ROBERT FARRUGIA - TILWIN Robert Farrugia is born on Malta. In the Maltese language, Tilwin means 'colouring'. With this album, Farrugia is 'colouring' some major event in his life in the second half of 2023, 'a period of lows and highs'. Only a few details are given: 'events as varied as a tragic incident endured by a loved one and their period of convalescence' (Long Wait), or 'the birth of a new family member on the Christmas day' (Post Christmas). For the rest, the music itself will have to tell the story - a different story for each listener. 'Each event described here is coloured in Rob ..read more

RICHARD CHARTIER - ON LEAVING Of course, Richard Chartier and Pinkcourtesyphone are the same person - but there is a distinct difference in the music released under these names. As Pinkcourtesyphone, Chartier presents a somewhat 'tongue-in-cheek' side of music, more emotional, with perhaps some slightly 'campy' themes. Or, as Chartier himself says: 'more musical'. But Pinkcouresyphone's output should be taken as seriously as the work released under his own name - which is a sound art more minimal, spatial, and abstract perhaps. With these two (almost simultaneously released) new albums the d ..read more

RL HUBER - MEMORIES OF FALLING I had never heard of RL Huber before until I heard this album, which - according to BandCamp - is his second album (in four months: Animam Edere was released in December 2023). That is, if you check his Bandcamp page as RL Huber - there's also a RyanHuber Bandcamp page which seems to be the same artist. The difference: the latter is heavily beat-oriented, while the 'RL' music is far more cinematic ambient. I'm afraid I can't tell you much more about his background, either, apart from that he is inspired by artists like Ryuichi Sakamoto, Max Richter, and Anna Th ..read more

ABUL MOGARD & RAFAEL ANTON IRISARRI - IMPOSSIBLY DISTANT, IMPOSSIBLY CLOSE A collaboration with two artists' names that immediately should raise attention: Abul Mogard (Guido Zen) and Rafael Anton Irisarri. Impossibly Distant, Impossibly Close is released on Black Knoll Editions (Irisarri is the owner of the Black Knoll Studio). A 2023 performance in Madrid inspired Mogard and Irisarri to work together, resulting in this album. The second track Waking Up Dizzy On A Bastion is a recording from that performance - it is easy to hear why this piece 'resonated deeply with the audience'. Place ..read more

ELIF YALVAÇ - VECTION Moving Furniture Records, the unstoppable and persistent Dutch label for electronic and experimental music, runs a sub-series named Eliane Tapes. Named, of course, after Éliane Radigue, whose work inspired many artists in the field of drone or minimal electronic music. Éliane herself gave her approval to the series, which is a quality trademark in itself. Elif Yalvaç's Vection is the seventh release in this series and is the first one released on CD (previous titles were released on cassette). Yalvaç holds an MA degree in Soic arts (from Istanbul Technical University ..read more

"Inward Spiral"   Tracklist: 00:00 DreamScenes - Intro (Susanna) 00:45 Sumner James, Robert Chamberlain, Volcano Lazerbeam & Saroon - Scattering Dive 1: Refraction, 2024, Bathysphere Records 05:09 Galati - With Wide, Unbelieving Eyes Cold As A February Sky, 2024, Glacial movements 07:31 Punkt Stillefelt - Karadeniz Modest Utopias, 2024, Punkt 11:05 Adam Wiltzie - Tissue Of Lies Eleven Fugues For Sodium Penthotal, 2024, Kranky 14:07 Slow Reels - Open Book Everyday Exotic, 2024, Quiet Details 16:49 Andrew Heath - Landscape After Corot The Cloud Machine, 2024, Whitelabrecs 21:25 Ste ..read more

MICHEL BANABILA - THE UNREAL REALM A new album by one of my long-time favorite artists, Michel Banabila, is always a welcome surprise. And this one does not disappoint! Mostly, The Unreal Realm presents rather contemplative music - perhaps even dark at some moments. This is especially the case in the compositions that were commissioned for new choreographies by Yin Yue: three tracks for 'Somewhere' (which will be premiered in New York in June this year), and another two for 'Timeless Tide' (which premiered recently in Columbus, US). The music for these dance performances is hauntingly dynami ..read more

TAYLOR DEUPREE - STI.II When delving into new albums, I usually refrain from reading any accompanying information beforehand. Hopefully, this allows for a more unbiased initial listening experience. So, you can imagine my surprise when I was greeted by the sounds of a fully acoustic ensemble upon pressing play. Could this truly be the work of Taylor Deupree, as I've come to know it? Had my memory served me better, I might have recognized the musical themes themselves. "Sti.ll" is an acoustic reinterpretation of Deupree's 2002 album, 'Stil.', arranged for a lineup including clarinet, vibrapho ..read more

CROWS LABYRINTH & PERRY FRANK - VANISHING Crows Labyrinth is Dutch artist Theo Tol's solo project. His ambient soundscapes are created mostly by using only his bass guitar and effects. This album, released on the Mare Nostrum label, is his collaboration with Sardinian guitarist Perry Frank. The relatively short (but very effective) album presents four tracks plus remixes from two of these by Le Code and Pulse Mandala). There's not much information included (none, exactly), so you'll have to do with the music and titles like Daylight Sonata, Nostalgia, Twilight Ghosts, and, of course, Van ..read more

ADAM WILTZIE - ELEVEN FUGUES FOR SODIUM PENTOTHAL The title sounds like one of the Stars Of The Lid albums. Not surprisingly, since Adam (Bryanbaum) Wiltzie was a core member of this legendary duo together with Brian McBride. With Dustin O'Halloran he's in A Winged Victory For The Sullen, and with Chantal Acda he performed as Sleepingdog. And in the past, there was also Aix Em Klemm with Bonny Donne and The Dead Texan with Christina Vantzou. A man of duo's, it seems, now presents a solo album under his own name. Eleven Fugues For Sodium Pentothal is not his first solo album - Adam Wiltzie co ..read more