The new EP from Vayu for Huinali almost slipped through the net, which would have been unfortunate as it is an ambient masterclass rich in sonic detail, propelled by dub echos, subtle percussion and pulsing waves in which restless minds can bob up and down and relax in weightless wonder.

In terms of the creative process for this album, I wanted to develop new production techniques using only field recordings recorded in my area with modular synthesis and effects pedals while altering the sound with tape recorders in some tracks to add an even more lively, organic and random touch. 

The story I wish to tell is the initiatory journey of a man of spirituality, Milarepa who learned witchcraft in his youth and who for an ancient revenge used black magic against his enemies. But driven by remorse and purified by the trials of an old sage whose disciple he asks to become, he succeeds thanks to the teachings passed on to him and to his life as a hermit, in attaining awareness. His journey has inspired many people over the centuries and hopefully continues to inspire a generation seeking mysticism and hope today. 

The other little story I had fun doing with the titles of these tracks is that you can read the 6 names in a row as if they were one sentence, as a summary of the stages of this man's life and also to reinforce the fact that the album is to be listened to in the intended order as it tells a story with an established chronology forming a coherent whole. 

Vâyu (Finistère, France) 
soundcloud.com/v-a-y-u 
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063231580201 
www.instagram.com/maximemouttet

CREDITS
​Produced by Maxime Mouttet aka Vâyu 
Mastered by Mattias Fridell, Sweden 
Artwork by Off T 
Released by Huinali Recordings from Jeju Island, South Korea 
Release Date : August 01st. 2022 
soundcloud.com/huinalidub 
huinalidub.bandcamp.com 
formaviva.com/huinali-recordings

You can stream the playlist on Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Youtube & Soundcloud

The new LP from Motte for Ba Da Bing! is understandably a sombre listen as it was composed during a period of vocal cord paralysis, but there is slowly revealed beauty in the experimental shadows as her multi-instrumental ability, violin virtuosity & glacial experimental-pop arrangements pierce the gloom to comfort, reassure & offer hope in this dark place.

Anita Clark’s new Motte album, Cold + Liquid, builds glacial atmospheres, frozen moods and isolated impressions. Portraying New Zealand through socio-geological sound, breathing in Christchurch cultures and locales, the album embodies an artistic simulation of the Kiwi environment. Motte borrows from an array of sound sources to create an immense entity, with each piece situated precisely along the path. Cold + Liquid offers this rich sensory experience, transporting the listener into a world of Clark’s imagination. 

As a master violinist, Clark is a favorite of the NZ music scene. She’s been employed by Nadia Reid, Marlon Williams, Lawrence Arabia and Maryrose Crook of The Renderers for her skills. Currently, she plays with The Phoenix Foundation, Luke Buda and Don McGlashan and The Others. Her skillful reach across genres fuels her popularity both with the rock under and overground, and she has also built a rich CV of film soundtracks and contemporary dance compositions. 

With such a powerful musical force behind it, Cold + Liquid germinated as a result of a prolonged silence. Clark was suffering from vocal cord paralysis, leaving her with a culminating sense of frustration which could only be released through songwriting . The album’s early life was purely instrumental. But as she prepared for the studio and was searching old voice memos hoping to find vocal tracks, her voice returned. A fervent week followed, where she reimagined the entire album, now with singing. 

She aimed to make something colossal, and set about finding the right textures to add. A friend who works at Oamaru Freezing Works gave her field recordings of the temperature control room, a vast cold space of isolated machinery, where ice grows and dissolves in ever-evolving sculptures. Getting her hands on shortwave/longwave radios, she incorporated frequency sweeps. Another friend provided her with the mechanical drones underneath the deck of a cement cargo ship, as it lay docked in Lyttelton Harbor. Still more sources came from Sign of the Bellbird, an historic environmental site in South Christchurch, where Clark and Thomas Lambert recorded bellbirds, rolling boulders, snapping sticks, thrown dirt and the papery sound of the native harakeke plant. 

While violin dominates the first Motte album Strange Dreams (2017), Clark sought to expand instrumentation. She was gifted a handmade Pūrerehua puoro, a traditional Māori instrument that sounds similar to the whirling and hovering of a moth (which is “motte” in German). A reacquaintance to the guitar occurred after developing an alter ego project entitled 'Sex Den,' with sleazy noir-esque guitar riffs in response to a failed rumour from a local drug-addled dive bar. Guitar and synth allowed for a broader songwriting palette along with a sometimes Dadaist approach to lyric writing. These new tools accent the extreme ambiences of Cold + Liquid, while additional work was provided by Ben Woods on synth and bowed guitar. 

'Listening to Cold + Liquid is a fulsome experience of articulated sound and specific place. Anita Clark dances around the shining candescence of her culture like a night insect, always seeking a better vantage point to the light.

CREDITS
​Music by: MOTTE (Anita Clark) 
Recorded by: Thomas Lambert 
Mixed by: Ben Edwards at the Sitting Room 
Produced by: Anita Clark and Ben Edwards 
Mastered by: Chris Chetland at KOG studio

You can stream the Slow Neoclassical playlist on Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Youtube & Soundcloud

A DIY diamond, where self therapy meets self produced leftfield pop from Elaine Howley, who wraps up her intimate 4 track cassette diary in distressed digi dub, low lit trip hoppery and generally broody lo-fi loopiness for her personal and now our collective benefit via Touch Sensitive.

Touch Sensitive Records proudly presents the Cork-based musician Elaine Howley’s debut solo album 'The Distance Between Heart and Mouth'. The product of an audio diary kept on a 4 track cassette machine throughout 2019 and 2020, the album recreates the intimacy of a radio show filled with Howley’s favourite sounds, pallets, and textures; effortlessly joining the dots between pop and experimentation, summoning the kaleidoscopic world of Trish Keenan & Broadcast, the bruised lo-fi soul of Tirzah and the dubbed-out blues of Leslie Winer. Over nine patient, spontaneous self-recorded and produced tracks, Elaine Howley traces the outline of a small space that could be considered one of the longest journeys to be taken - 'The Distance Between Heart And Mouth'. 

As a member of Crevice, Howlbux and, perhaps most notably, psychedelic rock group The Altered Hours, Elaine Howley is renowned as a singular voice in the Irish underground. 'The Distance Between Heart and Mouth' is her most personal statement to date. 

“I was thinking a lot about the themes of silencing and communication,” she explains. “My voice and a lot of my feelings were buried and I wanted to push that out using music. That is the intention of this album - trying to be brave enough toshare and to open up; along with the internal and external barriers that exist when it comes to doing that." 

'The Distance Between Heart and Mouth' is the product of an audio diary kept on a 4 track cassette machine throughout 2019 and 2020. Pulling on formative teenage musical influences alongside memories of a childhood spent home-recording Longwave 252 transmissions, Howley recreates the intimacy of a radio show filled with her favourite sounds, pallets, and textures; effortlessly joining the dots between pop and experimentation. 

"I brought all those early influences along with me. It was a private time to enjoy music - listening to my Walkman or making mixtapes. I hear the roots of the sounds I am drawn to beginning then. I found myself returning to, and recreating something of that time, for this record." 

The daily sit-down at her tape machine became an almost ritualistic experience over this period as Howley both experimented in sound and worked through her own vulnerabilities. “I wasn't burdening anyone or adding pressure to myself. I've always found music cathartic but this felt like a deeper level for me”. This release can be tangibly felt in lead single ‘Silent Talk’. “That track is about the urge to run and not share parts of myself but also about continuing to try to do that and about the patience people can show in waiting for me.” 

On second track ‘Autumn Speak’, we fully step into the album’s journey through the transition of Howley’s favourite season. “I was thinking about how resistance to decay through self preservation disrupts the process but cannot stop it and only serves to distort and delay. It’s a celebration of endings and allowing change to occur.” Such internal conflicts and strivings are captured sonically throughout the album as echoes and delays whirl into an endless expanse and samples run backwards and onwards. 

Themes regarding memory are also written throughout, particularly in ‘Song For Mary Black’, previously issued on Touch Sensitive’s ‘Wacker That’ compilation. “Mary Black was the first concert I saw and it had a huge impression on me. Growing up, I was a fan of the ‘A Woman’s Heart’ compilation of amazing Irish female voices. It made music feel closer to me than it had previously; it was local and it felt tangible. It reminded me of my Mam and Aunts.” 

Alongside those early inspiring voices and the defining sounds of her teenage years, we can hear the dubbed-out blues of Leslie Winer, the kaleidoscopic world of Trish Keenan & Broadcast, and the bruised lo-fi soul of Tirzah. Over nine tracks, Elaine Howley traces the outline of a small space that can be considered one of the longest journeys to be taken - 'The Distance Between Heart And Mouth'. ​

If you don't want to miss it then you can pre-save it on Spotify, Apple Music and Deezer using this link

If you are going on a 7 day voyage to unexplored territory, sonic or otherwise then friendship & trust are fundamental. Fortunately Colombian Jan Esbra & American Greg Dallas’ decade long personal affection, musical admiration, electronic curiosity and improvisational leanings born from their jazz guitar roots were all steady hands on the rudder during this intense & unpredictable creative outpouring. Remarkably they travelled light, only utilising a synth, an old piano and two guitars - all fed through various effects pedals which largely disguise their identities. Even more remarkably this is Greg’s debut and Jan’s sophomore LP. 

After the 7th day they rested, divided the recordings equally and retreated to their respective St. Louis and New York studios to contemplate what had just happened. Listening back to the various 20-30 minute long sonic outbursts that were the basis for each track, they painstakingly distilled the essence of each session & staying true to the improvisational guiding spirits immortalised in the recordings, arranged those "duende" moments into the tracks you are now hearing. Greg then embarked on his first foray into mixing - treating it as an extension of the artistic process and further elevating the tracks to create the jazz rooted electronic collages you have before you. 

The album is certainly a communal triumph and a welcome antidote to today’s fast-paced and increasingly divided world. It’s a safe space where North & South America unite, New York and St. Louis nod approvingly at each other, improvisational embraces intentional, sonic density sits comfortably next to barely tangible musical meditations and jazz teams up with electronica to push the boundaries of ambient music. It’s certainly a trip and a half. 

Ultimately though a long, well nurtured friendship has born some pretty mind-blowing musical fruit and they’d like to share it with you.

CREDITS
​All tracks improvised and produced by Greg Dallas & Jan Esbra. 
Vocals on "Deep Dive" Catey Esler -  cateyesler.bandcamp.com 

Greg Dallas 
www.gregdallas.com 
gregdallas.bandcamp.com,  
instagram.com/gregdallasgregdallas 
www.youtube.com/channel/UCRbGCwKRYehB8Rxey9act1A 
soundcloud.com/greg-dallas 
open.spotify.com/artist/05BH5rodLid3WbCmc2OAdY 
music.apple.com/us/artist/greg-dallas/1557762807 

Jan Esbra 
www.janesbra.com 
www.instagram.com/jan.esbra/ 
janesbra.bandcamp.com 
www.youtube.com/channel/UCfBnZXf5vo_3a8mSsRbyZIg 
open.spotify.com/artist/65ZZJz6y82lyubAx44cow1 
music.apple.com/gb/artist/jan-esbra/1574388799 

Artwork by Greg Dallas and Catey Esler 
Mastering: Ian Hawgood

A disingenuous traditional folk opening moment rapidly dissolves into deviation rather than replication, as Aux Meadow head into kosmische country gazing at the stars in wide eyed Americana wonder and musing at the endless possibilities of mere men and earthly instruments if only wonder and adventure can transcend the mortal coil.
​BIG thanks to the New Commute blog for the tip

Is this the path to cosmic transcendence? Or an unmarked trail leading only towards earthly lament? 

We're in no hurry to find out.

CREDITS
J. Imwalle - synth.
C. Royalty - guitar.
S. Dawson - lap steel & dobro.
​
Recorded between September 2021 and July 2022, in living rooms and barns across Northern California.

Great to hear Rich Ruth back and climbing the record label league table with Third Man records, but buckle in as his latest LP is a wild lysergic benzodiazepine, golden age jazz trip, with the spiritual and New Age moments offering momentary cosmic breathing space between the intensity of the free spirited sonic waves. How the hell he pulled it off with remote recordings makes it even more remarkable!

Recorded under a loft bed in the guest bedroom of his Nashville home, Michael Ruth aka Rich Ruth’s “I Survived, It’s Over” starts in a humble space. And while many contemporary music projects are produced in such an environment,  “I Survived, It’s Over” sets itself apart in its transformative properties as well as its transparency.
What we have here is honest sound exploration, session musician-level instrumentation, and a true love for nature run through the fingers of a dude who can channel some acute and undeniable magic.
This music goes deep.
"I conceived much of this record amidst the quiet and tumult of 2020 in my neighborhood that had recently been ravaged by a tornado," Ruth recalls, "I spent most of my days working on these pieces between bicycle rides - watching the beautiful Tennessee ecosystem flourish in Shelby Park, listening to Keith Jarrett’s The Koln Concert and John Coltrane’s Ascension."
Underneath the swell of the strings and the shredding of the guitars, this record has hard working, rustbelt, drum-heavy roots all over it (which makes sense as Ruth hails from outside of Toledo, the album was mixed by John McEntire from Chicago band Tortoise). Many of the flutes, saxophones, pedal steel, and other instruments were recorded remotely because we live in the future, but this only adds to the collage of sampled and sample-able material that Rich Ruth has to offer. The organic relationships between the artist and other musicians on the album is evident even in the compilation style sampling that needs to occur in putting such a project together.
"Working on this music is a daily meditation," says Ruth. "I constantly experiment with sound until it reflects the way I am feeling and attempt to sculpt something meaningful from it. Through years of being a touring musician, it is a constant inspiration and privilege to collaborate with the individuals that graced this record with their voices." 
And those relationships pay off, because “I Survived, It’s Over” is a sonic meal. It’s rich (no pun intended) with massive instrumentation that’s usually reserved for more symphonic delights. But at the same time it’s simple and leaves space to breathe–space you didn’t know you needed.
In his own words;  "I Survived, It’s Over is a meditation on healing, confronting trauma, surrendering, and finding peace. I wanted to encapsulate the tranquility and disarray found within this process."
Ruth’s heart and the peace that his presence produces is all over this album. And despite his midwestern humility and willingness to brush off any praise, he’s put together something really special that carries its own weight. It's the kind of record that only comes around every once in a while and it's worthy of all the head-bobs, acclaim, and celebratory potlucks that Mike and the gang have coming their way.
“I Survived, It’s Over” is a record you should buy for your friend, your foe, and yourself. It’ll sit perfectly on your shelf between Alice Coltrane and Hiroshi Yoshimura. ​

You can stream the Slow Jazz playlist on Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Youtube & Soundcloud

Kicking off with the new Greg Dallas & Jan Esbra single dropping next week on the TSMM label, the show then descends into bucolic ambient pastures before exploring a myriad of soporific jazz fusions, dubbing things up to annoy the neighbours then placating them with some summer primed Balearic goodness & still finding time to mosey on through some ambient Americana.

Greg Dallas & Jan Esbra - May Rain (Forthcoming on the The Slow Music Movement)
Anthéne & Stijn Hüwels - Move Through Water (Home Normal)
Gylden - Into The Night (Seil)
Olec Mün, Michael Sarian - Svāhā (Piano & Coffee)
OHMA - We Are (Leaving Records promo)
Luzius Schuler - Penta Festival (Red Brick Chapel)
Arno E. Mathieu - Temps Libre (Compost)
Om Unit - Electroacidspringwater (Self Release)
Duffin - OUTGOING VISIBLE AND FLEXIBLE (Shadow World)
Sam Gendel - Tate-waku (竪沸く, rising steam) (Leaving Records)
Channelers - Deeper Orange (Inner Island)
Jonny Lam - Rainbow Across The Valley (Tompkins Square)
Magnetic Vines - The Sea and the Stars (Self Release)
Ghia - Down At The Hilton (w/Noise Reduction) [Artless Cuckoo]

If you need some easy listening, hip hop indebted smooth jazz with the odd subtle Afro nod to wash over your solar blessed holiday inertia then look no further than this untaxing, relaxing, sun lounger by the water primed new LP by Robohands for King Underground.

The new Robohands LP showcases the brilliant producer and multi-instrumentalist through his most thought-out and compelling songwriting, yet. 

Andy Baxter AKA Robohands displays a new level of sureness with an album that makes you never want to leave its world. The collection of tunes touches on the full range of emotions, at times it’s bold and upbeat and other times it feels somber and heartbroken. It’s tied together with a throughline that keeps you wondering where the trip is heading next. 

It builds anticipation through patience and layers that show themselves over time, but its choices are direct and seem to know where they are going while maintaining and presenting an adventurous spirit. 

The multi-instrumentalist not only brought in new tones and textures for this record but there are also stand-out vocal performances on 2 of the tracks by singer, Aleh. Showing his ability to arrange with new elements at play.

CREDITS
​Composed by Andrew Lee Baxter except tracks 3 & 5 which are composed by Aleh Ferreira & Andrew Lee Baxter 
Andy Baxter - drums, guitar, bass, percussion, tenor saxophone, synthesizers, clarinet, piano 
Deanna Wilhelm - flugel horn, trumpet 
Jo Hunter - tenor saxophone 
Aleh Ferreira - vocals 
Ken Long - electric piano, synthesizers 
Francesca Uberti - piano 
Produced & mixed by Andrew Lee Baxter 
Mastered by Christian Obermayer at Strype Audio 
Artwork by Posterlad 
℗ © 2021 KingUnderground

You can stream the Slow Hop playlist on Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Youtube and Soundcloud