Accomplished, refined, picturesque and electronically-generated pulsating ambient scenery, in a sensitive narrative style.
Andrew Johnson is an original sound alchemist and multi-instrumentalist from Great Britain who has released a vast collection of texturally drone ambient, downtempo, post-rockin’ efforts since a few years now. He is at the head of the independent micro-labels Mobeer / moteer where has signed a number of his own materials. He also actively collaborates with Craig Tattersal (Cotton Goods, The Humble Bee…) I discovered this artist one year ago thanks to Richard Cunliffe’s essential and unique radio program It’s just music baby on Soundart Radio (UK), whose musical register covers some of the most interesting releases in vibrantly harmonious organic ambient and dream pop instrumental electronica, from musicians who appear to represent a “cohesive artistic community”.
To see this last Andrew Johnson published on Home Assembly Music is a really welcomed surprise. This label is already known for its impressive catalog in deep ambient music and micro-tonal experiments, notably responsible of a wonderful 2xCD from Yuri Lugosvskoy. In this new album Andrew Johnson operates under the moniker of A New Line (Related).
The music delivers accomplished, refined, picturesque and electronically-generated pulsating ambient scenery, in a sensitive narrative style. Very sculptural from the technical angle, emotionally intimate, rhythmically meditative and poetically moving. Conceived as a double LP and released the 24th of January, this new album offers temporal sound paintings meticulously elaborated with a ravishing and constant taste for luminously electronic motifs that create a hauntingly sound environment. The sound structures alternate reverse-looped sequences as in “Claude’s up,” minimal-kinetic electronic moves in “European medium_D1,” fuzzed drone-out sound tapestries in the aerial “People kissed underneath me” and absolutely gorgeous cinematic atmospheric shimmers as in the closing track “Great palaces_D2.”
This album presents a lot of diversity, rich challenging ideas, tasteful arrangements, quiet dynamics and a palette of musical textures that will ravish anyone into glitch-ambient isolationism, post-techno realms and cyclic / process music. A splendid and colorful ambient electronic release.
A New Line (Related) is available on Home Assembly Music.
