Separately, two engulfing, flowing narratives. Perhaps Thomas’ is a shade darker, a bit nautical, while van Wey swoops over dry land through partly-cloudy skies. Presented together, Air Texture‘s tandem format provides the opportunity to compare the arrangement preferences of two distinct minds, but without any kind of crossover, overlap or explicit connection, only makes perfectly logical sense to the consumer pocketbook.
The first volume in a proposed series of ambient compilations, brainchild of James Healy, co-founder with DJ Olive of The Agriculture, Brooklyn world headquarters for the treatment of post-illbient stress. Two curators will each present a full disc of material in a handsome, walleted edition. For its initial foray, Brock van Wey (bvdub) and New Zealander Andrew Thomas, familiar to collectors of Kompakt’s Pop Ambient series, have been given the nod.
Although not indicated anywhere, both compilations appear to consist mainly of original, unreleased material (only Leyland Kirby’s entry features a parenthetical “uner lisenced from”), which perhaps means the selectors were responsible for commisioning the contributions as well—please right me if I’m wrong. And the musicians involved are almost to a man (not a woman in sight) talented ambient artists at the height of their creative powers. Van Wey’s roster includes Rafael Anton Irisarri, Maps and Diagrams, Ian Hawgood both on his own and in collaboration with Konntinent, and Ryonkt. Thomas has drafted Klimek, Oneohtrix Point Never (both of whom pull double shifts), Chihei Hatakeyama, Wolfgang Voigt and Biosphere, the latter two who may be considered grey eminences in this context.
A significant difference between Air Texture and the classic ambient compilations which inspired it (the four Excursions in Ambience released in the mid-nineties are specifically acknowledged in the liner notes) is the prevalence of played or sampled acoustic instruments—guitar, piano, harmonium, music boxes, strings—and environmental field recordings. Biosphere’s “Iberia 5” is in fact a piece written for small orchestra with no visible wires or switches at all. While ambient artists have remained largely electronic, their music now tends to hug the earth’s surface rather than zoom between distant stars. Is this a reflection of more worldly concerns taking precedence over spacey dreaming? Has climate change even affected ambient music?
Separately, two engulfing, flowing narratives. Perhaps Thomas’ is a shade darker, a bit nautical, while van Wey swoops over dry land through partly-cloudy skies. Presented together, Air Texture’s tandem format provides the opportunity to compare the arrangement preferences of two distinct minds, but without any kind of crossover, overlap or explicit connection, only makes perfectly logical sense to the consumer pocketbook. For why compare bvdub with Thomas and not upcoming compilers like Irisarri or Deadbeat?
Not that I am complaining about the gift of well over two hours of outstanding work in one, handsomely-designed handy package.
Air Texture Volume I is available on Air Texture. Buy at iTunes or Amazon.
