~ 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

2019 mixes (VI): Matthew Erik Hanner

Matthew Erik Hanner runs the Aural Canyon label, well known for releasing excellent ambient and new age tapes. He sent us his own selection of music from 2019, an eclectic mix of ambient and experimental music for a deep listening experience.

~Daniel


Tracklist:

ana roxanne - Nocturne 0:00
扎克 - Pure Violet 5:35
Qoa - Krakatoa 9:21
Jefre Cantu-Ledesma - Joy 12:04
Black Taffy - Para Los Campana 16:56
Tengger - Middle 20:08
ann annie - wander into 24:55
Clams Casino - Healing 28:35
Visible Cloaks, Yoshio Ojima & Satsuki Shibano - Anata 30:32
Matt Valentine - Rockbottemless 32:58
Dallas Acid - I Fågelns Sång 38:45
ML Wah - Head Out 41:19
r beny - Echo's Verse 46:32
Channelers - Coming To Fullness 51:53
Sam Wilkes - Run 55:56
Tim Hecker - Step Away From Konoyo 60:40
Shlohmo - By Myself 64:30
Pan American - Shenandoah 68:15
Bill Callahan - Morning is My Godmother 73:49

*

2019 mixes (V): Sean Conrad

Greetings, dear follower! Today we resume our 2019 mix series for a special mixtape made by Sean Conrad ~ an artist and label curator whose work must be familiar even to our least frequent readers. Through the years, Inner Islands label remains one of our most beloved labels simply because it shares the same aesthetics and feeling we always tried to carry on here on Microphones. Some of the most soulful ambiences and gentle new age hymns are being released at Inner Islands and under Sean's main aliases ~ Ashan and Channelers, among many others which you can always explore through Discogs. Sean's mix features tunes radiating love and light, joy of the being here on this planet and simply experiencing being a human with all its ups and downs ~ as an ongoing project of neverending evolution. Hope you'll enjoy it! ~ piedpaper

Tracklist:

0:00 ~ Malibu ~ Nana (Like A Star Made For Me) (Joyful Noise, White Label Series, 2019)
3:38 ~ Julianna Barwick ~ noon (Commend, 2019)
07:21 ~ Jogging House ~ Traverse (Dauw, 2019)
12:47 ~ Emily A. Sprague ~ Synth 2 (RVNG, 2019)
20:17 ~ Wanderwelle & Bandhagens Musikförening ~ Before The Rain (Semantica Records, 2019)
23:43 ~ H. Takahashi ~ Pollen (Where To Now? Records, 2019)
31:30 ~ Green-House ~ Peperomia Seedling (Leaving Records, 2019)
34:47 ~ Andrew Pekler ~ Hy Brasil (Faitiche, 2019)
39:20 ~ peafowl - part two ~ (Self-Released, 2019)
47:17 ~ Jefre Cantu-Ledesma ~ Joy (Mexican Summer, 2019)

2019 mixes (IV): Tim Six

Today we share a mix by our friend Tim Six, an ambient and drone musician from Russia who also has been releasing music as Creation VI, in addition to some other collaborative projects. He is also a member of the Microphones family -he writes as Pied Paper, here and on his other blog. In addition to his activity as an artist, he runs ΠΑΝΘΕΟΝ, a label known for their wonderfully crafted physical editions of drone and ambient albums, and Global Pattern, which focuses on ambient vaporwave cassettes.

His mix is a travel of consciousness through cosmic realms of organic drones and electroacoustic mysteries. Listening to it, you feel like you're looking at unknown depths in the sky surrounded by the wild magic of nature. And it has a hidden surprise: last minutes are an advance of his upcoming album. Enjoy!

~Daniel

Tracklist:

00:01 ~ skyminds ~ farther reaches (auasca, 2019)
05:15 ~ подозрительный предмет ~ белые капли бодхичиты (pearly snowdrift, 2019)
09:55 ~ ancient greens ~ indoor jungle (permanent touch, 2019)
12:50 ~ tuluum shimmering ~ blue water sunray pt. 4 (tuluum shimmering, 2019)
15:40 ~ million brazillians ~ strange oasis iii (nonlocal research, 2019)
19:35 ~ ukujula ~ magqabi_mashizhai_tashi溫柔輕盈 (self-released, 2019)
23:20 ~ pool of light 光淵 ~ 霾 haze (wv sorcerer, 2019)
28:20 ~ nite lite ~ oracle (stunned records / sun ark, 2019)
33:55 ~ cheekbone ~ moon night (muzan editions, 2019)
38:05 ~ pjs ~ symbiosis (shimmering moods records, 2019)
43:15 ~ rem koral ~ ego death (pantheophania, 2019)
47:45 ~ 幻 想 風 景 ~ 星間風 (global pattern, 2019)
52:05 ~ 猫シ corp. & telepath ~ lost promises (hiraeth, 2019)
56:35 ~ tim six ~ evening petichor (virtual dream plaza, tba 2020)

creation vi / tim six

pantheon

global pattern

~~~

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

~~~

2019 mixes (II): Andreas Holderbach

Next in this series of 2019 year end mixes is by Andreas Holderbach, one of the people who run Muzan Editions. This label has been releasing excellent music for a while and some of their albums are featured in several of the mixes we have got.

His mix is a journey through the realms of abstract electronic, drone and expansive ambient music with a cold and introspective feel that seems to fit nicely with the current weather in the northern hemisphere. Thanks Andreas!

~Daniel

Tracklist:

(00:00) Celer - (06.24.17) Birds inside the high halls of Hangzhou, (06.23.17) Shanghai red line, metro karaoke (Xie Xie; Two Acorns)
(02:09) Cloistral - Այրում (Որպես ջուր; offworldcolonies ltd.)
(06:33) oqbqbo - Rei (Untitled; Posh Isolation)
(11:35) Vallmo - f u (Ruin Walls; Northern Electronics)
(14:14) Cheekbone - Flow between (Cheekbone / Hirotaka Shirotsubaki split; Muzan Editions)
(18:14) Ryan J Raffa - Riverbank (Landscapes and Self Portraits; Mystery Circles)
(24:22) David Granström - Approaching the horizon (A Distant Color, Secluded; XKatedral)
(30:12) Genoasejlet - Et strejf af sølv i vandet (V/A-The Lament of Electra; Janushoved)
(34:12) MAbH -Little wands for magic wings (On Being Pollinated; Third Kind Records)
(43:08) Endurance & Kris Keogh - 1.3 (Processed Modular Works; Obsolete Staircases)
(46:06) Günter Schlienz - Phonoptomètre (Lissajous; Cosmic Winnetou)

muzan editions

(Photo by Andreas Holderbach)

2019 mixes (I): Steve Targo

Dear readers, we hope you are having a good beginning of the new year -and decade. Regarding the decade, it's been an amazing one for our musical explorations. This blog has been getting a little slower lately but we still love it and try to do our best to keep it the place of peace and musical pleasure it has always been to us. This time, we thought we'd do something different in celebration of the new year. I think it's safe to say that all we at Microphones in the Trees have somewhat oposite feelings about making lists. You know, when you love music so much it can be fun and so hard at the same time to make a selection. Also, you would never finish listening to all the wonderful music is being made nowadays. Covering it all is impossible because there are always more and more hidden gems to discover.

So, although we enjoy making lists, this time we planned to do something different. We asked some artists and label owners to submit some of their favourite music of the year in a mix, and we got some really awesome mixes to share with you.This post is the first of a series that will release these personal pictures of the year that is gone. 

Today we present a mix by Steve Targo, well known for his beloved project Inner Travels, which has given us so much aural pleasure in recent years. He chose to include some of the music from past times he listened to in the year along with music from 2019, and this turned out to be a really special mix. Thanks Steve!

Happy new year everyone, and enjoy the music!

~Daniel

Tracklist:

1. Skyminds: “Sunrise Trails the Growing Dawn” (Skyminds) ~ Auasca

2. Deuter: “Easy Is Right” (Celebration)
3. Pharoah Sanders: “The Golden Lamp” (Wisdom Through Music)
4. Qi Hammer: “Gulab Jamoon” (Gobi 65) ~ s/r
5. Endurance: “Outside” (Endurance/PJS split) ~ Crash Symbols
6. Inoyama Land: “Fairy Tale” (Commissions: 1977-2000) ~ Light in the Attic
7. Rhucle: “Aloe” (Photosynthesis) ~ Patient Sounds
8. Sun Ra: “Journey Among the Stars” (Cosmos)
9. Daniel Guillén: “Rainbow” (Inner Vision) ~ Muzan Editions
10. Pulse Emitter: “Ice Grotto” (Calming Winds) ~ Muzan Editions
11. Jonas Munk & Nicklas Sorensen: “Here” (Always Already Here) ~ El Paraiso Records
12. Agitation Free: “Laila” (Live ‘74)

inner travels

(photos by S. Targo)