Juno Recommends Ambient / Drone October 2021

Review: Sarah Davachi is nothing short of mesmerising whatever you find her through. On Antiphonals it's a case of deceptively simple instrumental work that has elements of acoustic folk, dreamy ambient, and drone-y electronica, all of which helps create an abstract but immersive world of tonal adventures, the overall aim being to explore the subtle nuances of gradual note development and harmonious refrains.

The deceptively simple part comes from the sheer number of different instruments involved here. All the research and music theory she has taken in over the years i often through some of the word's most respected institutions i has certainly paid off. Understanding how to combine harpsichords, Mellotrons, tape echoes, Korgs, pianos and more, this is a fine example of everything being in its rightful place.

Review: Los Angeles based ambient husband and wife duo, awakened souls join with Reunion Island native, From Overseas to create Keep The Orange Sun. After hearing each other's individual music, a deeper conversation started about shared musical influences and inspiration leading to the creation of this album. Keep The Orange Sun guides the listener on a thoughtfully curated path. Starting with the certainty of life's changes (Certainty of Tides) to arising self-doubt (Release/Adapt) and celebrating immersion in the present moment as the gateway to deeper connection with nature and one's life (Keep The Orange Sun). The instrumentation present in each track channels elements of electronic, shoegaze & ambient with each artist's distinct musical fingerprint highlighted.

Review: RECOMMENDED
First released in 1995 via the Staalplaat imprint, Equator has Paul Schutze to thank for its exceptional production standards, who is also credited with percussion and keyboards. A veritable journey into another world, or at least soundscapes that feel far removed from the Britain outside our window, at times the tones here create an icy sensation, for example the subtle chimes of 'Umbra', in other moments we're picturing tropical images in our mind.

'False Prophet' is a case in point. Wooden percussion and reversed waves of synth create a sense of magic and ancient mystery, as if exploring some Aztec ruins alone at dusk. 'Departure' uses distorted bird tweets against huge refrains of harmony in a way that invokes a sense of huge vistas, sunset or sunrise colouring the air in reddish hues. Evocative stuff to say the least.

Review: Newcomers to Astral Industries have happened upon the label at a great moment here. Hanyo van Oosterom is continuing the fantastic work he was involved in with J. Derwort under the Chi project name following the latter's death in 2019. Now producing under the moniker Son of Chi, it's an extension rather than a repetition of what has come before it.

Tonal vocabulary expanded, it feels more immersive and grander than ever before, and yet retains the fundamentals that first enraptured us. Organic instrumentation and the sense of falling ever deeper into dreamlike states of consciousness are just two ways of describing what both Chi and the new offspring concept bring to the table. These are new sonic worlds opening up before our mind's eye, packed with mystery, lamentation, and hope for tomorrow.

Review: 'Fragments + Distancing' cultivates a profound sense of meditative stasis with the use of a Moog Mother 32, custom built filters, and various Eurorack modular sequencers, modules, and effects. James continues his proven and unique efforts in creating ethereal tones on this latest collection of songs. Fragments was created by using a method of composition James has been perfecting, where he takes small pieces of unreleased music that he has written stretching over the last 10 years, and runs them through different modes and methods of granular stretching and FFT processing. In some cases, the original audio source was no longer than 20-30 seconds long. PITP is honored to share this collection of music.

Review: A collection of meditative, lustrous compositions with haunting gloomy strings from the Texas artist.

Review: Japanese imprint Endless Flight presents a reissue of the arcane and mystical opus Ancient Rain by Koss aka Kuniyuki Takahashi, originally released back in 2008 as a CD only. It was an attempt to meld old melodic traditions with textural layers of modern electronic frequencies, in the process creating a ''new oriental sound', translating traces of ancient Asian music traditions into modern realms. Featuring a variety of moods and tones, from the celestial new age beats of 'Jumoku', to the shoegaze tinged ambient of the title track, '78 to 2008' with its knackered house vibe and the neo-classical inspiration behind 'Dream' (Real World) are just some highlights on this highly mediative sonic journey through the veteran producer's mind.

Review: Polar Seas is very excited to welcome kj to the label with this 4 song LP "saturnalia". I've loved his music since I first heard his album "wake" on Own Records, and he has released some lovely music on Lost Tribe Sound, Dronarivm and Gailur Records. On his fifth full length release, kj departs from the hypnotic refrains of his earlier work in favour of the limitless expanses and mysteries of the cosmos, particularly exemplified by the ebb and flow of the 19 minute track "silverine" and the gorgeous orchestral closing track "waters".

Review: Mark Gomes turned plenty of heads with his debut album back in 2015. Back then, it was only ever released on limited edition cassette, but now that wrong is righted with a vinyl release via Belgium label BAADM. Six years on, the heart breaking soundscapes still draw you in. On tracks like 'Chrysanthemum No 1' tender piano keys ring out into pregnant empty space, heavy chords resonate and the whole thing serves to sooth your woes. 'Meadowsweet' is another bittersweet piece with piano that speaks of pain, but also subtle hope. Closer 'Bleeding Heart' marries organic keys with synthesised sound to make for a more fulsome track, but one that still makes its point in a gentle, beautiful fashion.