Juno Recommends Ambient / Drone Best of 2019

Review: In line with the timely reappraisal of all things R&S related, the resurgent Apollo have seen the opportunity to bring one of their most celebrated records back for another round. Aphex Twin's ambient recordings mature magnificently with age, sounding ever richer and more emotive as the rest of electronic music continues to play catch up all around. From the gentle breakbeats of "Xtal" to the aquatic techno lure of "Tha", the airy rave of "Pulsewidth" to the heartwrenching composition of "Ageispolis", every track is a perennial example of how far ambient techno could reach even back then. It's just that no-one quite had the arm-span of Richard D. James.

Review: REPRESS ALERT: Schleissen 1 marks the beginning of a major, four-part project from Stuart Leath's Emotional Response label; an in-depth exploration of the "outer reaches" of drone and ambient. It's a grand scheme, highlighted perfectly by the grandiose scale of Serbian maverick Abul Mogard's opener - a hypnotic, 19-minute exploration of modular drone music that's as freaky as it is beautiful. Stefan Schwander dons his now familiar Harmonious Thelonious alias on the flip, laying down two brilliantly melodious synthesizer pieces inspired by the cyclical compositions of acclaimed minimalist composer Steve Reich. Both pieces are borderline stunning, and more than worth the admission price.

Review: To tie in with the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landings, Brian Eno has decided to put out a new edition of his decidedly spacey 1983 ambient album "Apollo: Atmospheres & Soundtracks", which started life as the soundtrack to a long-forgotten documentary about NASA's space program. The edition is rather special, not only because it contains a remastered version of the original set created by Eno, his brother Roger and regular collaborator Daniel Lanois, but also because it contains a second disc of previously unheard material. This is not old, though, but rather brand new recordings - described as "new interpretations of the film soundtrack" - made by the Lanois and the Eno brothers late last year in a similar style. In a word: essential.

Review: Few records could sound better suited to Emotional Rescue's reissue remit than soft rock / synth pop artists turned sound healers Chris Spheeris and Paul Voudouris. "Passage" was a commission by a company doing biofeedback therapy who wanted a soundtrack for their clients' treatment, resulting in a gem of early American ambient music. Originally released in 1982 and now lovingly restored, artwork and all, Spheeris and Voudouris' three lengthy compositions are as soothing as the remit demanded. Whatever your internal ails, there's restorative qualities in these pieces that can't help but do good, even as a pure pleasure trip to let yourself melt into.

Review: Polish composer Olga Wojciechowska is a busy woman. While her releases have been limited, she's spent much of the last few years working on commissions for a variety of film, TV, contemporary dance and theatrical productions - including, rather surprisingly, a recent score for the Royal Opera House's production of Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui's Medusa. "Infinite Distances" is just her second solo album as an artist and offers a neat summary of her distinctive style, which blends elements of contemporary classical, buzzing and crackling experimentalism, slowly shifting electronica and drowsy but picturesque ambient music. It's a blueprint that makes for hugely enjoyable listening, with her penchant for combining beautiful piano motifs and woozy, layered electronics coming to the fore.

Review: Andrea Porcu's ROHS! label has been a long time fixture in the ambient field, from net label origins to limited CDr and vinyl releases from a host of respected underground operators. This latest release, two years in the making, features two original tracks from PURL. These sublime ambient pieces, "Slow Poem" and "Cellar Door," move in slow, atmospheric ripples of submerged rhythm and glacial melodics, giving plenty of space for inventive remixes from Segue, Wanderwelle and many more. It's a perfect double pack of dreamy drifters for the chill-out room crowd to sink into.

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: In the new year things are only getting freakier for the Gravity Graffiti camp as label core member Riccardo Schiro takes the reins once again. "Sine Phase," as the title might well imply, is a focused trip into rhythmic synth modulation with a techno pulse and drippy effects processing guaranteed to soak into your cerebellum. "Islands" charges further into experimental terrain, ditching any semblance of a beat in favour of free-wheeling texture and tone that sounds as though it was wrenched from a particularly fruitful experimental session. As the plot thickens for this ever-intriguing label, our advice is to strap in for the long haul experience.

Review: Ambient specialists Astral Industries have yet to put a foot wrong, so it's little surprise to find that their latest missive - a label debut from Bernard Zwijzen AKA Sonmi451 - is another must-have release. "Nachtmuziek" gathers together six overlooked tracks from the Belgian's sizable back catalogue, offering a neat introduction to his work for those who may have not come across his often ultra-limited releases for the likes of U-Cover and Time Released Sound. Highlights are plentiful throughout, from the Pete Namlook style gentle pulse of "Probe", the crackly, harp-laden "Outer Shell", to the sumptuous chimes of "Inner Structure" and becalmed, slowly unfurling "Bay Hatch".

Review: Spanish multi-instrumentalist and producer Luis Paniagua gets the Emotional treatment here with the reissue of the stunning 1987 album "Neptuno". It's a joyous album that revels in global musical traditions, and its accomplished finish is a marvel considering he recorded it with Luis Delgado in his Madrid attic within just a few days. From the treated string swells and sitar lilt of the title track to the lively percussive tumble of "Gacelle" and on to the bell chimes of "Aqui Y Ahora", this is a stunning record executed with talent and rich with the many wonderful tones to be enjoyed from a whole world of instrumentation.

Review: "Polar Sequences" has always been one of Biosphere's most icy and evocative albums. It first appeared in stores in 1996, though its roots lie in a collaborative performance that took place atop a mountaintop in Tromso - Biosphere's home city - a year earlier. Alongside Bobby Bird of British ambient techno outfit Higher Intelligence Agency, the Norwegian crafted a unique live show that blended chilly, windswept ambient textures and gently unfurling electronic melodies with re-processed field recordings of Tromso and its surroundings. As an album, "Polar Sequences" subtly refined and reworked this performance with breathtaking and spellbinding results. This reissue contains all six tracks from the original release, as well as a worthy bonus: the original 14-minute field recording that provided the basis for the original live show.

Review: Five years ago, Portishead front woman Beth Gibbons joined forces with the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra to perform Henryk Gorecki's "Symphony Number 3 (Symphony Of Sorrowful Songs)" at the National Opera Grand Theatre in Warsaw. Here, the recording of the concert is finally given a release. It's a stunning suite of classical pieces, with the orchestra making short work of Gorecki's swelling movements and deeply melancholic musical motifs. Gibbons is in particularly fine form, transforming herself into an operatic artist and accurately delivers the stunning, Polish-language pieces. It's an astonishing performance and nothing like we've ever heard from her before. The 24-minute opening track is, in particular, breathtaking.

Review: There's much to admire about Andrew Wilson and John Tanner's second collaborative full-length, which sees them build on the fluid and atmospheric ambient of 2016 debut "69". Utilizing a relatively small array of instruments - mainly piano, acoustic guitar and a few choice synthesizers - the pair serves up ear-catching soundscapes wrapped in atmospheric field recordings and just the right amount of processed effects. For the most part their compositions are summery and seductive, emphasizing unfussy combinations of melodic refrains and positive chord progressions. There are, though, one or two more experimental cuts, with the tipsy, slow-motion shuffle of "Idle" and spaced-out "Safe Bird" standing out.

Review: Sheffield's Central Processing Unit has long been in a fine run of form, and right at the sharp end of the contemporary electro scene. The same can be said of latest signing Bochum Welt, who as far back as 1994 was releasing on Aphex Twin's influential Rephlex label, but here he goes ambient. Often making tracks that go on to be part of his mesmeric live show, this album makes use of the artists "old monster synths" and is subtly coloured by the Steel City's rich history of standout keys players, from Human League to Cabaret Voltaire. Largely consisting of a range of ambient beauties that take in hazy summer afternoon soundtracks, suspensory cosmic trips and heavenly ascensions, there's also a badass squelchy electro jam to wake you from your reverie.

Review: Another month, another essential release from Astral Industries. The label's latest missive comes from DeepChord man Rod Modell and friend Walter Wasacz's Shorelights project, a partnership that has previously resulted in two fine albums of "soft noise and groovy ambient techno". Their latest missive comprises of two lengthy and undeniably immersive tracks that combine atmospheric field recordings (babbling brooks, crackling radio static etc.) with heavily processed electronic textures, slow-burn synthesizer melodies and chords so enveloping you could probably use them as a blanket. It's hard to get a handle on just how seductive and soothing the album is from the brief clips showcased here, but we can guarantee that "Bioluminescence" is a hazy, horizontal treat from start to finish.

Review: Athens of the North takes a surprise turn, briefly eschewing their usual funk, soul and jazz in favour of something far more visceral and musically intriguing. It comes from Scottish writer, producer and instrumentalist Andrew Mitchell under the Andrew Wasylyk alias, and it is the result of a commission from a historic house in Scotland to create new music for their restored, 19th century Erard Grecian harp. While that instrument is an ever present, it rarely dominates; instead, Mitchell has served up a joyously laidback and atmospheric collection of compositions that variously draw on Bob James style jazz-funk, British library music, Eno-style ambient movements, homemade field recordings, drowsy jazz, brass bands, modern classical and Gaelic folk. In a word: spellbinding.

Review: Blending elements of ambient, abstract experimentalism, minimalism and modern classical, Yutaka Hirose's sole LP - 1986's "Nova + 4" - has become something of an in-demand item in recent years. Here it gets the reissue treatment, allowing those of us without deep pockets to wallow in its evocative charms. It's an intriguing affair, with Hirose drifting between beguiling (if unusual) soundscapes (see "Nova", where metallic chimes and gentle piano motifs unfurl over sustained ambient chords), sublime minimalist ambient (the echoing melodies of "In The Afternoon" and cascading bliss of "Through The Windows"), slow burn new age ("Taiko", "Humming The Sea") and deliciously experimental sound collages ("Epilogue").

Review: Uwe Schmidt - he of Atom Heart, Atom TM and Senor Coconut fame - has used an insane number of aliases over the years, so you'd be forgiven for not knowing about the sole album he produced as Dots. It first appeared on CD way back in 1994 and has long been considered something of a slept on classic by '90s ambient fans. Here it appears on vinyl for the very first time courtesy of Astyral Industries, a label that knows a thing or two about unearthing forgotten ambient treasure. Stylistically, there are hints to some of Schmidt's other work - a dub bassline here, an abstract motif there - but for the most part the becalmed and beguiling soundscapes have more in common with the work of German ambient legend Pete Namlook.

Review: In recent times we've become accustomed to hearing Pavel Milyakov in full-on obtuse techno mode, delivering devilish dancefloor workouts that tend toward the unflinchingly intense. On La Maison De La Mort, the Russian producer changes take, delivering an album for Berceuse Heroique that's breathtaking in its scope and ambition. He mixes, mangles and manipulates sounds and styles at will, offering up a giddy and mind-altering journey that variously touches on ambient, drone, spoken word, music concrete, white noise, post-apocalyptic doom, dub techno, industrial, IDM, modern classical and much, much more. It could well be his greatest single work to date; it's certainly an absorbing and breathless adventure.

Review: "Nothing Is Objective" is Spanish ambient and new age veteran Suso Saiz's second album of new material for esteemed Dutch imprint Music From Memory. It's every bit as beguiling as his previous outing, 2017's "Rainworks", though it does feel a little richer, warmer and more humid. At 16 tracks deep, it's something of an epic, with Saiz exploring a range of musical moods with the aid of undulating electronics, ethereal chords, meandering melodies, chiming sounds, droning aural textures and occasional sun-bright instrumentation. There are far too many highlights to mention, but we're particularly enjoying the loopy hypnotism of "Mexican Bells (For Jorge Reyes)", the delay-laden guitars of "Minimal Distance", the slowly unfurling movements of "Frogs In Love" and the Pat Metheny style positivity of "Meccano".

Review: Given that Chi Factory producer Hanyo van Oosterom can do no wrong, it's little surprise to find that his latest outing for Astral Industries - his most expansive yet - is another very special excursion. The set was inspired by, and is dedicated to, minimalist American poet Robert Lax, who was a contemporary of Jack Kerouac. As a result, there's a slightly sparser feel to the set than some of van Oosterom's previous work. Of course, he still makes great use of field recordings, spoken word samples and softly winding electronics, alongside minimalist, tribal-tinged rhythms that doff a cap towards dub techno and vintage ambient dub. All four tracks are ebbing and flowing 20-minute epics, making "The Mantra Recordings" the perfect album in which to immerse yourself.

Review: Norwegian ambient veteran Biosphere has enjoyed something of a renaissance of late, thanks in no small part to a series of essential reissues of his 1990s work. His latest release, "The Senja Recordings", is not a reissue, though, but rather his most significant and extensive new album in years. Icy, windswept and atmospheric, it was apparently recorded during extended stays on a Norwegian island over the course of four years. There's plenty of sparse, dark ambient material, of course, but also plenty of distorted but quietly melodic compositions that mirror the loneliness of his remote surroundings. He brings us closer than ever to those surroundings via extensive use of field recordings made during his time on the island, something that only enhances the listening experience.

Review: As with the first SchleiBen series, Emotional Response follows the success of the second set of split releases with a stand-alone album by one of the highlights, in Neil Tolliday. Recorded over a 17-year period, the ambient, drone and noise pieces collected here offer a glimpse in to the depth of a supremely talented, thoughtful and at times, troubled musical mind. As his love for house music and the success of his Nail moniker grew and waned during the ascent 90s boom, there followed his somewhat surprising success as one half of Balearic-pop combo Bent, propelling Tolliday in to a world of indie-charts and endless touring. The eventual unhappiness of this 'music career' and increasing need for personal escapism led him start experiment new musical forms of expression. A thinker and oft-over drinker, success was viewed with a deep suspicion and introspection, drug use and later, depression. As his other music projects slowly imploded, this new, personal music was for many years, made purely for Tolliday's own absorption and comedowns. Taken from an initial 4 track recording in Nottingham in 2000, more pieces were subsequently recorded around the globe on numerous devices - old portable cassette recorders, hand held digital stereos and even mobile phones. These heavily manipulated samples were slowed down, reversed, smudged and stretched before analog and modular patching, Mellotron, editing, programming and post production were added to the melting pot. With hundreds of tracks collated, in the last few years Tolliday began putting them out via Bandcamp using different aliases, on made up record labels, with no press or mention to anyone. This would happen every 6-9 months - a new label was created with logo, band/artist names and a few albums worth of music, leaving it there for a few weeks before then deleting the lot. Here then is a snapshot of those recordings, chosen to represent the depth of music, while trying not to think too much about in to the emotions that were used in making them. With special hand painted artwork by Sam Purcell, commissioned from the artist's own photographs taken from a adjournment at Homerton hospital, the hope is to do justice to such wonderful music and present Neil Tolliday, finally an artist, shorn of pseudonyms, in a broader light.

Review: Performed by an ensemble sporting an intriguing array of instruments (harp, bass clarinet, flute, violin, pedal steel, piano, synthesizer and vibraphone included), Jefre Cantu Ledesma's latest album is a wonderfully drowsy and evocative affair full of drifting ambient motifs, slowly shifting melodic movements and gentle, blink-and-you-miss-them solos. The scene is set magnificently by 21-minute opener "Palace of Time", where effects laden instrumental passages meander across the soundspace to the accompaniment of sporadic percussion and a lone, operatic voice. The aptly titled "Joy", with its haunting clarinet refrain and woozy vibraphone melodies, comes and goes all too quickly before "Tracing Back The Radiance" offers a triumphantly blissful conclusion to a brilliant and beguiling album.

Review: Inspired by the ongoing climate emergency and our goverments' so far less than enthusiastic efforts to tackle it, Pessimist and Loop Faction's first collaborative album as Boreal Massif is as weary, frustrated and melancholic as you'd expect. Yet it's hugely entertaining, too: a constantly shifting affair in which hazy ambient tracks and crackling, field recordings-flecked soundscapes rub shoulders with post-dubstep cuts that sound like this decade's take on trip-hop. There are nods towards IDM, too, though the overall sound is far warmer and fuzzier, as if someone had sat Burial, Portishead, Massive Attack and Alpha down in a room and told them to get busy.

Review: Since releasing their first EP on Type back in 2004, Deaf Center duo Erik K Skodvin and Otto A Totland have delivered some of the most mesmerizing and well thought-out ambient, IDM and electronica around. "Low Distance" - here presented in limited-edition form complete with a hand numbered insert - builds on the success of 2014 set "Recount", which cleverly combined clandestine neo-classical movements with the claustrophobic paranoia of dark ambient. There's perhaps a little more joy and pure beauty this time round - see the fluid pianos and whistling chords of "Entity Voice" and the becalmed "Undone" - but album still retains the same sense of loneliness and dread that marked out its predecessor.

Review: Back in 2011, Liz Harris - better known under her artistic alias Grouper - released a pair of albums under the "AIA" banner. The first, "Dream Loss", has already been reissued; here, they offer up the second, "Alien Observer". It partly explores similar sonic territory, where distant-sounding recordings of Harris' voice, synths and evocative guitars are smothered in reverb, field recordings and noise, but also includes a few sharper, more defined moments. Amongst these, we'd suggest checking the sublime title track, a beautifully becalmed and spaced-out fusion of Harris' vocals and delay-laden guitar arpeggio scales, and closer "Come Softly", an even more beautiful and minimalist piece that's nothing less than stunning.

Review: Since joining the label at the turn of the millennium, Scott Morgan AKA Loscil has become one of the admirably experimental imprint's most prolific artists. "Equivalents" is Morgan's ninth album for the label and sees him offer up eight meditations on a hazy, spaced-out theme. It's a slow-burn affair, where processed melodic elements, held-note chords and drone style aural textures slowly move across the sound space. It's a formula that guarantees goodness from start to finish, with the pulsing "Equivalent 3", ghostly "Equivalent 6", Mr Cloudy-esque "Equivalent 2" and the becalmed and poignant "Equivalent 8" standing out.