Author: Robin B. James

Loula Yorke :: Hydrology (DiN)

Water — one of our most vital natural resources — flows through this entirely electronic album, where Loula Yorke blends modular synthesis with occasional ocean field recordings and elusive, inexplicable sonic artifacts. A UK-based modular artist known for emotionally charged, cyclical patterns, Yorke crafts a hydrology-inspired sound world shaped by water, electricity, and a distinctive array of synthesizer modules.

Felicity Mangan :: String Figures (Elevator Bath)

Felicity Mangan’s String Figures is an immersive exploration of field recordings, electronic textures, and string timbres, blending natural sounds from wetlands with lush, slowly evolving drones and quasi-bioacoustic compositions. Across six pieces, she transforms subtle environmental cues—water, frogs, moss, and children at play—into meditative, minimalistic soundscapes that range from austere elegance to rich, enveloping resonance.

Sontag Shogun x Lau Nau :: Päiväkahvit (Beacon Sound)

Päiväkahvit is a tender, richly textured ambient album blending sparse instrumentation, ethereal vocals, and intimate field recordings—from birdsong to children playing—capturing the joy of shared, everyday moments. Created by Sontag Shogun and Lau Nau during a 2019 retreat in Finland, the album flows like a sonic diary of peaceful afternoons, meditative moods, and quietly magical collaborations.

Wil Bolton :: Rusted in the Salt Air (Home Normal)

Rusted in the Salt Air is a deeply atmospheric sonic journey that blends natural field recordings from the windswept Suffolk coast with lush, slow-burning electronic textures created using vintage synthesizers and spring reverb. Inspired by the haunting landscapes of Orford Ness and the literary reflections in Sebald’s Rings of Saturn, the album evokes themes of decay, memory, and transformation through immersive soundscapes rich with birdsong, wave wash, and ghostly drones.