The way they live in that future is through near constant global migration, stopping in refuges along the way for shorter periods of time. It sounds kind of bleak but is actually a more hopeful vision of the future than what our current trajectory looks like.” And related to these ideas of possible imminent futures, the title of the album acknowledges our present; he says it encapsulates “all the maddening aspects of daily life in the last few years that we have to process and compartmentalize just to go about our daily business. Do I choose to go about my day like normal in spite of the ongoing escalating climate crisis? How do I respond in my daily life to the erosion of our civil rights and rising fascism? Do I see my loved ones in spite of an ongoing pandemic? I guess the phrase just kind of stuck with me as we have come to accept as normal circumstances that are anything but.”  

 

 

...y hablando de günter schlienz y de sellos que para nuestra felicidad siguen incansables editando discos, he aquí la nueva cinta de cassette de golden brown (en realidad hay un disco todavía más reciente también editado en Inner Islands) que, sin abandonar su guitarra acústica (mucho más presente en el preciosísimo wide ranging wider) es como si emprendiese la senda modular de günter schlienz ('glass frog'!). o a lo mejor es que siempre estuvo ahí, escondido entre las olas y las grabaciones de campo al estilo 'wave temples' o x.y.r. hoy me invade la nostalgia, pienso en aquellos tiempos en que no perdíamos de vista ninguna de las cintas editadas en inner islands, o cuando aterrizó en mi correo uno de los primeros discos de golden brown y no daba crédito a que un disco tan sencillo y tan bonito llegase a mí  como caído del cielo. al final, casi siempre, todo está unido, sellos y grupos revoloteando en un mismo micro universo. 'weird choices' es bruce langhorne, es james blackshaw, es cosmic winnetou, hasta incluso es 'sea bed meditation' ('milton banana'). library music meets jack rose. podría haber hablado de cualquier otro de sus discos, pero esta portada marrón café me enamoró al instante y no me equivocaba, lo que hay dentro es un tesoro. y si no, escuchad 'olas/ondas'. no imagino mejor epílogo...en rotación eterna (qué a gusto se está ahí y qué frío cuando se acaba).

listen ~ buy

günter schlienz

  

guenter schlienz ~ music that glows in the dark (eiderdown records, 2022)

"The text accompanying the new album includes a lovely short poem by 18th century German mystic, philosopher, and author Novalis, which is translated below, serving as an illuminating window into the mindset behind the hypnotizing music.

“Which living, sensual person doesn’t love all the miraculous phenomena of the widespread space around him, the joyful light?” – Novalis, “Hymns to the Night”

Joyful light indeed. A lovely thought, each developing a greater love and appreciation for that which surrounds us all, for space itself.

With “Music That Glows in the Dark”, Schlienz uses tapes and field recordings with his own homemade modular synthesizers and electric organ to achieve complete weightlessness, strange personal lullabies for lonely aliens. The word “Glühwürmchen” from one of the track titles might offer a clue, which can be translated as “firefly”. free form freakout

Qué alegría comprobar que sellos como Eiderdown siguen editando música después de tantos años, en cassette y ahora también en vinilo, para nuestro deleite. Y en especial esta cinta de nuestro querido Günter Schlienz, cuyo título tan acertado y que dispara la imaginación es la única descripción posible: música que brilla en la oscuridad, elaborada con el mimo y la dedicación propia del artesano que es. Onírica, extraterrestre, emocionante. En Glühwürmchen Symphonie in C se incorporan unos platillos, en Der Große Bär Und Ich hay lugar como siempre para el sonido ululante y ballenil del sintetizador modular cual platillo volante. Y en "Pecata Mundi", tan parecido pero tan diferente a todo lo que ha hecho hasta ahora, tocamos el cielo: la misteriosa voz de David Colohan, un piano le acompaña. lo que sigue es indescriptible, como si las almas de la orquesta del Titanic siguieran tocando bajo el océano, como si descubriéramos algo desconocido a través de lo conocido. Una perspectiva alternativa de la realidad. Grillos, el eco de unas voces que descienden desde el cielo, qué sé yo. Günter siempre me impacta lo suficiente como para necesitar volver aquí y recomendarlo, de hecho podría ser su mejor disco si no fuera porque casi todos sus discos pueden serlo.

...y cómo de bonita sería una edición en vinilo, color azul índigo, o color azul cobalto.

buy ~ download

 

norm chambers

 

N Chambers ~  Palms​/​La Mer​/​Horizons (Cosmic Winnetou, 2022)

 "I know where Norm Chambers lives because I have visited him. In his lovely house with a big garden surrounding it. We had a barbeque there, right besides the magic hut. This hut is emitting music since decades. Nobody ever investigated this miracle. Norm just patts his dog and smiles. 

It is time to celebrate norm's outstanding electronic music. now and forever." Günter Schlienz

 

buen viaje sweet Norm

listen/buy/dream

~ interstellar communications ~

timelash ~ timelash (hareakedod, 2020)

"Timelash is the freshly erupted synthesizer & SFX duet of Embassador Dulgoon (Nonlocal Research) and Corum (Psychic Sounds / Million Brazilians). Together they reveal new sound forms by playing with primeval motifs contrasted sharply against unfolding futuristic developments. The result is a simultaneous listening experience of ancient and alien settings told through their unique rhythm of language by mood-driven atmospheres, exotic tones, and electrifying sci-fi Cumbia jolt." ~ hareakedod 

Even though the labels description gives away pretty much everything you need to know about the cassette, it also worth mentioning if you're still not a fan of both Embassador Dulgoon and Grant Corum, then this collab is a perfect entry point to a prolific output of both channellers of the alien wisdom. Just google their bandcamp pages and take a nice trip into holographic juxtaposition of archaic rituals, sacred geometry, modern technologies to proceed into psychedelic exploration and further development of the human race. Of course, you may talk to some McKenna or Leary entities along the way, probably visit Pleiades and receive some cryptic messages from Sirius star system ~ and definitely will be seeing more signs and repeating numbers ever since. But don't rush to the pyramids to meet your higher-density brothers, first you need to realize that due to the holographic nature of the Universe you are the pyramid (to some degree) and you are the spirit molecule (on a certain level) and many, many other things, including this very cassette. The fact that you're reading this (yes, this) and listening to these tunes is not a coincidence. There are no such things. Only patterns, and you'll see some in this music as well.  Watch closely, while the the portal is open.

listen ~ support

• • •

shamane ~  always in love (2020)

"This is shamane's first project in a series of healing albums. This music can be used for healing, meditation, reiki, or balancing chakras. Thank you so much for listening to it and i hope that it will give you guidance in your healing / meditation practice. Thank you for the love you give to the music that returns in infinite permutations. Thank you so much for the love in the music. Thank you so much" ~ shamane

One of the recent transmissions from the outlandish body of work by popular culture's shamane is a good entry point to his multi-faceted acid-warped world if you're mostly an ambient fan but don't mind discovering yourself enjoying heavy trap beats drowned in a perfectly zoned-out pools of vivid synths and half-cetacean / half-alien / half-pixie rapping over it all. Oh, wait it's three halfs, how is that even possible... well, here it is. Okay, on this very album it's all subdued into astral plane and all mostly just aftersounds of what shamane music can be, but believe me, this medicine can make you just a little bit prepared to anything else which can be heard on that bandcamp page. Yet even if you go no further, that short ambient work is perfect enough on its own. Gnomes playing flutes from a window of a flying saucer hanging over the crystal clear lake full of glowing fish... Just a glimpse, there's much more. Oh, and if you happen to know any cetacean language, that's an advantage!

listen ~ support

• • •

 vi0let lightb0dy ~ cosmic trigger (global pattern digital services, 2020)

 ~ rejoice, people of planet earth! ~ pleiadian starships are coming ~ all starseeds are prepared ~ it's time for the transition ~ gpds

Next chapter of our journey leads us deeper into far out zones of the New Age mythology, where it was tightly merged with UFO cults and conspiracy theories... well, probably since the very beginning. Channelled wisdom of our space brothers and sisters radiates here through the short vignettes of hazy media taken off instructional tapes, home videos of UFO enthusiasts and new age apostles but also constantly gets interrupted with advertisements, creepy documentaries, news reports, weather channel muzak... Which obviously simulates an experience of watching the TV at some late hours and randomly browsing the channels ~ and all of them for some reason are UFO and New Age themed... Maybe that's just California in the 90s where Unarius Academy and Heaven's Gate are on the same street? Or it's some parallel (yet pretty close) universe, where society got into all that stuff much deeply? Maybe it's already ruled by Pleiadians in peace and harmony now, after their promised arrival in 2012? While our timeline is lingering in this absurd post-capitalist agony... Who knows, who knows. One may wonder. And wander ~ preferably in space.

listen ~ support

• • •

star searchers ~ avatar blue (pacific city sound visions, 2020)

"A 30 Track 2 hour plus dive into our parallel hidden Earth Ocean World using the Previsual approach of Movie Making FX digested into a musical language that approaches the identity of the Swimming Motions of Earth's Aquatic Life." ~ pacific city

Okay, dear follower ~ if you got that far, then you must be ready for the next initiation stage. Of course, you must've been by now aknowledged with the teachings of the great starseed master Spencer Clark and his extensive exploration of the higher density worlds, starting from tropical utopias and hellish media entities ~ and now entering the watery realm of the Avatar Blue. Obviously rooted in the studies of our planet's hydrosphere and its meta-language, the waveforms on this document should be used carefully in order to operate harmoniously in the higher dimensional hierarchy. Technologies the neophite must perfect in order to proceed to the avatar realm, include sacred geometry classes, Atlantean channelings and meditation techniques, stable telepathic connection with cetaceans, and, of course, fully activated lightdobies. Exceptional bliss and epiphany awaits those who enter fully prepared. I'll say no more from now, the path is yours.

listen ~ support

• • •

~ for the better future ~

Greetings, dear friends of the Microphones, we hope you are well and wish you and your beloved ones a safest scenario possible through all the dangers of today's situation. As always and even more than usual we believe that music is a perfect inspiration and a tool to keep your mind clean and open, to see through all the mist, to be well in body and spirit and keep moving towards the better future of humanity! Below is a selection of tunes we've been enjoying recently and wanted to share with you and hope you'll love them and share further. Sharing is caring and love is the way =)

solar cell kid ~ penguin island (stellar beams, 2020)

 "Each of these pieces was edited down from long improvisations at home, recorded late at night during October 2019. No computers, no multi-tracks, no sequencers, no overdubs" ~ solar cell kid

Gentle minimalist meanderings of synth arpeggios, vivid drones and transparent pads. Freely flowing jams of calm contemplation, the glimpses of summer childhood memories, careless joy of simply being... Music which is like air or water ~ just emerging from infinity for a while to simply go back into nowhere again, yet leaving a pleasant afterglow in your neurons. A must-listen for fans of Deep Magic or Sundrips kind of jam. Calming yet playful enough to keep you awake, watching your own movies on the backs of your eyelids.

listen ~ support

• • •

tristan magnetique ~ 2 (cosmic winnetou, 2020)

"tristan likes the limits of one single vintage keyboard combined with a four track tape recorder. he says that the pedals are crucial, and he likes to stare out of the window while playing his music. so much to discover." synthesizer music to be played on your walkmen while wandering through inner worlds. watch the steps while humming along." ~ cosmic winnetou

A new offering of warm and soulful synth tunes from Cosmic Winnetou (we highly recommend getting the whole batch), featuring new jams by Tristan Magnetique whose synth drones and minimal textures are collaged here with some field recordings, apparently found sounds from tapes or TV/radio, building a hazy yet comforting vision of some distant times/places, existing probably just in one's head and at the same time in the infinite number of parallel universes. And who knows, are those fruits of Tristan's imagination or they are visions of those worlds, approaching through music, using it as a higher-dimensional portals... And if Tristan is an imaginary persona too, then how many layers of imagination we are dealing here with? And how many of them we can create ourselves... One may wonder, of course ~ and this tape offers a best soundtrack for that kind of activities.

ps: also check the newest Guenter's cassette at beautiful new label Cosima Pitz. 

listen ~ support

• • •

starbirthed ~ verdant pastures (flower room, 2020)

With love, in love, we hold a vision of higher harmony and unity. A paradise of communion and compassion among all beings, with cooperative consciousness informing our relationships with each other and the natural world that fosters us. ~ flower room  

With this offering from the evergreen gardens of Flower Room Records we enter the vibrational spaces of meditative bliss produced with droning synths, psych-folkish guitars and beautiful reverberations taking your mind to a journey to the center of yourself which (of course) coincides with the center of the universe, if you dare to go deep enough. With these sounds and a proper mindset it becomes as easy as breathing ~ which is a treasure in times like these. Full of anahatic bliss, this album can be used in many ways actually, as it just soaks everything with love and harmony. Set you doubts and skepticism aside for a moment and plunge deep into these syrupy envelopes of the green! And when you done swimming, be sure to check out the Chakra series of guided meditations released at Flower Room through the past several months ~ it's a top notch material for further self-explorations and balancing your life. 

listen ~ support

• • •  

dang olsen dream tape ~ into theta
(plastic response records, 2020)

"Our journey here has timebinded elements that span the breadth of our current Dream Tape's incarnation. Sounds that were captured even before this incarnation's inception, just like all the events that happened before you were born that somehow have given your existence a shape, like a tree growing thru a fence, like the cosmic resonance that holds an atom together. Close your eyes, breathe the love of the lovers breath and Dream Forever"~ plastic responce rec.

For his new album, Dang Olsen (whose tape you could probably remember from Constellation Tatsu catalog) created a more refined and serene landscape of beautifully arranged patterns of playful melodies, loops, spatial effects and other things which seem to happen not just in headphones or speakers but partially in your head. At least it feels so in like 5 minutes in and further. Elusive vibes which still keep you gliding slowly through the slightly warped visions and exotic sensations. Staying on a bit weirder side than usual new age tape, it's still a pretty nice soundtrack to finding an inner peace and just being there for a while ~ to see that world didn't fell apart while you was out of it.  

listen ~ support

• • • 

voyage futur ~ inner sphere (vill4in, 2020)

"Voyage Futur is a project from Vienna, influenced by the valley of the sun, the sounds of the dawn, the ever expanding universe and 80s reverberations."

And to bring you back to earth ~ yet, to a better earth, which may probably seem utopian but will always be real for those who dare to dream and look into the future with an optimism ~ a new album by Voyage Futur whose debut tape on New Atlantis and No Problema labels immediately put the project among the classics of the modern new age music. This album has everything you could ask from ambient music in a time like now ~ serenity, playfulness, dreaming haze of the 80s, percussive vibe of the tropical mirages and, of course, cosmic presence above it all. No wonder it was sold in minutes but we can always hope for a reissue, enjoying the digital files meanwhile. From the arps and pads of Inner Shpere the warmth and hazy light are radiating, creating indeed some kind of capsule or maybe a magical cocoon to take you on a travel through the multiverse, to the possible timelines of our evolution as a species, showing the more harmonious scenarios we may take if we keep raising planetary awareness... Actual as ever and especially now, this mood is set lightly ~ and can be easily shifted towards whatever your soul want actually, and that's the beauty of this records, it lives its own life as an organism so each time you tune in with it, it tells you something new. 

listen ~ support

• • •

hope you'll enjoy these tunes,

yours,  piedpaper and the microphones in the trees

jean pierrot

jean pierrot  ~ naturally (self~released, 2020)

1h 32min of soft island music
​
each song recorded and composed on its own island around the pacific and indian ocean over the last 3 years. composed in one take, as first impressions to each environment of the recording.
 

a musical collection of postcards and a therapy for your personal space to grow quite.

listen here & here

~ tropical bliss ~

vague imaginaires ~ l'île d'or (not not fun, 2020)

The music of Grenoble gardener Denis Morin aka Vague Imaginaires cross-pollinates modal synthetics, equatorial ambience, and drum circle minimalism into ecological fantasias of “natural forces and enchanted worlds,” seven of which comprise his spacious debut, L'Île D'or. ~ not not fun

Not Not Fun just did it again ~ another chilled excursion to the imaginary lands full of joyful warmth and psychedelic bliss-out was found under the Vague Imaginaries alias and added to the legendary (yup, with no exaggeration) catalog of the label. Based on the dub-techno-ish pace of rich percussion, albums takes you on a journey with raga-like melodies and shimmering atmospheres built from field recordings ~ there's nothing much to explain in fact, you could clearly imagine what to expect here if you know the label's taste to such sound. Yet, it feels a bit different, another kind of fresh air ~ being rather clean sounding, especially on the contrast with super-hazy lo-fi jams of, say, Dreamers Cloth or Terlu. Yet I'm pretty sure both fans of good sound production and cassette lo-fi-ness are going to be satisfied here ~ with a perfect balance of his compositions, Mgr. Morin manages to drift in between liminal states, keeping his work both upbeat and relaxed at the same time. Some perfect trance-inducing tunes for any lover of lush otherworldly landscapes painted by the light glares through the closed eyelids. That's basically everything you need to do with that tape ~ simply close your eyes and it will do its magic.

listen ~ support

***

sip ~ leos naturals (not not fun, 2020)

Cosmic Chicago modal organ grinder Jimmy Lacy developed the dexterous dialect of SiP some years back while helming a happy hour residency at a Logan Square cocktail lounge that required he vamp rambling three-hour sets nightly. With such a wide window to fill, he free-flowed serpentine mandala keyboard motifs across 15-minute expanses, soaking in every spiral, stasis, and sliding scale. These hypno-motion strategies were rehearsed and refined across stellar radio performances (notably for Planet Catieo, WLPN 105.5FM) and studio sessions, finally culminating in the sidewinder séances of his dazzling debut: Leos Naturals. ~ not not fun

From its very beginning this marvelous debut by SiP takes us to even more upbeat territories yet staying beatless in the usual meaning. It's bouncy, playful and full of great percussive moves but it all stays in the pulsating realm of hypnotizing movements meant to dazzle your perception with major melodic bliss rather than aiming to make your body dance. Still, both is possible and it all depends on how you approach music in general ~ letting it go thought your mind first and then allowing it to control your limbs ~ or vice versa. Such ambivalence is what draws a big portion of attention here, with mind dancing and body perfectly chilling (in my case) while perception spirals out of this world to the fractal ornaments of beautifully crafted melodies. There's definitely an eastern touch, some jazzy Terry Riley for sure, but most of all ~ just plain enjoyment from the artist himself. When one does something one truly enjoys, it pays off clearly, I'd even say it radiates intensively, making this music shine like a summer pool on midday. After listening to this tape you may realize how fleeting it is despite being honest 40 minutes long and fully packed with all kinds of cool synth progressions, groovy vibes and acoustic meanderings (I swear, that bass clarinet on track 4 is just stellar). And also why it was okay for SiP to play three-hous long live sets ~ personally I'd be happy to listen to such jams 24/7 if all the other music in the world got forbidden or something. Could be much better to hear such tunes on every corner, maybe world would become a better place then!

listen ~ support

***

wave temples ~ tales from the cymatic abyss (not not fun, 2020)

A prime divination document by elusive Floridian entity Wave Temples finally receives full presentation rites: Tales From The Cymatic Abyss. Tracked in fragments from 2013 through 2015, this collection captures the essence of the project’s illusory allure, cross-fading vignettes of coastal drift, thatched hut percussion, and aquamarine dreams into a seamless séance of the inner Keys. ~ not not fun

There are three things you can listen to forever: ocean waves, marimbas and tape hiss. And for that we got Wave Temples, already a classic of tropical drone and neo new age genres whose output has been quite consistent in bringing serenity of desolate shores to our world of ever-growing pace. In these inner journeys you may feel refreshing breeze and simply put your mind at ease but also if often feels inspiring enough not to just seek solace in those tunes but to proceed with the retrieved mindset way further into the daily motions. Sometimes it's surprisingly easy to carry that warmth through all the sharpness and it results in alluring interest to everything you may experience from the perspective of ~ how I love to call it ~ alien observer. The only trick here is probably to successfully soak in all the hiss and breeze in order to find that Inner Key which will open a bigger picture in every experienced situation, be it dance party, morning traffic or your neighbors ranting. When every thing forms a certain pattern, same as the sand does when a wave touches it. When you see it all as meaningful as the sequence of the leaves on a palm tree and as inconsequential as the mosquito buzz at the same time. It all just goes in waves, endlessly unfolding and going back to the ocean. When this tape goes into silence on a joyful tribal vibe, you suddenly realize how cool could it be to go back to the ocean, like right now, becoming some sort of human-amphibian and asking yourself why we left that paradise in the first place... Probably for a reason, but it still greets us back, even if through such a weird manner as recreating itself on cassette tape. Yet, why not, considering that it's a part of the whole anyway =)

listen ~ support

~ 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

***

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

***

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

***

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

***

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

***

2019 mixes (VII): Tashi

Australian artist Tashi (Sunmoonstar) has been creating wonderfully creative electronic pieces that we have had the pleasure to listen on tape thanks to several labels such as Inner Islands, Sounds of the Dawn, ΠΑΝΘΕΟΝ and others. Her music is refreshing, colorful and magical, and so is her visual art, as you can check above these lines.

Her 'TreeMix' is a collection of luminous folk, ambient and experimental music that feels like looking through a kaleidoscope.

With this beautiful mix we finish this series of mixes of music from 2019. Thank you very much to all the artists and labels who have contributed. We hope you all have enjoyed the sounds and wish you the best in your music explorations!

~Daniel

Tracklist: 

0:00 H. Takahashi - Pollen

7:45 Soda Lite - Moonah

12:10 Shuta Yasukochi - Bloom

13:40 Cool Maritime - Message

15:55 Prudence - After The Moon

19:48 Visible Cloaks, Yoshiro Ojama, Satsuki Shibano - Lapis Lazuli

27:50 Ami Dang - Love Liesse

31:11 Unknown me - Orbicular Water

35:23 Green House - Peperonia Seedling

38:06 Ann Annie - Wander Intro

43:20 Felicia Atkinson - Lush

46:53 Delia Derbyshire Appreciation Society - She Brought The Sun

47:55 Gigi Mason - Calypso

50:09 Imaginary Softwoods - Yellow Calcite II

57:22 Grouper - Breathing

1:00 Emily A. Sprague - A Lake

Sunmoonstar at bandcamp