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The Slow Music Movement Blog

​Mostly we put our daily recommendations here for the blog readers among you, although occasionally we go longform.
Reading about music is a bit like looking at pictures of food - not nearly half as much fun as getting involved, so we scribble a brief intro to hopefully whet your appetite but you're better off just hitting play. Not very "slow" I know but there's a lot of music to check these days & hopefully you'll find the recommendations a handy filter.
​Trust your ears, not opinions.

30/11/2021 1 Comment

Old Saw - Country Tropics (Lobby Art)

WHAT YOUR EARS SAY & THE COVER LOOKS LIKE

WHAT WE SAY

Familiar Americana instrumental sounds lend a reassuring arm as Old Saw bend the pedal & lap steel, fiddle, banjo, bells, guitar and pipe organ to go with some spiritual dimensional flow rather than try to stamp their will on it for Lobby Art Records. This is a cosmic ride & a half.

WHAT THE RELEASE NOTES SAY

Devotional music and its devotees all do a bit of "buying in"; that while one's on the ground reality may appear anything but celestial, through this music, one can reach ecstatic space, ecstatic peace. However, devotional music is not solely concerned with a skyward glance - what does it look like to raise up the rust, look upon fractured branches, gaze at the density of a low fog across a field? Instead of us looking up at the land, what if the land was looking back at us? Old Saw brings together a brigade of New England silt sifters to raise up the land not as excavators, but as preparators. Tending and caring for the simple mess that our world discards. Throughout "Country Tropics" four pieces, the crew stretches and bends chords to their resting place before setting forth towards a new one. Fiddle drone, wistful tape loops of pedal steel, pipe organ hums, and clattering bells call us to scenes of observation, a water tower, a mechanical bull rental agency, a back porch, a taxidermy shop, a local church choir, a garden with singing vines, voltage hum of the electric fence on Pulp mill bridge road. 

The funny thing about devotion is the absence of sight, of source. We place trust in the guide or guides to bring us to a place of seeing, feeling, and hearing. The music on "Country Tropics" calls out to those in search of such places, but also doesn't demand we conjure some fantastical, celestial vision of understanding. Rather, Old Saw points our gaze downward towards the terrafirma unconsidered, and guides our hands into the dirt.  
CreditsHenry Birdsey - pedal steel, lap steel 
Bob Driftwood - banjo 
Ira Dorset- fiddle 
Rev. Clarence Lewis - pipe organ 
Harper Reed - resonator guitar, nylon string guitar 
Ann Rowlis - orchestral bells 


Recorded by Henry Birdsey at Meridian HQ in February 2021 
Mastering by Andrew Weathers​
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29/11/2021 0 Comments

Francisco Sonur - Sleep Researchers (Giraffe Tapes)

WHAT YOUR EARS SAY & THE COVER LOOKS LIKE

WHAT WE SAY

The new LP from Francisco Sonur for Giraffe tapes is a gentle & considered ambient exploration of life's pleasing imperfections, a whispered appreciation of the joys of human connection tinged with an acknowledgement that nothing lasts forever.

WHAT THE RELEASE NOTES SAY

Sleep Researchers is about a journey, 
which I haven't finished yet 
so I don't know what it sounds like. 
My father reads a few lines, 
betsy sings into a walkman and over the microphone of a toy casio. 
I bought a new Portastudio which has the buttons stuck, 
so when I get it running I record it in ableton. 
I like the way the sounds blend together on that old machine. 
I like to think of these tracks as sounds 
that will accompany moments. 
audio photos.~~~~ 

a man held up in the body 
the words are worn out 
He came for me in the early morning but I was sleeping. 
a man tied to the ground with roots in the desert 
a man delayed in the body--Francisco Sonur 

video for "Another way" here -  youtu.be/Tej-oH49G6o

CreditsRecorded, Mixed, Mastered by Truz at Losotrosolo Mobile Studio 
No guides along the way . 
photo, design and layout by Oleksandr Demianenko 

GRFTPS013 
giraffetapes.bandcamp.com​

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28/11/2021 0 Comments

never forget you're a terrifying freak - On Memory (Sapio Arts)

WHAT YOUR EARS SAY & THE COVER LOOKS LIKE

WHAT WE SAY

As the clouds start to darken the northern Portuguese skies & prepare to soak the land, this somewhat melancholic ambient EP from never forget you're a terrifying freak for Sapio Arts will sound just right as I look out the window and lose myself in solitary thoughts.

WHAT THE RELEASE NOTES SAY

I recorded and produced On Memory over a few weeks in the middle of a Norwegian Winter. I wanted make music for moments of quiet isolation - those moments when we sit by ourselves and let thoughts turn to moments in the past. I think the sound brings with it a feeling of nostalgia. Music is really great at transporting us, giving us the feeling of the past. Sometime this feeling can be for some place or time that never existed. 

The artwork is taken from the Norwegian photographer Anders Beer Wilse, who lived and worked up until the 1940’s. The image of the seagull (måke) on night sky is a photographic slide that is hand coloured — a process that became obsolete with colour photography. I was drawn to the picture because of the colours and sparsness of the image. Fittingly for the EP hand colouring slides like this is style of art that has been lost to time. 

After releasing the first two singles, Faded Afternoon Heat and We Are See Through, "On Memory" has three new tracks. It's music for quiet contemplation, to put on in the background while you're sitting alone. Be transported to places of hazy nostalgia, lost memories and forgotten pasts. 

D
CreditsMastering: Chihei Hatakeyama 
Image: "Maake-Nat" by Anders Beer Wilse - DEXTRA Photo, Norway - CC BY. 
Copyright: Sapio Arts​

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27/11/2021 0 Comments

Kizzy Crawford - Rhydd (Sain Recordiau Cyf)

WHAT THE COVER LOOKS LIKE
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WHAT YOUR EARS SAY

WHAT WE SAY

The new LP from Kizzy Crawford sits in a classic AOR, funky folk, pop tinged, nu-soul sweet spot, given extra depth by some subtle production twists & a psychedelic tingle, not to mention an exotic air by the rarely heard Welsh language vocals. Simultaneously fresh & familiar.
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26/11/2021 0 Comments

Blue Mantra Rhymes - Hour Of Solitude (The Slow Music Movement)

WHAT YOU EARS SAY & THE COVER LOOKS LIKE.

WHAT WE SAY

I'm so happy to be putting this music from Blue Mantra Rhymes into the world, It's a microdosed, sweet & sour, Anglo-Thai folk gem from an Englishman living in Bangkok it really is a lovely album & a genuine start to finish listen.​

WHAT THE RELEASE NOTE SAY

There's been no shortage of whimsy & randomness with the releases on The Slow Music Movement & the Blue Mantra Rhymes LP is no exception, stemming from checking out the music of Ed Cooke after he'd liked the TSMM Instagram page. I was immediately struck by the unusual fusion sounds coming from this English man's Bangkok studio and wanted to know more. 

Having moved to Thailand in 2005 as a legal immigrant he's been "Broadcasting mediative guitars and harmonies from a sunburnt landscape" via boutique labels and his Bandcamp page, since settling there to raise his family." 

The LP you have before you is a real evolution from his previous guitar centred sounds, so Blue Mantra Rhymes has been born. The name is meant to convey his new Thai rooted, psychedelic, orchestral folk sounds, not to mention his first foray into singing after some encouragement and confidence building from Shana Patterson - a music teacher at the school where he works, who also makes a welcome appearance on the LP. 

Hour Of Solitude is not only a musician's evolutionary leap, it's a meeting of worlds and emotions. The straight and the psychedelic, Asia and Europe, loneliness and hope, traditional and alt-folk forms, pandemic isolation with it's associated fears, introspection & reflection tempered by the love, support and tightening of bonds with family and friends. 

It's an LP that is between many places, but one which has embraced and shaped those places into that rare beast - an LP that doesn't really sound like anything else. Consequently, and like all good LPs, it takes a couple of listens to tune in to and I hope you can find the time to do just that. 

What Blue Mantra Rhymes says: 

The idea was originally to create an EP with a lush Asian string sound based on regional instruments from Thailand and Asia. A chance to break away from the acoustic guitar, normally the main focus, and move towards a more classical and orchestral folk sound rooted in Thailand. The album grew from the first 2 songs which were like eureka moments sonically. The sound of the Erhu lifted the mood and created new melodic possibilities. The orchestral string backing gave these tracks an emotional base. From their two EPs were combined, one with strings and vocals and the other with woodwind (pan pipes, kaen pipes, and harmonicas). 

“Hour Of Solitude” refers to the timing and process of making my music, the pockets of time between school holidays when I am not busily tending to my family. I have always been introverted when composing and found solace in retreating to my home studio (the end of a shared studio with my children’s home schooling area), creating these songs and caring for them just like children. The album built my confidence to sing after working with a teaching colleague (the music teacher at my school; Shana Patterson) to create some duet vocals as an important part of my sound. Most of the lyrics were written in a spontaneous way to convey an honest emotion within the songs. 

Within the context of the pandemic the idea was to make a project which would provide me with the mental freedom to explore new ideas and find a tribal folk sound that would feel like a wake up call from nature, a fantasy world that I could escape into during daily life. There are sad moments on the album with lyrics and harmonies that conjure a sense of yearning and loneliness. But passing through these low moments helps the album lift with a sense of hope, especially with the song “See Hundreds More”. It is a work of art that is intended to help my family, friends, and colleagues find a moment of reflection. 

The songs and their meaning: 

1. Morning Strings Arising 
The sounds of a Bangkok sunrise as the day breaks and things awaken. Strings lift and swirl with the creaks and bumps that normally accompany the start of the day. Like old doors and windows opening. There is also the mood of a morning bird song in there being played by the flute. 

2. The Evening Tide 
A song themed with parenthood composed at night as my children were going to sleep. The strings and erhu were made by playing an app on the phone. The strings are meant to drift like waves with the way they swing on the track. The lyrics center around the hope of taking the next generation to a better place and catching the last boat or chance we have for their future. 

3. Alison’s Anthem 
A piece of acoustic psych combined with a Morricone style anthem to create a heroine’s theme as a tribute to my sister. She is a mum and nurse who worked on the frontline during the UK pandemic. 

4. We Rest Upon Her Shoulders 
This song introduces the woodwind section of the orchestra which slides in over the opening string ambience. The idea was to create a powerful giant like sound as a tribute to all those mothers out there, especially my wife, who are carrying their families on their backs. 

5. Passing Through Blues 
Stopping for a moment of reflection and release in the studio. Microphone out the window during a lazy afternoon. The hazy vocals were recorded in one take and lie at the heart of solitude. 

6. Bird Light 
I made a short slow mo video of birds flying around a stadium floodlight in Chumphon. The strings and Kaen pipes were recorded to soundtrack the video. From there the rest of the song came together with an Erhu solo and vocal chants / mantras. 

7. A Garden Claimed 
With the passing of an elderly relative my family had to travel to Chumphon for a service. The song was composed on ukulele during the days of the funeral at my mother in laws house. The lyrics have two meanings; In Thai culture elderly relatives are highly respected and can leave behind good fortune for their families. On another level the song can be seen as a lament on how we treat nature and the land that we inherit from our ancestors. 

8. Farewell To The Wetlands 
Living in an Eastern suburb of Bangkok where the city seems to be eating up the natural wetlands the song harks back to a time when the main mode of transport was travelling by boat down canals and rivers. It starts with an upbeat melody as if paddling through the water and from there drifts into a flute and acoustic guitar solo. 

9. See Hundreds More 
A new version of an old vocal that I often play when I am practicing. It was written in the first few years that I lived in Thailand and contains lyrical descriptions of the Thai landscape and street life. It narrates how it is still a place that charms and warms to the traveler. The ending of the song is call for hope and how charma, luck and superstition are still a central part of Thai culture. 

10. End of the Day 
The closing of the album and a farewell form the Erhu and the Ukulele as it fades out. Recorded late at night when the spark of creativity can still ignite.
  
CreditsBlue Mantra Rhymes Orchestra: 
Synthesized Erhu, Violins, & Chinese Flute 
Acoustic guitar 
Ukulele 
Kaen Pipes 
Bamboo Pan Pipes 
Bamboo Recorder 
Suzuki Harmonicas in D, C & E 
Percussion; wooden frog, tambourine, gong, taiko stick and cymbal Vocals: Ed Cooke & Shana Patterson 
All songs written and produced by Ed Cooke 
Recorded in Bangkok and Chumphon, Thailand. 
Mastered by James Armstrong 
Fish Cover Painting (spray paint, watercolour, & gouche on recycled cardboard) by Ed Cooke 

Ed Cooke Instagram:  www.instagram.com/edcookerhymes/ 
Ed Cooke Bandcamp:  edcooke.bandcamp.com 
Ed Cooke Soundcloud:  soundcloud.com/ed-cooke 

Support: 
Strummers & Dreams Show - Cambridge 105 radio -  cambridge105.co.uk/shows/strummers-and-dreamers/ 
Northern Sky Review -  northernskyreviews.com/2021/11/15/issue-17/​

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24/11/2021 0 Comments

The Slow Music Movement Radio Show #63


So the new show for the Music For Dreams crew from Denmark is here and it's the usual wander through slow music pastures, kicking off with some underground urban folk before heading into more exotic territory, jazzier climes, New Age spas, Electronic woods, pop pastures and ending up with a dip in the slow house pool.

Karl Mcann - Like A Star (Pretty Misery)
Houeida Hedfi - Echos de Medjerda (Phantasy Sound)
The Memory Band - Albion's Daughter (Hungry Hill)
Red Snapper - The Warp and The Weft (Lo Recordings)
Shakira Alleyne - Floating Soul (Brownswood)
Tapes - Sauna Research (Research Records)
Soshi Takeda - Blue Dress (Constellation Tatsu Promo)
Turn On The Sunlight - Glistening (Tokonoma Records)
Astralean - Last Boat Off The Dock (Hey Maker)
Golden Brown - A Far Green Country (Inner Islands)
Julius Smack - Senenity (Leaving)
Jay Sound - Coastal Access (Deep Quality)
Jazzuelle - Hashashin ft. Atjazz (Stay True Sounds)

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24/11/2021 0 Comments

John Thayer - Supermundane (Moon Villain)

WHAT YOUR EARS SAY & THE COVER LOOKS LIKE

WHAT WE SAY

Aiming his synths for the stars but grounding the machines with exotic earthly percussion, John Thayers's new LP for the aptly named Moon Villain is here for you if you want a freewheeling cosmic ride.

WHAT THE RELEASE NOTES SAY

Written and recorded by John Thayer in Kyoto, Maui, and Brooklyn 

Mixed at Thump Recording, New York 
Mastered by Rafael Anton Irisarri at Black Knoll Studio, New York 
Art and design by Joe Bastardo​
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23/11/2021 0 Comments

Fishdoll - Moonsense (Tahei)

WHAT YOUR EARS SAY & WHAT THE COVER LOOKS LIKE

WHAT WE SAY

​China is, and I'm guessing mostly will be a fairly closed shop culturally, which is why I'm even more blown away by stumbling across Fishdoll's new LP for TAIHE. It's a stunning blend of her dreamy Mandarin soul vocals with forward thinking beats & back to the future orchestral electronica. Lovely.

WHAT THE RELEASE NOTES SAY

音樂人對自己誠實的方法,是對作品誠實,一如作家起初的創作,總是圍繞著自己的故事與成長,如何在音樂裏解剖自我,再坦然地將其公諸於眾,是需要足夠勇氣和平和心態的。Fishdoll回歸自己生長的地方,打拼了兩年,經歷新階段的重重磨練,繼續與現實抗爭,重新找回對生活的信念,鑄就了這張新專輯的誠實核心。它自然而然,如開花結果,落葉歸根,它可以發生在每個人的身上,平常到似乎根本不值一提,如此一來,Fishdoll便能以輕鬆坦然的狀態將事實客觀呈現,並體會這一探索過程中收穫的對音樂的領悟。 

開篇所展現出的自然意象,原始叢林般的開闊豐饒,奠定了這張新專輯樸實真誠的基調,緊接著有面對自然環境的自我呢喃;審慎的自我觀察;不懼暴露瑕疵的坦蕩和不怕散發魅力的自信;潛意識的自主生長;不進行任何人工干預的理智視角;發現自然生命力一瞬間時難以遏制的喜悅;不與潛意識對抗的順從等。這些Fishdoll想通過音樂與自然、外界和自己取得更緊密的企圖,都以一種中肯的陳述語態表達出來,不抗拒,不批判,不添油加醋,不強行解釋,這本身就是放下我執的過程,一旦與客觀事實建立起真實的連結,Fishdoll便在其中獲得了內心真正的充盈感,意識開始與潛意識互通,情緒的充沛轉化成自我能量的補充,就再也不想僅僅滿足自己的快感來製造音樂,創造力也不再被獵奇的聲音探索所牽制。 

新專輯中,Fishdoll做了很多突破——第一次嘗試寫中文詞,第一次嘗試編寫管弦樂作品,她想“惡補”音樂知識,堅信就算半路出家也完全不晚,她希望永遠處於學習的過程中。因此,她再也不會介意任何一個階段的不完美,尊重生命自然屬性上的“留白”部分,並將對這部分“空白”的思考也融入創作:“每首作品的創作過程像是觀察痛苦並全然接受的過程,就像接受自己的不完美一樣,學會把執念放下。當心境豁然開朗,生命力會像朝陽一般燦爛,那些困住腳步的自我懷疑化成晨間的露水。這時你會看到生活的美。我想歌頌人間苦樂,因為生活給了我太多的禮物,我要感謝生活。我希望這些音樂能喚起人們心底的善念,善待世界,善待彼此。” 

As an artist, being honest with oneself is exemplified in the consistent integrity of each individual work. It takes intrepidity and an abandonment of the ego to create with vulnerability and self-acceptance. Fishdoll’s return to her hometown ushered in a new phase of life full of challenges and confrontations with reality. Her increasing awareness of herself within this struggle, and her desire to grow and evolve despite it, are what formed the nucleus of her next album. This process of growth is natural; Such as the flowering and fruiting of a tree, followed by its leaves falling to the roots. It is ubiquitous, so much so that it seems to be not worth mentioning. Using this essentialness as a conceptual platform is what allows Fishdoll to create from a place that encourages self-acceptance, self-exploration and serenity. 

We begin in a lush, ageless, flora and fauna rich forest. A contrasting blend of density and spaciousness ignites the essence of this new album. This is followed by a further acknowledgement of the environment, and Fishdoll’s internal dialogue of candid self-reflection. This leads to a reaction of open-heartedness and fearlessness; the willing exposition of flaws and a powerful confidence that entices. Then follows the autonomous strengthening of the subconscious mind. The joy of discovering the vitality of nature, that is as fleeting as it is transformative. The full acceptance of one’s consciousness, and the decrease in self-conflict. 

Fishdoll’s attempts and experiences to find herself more intimately through nature and the outside world are all expressed in a voice of definitive declaration. This voice does not hesitate, embellish or criticize with forced explanation. It evokes a gradual process of releasing the ego and establishing a real connection with one’s personal truth. In this, Fishdoll gains a sense of inner fullness and enlightenment. The conscious mind then begins with the unconscious, and the wealth of emotions is transformed into a supplement of self-energy. In a broader sense, it is a realization that self-satisfaction is no longer the sole pleasure of making music, but it is rather a desire to simply share with the world. 

This sophomore album presents several firsts; Fishdoll’s first foray into writing Mandarin lyrics, and her first offering of orchestral arrangement. She stands by the belief that it is never too late to learn what you feel may have already passed you; she hopes to stay in perpetual learning. Therefore, she has learned to pay no mind to imperfections, respecting emptiness as one of the essential aspects of life, and one to be respected. “When your mind suddenly becomes clear, your vitality will be as bright as the sunrise, and those trapped self-doubts will turn into morning dew. At this time you will be able to fully observe the everyday beauty of life. I want to sing the joys and sufferings of the world, because life has given me so many gifts; I want to give back. I hope these music can arouse the kindness in people's hearts, treat the world and treat each other kindly."
 
 CreditsTrack 1-6, 8, 10 Composed / Produced / Performed by Fishdoll 
Track 3, 5, 6, 9, 10 Lyrics by Fishdoll 
Track 2 Lyrics by Fishdoll, 周士爵 (Zhou Shi Jue) 
Track 4 Lyrics by Fishdoll, Quincy Mayes, Lebogang Lebese 
Track 6 Keys by Quincy Mayes 
Track 7 Lyrics by Sean Mcgurl, Composed by Fishdoll and Sean Mcgurl, Guitar and Bass by Sean Mcgurl, Produced by Fishdoll 
Track 9 Composed / Produced by Fishdoll and Quincy Mayes, Piano by Quincy Mayes 
※ Vocal recorded at Beibei's home studio, and at home in Vancouver. Special thanks to Ying Dou and Quincy Mayes for assisting. 

Track 1 Mixed by Quincy Mayes 
Track 8 Mixed by Knopha 
Other Tracks are Mixed by Eric Lau 
Mastered by Eric Lau 
Album Cover Art by AbonnyX 
Photography by 常志杰 Si-lis 
Graphic / Vinyl Designed by Yooowen 
※ Special thanks to Acne Studios and formless studio for providing the clothing for the photoshoots.​

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22/11/2021 1 Comment

You'll Never Get To Heaven - Wave Your Moonlight Hat For The Snowlight Train (Séance Centre)

WHAT YOUR EAR SAY & THE COVER LOOKS LIKE

WHAT WE SAY

​Nurture & good intentions search for meaning in today's collective delusion, as early morning New Age rays warm the melancholic end of night dream pop ether in this naggingly microdosed but undeniably beautiful new LP from You'll Never Get to Heaven for Séance Centre.

WHAT THE RELEASE NOTES SAY

You’ll Never Get To Heaven (Alice Hansen and Chuck Blazevic aka Slow Attack Ensemble) returns with their fourth release Wave Your Moonlight Hat for the Snowfall Train, a collection of ethereal songs that move through the mercurial weather patterns of minimalism and dream pop. 

The duo named this album after the closing track on Phil Yost’s 1967 release Bent City, inspired by its prescient use of delay processing in elevating spare beatless arrangements into haunting arrays of sonic afterimages — an approach Hansen and Blazevic explore on this outing in their own way, with a few favoured instruments and a Chorus Echo and Revox in hand. The result is a collection of sparse, lightly dub-infused songs and instrumentals, equally icy and wistful, characterized by melodic fretless basslines, spaced-out harmonics, watery piano and marimba, hushed vocals, and tape echo treatments. 

Stylistically, it’s almost as if the duo was imagining what an early This Mortal Coil demo might have sounded like had Ivo enlisted in lieu of the usual cast, with a pared back L’Empire Des Sons as the session band, and June Hardin or a young Julee Cruise on lead vocals. The album evokes an overcast autumnal evening of cloud-watching, an inner journey witness to an expansive spectrum of moods, from nimbus clouds to shimmering sun showers. 

RIYL: Broadcast, Weekend’s ‘81 Demos, Chantal Weber, Orquesta de las Nubes, Hydroplane, The Moon and the Melodies, Eberhard Weber

CreditsWritten, recorded, performed, mixed, produced and mastered at home by Alice Hansen and Chuck Blazevic. ​

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21/11/2021 0 Comments

Coldcut & Mixmaster Morris - @0 (Ahead Of OUr Time)

WHAT YOUR EARS SAY & THE COVER LOOKS LIKE

WHAT WE SAY

Ambient is a broad church, so let UK chillout pioneer & still chief ambassador Mixmaster Morris, & Coldcut (UK DJ/VJ/label pioneers!) be your guide with this stylistically undulating tour of this most soothing of genres. It's an eminently Sunday suitable masterclass.

WHAT THE RELEASE NOTES SAY

‘@0’ AMBIENT COMPILATION FEATURING NEW RECORDINGS FROM RYUICHI SAKAMOTO, SUZANNE CIANI, SIGUR ​​RÓS, STEVE ROACH, KAITLYN AURELIA SMITH, SKEE MASK, HELENA HAUFF, JULIANA BARWICK, A WINGED VICTORY FOR THE SULLEN, LARAAJI, AND MANY MORE. 

The release also includes new compositions and remixes of music by Imogen Heap, James Heather, Specimens, Nailah Hunter, Coldcut and more. Ninja Tune will be donating their share (50% of net receipts) to three charities: CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably), Mind and Black Minds Matter. 

Launched with a double single—Suzanne Ciani’s “Morning Spring” & Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith’s “Mt Baker”—and set for full release on 19th November (LP, CD and Digital), ‘@0’ comprises a collection of ambient tracks curated and sequenced by Coldcut (on LP and Digital) and mixed by both Coldcut and Mixmaster Morris (on CD), bringing together some of the pioneers of ambient music alongside current artists spearheading the genre. Featuring an incredible lineup of new ambient and classical recordings, all released for the first time as part of the ‘@0’ compilation with music from: Ryuichi Sakamoto, Suzanne Ciani, Steve Roach, Juliana Barwick, Imogen Heap—whose ‘The Happy Song’ is remixed by Coldcut—A Winged Victory for the Sullen, Laraaji, Sigur Rós—with close collaborator of the band Paul Corley providing a ‘Liminal’ re-work of ‘Rembihnútur’—Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Helena Hauff, Skee Mask, Daniel Pemberton & FSOL, James Heather, Specimens, Nailah Hunter, Rovo & System 7, Ned Scott (The Egg), Noodreem, Mira Calix, Obay Alsharani, David Wenngren, ill-esha, Yak Herder, NDiPA X Flex Machina, Double Cushion, Irresistible Force, FRKTL, ANNA and Coldcut themselves. 

Speaking with Matt Black (one half of Coldcut) on the project and its creation he explains that: “‘@0’ refers to that liminal state experienced many times where my mental and emotional stability was not solid and it felt like teetering on a zero axis about to fall into depression, or more rarely, mania. I found that ambient music, by making no psychic demands, often opened some space and with its soft fascination, subtly raised the energy, helping to avoid that downward spiral and navigate slowly up and out. @0 is a balance point.” 

Several pairs of tracks from the compilation will be released over the coming weeks, partnering a more established name in the world of ambient music alongside a relative newcomer. Out today for ‘EP1’, modular synthesis pioneer Suzanne Ciani’s “Morning Spring” arrives alongside Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith’s “Mt Baker”, named after the glacier-covered volcano found in the Cascade Mountain range in Washington. This will be followed by ‘EP2’ featuring “The Drift Home” by seminal American ambient composer Steve Roach which will be released alongside “Beethoven 250” an ambient soundscape from acclaimed duo A Winged Victory for the Sullen. The final release, ‘EP3’ will come from legendary Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, with a new live-recording of his 1999 track “Aqua”, originally performed as part of his ‘Playing the Piano for the Isolated’, and James Heather with a new version of “And She Came Home”, with piano re-recorded on a Bosendorfer Grand and additional strings. The final track on the digital release is a reworking of Coldcut and Irresistible Force’s classic 90’s ambient track “Autumn Leaves”. 


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