Melding Biosphere’s moody ambiance and Bvdub’s vaporous textures together with often old-school ambient forms, Helios/Goldmund melodic figures, processed guitar and field recordings, 36 has marked himself out as an artist that has drawn upon countless influences to create an uncompromising and unique voice that doesn’t bow to current trends.
[Listen | Purchase] Dennis Huddleston has been quietly but prolifically self-releasing a heady and nostalgic brand of atmospheric electronica on his 3six Recordings label for several years now and has generated a dedicated following in the process. Melding Biosphere’s moody ambiance and Bvdub’s vaporous textures together with often old-school ambient forms, Helios/Goldmund melodic figures, processed guitar and field recordings, 36 (pronounced three-six not thirty-six) has marked himself out as an artist that has drawn upon countless influences to create an uncompromising and unique voice that doesn’t bow to current trends.
Both his 2009 debut album Hypersona and 2010’s Hollow (part of an as yet unfinished trilogy) proved to be highly accomplished and complete, narrative works of great melodic and atmospheric beauty. Also in 2010 came the first two in a series of three insanely limited (36 copes to be exact) cassettes, and at the end of the year, a lush double picture disc vinyl album – Memories in Widescreen – a more purist ambient release of frozen, hovering drones and atmospheres that set it apart from his other releases.
As if the pending final installments of these other two projects wasn’t enough, he has now launched the first artifact in this new 3six Seven series, literally a series of seven-inch singles limited to one hundred copies with unique artwork curated by a different artist for each release on the full-colour, matt-laminated sleeves and disc labels.
Occupying sonic territory that will be familiar to lovers of Hypersona and Hollow, we are given two tracks of highly personal, emotive and faded, chilly ambient electronica. “Cocoon” fades up through a mist covered lake in curling tendrils of icy wind. Taking the best high-altitude figures and textures from Bvdub but staying just the right side of sentimentality, Masaki Okezawa’s artwork couldn’t be more appropriate, the lone bridal figure risen from the depths perfectly capturing the stillness, the sense of something lost, something seen but out of reach and drifting slowly away. The flip-side, “Saphron,” sends shivers down the spine with a glacial farewell siren song, haunting tubular phrases and faint radio crackle. Gradually this song is replaced by shadowy, crypt-like timbres and a chill wind-whistling version of its former self, the radio crackle with the drip and echo of water droplets.
All orders for the seven-inch single and the digital download are accompanied by a bonus track, “Saphron Drowned.” Draining all the colour and melancholy away from “Saphron,” this wraith-like, almost hauntological remix leaves only a despairing lament in its place. It’s a much darker expression of 36’s sound than we have heard before and it will be interesting to see if more of this type of work emerges later in the series.
Assuming that the momentum stays firmly behind this project – and judging by the rate at which 36 has been putting out material over the last year, this seems very likely – it is going to turn into one hell of a collection, both physical and digital. Representing some of 36’s best material to date this is an essential purchase for lovers of all things ambient. Just be quick if you want the physical format.
Cacoon/Saphron is out now on 3six Recordings. [Listen | Purchase] [Facebook] [Soundcloud]
<a href=”http://3six.net/album/cocoon-saphron” _mce_href=”http://3six.net/album/cocoon-saphron”>Cocoon / Saphron by 36</a>
