Cool shiny techno from: Loop Nation – Gravastar

•January 8, 2025 • Leave a Comment

Chilly days demand some chilly techno with an icy sheen. And that’s what you get from Loop Nation’s Gravastar.

Loop Nation is Luca Perrone, London-based artist, composer and producer. His work is a diverse mixture of house, techno, retro synthwave, pop and industrial sounds, as well as 80s movies and video games.

Featured track Gravastar includes a number of these touch points. There’s a bit of techno, some synthwave, an ear for pop hooks and a bit of 80s retro.

A Gravastar is a concept arising from an alternative theory of black holes (see Wiki for more – I confess I didn’t really understand it). Musically, however, it’s a blast.

The track has a spaced intro before a wonderfully elastic deep synth comes at you with a bit of a synth pop spin. It’s a sound of sleek futuristic lines with a touch of neon.

The track spirals forward with a bit of a techno futuristic determinism. There are some lovely chunky beats but nothing that ultimately detracts from those synths.

It has a bit of 80s retro in the wheeziness of the hi hats but always remembers that this is a track to make you move. Silky smooth techno.

Posted in acid, techno
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REVISIT: Ukkonen – The Isolated Rhythms of…

•January 8, 2025 • Leave a Comment

Today was one of those days when things pop into your head unbidden. For me it was Ukkonen. A wonderful ambient techno artist from more than a decade ago.

His work was just wonderful. An intricate mix of ambient, Warp IDM and Detroit techno given a musicologist’s spin. This led me back to his debut album. Still sounds gorgeous today.

In the mists of 2012 I said of it “The album has five tracks spread across an hour. The LP starts with Three from the 4223, a game of two halves. The first is a clattery Warp-type effort. The seond moves into a slower Detroit vein, reminscent of Carl Craig, to whom he is sometimes compared. Haukivesi Spirit starts almost beatless, with tones and drones before breaking out into a techno track but with something of the ‘other’ about it in its unconventionalness. Tellervohas to be called an acid track. It has those acid squiggles in it but it’s richer than a normnal techno track. At once encompassing both analogue warmth and digital crispness. Humans Knew In The Forest is another change of direction, into an awkwardness about the beats and bloops. Half way through it all smooths out into an almost jazzy house track with a strange lushness. The LP ends with Seventy Three Days of Radiance. This takes its time before moving into a slow dubby funk. But this doesn’t remain, with synths coming back to sooth any fevered brows. Even this declines into a single changing tone on top of a solitary drum pattern. And then it’s over. But this is the sort of album that will repay repeated listens.”

Posted in idm, ukkonen
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Balearic drum and bass with: RUSE – Ocean (Instrumental)

•January 6, 2025 • Leave a Comment

All very back-to-school today. Hard to generate any get up and go. Want to retreat into dreams. Here’s the perfect track from RUSE which sounds like summer.

RUSE is from the USA. I know no more. Here’s new track Ocean, which I’m featuring in its instrumental version.

This is a deft mix of light drum and bass with some beach bound neo Balearic melodies. It’s all light and skippy.

The melodies are a mix of deep chords and blippy top notes. This works perfectly with the jump around beats. There’s a real feel of sand between your toes and sun on your nose.

A track for anyone yearning for it to be summer again. Balearic banger.

Posted in chill, drum and bass
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Ambient Sunday addendum with Evelyn Cross

•January 5, 2025 • Leave a Comment

An extra track this week. And for a change it’s a properly long one, from Evelyn Cross.

Evelyn Cross is Nic Johns (of Room8) and Neal Harris (of Reindeer Flotilla) from California, USA. They describe themselves as “A Los Angeles-based ambient synth project born of a love for science fiction and experimental music. Influences include Steve Roach, Brian Eno and Tangerine Dream.”

Now, I’m no lover of synth ambient, Roach, Eno or Tangerine Dream. But their track The Dark Shadow is definitely worth a listen, even if it is 31 minutes in length.

The Dark Shadow is just so out there and happy to be different. It opens with a hazy analogue synth feel that sounds like late 70s or early 80s pioneers. There’s a fabulous sense of roving your own cosmic path.

Everything is a bit warped and almost out of phase. The edges of distortion add to, rather than detract from, the track.

They describe the track as “a long-form composition of inquisitive synth patterns over warm pads, an analog beacon drifting into the winter night sky.”

The track emerges into a more sparking night sky as the synths offer tinkling melodies rather than repeated chords. It’s all very trippy.

As you approach half way things change. Everything comes a bit more sharply into focus. Things take a turn for something darker in what they call the “dark Wonka boat ride section.”

The last third of the track offers relief by way of something almost celestial and a little bit choral. Perhaps this is the tracks event horizon beyond which you cannot go.

I wish more artists were as ambitious as this.

Posted in ambient, synth
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Ambient Sunday with Justin Robertson (no, not that one)

•January 5, 2025 • Leave a Comment

Ambient Sunday is going beatless and a little ASMR with Justin Robertson.

This Justin Robertson isn’t the UK dance legend, this one is from the USA. Justin Robertson is originally from Southwest Louisiana but currently residing on California’s central coast, His influences range from generative composition and ambient music to funk, rock, jazz, video game soundtracks and traditional Cajun folk music.

The key word today is “serene.” The track is I’ll Meet You On The Shores Of Infinity.

The track uses the ASMR potential of waves washing shores (Monterey Bay) as an underpinning to a mix of long gentle tones accompanied by the merest tickle of piano.

The effect is mesmerising and has a trance inducing slack jawed quality. This is ambient pushed into its highest state of nothingness. And I mean that as a compliment.

Tracks too often talk about being meditative when they mean mushy wallpaper. Here, there’s a lovely sense of being coddled and the oh so slow piano line stops this becoming wallpaper.

Take a moment. Enhance your day.

Posted in ambient
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Saturday study beats with: Katundar, and 100sheep

•January 4, 2025 • Leave a Comment

The UK has taken a turn for the chilly. It’s time to snuggle down, make yourself a hot chocolate, and listen to some warming study beats from Katundar, and 100sheep.

Katundar says by way of biog that “I am a germany based producer with albanian origin and my intention is to mix balkan flavoured music with some boom bap drums.” As for the same, explains that “My artist name “Katundar” is the Albanian word for “country bumpkin” or “villager.” I chose the name humorously to reference the calmer rhythms of Boom Bap beats.”

The featured track is the rather wonderful Independency from the album Beat Tape, vol1.

Independency hits right from the start opening with a wonderful trumpet sample that carries the track. That’s accompanied by some rich boom bap beats.

There is enough electronics to offer a bit of background fill as the trumpet continues to shine with what might otherwise be called a solo.

This is just brilliantly head nodding and utterly cheering. Perfect for winter. A win for the rural resident.

And so to Japan and 100sheep. This is a duo, Hiroki Tanaka and Yukihero Nakamura based in Fukuoka.

The track is Winter’s Whisper of which 100Sheep says “we composed it with the image of a winter morning in mind.” And that’s what they’ve delivered.

Having woken to a freezing house and a heavy frost the mix of found sound, soft piano and guitar was just lovely.

Beats arrive late to the party and with an ultra lofi compressed sound that works perfectly in this context not to overwhelm the delicate melodies.

The piano tinkles away as a synth rolls around. This track is soft and welcoming as unmarked snow. Gorgeous.

Posted in ambient, chill, study beats
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Ambient Sunday on a Thursday with: Martian City and InVansh

•January 2, 2025 • Leave a Comment

As we’re in that time between New Year and when things properly reveal next week let’s stay chilled with a couple of downtempo/ambient tracks from Martian City, and InVansh.

Martian City is a Brazilian artist who says “My name is Sarah, and this year [2024] I started producing music as an independent artist. I started experimenting and I created this project called “Martian City” which was intended to capture this sort of feeling of being stranded in a foreign planet.”

Here’s featured track Lighthouse. Of it she says that it’s a “dark ambient song, exploring somber tones.” I’d say this is a gentle ambient track with a shy underlying sweetness.

The track is built around some gentle organ chords and a bit of spaced and cosmic awkwardness. There are no beats. Sounds come and go. They swell into hearing and then fade.

At just 95 seconds this is a bit too short really. But so pretty while it’s here.

It has been 18 months since we last heard from India’s InVansh. But they’re back with a track from his new album Breeze.

The track is …Eager. More downtempo than ambient to be honest. But it has a lovely perkiness to it.

If the thought of 2025 is getting you down, this is a track to gently lift you back up again.

It’s built around some slowly ascending chords and a bobbling synth line that implies things will get better. That may be a forlorn thought in Trumpist days but we can but hang on to hope.

There are crushed 80s beats but kept firmly in the background to allow the keyboards to weave their magic. Time to be positive people.

Posted in ambient, chill, downtempo
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For that post NYE chill need: GaetDown x brass.beats – Smooth Ride

•January 1, 2025 • Leave a Comment

For anyone who had a big night last night or anyone just wanting to hunker down and chill, here’s some lovely chill hop from GaetDown x brass.beats.

GaetDown is from France and brass.beats is from Argentina. GaetDown describes himself as music producer and fender bender. Meanwhile, brass.beats says “Jazz.trumpeter and multi.instrumentalist from Argentina who loves to make beats and collabs with other artists.”

The featured track is Smooth Ride and that is totally what it delivers. Nothing jarring. Nothing awkward. Nothing to interrupt a slow head nod. Perfect for anyone in need to paracetamol.

Smooth Ride is described as “Picture yourself wandering the streets of New Orleans, cruising past vibrant jazz clubs and historic balconies, as the smooth rhythms carry you deep into the night.” For my money that makes it sound more energetic than it truly is.

The trumpet leads the way in a slow sashay, followed by washed out beats and woozy electronics. It’s all vague and hazy and wonderful.

The track wanders about purposefully. The languid air masks a purposeful drive to deliver delicious chill. Enjoy being the beneficiary of this wonderful collaboration.

Posted in chill, study beats
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Here’s to the New Year with melodic techno: Kioshima – Mycobahn

•December 31, 2024 • Leave a Comment

Whether you’re going out or staying in for New Year’s Eve here’s some cheery melodic techno from Kioshima to put you in the mood to face 2025.

Kioshima is from Oslo, Norway. He’s got a love for the early techno Pioneers, especially those who started in the more electro end of techno.

Here’s a track from his new EP Solens varme mot ens oppadvendte ansikt (tr. the sun’s warmth again one’s uplifted face).

The track is the unusually entitled Mycobahn. Kioshima explains that “The song title is a double reference both to Drexciya’s Aqua Bahn and Kraftwerks Autobahn.”

The Myco part of the title is a reference to Mycelium which are incredibly tiny “threads” of the greater fungal organism that wrap around or bore into tree roots. Kioshima adds “I love Drexciyas vengeance motive – > Mycobahn is the network of fungi communicating in the ruins of the human world.”

As for the track, it’s a sparkling bit of melodic techno verging on Detroit techno that isn’t afraid to reference the old school electro sounds as it looks forward.

The bass line has that late 80s blooping reverb about it. The synths around shimmer with cosmic awareness. The beats are bright and cheerful.

If this is about dystopia then bring it on, since it sounds like the most fun ever. Whatever the creative intent this is the sound of positivity. A perfect pick me up for these grey days and a positive way in to 2025.

Posted in electro, melodic techno, techno
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After Christmas but before New Year chill: Alexander Paul Burton – soirée

•December 29, 2024 • Leave a Comment

If you’re hunkering down in these days between Christmas and New Year then have some seasonal chill from Alexander Paul Burton.

Alexander Paul Burton is from Canada. Aka Tremolo A Tiempo, he’s a Toronto-based pianist known for their emotive and unconventional style.

The featured track is soirée. He says it “is a tropical lo-fi Christmas song that subverts the holiday spirit, blending sun-soaked beats with melancholy undertones.”

But he also adds that “It captures the bittersweet ache of being LGBTQ+ during the holidays.” I asked him to expand on that and he said “growing up in Cornwall, a remote part of the UK, it was hard to connect with and find community. I found a community through music and was always grateful for that.” He adds “Being gay can be more nuanced than the stereotypes we see on TV. I’ve always had a very strong emotional connection to my music, which drives my creativity.”

Soirée is a wistful gentle tune taken from the album Lo-fi Christmas Tropical Chill (Remix de Nöel Trois).

There’s an almost Christmas bells effect alongside something that has a more summery undertone. It’s warming and cosy like eggnog and an open fire. But it’s also melancholic whiskey alone in the near dark.

This is quality lofi chill that pulls you in different emotional directions. Calming and reassuring despite the pain and the passing of years. Lovely.

Posted in chill
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