Tag: Abstract

Yulyseus :: Nothing Under Heaven (n5MD)

The nostalgia embedded within Nothing Under Heaven is particularly striking. It is not tied to any singular past, nor does it lean on sentimentality. Instead, it manifests as a kind of emotional afterimage. A sense of having felt something deeply without being able to fully recall its shape. This gives the music a haunting familiarity, as though it is reflecting something the listener already carries but has not yet named.

Puscha :: Not That Special (NEN)

Grounded in an innate sense of utter realness, Not That Special communicates through suggestion and imagined triggers, illuminating the edges of the present moment. It leaves a subtle but lasting impression—an ambient salve for the harms of modern urban acceleration, and a work that lingers long after its final note.

​Samplequence :: Shatter Marbles (People Can Listen)

There’s something quietly affecting on Shatter Marbles. It doesn’t demand attention so much as it lingers, inviting reflection. What emerges is less a revival and more a reimagining of ambient IDM’s early foundations—something that doesn’t stay fixed, but moves just out of reach, leaving behind a hazy sense of familiarity that’s likely to return long after the final notes fade.

Joseph Branciforte & Jozef Dumoulin :: ITERAE (greyfade)

ITERAE belongs firmly in the latter category. It is immersive, challenging, elegant, and deeply rewarding. Joseph Branciforte and Jozef Dumoulin have created something rare: a work of experimentation that feels both intellectually rigorous and emotionally resonant. It is simply one of the best releases of the year. It is one of those recordings that reminds you why you listen in the first place.

V/A :: Full Spectrum 3 (Touched Music)

Taken as a whole, Full Spectrum 3 reinforces a broader point about contemporary electronic music. It isn’t stagnant, nor is it repeating itself. What it offers instead is a constantly expanding field of practice—one that often exists outside obvious distribution channels, away from mainstream radio, commercial television, or algorithm-led discovery feeds.

ATŌMI & Corgiat :: Traiettorie (ATME)

The outcome of this endeavour is a series of traces that embody the distinct vision of the two artists involved, as well as the unique characteristics of the respective territories or places. These traces collectively offer a singular proposition, born from the irreplicable interplay of these elements and the intricate layering of the accumulated experiences.

KMRU :: Kin (Editions Mego)

Kin is a record that offers hazy soundscapes, with layers of noise stacked on top of serene melodies, making it almost seem like a series of distant tunes you can’t quite recall. There’s a faint melancholy woven through it, sure—but that’s not what keeps pulling me back. What really hooks me are the songs themselves; track by track, they’re just exceptional.