Back in stock: Ambient/Drone

Review: Andrew CS, a multimedia artist and creative programmer from the American Midwest, delves into recursive time loops through digital memories on this new album which blends recorded spaces with synthesised loops improvised on custom software. After discovering a field recorder as a teen, Andrew began archiving moments of tranquillity, creating a dialogue between present textures and a future self. Caught in Pointers, weaves a non-linear coming-of-age narrative from six years of altered field recordings and collages data from Andrew's rural youth and Chicago's urban oscillations and envisions their past as a navigable, four-dimensional digital space.

Review: Brock Van Wey is bvdub, a towering ambient figure and venerated veteran who continues to find newness in his work. He's back on Past Inside The Present here with 13 (on vinyl for the first time) which, he says, "represent one edict or idea from chapter 13 of the Tao Te Ching" which are about putting focus on humility and freedom from desire as a way to lead a peaceful life. Flickering melodies and slowly shifting harmonies set the tone from the off with track two introducing pulsing keys and low-end distortion. Elsewhere, layers of propulsive patterns and dubby motifsweave together with soft distortion and tracks ten and 11 build to great intensity and the finale brings delicate strings. Listening is an easy way to ensure a peaceful escape

Review: A series of vivid, nocturnal transmissions blending altered-state refinements and rich storytelling as Canadian composer and producer Coverdale merges synthesis with live instrumentation, creating a multi-dimensional sound that feels both intensely personal and universally resonant. Drawing on a wide range of influences, including 19th-century programmatic music - that's music with spoken narrative, like Provokiev's Peter & The Wolf - and mid-70s jazz, her compositions balance improvisation with deeply emotional content. Each track explores a range of textures, from the ethereal, soaring flights of 'Daze' to the grounded, material energy of 'Freedom.' The use of strings, woodwind, brass and modular synthesis intertwines with Coverdale's voice to create a language that feels alive and constantly evolving. Whether navigating the turbulent gales of 'Coming Around' or finding catharsis in the drummed sequences of 'Offload Flip,' the music speaks to the physicality of sound and the emotional charge it carries. The narrative arcs throughout, painting an intricate portrait of grief, dislocation, and the quest for self-connection, each track embodying a different facet of this deeply personal yet expansive journey.

Review: Moony Tunes is one of five new 12" LPs recently unveiled by David Tibet aka. Current 93, mad witch doctor of the post-80s industrial continuum. An ever-morphing project, Current 93 always implies motifs of apocalyptic folk, dream logic, and esoteric revelations, and this volume, subtitled Preparing To Sleep In Menstrual Night, feels like a whispered dispatch from the edge of sleep and symbol. True to C93's nature, it resists easy description, lullabying eerily through hoveringly attentive drones and spellcasting vocals. Each pressing includes a riso print of Tibet's painting Moony Toons, hand-signed in pencil, thus hand-stamping an album best received as a kind of ritual, and shaped by the occult aurae of Tibet's performances in London and Hastings earlier this year.

Review: As we hapless reviewers make our way through these five new experimental LPs by Current 93, we cannot help but feel increasing torment and terror at the figures portrayed on the front covers of each record: hand-painted by David Tibet himself (the artist has increasingly indulged such formal solo trend-buckings through his own Cashen's Gap imprint in recent years) they appear like sleep paralytic demons or the ghosts of cancelled English folk yore. All the records are apparently ritually connected to a recent string of live appearances between London and Hastings, and Tibet's penchant for demonologic peerage titles such as GreenSleeve Drakon and Gnostic Sketch - blurring a sense of self-referentiality and occult otherworldliness - leave us bewildered and slack-jawed.

Review: Taylor Deupree and The Humble Bee have hooked up for their first collaborative album, Re: Case Studies, an immersive and pensive ambient beauty. It was originally conceived as a solo project and Deupree's abstract feedback loop-based compositions were shelved until discussions with the label prompted him to invite a collaborator. Craig Tattersall, aka The Humble Bee, responded with his own sonic interpretations and built on Deupree's foundations. The result is a cohesive yet distinct collaboration that honours the original while evolving into something new so what began as an unfinished idea is now a full-fledged and thoughtful, layered exploration of sound.

Review: Disasterpeace, aka Rich Vreeland, stands out in the world of soundtrack composers. Neither strictly an electronic artist nor a conventional composer, he crafts soundscapes that transcend traditional genres. His compositions, rooted in a digital sound palette, feel warm and organic, often played live instead of digitally sequenced, giving his music a human touch rarely seen in electronic scores. Known for his haunting It Follows soundtrack and the iconic Fez score, Vreeland's music has a life far beyond the screens it accompanies. The Hyper Light Drifter soundtrack, reissued by iam8bit, exemplifies Disasterpeace's distinctive style. It's a journey through ambient, textured soundscapes filled with layered synthesisers and devoid of heavy percussion. Instead of driving beats, the focus rests on lush chord progressions and ambient tones, perfectly suited for moments of quiet reflection. Standout tracks like 'Panacea' feature a tape-worn piano, which pairs beautifully with the synths to create a melancholy and immersive atmosphere. This deluxe 4xLP set, with translucent vinyl and elegant packagingicomplete with magnetic wingflaps and a metallic foil layeripays homage to Vreeland's artistry and the soundtrack's legendary status.

Review: J Trystero's Cantor's Paradis on Fergus Jones' FELT label is a 45-minute drift through ambient dub terrain that leaves you mesmerised. It draws on the spacious design of artists like Huerco S. and Civilistjavel!, and unfolds in a dreamlike haze of blurred melodies, submerged textures and subtle, ever-shifting rhythms. Trystero filters the DNA of '90s dub techno into soft, iridescent tones here to craft soundscapes that feel both ancient and futuristic. Tracks like 'Untitled 6' briefly emerge with dubby definition but the album thrives in ambiguity. It's a deeply immersive record that's hypnotic, calming and subtly emotive so perfect for late-night solitude or introspective mental wandering.

Review: A decade on from its original release, this compilation remains a spellbinding window into the musical mind of one of modern music's most innovative figures. As comfortable behind a grand piano as a homemade synth, Frahm brings his taste for boundary-blurring to this curated journey. Consider this a love letter to his inspirations and a reflection of his multifaceted artistry. The compilation weaves classical greats, jazz legends, ambient pioneers and experimental mavericks into a singular, late-night odyssey. Vladimir Horowitz's crackling rendition of 'The Flight of the Bumblebee' connects Frahm's own virtuosic piano play to the classical canon, while Miles Davis' smoky 'Generique' and 'Concierto de Aranjuez (Adagio)' speak to the atmospheric jazz undercurrents that color much of his work. Nina Simone's aching rendition of 'Who Knows Where the Time Goes' carries the same stripped emotional core that Frahm achieves in his more minimalist moments. Elsewhere, the warmth of Dub Tractor's 'Cirkel' and the ghostly dub of Rhythm & Sound's 'Mango Drive' nod to his love of minimalism beyond genre. Boards of Canada's slow-burning 'In a Beautiful Place Out in the Country' is also featured, showing the esteem Frahm holds these newer tracks in, nestling among legendary musical acts of the past. From Colin Stetson's avant-garde saxophone to Bibio's lush textures, the compilation spans eras and aesthetics with cohesion and care. It's not just a mixtape - it's a tribute, a seriously rich tapestry of influences that shaped a singular voice.

Review: Recorded in collaboration with Nils Frahm at Berlin's Leiter Studio, Ganavya's fourth album is destined to carve its own path to recognition due to its unique quality. A follow-up to last year's acclaimed Daughter of a Temple, which drew praise from many music outlets, Nilam - probably best known her for her appearance alongside Sault at their recent live show - continues her journey into music as devotion, meditation and memory. Born in New York and raised in Tamil Nadu, she moves fluidly between traditions, channeling pilgrimage trails, harikatha storytelling and jazz improvisation into something uniquely her own. Her voice is unhurried, intimate and full of clarity, conjuring stillness even in motion. It's a sound that invites stillness but never feels static, where every breath carries the weight of generations and each silence says as much as her lyrics. The songs on Nilam feel distilled from years of lived experience, shaped by years of live performance as tracks like 'Sees Fire' blend Eastern tonalities with meditative jazz, fusing introspection with emotional firepower. The album traces the patterns of gratitude, loss and rootedness meanwhile anchoring the listener in a place beyond the physical. Rather than chase genre, ganavya reaches toward essence. Nilam isn't just an album, it's a moment held in reverence. A sonic altar where memory, spirit and sound meet. In her hands, song becomes a ritual of listening.

Review: Danish composer Anders Lauge Meldgaard and string trio Halvcirkel rack up a new milestone in their ongoing musical partnership with this collaborative album, Spirit, on the wonderfully experimental label Ar & Dag. Blending acoustic and electronic elements into an intriguing work of intricate string arrangements and Meldgaard's Ondomo and modular synth textures, the result is an evocative, genre-agnostic work. The likes of 'Song Of The Meadow In Bloom' are full of the joys of Spring with an undercurrent of mischief, while 'For Kun Du Ved Hvor Meget Jeg Nod Dig' is a more suspenseful and eerie sound of unresolved oops and sonic chaos. Their partnership began in 2016 through performances with Frisk Frugt and has since evolved into a deep creative bond and Spirit showcases that artistic synergy with real richness.

Review: ML Buch's new album pushes her experimental pop into new realms and ably builds on the expansive guitar work and catchy melodies introduced in her 2017 debut EP, 'Fleshy'. Her distinctive sound combines synthetic MIDI textures with heartfelt songwriting and ethereal vocals that evoke the fluidity of intimacy in a digital world. Through tender tracks like 'I'm A Girl You Can Hold IRL' and 'Can't Get Over You With You,' the artist takes listeners beneath the skin and explores a visceral, surreal world. Panoramic visuals captured via a pill camera mirror this exploration in a blend of technology and human emotion this is truly unique.

Review: Celebrating its 30th anniversary this Record Store Day, 'Original Soundtracks 1' is a bold, imaginative collaboration between British ambient pioneer Brian Eno and Irish band U2 under the moniker Passengers. Blurring the line between ambient experimentation and cinematic storytelling, the album features 15 tracks that were all conceived as soundtracks for fictional films. Highlights include the haunting 'Miss Sarajevo' with Luciano Pavarotti and contributions from Howie B and Holi and this remastered anniversary edition comes on recycled black vinyl. An adventurous 1995 release that stands up now as an atmospheric, genre-blurring work and a rare and inspired detour in U2's discography.