ambient
SEE: Art & Spencer – ‘Caravan’: guitar soli steps into ambient atmospheres
ART & SPENCER is a newly forged collaboration between Juan Martínez Pérez, aka Elson Complex, a fingerstyle acoustic guitarist of Andalusian and Catalonian heritage who loves soundscapes with acres of space – it’s the space between the notes that interest him just as much; in which he’s fusing a new direction with Belgian multi-instrumentalist Marc …
SEE: Nick Schofield – ‘Ambient Architect’: modular retro-futurism full of light and grace
NICK SCHOFIELD is a Montréalais composer in love with modular synths, and who has a new album, Glass Gallery, coming out early next month, composed entirely on the legendary Prophet 600. And it’s very beautiful; uplifting, even, music for a bright future we’ve yet to realise. By day he’s a member of singer-songwriter Devon Welsh‘s …
ALBUM REVIEW: Aaron Cupples – ‘Island Of The Hungry Ghosts’ original soundtrack: a sonic film in itself
There’s always that caveat with a soundtrack that this is music in service to another artform. But Island Of The Hungry Ghosts is a sonic film in itself. It wholly lets the soul of the island through and onto your record deck. If you’re a fan of labels like Touch, Kranky, this is so a record for you.
TRACK: Rachika Nayar – ‘The Trembling Of Glass’: an exciting voice in experimental guitar
HAILING from the borough of Brooklyn, ambient composer Rachika Nayar has left her previous nominative chrysalis as Rachika S behind to spread her wings as a potent ambient guitar sound artist; as wholly witnessed by this first single, “The Trembling Of Glass”, taken from her March debut album, Our Hands Against The Dusk. Take a …
Premiere: Flawed God releases new video for ‘Destroyer, are you within me?’
Out as part of ‘Mansplained’, the compilation to celebrate the first anniversary of Italian tape label Commando Vanessa, is the new track from Flawed God, and we’re delighted to premiere it right here on Backseat Mafia this morning. The L.A. artist has created this ambient soundscape, that has enough subtleties and movement as it gently …
Album Review: Garrett – ‘Private Life III’
DāM-FunK has been enchanting listeners for over a decade with his highly filthy but musical synth funk-infused jams. Mostly releasing with Stones Throw, his solo albums Toeachizown and Invite the Light, as well as an anthology of early productions, have joining a number of collaborative projects including with Steve Arrington, Snoop Dogg and Nite Jewel. …
SEE: Jon Mueller – ‘Welcome’: glorious drone textures from Wisconsin
WISCONSIN musician? Sound artist? Explorer? Curator? – all of these things, Jon Mueller is always seeking new confluences of thought and sound. He may be best known to you as part of Volcano Choir, in which he lined up alongside Justin Vernon of Bon Iver to push out the boundaries of alt.rock into weirder, treated shapes, employing …
SEE: Jon Hopkins covers Thom Yorke’s ‘Dawn Chorus’
AS THIS most hellishly viral year’s eyelids droop and it prepares to exit stage left, the masterful Jon Hopkins has brought some beautiful piano catharsis and grace for our troubled brains as he drops a cover of Thom Yorke’s “Dawn Chorus”. The track features on Thom’s most recent solo outing, Anima. It was recorded in one …
ALBUM REVIEW: Late Night Final – ‘A Wonderful Hope’: Public Service man takes an ambient diversion
Public Service Broadcasting’s J. Willgoose takes a glorious ambient diversion – pretty doesn’t cover it
TRACK: A Winged Victory For the Sullen – ‘Desires Are Already Memories’: O’Halloran and Wiltzie return
THAT glorious combination of Stars of the Lid and The Dead Texan’s amniotic drone sustain voyager, Adam Wiltzie, and modern piano composer, Dustin O’Halloran, who ply their seductive trade as A Winged Victory For the Sullen, have announced a new album, Invisible Cities, to be released come the end of February next year. (The 26th …