Tag: Drone

V/A :: Elemental Studies (Carpe Sonum)

Carpe Sonum Records—the North American distributor of Pete Namlook’s legendary FAX label—continues its legacy of immersive, unexpected sonic journeys with Elemental Studies, a compilation of film scores destined for a forthcoming quad stereo/visual installation. Spearheaded by multimedia artist T.J. Norris, the project transforms the natural elements into haunting meditations on the fragile balance between humanity and nature’s power.

Derrick Stembridge :: Home (Labile)

Derrick Stembridge’s Home is a meditative ambient journey through memory and belonging, a five-part reflection suspended between sound and silence. Built from layered guitars, acoustic textures, and whispered vocals, it evokes the cyclical rhythms of place and time—how returning home can feel both like remembering and becoming.

Shedir :: Sounding the spaces between strangers

Shedir’s latest album, We Are All Strangers (n5MD), explores the delicate space between isolation and connection, inviting listeners into a world where sound becomes both a mirror and a bridge. In this intimate interview, she reflects on the emotional depth, tactile textures, and philosophical questions that shaped the record, revealing how distance can paradoxically foster closeness.

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.

Seabuckthorn :: A Path Within A Path (Laaps)

Seabuckthorn, the project of guitarist and sound artist Andy Cartwright, crafts an evocative blend of ambient, electro-acoustic, and semi-classical textures on A Path Within A Path, released by Laaps. The album unfolds like an avant-garde chamber work, rich with spiritual depth, intricate guitar work, and collaborations that expand its introspective, transportive soundscape.

Guentner Spieth :: Conversion (Affin)

Markus Guentner and Joachim Spieth reunite for Conversion, their second collaboration on Affin, blending ambient expanses with dub-driven detail through a contemporary lens. Minimalist yet immersive, the album balances rhythmic depth and atmospheric stillness, reflecting the artists’ shared roots in early ambient, dub, and deep techno while continuing their distinctive sonic evolution.

Ian Boddy & Chris Carter :: Caged 25th Anniversary Edition (The Gray Area Of Mute)

Released in 2000, Caged is a groundbreaking collaboration between electronic music pioneers Ian Boddy and Chris Carter, blending industrial, ambient, and experimental sounds into a uniquely evocative experience. This remastered and expanded edition showcases their deft interplay of menacing drones, cinematic textures, and intricate sonic details, making it essential listening for fans of avant-garde and post-industrial music.

Shedir :: We Are All Strangers (n5MD)

We Are All Strangers marks the fourth chapter in Shedir’s evolving sonic journey, picking up the thread from 2023’s Before the Last Light is Blown with a quieter, more assured voice. In this patient, immersive work, uncertainty becomes atmosphere, and beauty emerges not from clarity, but from a deep, enduring presence.

‘t Geruis :: The Kindest Encounters (Home Normal)

Belgium-based sound-art project ‘t Geruis, the alias of Daniël Jolan, crafts deeply introspective ambient compositions rich in textured, grainy detail and emotionally immersive soundscapes. His latest release on Home Normal leans into shadowy drones and decaying acoustic fragments, evoking a melancholic elegance reminiscent of William Basinski and Miguel Angel Tolosa.

Bernhard Living :: Unanswered Questions (Donemus)

Bernhard Living’s Unanswered Questions continues his tradition of sparse, minimalist electronic compositions inspired by 20th-century composers—this time focusing on the conceptual and structural ideas behind works by Charles Ives. Each of the four tracks offers a thoughtful reinterpretation, distilling Ives’ complexity into ambient soundscapes that blend philosophical depth with musical restraint.