Back catalogue: Ambient/Drone

Review: Michael Grigoni and Pan•American's latest collaboration is a series of contemplative reflections on the isolation, fractures and uncertainties that define today's world. The album delves into the emotional landscape shaped by political divisions, personal solitude, and the lingering aftereffects of the pandemic. Through its fusion of folk, country, bluegrass, and blues elements, paired with a modern, ambient atmosphere, the sound is both rooted in tradition and forward-looking. Tracks like 'Sun Morning Sun' and 'Silver Streams' carry a sense of quiet introspection, while 'Black River Song' and 'Mirage/Afternoon' showcase the duo's ability to merge organic instrumentation with spacious, textured soundscapes. The album's exploration of personal and collective experience creates a reflective space, asking listeners to pause and engage with the complexities of modern life. A musical journey that speaks to the heart of the American experience, offering an emotional response to an uncertain future.

Review: Since first appearing in 2011, Liz Harris' seventh album as Grouper, "AIA: Dream Loss" has become something of a sought-after item. As this vinyl reissue proves, there's a very good reason for that: it's superb. Based around an opaque and cloudy production style that's as trippy as it is oddly comforting, it sees Harris layer up haunting freestyle vocals, droning electronic textures, analogue noise and all manner of acoustic and electric instrumentation - guitars, strings and so on - into a thick sonic soup. While the instrumentation may be distant and downplayed in the mix, that gives it a haunting, ethereal quality.