The Lifted Index - Agonist (Seil) [Ambient]

The Slow Music Movement
Sep 29
2 min read

*** This blog post first appeared in TSMM's September 18th Newsletter, where you can get all the tips (and more) first ***

The cover for The Lifted Index's album, Agonist, showing a blue square with "The Lifted Index" and "Agonist" over a black-and-white background of rocks by rippling water.

Daniel DeWitt, known as The Lifted Index to the ambient community, has had his fair share of TSMM playlist and blog coverage since starting to release music five years ago. Despite the slightly painful sounding album title, somewhat gloomy track titles and laconic, introspective yet admirable liner notes, stating that the album is “about confronting your unchangeable self and meeting it with acceptance”, the new album for the very great Seil Records, is another blissful transmission from this closet hunkered producer from Atlanta, Georgia.

Daniel DeWitt, known as The Lifted Index with curly hair in a blue shirt over a red top looks down pensively against a neutral background. Warm light casts a soft glow.

The album really does walk the sunny side of the street, straddling a line between modern day ambient production and classic sounding chill out vibes. Made using guitars, samplers and synths there’s a minimal charm threading the release - mainly due to the sun reflecting guitar and glistening keyboard refrains peppering the album.

There’s the shimmering transcendence of “Lost to Follow”, the Cafe del Mar like mantric looping and politely insistent guitar motifs on “Collapsing the Vanguard” and “Meridiem Breath Collector”, the alcohol fogged sunrise of “Morning Paralytic”, a heightened lysergic plain reached during the thought provokingly entitled “Conditional Fragmented Wonder” and pulsing, cascading joys to be heard in “Brickwall Static in the Disconnected Self“.

Every track has a pleasantly stoned, good natured vibe to it which makes for a pleasantly warm, perfectly chilled album. If summer is still making autumn wait where you are and you need a soundtrack, then look no further. Acceptance sure sounds good.