Back catalogue: Ambient/Drone

Review: Essential minimal techno reissue from the late, great Finnish electronic musician and producer, Mika Vainio. Originally released in 1994 under the unassuming O moniker, 'Metri' was way ahead of its time and continues to sound as vital as ever more than 30 years after it was composed. The album first appeared on Sahko Records, and its reincarnation arrives on the very same imprint. Echoing long Nordic winters, the sparse but powerfully immersive collection effortlessly ebbs and flows, meandering through spaced-out textures, darting into paranoid acid topography, and submerging into the depths of abstract noise. Best enjoyed from start to finish, there are, nonetheless, plenty of highlights to savour. The frantic four-to-the-floor of 'Muuntaja', the haunting bells of 'Kuvio', the relentless acid dirt of 'Hornitus', or the shimmering pitched rhythms of 'Hion'. Nothing short of seminal.

Review: Sahko continues to deliver new vinyl pressings of lauded, in-demand items from the bulging back catalogue of sadly departed Finnish experimentalist Mika Vaino. The latest to get the treatment is Vaino's 2008 set Oleva, his fifth solo outing under the alternative O alias. The album remains one of Vaino's most magical, in part because it counters his usual icy, creepy and sometimes intense experimental sound with ambient, IDM and rhythm-driven pieces that variously draw on electro and industrial sounds. It contains some genuinely stunning moments of both darkness and light, including a number of widescreen epics that sound like they were tailor-made for black and white, European art-house movies.

Review: Astro: Dynamics come correct with this crucial vinyl issue of 1991's self titled debut from last year. The London label served notice of their talent for picking out unheralded sonic sculptors when they released the eight track 1991 on tape and digital formats and since then the Swedish producer, real name Axel Backman, has impressed with material for the Opal Tapes label under both the 1991 banner and its Roman numerical equivalent MCMXCI, as well as remixing Lukid's "This Dog Can Swim" for the similarly gauzy-minded Werkdiscs. It's great to see AD return to 1991 and give it a rather dashing clear blue 12" vinyl issue as the scrunched up Cure-isms of EP highlight "Open To The Dark" is the kind of track made for the wax format. Look out for further 1991 material on Astro:Dynamics later this year too!

Review: Gothenburg's Alex Backman prefers to go by his birth year, 1991, and his output has been an important part of Opal Tapes' development over the last four years. The young producer prefers to deal in albums rather than singles, and his Skogen, Flickan Och Flaskan LP from 2012 is still very much one of our favourite from the OT camp. This new mini LP, No More Dreams, is a similar affair; taking the listener from the sparse yet mechanical sequence of Part 1, though to more desolate terrains as the album develops further, and ending up in a startling, hollow stratosphere of lonesome drones that give the term 'ambient' a new, more kinetic meaning. If you're looking for some drone with meaning, message and movement, then 1991 is the man for you.

Review: Now making its way to vinyl courtesy of PRS Denmark, this limited edition long player was composed by 3.11 for the 2021 edition of Strom festival in Copenhagen. The music was all played live at four different locations throughout the festival as part of a meditation and yoga series carried out by local resident Palma. As such you can imagine what to expect - sweeping synths, yang architecture, languorous chords, elastic pads and new age ambiance signifiers that soothe the soul and empty the mind of everything but sheer and utter peacefulness.

Review: 36's new album Reality Engine explores "the blossoming dynamics of artificial intelligence and the ever-changing definition of reality" on Past Inside The Present and does so with a continuation of his richly melodic sound while also evolving into new realms. The sheer beauty of these sounds is enough to uplift and energise, with chords ascending to the heavens on the opener 'Imagine The Truth' and then rolling out to infinite horizons on 'Axiom Haze'. 'Reality Engine' suspends you amongst the clouds and 'Beyond The Hyperreal' is a perfect marriage of immersive and organic sounds and hints of digital augmented reality engines. A sublime album, for sure.

Review: **Tracks 'Sixth Sequence' and 'Tenth Sequence' are bonus tracks & exclusive to the vinyl release only.**

Past Inside The Present is pleased to announce 'Wave Variations' which is a new mini-album by veteran ambient producer Dennis Huddleston AKA 36.

36 has often enjoyed exploring self-imposed restrictions, as it forces him to be creative, while allowing an inherently coherent sound between the different compositions. All the arrangements on Wave Variations use a limited pallete of mostly synth-based sounds, with particular focus on keys and melodies. Each track directly influenced the next one.

Dennis has kept almost every track around three minutes in length. He states, 'I feel like a lot of ambient music (including my own) is often unnecessarily long and these small vignettes work as a nice counter to that. Don't expect long build-ups or over-extended crescendos; These are short tracks that take you straight to Elysium and then dissolve into the ether.'

He further explains the output of Wave Variations, 'Ocean tides inspired the album. I think we've all felt that sense of longing and wonder while standing at the beach, staring at the waves and gazing into the endless horizon. I think it's something that transcends all generations of people. Like the waves, these tracks leave as quickly as they arrive. I feel it's one of the most minimal records I have made, with far fewer individual sound sources at my disposal. It keeps me on my toes and forces me to deeply explore the instruments I have available to me.'

This stripped-back sound gives the album a hypnotic quality to it. Like much of Dennis' work, there is a delicate balance between melancholic melodies and rich textures, resulting in an understated yet deeply exhilarating sound. Fans of emotional, melodic ambient music should find plenty to enjoy.

Review: Of Wave Variations, British producer Dennis Huddleston aka 36 has said that ocean tides inspired his latest album for Indianapolis-based Past Inside The Present. Recalling the sense of longing and wonder when standing on a beach, while staring past the waves and into the endless horizon, he feels the album is one of the most minimal records he has ever made, as he had far less sound sources at his disposal. Huddleston intentionally created the tracks around the three minute mark, as he feels that a lot of ambient creations are unnecessarily long (we agree!) and as the label most succinctly put it 'take you straight to Elysium and then dissolve into the ether.' The moods throughout the album are quite varied, moving from sanguine, melodic affairs, into intoxicating shoegaze-ish soundscapes, haunting and introspective drones and film score-like cues.

Review: Finally back in stock after selling out in double quick time last year, British artist Dennis Huddleston's 36 project continues to capture imaginations and inspire all manner of inner journeys, with this most recent album release one of his most alluring and immersive. An epic exploration of refrains, twinkles, bleeps and echoes, the record seems to envelop and encircle you, like a veritable sonic comfort blanket.

"I feel like a lot of ambient music (including my own) is often unnecessarily long and these small vignettes work as a nice counter to that," the producer apparently said of this album, which keeps things tight at around three minutes per track. "Don't expect long build-ups or over-extended crescendos. These are short tracks that take you straight to Elysium and then dissolve into the ether." We couldn't put it better if we tried.

Review: The Lower Lights' is a new compilation album from 36, featuring 10 tracks of vibrant, eclectic ambient music. These are carefully chosen from a larger selection of tracks, made between April 2018 and April 2019 as part of a year-long 'Audio Diary' project. These showcase the more energetic side to 36's production, whilst still retaining that glowing melancholia, which has become the hallmark of the 36 sound.

Review: The Lower Lights' is a new compilation album from 36, featuring 10 tracks of vibrant, eclectic ambient music. These are carefully chosen from a larger selection of tracks, made between April 2018 and April 2019 as part of a year-long 'Audio Diary' project. These showcase the more energetic side to 36's production, whilst still retaining that glowing melancholia, which has become the hallmark of the 36 sound.

Review: The Lower Lights' is a new compilation album from 36, featuring 10 tracks of vibrant, eclectic ambient music. These are carefully chosen from a larger selection of tracks, made between April 2018 and April 2019 as part of a year-long 'Audio Diary' project. These showcase the more energetic side to 36's production, whilst still retaining that glowing melancholia, which has become the hallmark of the 36 sound.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***


The Lower Lights' is a new compilation album from 36, featuring 10 tracks of vibrant, eclectic ambient music. These are carefully chosen from a larger selection of tracks, made between April 2018 and April 2019 as part of a year-long 'Audio Diary' project. These showcase the more energetic side to 36's production, whilst still retaining that glowing melancholia, which has become the hallmark of the 36 sound.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***


The Lower Lights' is a new compilation album from 36, featuring 10 tracks of vibrant, eclectic ambient music. These are carefully chosen from a larger selection of tracks, made between April 2018 and April 2019 as part of a year-long 'Audio Diary' project. These showcase the more energetic side to 36's production, whilst still retaining that glowing melancholia, which has become the hallmark of the 36 sound.

Review: 'Symmetry Systems' is the new LP by Dennis Huddleston AKA 36. Inspired by Warp's 'Artificial Intelligence' releases from the early 90's, it's a melodic, synthesiser-driven record, with a wink to the past and a nod towards the future.

"I have a deep love for those early Warp albums, particularly the Artificial Intelligence compilations. It was a wonderful time for UK electronic music. That beautiful, warm machine sound, with an optimistic (if somewhat naive) vision for the future. I found the whole thing incredibly inspiring and wanted to revisit those memories, albeit with a 36 twist"

Like 'Wave Variations' before it, this record explores various approaches to the theme, with each track directly inspiring the next one. All tracks are sequenced in the order they were made. 'Symmetry Systems' is a collection of hypnotic machine music, made with a delicate human touch.

Review: 'Symmetry Systems' is the new LP by Dennis Huddleston AKA 36. Inspired by Warp's 'Artificial Intelligence' releases from the early 90's, it's a melodic, synthesiser-driven record, with a wink to the past and a nod towards the future. "I have a deep love for those early Warp albums, particularly the Artificial Intelligence compilations. It was a wonderful time for UK electronic music. That beautiful, warm machine sound, with an optimistic (if somewhat naive) vision for the future. I found the whole thing incredibly inspiring and wanted to revisit those memories, albeit with a 36 twist" Like 'Wave Variations' before it, this record explores various approaches to the theme, with each track directly inspiring the next one. All tracks are sequenced in the order they were made. 'Symmetry Systems' is a collection of hypnotic machine music, made with a delicate human touch.

Review: 'Symmetry Systems' is the new LP by Dennis Huddleston AKA 36. Inspired by Warp's 'Artificial Intelligence' releases from the early 90's, it's a melodic, synthesiser-driven record, with a wink to the past and a nod towards the future.

"I have a deep love for those early Warp albums, particularly the Artificial Intelligence compilations. It was a wonderful time for UK electronic music. That beautiful, warm machine sound, with an optimistic (if somewhat naive) vision for the future. I found the whole thing incredibly inspiring and wanted to revisit those memories, albeit with a 36 twist"

Like 'Wave Variations' before it, this record explores various approaches to the theme, with each track directly inspiring the next one. All tracks are sequenced in the order they were made. 'Symmetry Systems' is a collection of hypnotic machine music, made with a delicate human touch.

Review: "The Box" is a collection of the earliest and perhaps most cherished recordings by UK producer Dennis Huddleston, better known as 36. Written between 2005 and 2012, it compiles the albums Hypersona (2009), Hollow (2010) and Lithea (2012) into a 6LP boxset, alongside a bonus LP of exclusive and unreleased tracks titled Orphans. Originally written as a triptych, The Box showcases an incredibly eclectic, deeply emotional range of tracks, bridged together by that optimistic melancholy, which has since become the hallmark of the 36 sound.

Review: UK producer Dennis Huddleston goes by the artist name of 36. He is a much-loved producer with a fine back catalogue which is investigated here with The Box, a new collection of his earliest and perhaps most admired works. They were all written between 2005 and 2012 and are drawn from albums such as 2009's Hypersona, 2010's Hollow and 2012's Lithea. The bumper six vinyl collection also features a bonus album, Orphans, of all new and previously unreleased tracks. There is a real depth of range and emotion to these tracks so it is no wonder the artist says they are some of the most personally cherished works he has written.

Review: Past Inside The Present has really gone to town with the re-release of this 36 album The Lower Lights: it comes in several different formats and vinyl versions with this one being a limited, numbered and opaque red vinyl including a download code. Musically it is just as essential as a collection of tracks from a year-long 'Audio Diary' project undertaken by 36 between April 2018 and April 2019. It first came back in May 2019 and soon sold out, such is the quality of the vibrant and eclectic ambient sounds within. This is not sleep-inducing background material, but rather emotionally charged soundscaping with a mix of dark, futuristic and urgent pieces all making the cut.

Review: The Lower Lights is well known as one of the most emotionally potent ambient records of recent years. It is a collection of 10 tunes from a busy period in which 36 undertook a year-long 'Audio Diary' project. The sounds are immediate and direct, demanding of your full focus and a mix of dark and urgent, cyberpunk-inspired and emotionally charged ambient sounds that bring all new thinking to the genre. Nice work.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***


36's new album Reality Engine explores "the blossoming dynamics of artificial intelligence and the ever-changing definition of reality" on Past Inside The Present and does so with a continuation of his richly melodic sound while also evolving into new realms. The sheer beauty of these sounds is enough to uplift and energise, with chords ascending to the heavens on the opener 'Imagine The Truth' and then rolling out to infinite horizons on 'Axiom Haze'. 'Reality Engine' suspends you amongst the clouds and 'Beyond The Hyperreal' is a perfect marriage of immersive and organic sounds and hints of digital augmented reality engines. A sublime album, for sure.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged & record has light surface marks/scratches, otherwise in excellent working condition***


'Symmetry Systems' is the new LP by Dennis Huddleston AKA 36. Inspired by Warp's 'Artificial Intelligence' releases from the early 90's, it's a melodic, synthesiser-driven record, with a wink to the past and a nod towards the future. "I have a deep love for those early Warp albums, particularly the Artificial Intelligence compilations. It was a wonderful time for UK electronic music. That beautiful, warm machine sound, with an optimistic (if somewhat naive) vision for the future. I found the whole thing incredibly inspiring and wanted to revisit those memories, albeit with a 36 twist" Like 'Wave Variations' before it, this record explores various approaches to the theme, with each track directly inspiring the next one. All tracks are sequenced in the order they were made. 'Symmetry Systems' is a collection of hypnotic machine music, made with a delicate human touch.

Review: Thanks to this lovingly presented reissue from Past Inside The Present, you can own The Lower Lights by 36 in just about whatever coloured vinyl you wish: This is the Past Inside The Present translucent red version with others also available on Juno. It's an album first put together by the label back in 2019 shortly after 36 had finished a year-long 'Audio Diary' project. Not all of the tracks they wrote in that time make the cut, but the best 10 do. They are direct, absorbing and energetic ambient soundscapes that are emotionally charged and demanding of your attention.

Review: Across the course of his decade-long production career, Dennis Huddleston AKA 36 has earned a reputation for being one of ambient music's most vibrant producers. His material - and there's been rather a lot of it - tends to be colourful and positive in tone, drawing influence as much from the bright, bold synths of chill-wave as the drowsy, pastoral goodness associated with more academic ambient releases. "Fade To Grey", his first LP for two years, continues in this vein, offering a mix of gently pulsing synth-scapes, blissful, piano-laden workouts, droning epics, rush-inducing wall-of-sound compositions (see LP highlight "D.R.E.A.M Link") and sparkling, near cinematic epics (the densely layered synthesizer motifs of title track "Fade To Grey").

Review: After years admiring the work of 36 here on ASIP, we are pleased to announce his new concept album, titled 'The Infinity Room'.

Inspired by his home and studio, Dennis Huddleston aka 36 set out to create an album born from endless possibility. Restricting himself to a limited sound palette, he focused on exploring his own private infinity, allowing even the smallest tangents to develop in a musical multi-verse of limitless potential.

"What is just one room (my studio) becomes many rooms when working on music," Dennis explains. "From this single point, countless possibilities exist and this is where the concept for 'The Infinity Room' takes root. It's the thrill of taking a small idea from an ocean of possibilities, and watching it grow into something far grander."

"From the very first track, I made a conscious decision to restrict myself to a limited sound palette," he adds. "Each track used the same core sounds, but evolves and mutates them in subtle ways, as well as being the direct inspiration for the track that came after."

That intent is clear, with each track a different shade of what came before. Thoughtful tones with a warm, vintage brightness, develop into extended love stories and romantic journeys, speaking to the cinematic influence of pioneers like Tangerine Dream, Vangelis, Brad Fiedel, Charles Bernstein and John Carpenter.

"They were masters of creating vivid dream worlds, all of whom created the soundtracks to many of my favourite films," he admits. "In more recent times, I've grown to deeply admire producers like OPN, Disasterpeace, Boards of Canada and Sinoia Caves, and they've reinvigorated my love for 70's and 80's era electronic film music."

It all gives 'The Infinity Room' the subtle, shifting repetition that has long been a 36 hallmark; each track an ever-evolving reflection, a catalyst, another step into the inestimable.

"I just love those driving melodies that dig deep into your head and let the repetition take control, mutating and shifting on a macro level, so you only discover how much it's changed by the very end," Huddleston smiles. "I think that's what the core of my sound was always about really and it's why each track on this album uses melody as the primary focus, with the keys taking control, and the track evolving with them. Repetition... The sound of infinity."

36 has been a prolific figure in the modern ambient scene for close to a decade. Beginning with his debut and highly praised album 'Hypersona', Dennis Huddleston has been sharing his own emotive blend of electronic music through his own platforms, as well as labels such as Ultimae Records, Mystic & Quantum, and ICASEA. He also runs his own label 3six Recordings, which he describes as a love affair with the vinyl format.

Review: "We stood on the edge of forever. One final dream into time. A silent voice in an empty room. The numbers; We never truly knew." By now, producer 3Six has collated an impressive amount of releases on his own self-titled imprint, and it feels like about time he was scouted by a label like Mystic & Quantum, who are making strides in their development as quality issuers of fine ambient music. "Second & Forever" comes in two parts: the A-side is mellow and soothing, the sort of music you'd feel absolutely fine leaving on in the background for hours on end, while the B-side is more involved and more acoustically demanding thanks to a delicate morphing of sinewaves and pads.

Review: Dreamloops marks the highly anticipated vinyl debut of 36's album, a masterwork from Dennis Huddleston (known as 36. This deluxe four-LP set spans two-and-a-half hours, featuring eight tracks, each a standalone 18-minute composition. Huddleston's signature style dreamlike, introspective midnight music, blends hypnotic loops with evolving melodies that are both captivating and deeply emotional. Originally released in 2019 as a cassette series, Dreamloops was revisited by Huddleston in 2023 to bring newfound clarity and cohesion. The tracks, while rooted in repetition, are far from static, continuously unfolding with subtle shifts in texture and emotion. Huddleston's music is enriched by intentional imperfections like tape hiss and wow & flutter, which add a layer of nostalgic warmth and depth. Dreamloops is a profound listening experience. Huddleston's ability to blend ambient warmth with haunting melodies is strong reasons his albums are so respected. He rewards deep and attentive listening. This collection, praised for its emotive and atmospheric power, continues 36's rising status in modern ambient music.

Review: Dennis Huddleston AKA 36 is back with another new album in the form of Cold Ecstasy which arrives on lovely limited edition aqua blue double vinyl via 3six Recordings. It comes after his superb mini album Weaponised Serenity back in 2021 which was a raw deconstruction of 90s jungle and drum & bass and it follows down a path of retro-future exploration with more lush ambient soundscapes. Each one is subtly joyous and doused in gently euphoric chords while dreamy vocals drift in and out of focus. It is an expansive listen once more from Huddleston.

Review: This intriguing and predictably atmospheric album is the first collaborative full-length from experienced modern ambient producer Dennis Huddleston AKA 36, and Los Angeles duo Awakened Souls, whose full-length hook-up with Pepo Galan, Palettes, received plenty of praise last year. Between them the trio have conjured up a hugely evocative and emotion-rich collection of cuts, where heart-aching, slow-motion guitar laments stretch out across swelling synthesizer chords, meditative pads, distant-sounding vocal snippets, enveloping aural textures and soft-focus piano refrains. It's a wonderfully meditative and picturesque set all told, and one that could well turn out to be one of the most essential ambient albums of 2021.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve, product unopened and in perfect working condition***


This intriguing and predictably atmospheric album is the first collaborative full-length from experienced modern ambient producer Dennis Huddleston AKA 36, and Los Angeles duo Awakened Souls, whose full-length hook-up with Pepo Galan, Palettes, received plenty of praise last year. Between them the trio have conjured up a hugely evocative and emotion-rich collection of cuts, where heart-aching, slow-motion guitar laments stretch out across swelling synthesizer chords, meditative pads, distant-sounding vocal snippets, enveloping aural textures and soft-focus piano refrains. It's a wonderfully meditative and picturesque set all told, and one that could well turn out to be one of the most essential ambient albums of 2021.

Review: A collection of music in four parts by 36 & Black Swan.


All tracks written & produced by 36 & Black Swan
Artwork by Nathan Abels / nathanabels.com
Layout & typography by 36

Review: American ambient label Past Inside The Present has already assured its cult status and each new release only builds on that. This time out it is Distance As Power from UK producer Dennis Huddleston aka 36 (who already released his Wave Variations album on this label this year) and prolific Japan-based sound artist Duenn who join forces for some murky and lo-fi escapism. Their five painterly tracks come on slowly and build powerfully through foggy pads, arching chords and a nostalgic sense of warmth. This is warm, widescreen and abstract bliss.