Ambient/Drone charts

Review: The Scavengers Reign soundtrack, composed by Nicolas Snyder, in its first physical format is now released to the delight of fans. This 140-gram vinyl comes in a sleek gatefold sleeve with an acetate slipcover, accompanied by a folded A2 poster showcasing striking artwork from the series. The Mondo-exclusive colour variant is inspired by a memorable moment from Season 1, Episode 3, adding a special touch for collectors. Set on the alien world of Vesta, Scavengers Reign required a score that could capture the planet's eerie beauty and the characters' survival journey. Snyder's 18-track collection expertly balances lush orchestral arrangements, intricate piano motifs, ethereal synths, and haunting vocal layers. His music nods to classic sci-fi scores while creating an entirely new atmosphere, perfectly fitting the show's unique setting. Snyder describes the project as deeply rewarding, with the music designed to reflect both the internal emotions of the characters and the alien environment they inhabit. Collaborating with sound designer Axel Steichen, Snyder weaves the planet's soundscape directly into the soundtrack, adding an extra layer of immersion. This carefully crafted album, mastered by Darren Page, blends nostalgia and innovation for an unforgettable audio journey.

Review: Poet, librarian, Mancunian, father, husband, uncle, brother. Mike Garry is many things to many people, but tonight, Matthew, his voices guides our eyes upwards, inviting us to stargaze to one of Orbital's most emotionally resonant and timeless pieces of rave noise. Belfast Revisited would be one way to describe it, taking some of the classic and unmistakable elements of that anthem and turning it into something new. First and foremost freshness comes with the spoken word addition - a thoroughly positive, passionate and amorous declaration of unending love that could feel jarring depending on whether you always felt 'Belfast' was reflective and slightly melancholy, or not. Gone too are the breaks, replaced now by stadium-sized four-to-the-floor turning what was once the end of the night walking home at dawn into something that sounds way more 11PM at the concert.

Review: Opal Sunn's 'Elastic' lands on Test Pressing Recordings as the first in a trilogy, bringing together Alex Kassian and Hiroaki Oba's knack for genre-blending electronic soundscapes. Known for their captivating live sets, they've crafted an EP that traverses moods and styles. The A-side opens with hypnotic deep trance, layering rich synth textures and rolling grooves. Over on the B-side, things get lush and atmospheric: one track dives into dub influences, saturated with warm basslines and echoing chords, while the final cut drifts into serene, ambient territory. It's an impressive start that shows their mastery of both rhythm and space.

Review: In line with the timely reappraisal of all things R&S related, the resurgent Apollo have seen the opportunity to bring one of their most celebrated records back for another round. Aphex Twin's ambient recordings mature magnificently with age, sounding ever richer and more emotive as the rest of electronic music continues to play catch up all around. From the gentle breakbeats of "Xtal" to the aquatic techno lure of "Tha", the airy rave of "Pulsewidth" to the heartwrenching composition of "Ageispolis", every track is a perennial example of how far ambient techno could reach even back then. It's just that no-one quite had the arm-span of Richard D. James.

Review: It's the album that redefined ambient music, not least for a generation of parasympathetic ravers. Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works Volume II marked a stylistic shift away from the first edition in the infamous ambient LP 'series', Selected Ambient Works 85-92. Volume II differed substantially; this time, there would be no 'techno' addendum to 'ambient', and all tracks thereupon would lack the usual indulgence of beats, however easy-on-the-ears these had been beforehand. Known for its many numbered tracks - which on the original edition, rather than track names, denoted references to images of natural forms, textures and geologic readymades, all bathed in orange, and from which fans had to infer the written names - this expanded edition stays faithful to this origin. Even so, it adds two unreleased D Jamesian treats - provided you don't count the massive Soundcloud dump of 2015 as a release - 'th1 [evnslower]' and a reversed version of 'Rhubarb' - as well as a the previously vinyl only '#19'.

Review: Italian label Suoni Incisi launched in 2020 with a mission to offer up hugely emotional electronic music that fuses experimentation with multi-genre explorations. The boss that gave their name to the label takes charge of this third transmission and it is a deep techno journey into sustained chords, mysterious pads and the sort of muttered vocals that add real atmosphere. 'Track 2' on the flipside is similar in make-up with liquid rhythms, cavernous and dubby bass and subtle musings, this time with some eerie flute melodies drifting up top.

Review: It is now six years since Past Inside The Present label head zake dropped this debut album and in that time he has put out a steady, high-quality stream of sounds that have furthered honed in on ambient perfection. This latest album to start off 2025 is Caelum, an eight-track collection which features two versions of four originals, with the second half being Slow Blink Decayed takes that rework the first four cuts. It's another immersive work of frayed analogue synths, sweeping soundscapes, delicate drones and ambient beauty.

Review: zake has written a new album to get 2025 underway in his usual prolific fashion, and it comes as both a triple CD set with the same tracks in different versions, but also as this special vinyl release with five different pieces from his Caelum series, limited to just 200 copies. As you would expect from this most masterful ambient leader, this is another immersive work that blends shifting synthscapes with melancholic chord work, beautiful keys with more lingering feelings of sadness. Another triumph if you ask us.

Review: Perhaps slightly better known for his dancefloor-enlivening electro productions, this is actually the third full length ambient album from UK producer Emile Facey under the Plant43 moniker. He's been writing and storing up atmospheric synthesiser experiments alongside his dancefloor oriented output since his last ambient LP The Countless Stones released in 2020, and the eight tracks here are meditative, ethereal affairs, Facey carving out a beautiful set of vivid emotions out of crystal clear pure sounds and arpeggios rolling like gentle waves lapping at a shore. Imagine classic Tangerine Dream combined with the balance and poise of Global Communication and you're getting close.
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Review: Zake's Drone Recordings label offers up this heartfelt collection in celebration of the label head's wife on a milestone birthday. Next to the man himself, awakened souls and Benoît Pioulard also feature with the former offering 'Valleys and Peaks' from Julia's poem which blends Cynthia's ethereal vocals and James Bernard's bass with swirling synths and guitar. Benoît Pioulard's lo-fi folk-pop 'A Heart Mirrored' and dreamy 'Our Era' reflect his signature style while Zake's cinematic pieces, including 'I Saw An Angel,' pay tribute to the inspiration of his wife. A lovely listen with a great concept

Review: In 2005, Jan Jelinek "pitched" his electronica/kosmische vision to the potent collective fan by way of ten ecosystemically-informed, prepared ambient numbers. Spanning Bibio-esque reversy guitar and sloshing exotica, this one existed for an inordinate period as a digital download, in which much time elapsed until now, its 20th anniversary - at which point we hear it available again, arriving for the first time on vinyl. Modelled on the sonic prototypes of his German rock forbears, this early electronica work from Jelinek amounts to a fearsomely intricate revue, expanding on krautrock's organic textures and unremittingly restless feel.

Review: A profound exploration of acoustic sound manipulation. The title track, 'Distorted Clamor', envelops listeners in a tapestry of clicks and plucks, challenging traditional notions of beauty in distortion. 'Sweet Elephant' juxtaposes gentle melodies with unconventional soundscapes, creating a serene yet unsettling atmosphere. 'Electromagnetic Ride' ventures into more experimental territory, with water, wood and metal elements transformed into rhythmic pulses. This collection exemplifies Saiz's mastery in crafting ambient compositions that are both innovative and emotionally resonant.

Review: With Da Vinci Genius, Sasha unveils a stunning evolution of his artistry that transports listeners far beyond the club. This project, inspired by the timeless genius of Leonardo Da Vinci, reflects a thoughtful exploration of sound that balances classical influences with Sasha's distinctive electronic pulse. Having debuted in Berlin before captivating audiences in Amsterdam, this album embraces orchestral depth while maintaining a modern edge. Collaborators Dennis White, Dave Gardner and Barry Jamieson elevate the experience, crafting an expansive soundscape that's rich and emotive, offering a fresh perspective on Sasha's innovative approach to music.

Review: In remembrance of Pete Birch, AKA Woosh, AKA The Peaceful Ones and founder of Spirit Wrestlers. Four ambient pieces, three of which were released as part of Pete's 52 Card Trick series on the Spirit Wrestlers Bandcamp site, plus another piece which was a favourite of Pete's but was never finished in time.
Collected together on vinyl for the first time, all profits from the sale of this record will be donated to the Spirit Wrestlers Foundation. Set up after Pete's passing, the Foundation promotes the belief that ""Music is the Healing Force of the Universe"", that ""Love Is the Most Important Thing"" and helps causes that were close to his heart. Nx

Review: Quiet Music Under the Moon marks the 2023 debut of Calm, featuring a talented ensemble: Toshitaka Shibata on piano, Yuichiro Kato on saxophone, Tomokazu Sugimoto on upright bass and Kakuei on steel pan. This new collection shifts focus from showcasing virtuosic solos to delivering a meticulously crafted suite of chillout tracks, mostly incorporating "moon" in their titles. The album unfolds like a serene journey through the night, seamlessly transitioning from pieces like 'Drift Into Dreamland' to morning reflections in 'Oyasumi, Ohayo'. The natural sounds of cicadas and gentle summer showers act as connecting threads, enhancing the auditory experience. Musically, the tracks fall into two categories: softly sighing synth melodies reminiscent of 80s cinematic scores and gentle, beatless soundscapes infused with post-rave textures. For example, 'Moonshower' evokes the lush aesthetics of Digital Justice's works, slowed down to a meditative pace. Calm's signature ambient sound shines throughout, characterised by slowly arching pads and sustained chords that invite contemplation. This clear vinyl edition, complete with an obi strip.

Review: A groundbreaking document of avant-garde music from Romania, originally released in 1981 under Ceaucescu's oppressive regime, that's grown in reputation enough over the years to now necessitate a reissue. This compilation, featuring Dumitrescu and three other visionary composersiOctavian Nemescu, Stefan Niculescu and Corneliu Cezaridefies both the political climate and conventional musical boundaries. Opening with Dumitrescu's 'Movemur Et Sumus', the album immediately plunges into uncharted sonic territory. Strings are transformed through radical processing, oscillating between shimmering abstraction and visceral intensity. Nemescu's 'Combinatii In Cercuri' marries intricate ensemble writing with electronic textures added in 1980, creating a circular, evolving soundscape. Niculescu's 'Sincronie' combines composed and improvisational elements, culminating in a hauntingly dramatic exploration of stasis and movement, with Dumitrescu contributing both piano and conducting. Finally, Cezar's 'Rota' blends Balkan and Romanian folk influences with startling electronic effects and prepared instruments, evoking natural sounds like wind and waves alongside experimental timbres. Recorded in a Bucharest radio studio against all odds, this album showcases the revolutionary potential of Dumitrescu's Ansamblul Hyperion, a daring chamber group he founded in 1976. Newly remastered from the original tapes, the reissue preserves the original cover art and reintroduces these boundary-pushing works to a global audience. With its fusion of spectralism, acousmatic exploration and Eastern traditions, this release remains as daring and relevant as ever.

Review: Kelly Lee Owens' fourth studio album marks a significant shift in Owens' musical journey, embodying themes of freedom and escapism. Dream State emerges from a period of inner transformation following a break-up, and is a testament to collaboration, featuring producer-writer contributions from electronic music luminaries Bicep, Tom Rowlands of The Chemical Brothers and George Daniel of The 1975. The synergy between these artists infuses Dreamstate with a rich, dynamic sound that blends Owens' ethereal vocals with innovative electronic beats and lush production. A range of emotions and sonic landscapes, offering both introspective and liberating experiences.

Review: Music From Memory share the CD edition (there's also a vinyl release) of their latest in a series of compilations, which focuses on the tide of new ambient and minimalist electronica which came about at the turn of the millennium, Virtual Dreams. Whilst the first volume focused on the techno and electronica musics emergent in Europe in 1993-99, Virtual Dreams Vol. 2 homes in on Japan during the same period, tracking the regional, geosonic differences between each global cultural centre. Tracing a fibrous thread, that began to weave itself of its own accord, out from the early 90s acid house FOMO experienced in Japan's early days, through to its restful response with the dawn of "listening techno" proffered by the likes of Sublime Records, Syzygy Records and Frogman Records, many of the tracks featured therein cull their choices from not only these leading lights but also the odd and not-so-odd rarity, helping usher in a truer representation of the era.

Review: Klamm is the new label dedicated to the artistic output of Saele Valese. After "Ivic", a collection of old and new materials published on Alva Noto's label (NOTON) at the beginning of the year, Saele Valese releases now his first real album "A White, White Day". Written and recorded between 2018 and 2021 the material of this work was sliced, glued and recreated several times, just like a filmmaker in the editing process, before finding its final form. Inspired indeed by the most poetic cinema, 'A White, White Day' represents, in the form of a non-linear and enigmatic narrative, a personal and psychological reflection on time, memory and dreams. Mastered by Rashad Becker.

Review: Last October, acclaimed saxophonist Pharoah Sanders turned 80 years young, and his input on this album is testimony to the fact he has clearly aged like a fine wine. Not that this is to suggest preceding outings were anything less worthy than this collaborative project, which sees Sam Shepherd, the British electronic artist better known to most as Floating Points, write nine spectacular arrangements which are then performed by said brass legend, alongside The London Symphony Orchestra.

The results are spectacular, and wildly far-reaching, albeit firmly rooted in jazz with classical undertones. From the movements that made this final cut, some are whisper quiet and delicate to the point of risking breaking off if you were handling haphazardly. Others are booming loud, musical jumbo jets landing at the end of another great crescendo. Whether hushed or monumental, though, we can feel every note and bar of this masterpiece.

Review: Tracing The Future Sound of London's back catalogue right back to 1988, when 'Stakker Humanoid' blew minds with a blueprint that would go on to define the standard formulas for British electro and breakbeat before either had been drawn, you quickly realise the journey back to where we are today involves passing landmark after landmark. It's hard not to consider Rituals as another. Marking a return of the outfit's Environments series, which already had six innovative instalments preceding this, hit play on opening number 'Hopiate' and you're immediately transported to every great morning after a night of amazing hedonism before. Pretty, reflective refrains and warm, Earthly details parting for a moment of silence before unifying rolling drums kick in - soundtrack to the best rave at 9AM you've either been to or not. Cue another 12 tracks that are equally transportive and explain so much about why, decades after these tones first hypnotised youth, we're still lining up for more.

Review: Released to coincide with Japanese musical Goliath Ryuichi Sakamoto's 70th birthday, To the Moon & Back was almost inevitable. Even without worrying reports about the maestro's health, there's no way anyone can have such a significant impact on global music for so long and not have people wanting to pay tribute upon reaching septuagenarian years.
And what a tribute it is. Taking elements from a huge back catalogue that stretches back to the mid-1970s, contemporary greats including Thundercat, Alva Noto, Hildur Guonadottir, The Cinematic Orchestra, and David Sylvian offer new versions and remixes of the master's stuff, with each track here chosen by Sakamoto, which is about as significant a seal of approval as you could hope for. Like the man himself, it's widely varied, consistently innovative and just really, really good.

Review: A fantastic introduction to a Japanese electronic artist who has simultaneously influenced many while flying well under the radar, Gaia: Selected Ambient & Downtempo Works presents a deep dive into the world of Dream Dolphin, a producer who began releasing music under this moniker at the age of 16 and was brought up on classic Italian songs before discovering the likes of PIL, Yellow Magic Orchestra and The KLF. Amazingly, even thought there's a good chance you'd never heard of her before now, Dream Dolphin, also known as Noriko, released a staggering 20 albums in just eight years, and 18 of the tracks from that catalogue are here now. The vast majority never available on vinyl before, they span IDM, ambient, downbeat, trance, organic experimental and more, making this a real trove.

Review: The Udacha label might have been away for a while but is now back with a vengeance. First up for this return is a new long player by the mighty fine Kurvenschreiber quarter, which is made up of Sergey Komarov, Vlad Dobrovolski, Ilya Sadovski and Alexey Grachev. These sound artists have been excelling in their field for some 10 years now and use synths as well as found sound objects to create their work. Magnetic tape loops, various instruments, pre-recorded loops, shortwave radios, transformers and much more give rise to this unique record which mixes up Boolean jazz, kurventronika and post-rock.

Review: Pieter Kock shows us how it's done with The End II, a fantastic new experimental beats LP manifested on the Macadam Mambo label, in a move that has been described as "quite unexpected". A doyen of post-10s German kraut-tronics, Kock first found his savvy as a releaser of retrofutural cassette tapes for various outlets - the likes of RIO, Meakusma and Moonwalk X - all of which assumed album form (to date, Kock has not released a single single or EP). Macadam Mambo offer a suggestion as to why this is: "all the demos that he sent were so good that there was no question about doing something." If by "doing something" you mean releasing over 16 strident club-churners in the style of far leftfield dub, synthpunk and krauty Krankenschaften, you've made no mistake. Dive into any one of these exotic exo-treats, and your eyes will just as surely turn helical.

Review: Mammo returns with a new 12" that deftly blurs the lines between ethereal ambience and dubby techno. Recorded at Staalman Studio, both tracks transport listeners to a cosmic soundscape where lush, spacey textures intermingle with delicate beats and understated basslines. The tracks' expansive sound and soft layering slow the pace, inviting immersion into Mammo's hypnotic soundscapes. Perfect for those late-night moments or introspective sessions, this release is a refined journey into the deeper realms of techno.

Review: The new Disney+ TV miniseries Agatha All Along sees Kathryn Hahn reprise her role as Agatha Harkness, a central superheroine and witch of the Marvel Comics universe. A sequel to the live-action miniseries WandaVision, Agatha All Along charts Harkness' travails of escape and persecution, in a contemporary magic realist narrative blending witch coven and superhero themes. Here the soundtrack to the new series appears in tasteful and fitting fashion and in LP format, featuring such well-chosen as 'Hava Nagila' by Traditional, 'Visions' by Plastic People, 'Season Of The Witch' by Donovan and 'Heads Will Roll' by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Review: Warp's 'Artificial Intelligence' compilation, a ground-breaking and wildly popular collection of "home listening music" that helped introduce the world to ambient techno and IDM, turns 30 this year. As this remastered anniversary reissue proves, the release has lost none of its charm in the three decades that have passed since it first appeared in stores. Highlights appear thick and fast throughout, from the immersive ambient techno creepiness of The Dice Man's 'Polygon Window' (an early Richard D James production) and deep space electro shuffle of Autechre's 'Crystel', to the bleeping bliss of Speedy J's gorgeous 'De Orbit', the acid-flecked Detroit-isms of 'Spiritual High' by Up (a barely used alias of Richie Hawtin) and the horizontal headiness of Dr Alex Paterson's 'Loving You Live', an alternative pass on the Orb's ambient house masterpiece 'A Huge Ever Growing Pulsating Brain'.

Review: Past Inside The Present label head and ambient powerhouse zake and Tyresta follow up their recent and well-received The Worlds We Leave Behind with Jade, a companion album that expands on previous themes in three long-form tracks. It's a deep blending of pregnant drones and delicate details that is typically organic and analogue. 'Jade No. 1' layers analogue textures that make for a comforting, melancholic embrace, while 'Jade No. 2' features more fractured melodies and natural sounds that bring a sense of peace and calm. The third cut, 'Waiting For the Light,' is a lofty one with soft synths and orchestral gravitas that with the other two pieces make for a contemplative and reflective listen.

Review: Science, Art And Ritual chronicles the musical journey of Kingsuk Biswas, known as Bedouin Ascent. Growing up in Harrow during the 70s and 80s, Biswas was influenced by David Rodigan's dub shows and the post-punk experimentation of the era. His eclectic tastes spanned punk, free jazz, noise, and Indian Classical music, which he fused with his ever expanding record collection. By 1987, his music prefigured what would become techno and gave rise to this album which was released in 1994 by Rising High Records. Science, Art And Ritual now celebrates its 30th anniversary with a deluxe 3LP reissue featuring restored tracks and some bonus new material.

Review: Hana Rani presents Nostalgia, a live album recorded at Witold Lutoslawski's Concert Studio at the Polish Radio in Warsaw, captured in breath-held detail, shortly after the release of her third solo album Ghosts. An homage to the Polish radio station, Rani describes the nine-piece record as a response to her visitation in 2018, just before the release of her debut record Esja. Soon establishing a recording studio in the proximate municipality of Mokotow, Rani channelled Polish Radio's historic broadcast energies into a locus of inspiration; Nostalgia builds on this in concert, in turn responding to a set of personal video recordings and photographs taken on a quiet, snowy day in the building. Weaving tinkling, clastic acoustic and electric piano around intervalent drones, and backed up by a string ensemble, Rani sound-paints a unique picture of Polish radiophonic history through a personal lens.

Review: Following the explosion of Japanese ambient reissues in the past five years or so, certain artists have become household names in a curious combination of favourable streaming conditions and a consistent need for people to slow their lives down via music. Alongside the likes of Midori Takada and Yasuaki Shimizu stands Hiroshi Yoshimura, oddly omnipresent on YouTube sidebars but more importantly universally appealing for his exquisite, wholly natural take on environmental music. 1986 album Surround has been crying out for a reissue for a long time and finally Temporal Drift have done the right thing and brought this stunning record back into reach. Faithfully remastered with the fervent audiophile audience in mind, this is a long overdue celebration of one of Yoshimura's finest releases.

Review: Perila's latest double album is a mesmerising exploration of ambient soundscapes, field recordings and vocal manipulation. Spanning 21 tracks, the work unfolds like an immersive narrative, with each side offering its own thematic journey. Her voice drifts through vast, haunting spaces, weaving into ghostly chorals and spectral pulses, creating an eerie atmosphere that blends the intimate with the outer world. Tracks like 'Deza' and 'Sepula Purm' highlight her ability to transform simple vocal echoes into atmospheric wonders, while 'Nia' introduces faint low-end rumbles that evolve into hypnotic rhythms. As the album progresses, Perila delves deeper into industrial and experimental terrain, with tracks like 'Mola' offering a soft, meditative reprieve, before 'Supa Mi' strips everything back to raw, acapella fragments. The sound grows more intense as it moves forward, with 'Darbounouse Song' delivering a creative peak of crackling textures and resonant gong tones, and 'She Wonder' exploring rhythmic digital precipitation. Her use of field recordings, fragmented whispers, and organic sounds results in a deeply personal and atmospheric experience, making this her most cohesive and fully realized work to date. Fans of experimental, immersive sound will find much to admire here.

Review: The makings of Murcof's new album Twin Colour were first germinated in 2020, shaped by the early days of the pandemic lockdowns. The first volume in a new multidisciplinary project between Fernando Corona (Murcof), his daughter Alina Corona, and his colleague Simon Geilfus, Twin Colour is born of less conception and more studio heuristics, though it draws many of its inspirations from some of the 80s material that Murcof had laid down at the start of his career. As such, an impressive combo of tape-hissed coldwave and modern, progressive ambient is heard here, straying from Murcof's trickier material for something much more roughshod, tawny and dramatic.

Review: Inquiri and bvdub's superb new collaboration A Life In Setting Suns on the excellent Past Inside The Present label run by zake reflects a deep-rooted connection to the golden era of electronic music in the 90s. Their project mirrors the layered experiences of rave culture and blends some nostalgia for that with distinct musical identities. Inquiri brings the energy of main rooms where trance-induced emotional highs, while bvdub represents the ambient, early morning deep house scenes. Their friendship and collaboration transcend time and geography and so together they explore the timeless, hypnotic soundscapes that defined the era and in doing so create a harmonious fusion of past influences that resonate deeply.

Review: Midnight Colours originally came out on noted ambient label Geographic North in 2018, arriving in the midst of a flurry of activity for accomplished drone navigator Rafael Anton Irisarri. Irisarri's work has graced plenty of scene leading experimental labels from Room40 to Umor Rex, sometimes given the lavish ceremonial release treatment and other times tucked away in the furtive folds of the tape world. One listen to the monolithic icebergs of sound drifting through this album, and you'll agree it was too large a work to not make it onto a full vinyl release. Now Irisarri has done the right thing and pressed this spectacular album up via his label, Black Knoll Editions.

Review: JS is an alias of James Zeiter and is also the name of his own label. This seventh transmission once again showcases his signature take on minimal, dub and techno. 'JS-07' rolls out with deep, pillow drums and well buried sub bass that slowly sweeps you up and locks you into a state of hypnosis. 'JS-07R' on the flip side is run through with slightly more warmth and light, like beams of sun piercing the surface of an ocean and catching microscopic organisms floating on the sea bed. It's a heady sound full of soul.

Review: The release of dc15 in 2002 by Mike Schommer stands as a defining moment in the annals of dub techno, a genre that has shaped and influenced countless artists since its inception. Now on vinyl for the first time is some of the most exciting news in the genre in some time. Recorded in the Crown Motel on Woodward/McNichols in Detroit, this album is more than just a collection of tracks; it is a sonic snapshot of a specific time and place, a testament to the transient and often overlooked corners of Detroit that inspired its creation. Schommer, co-founder of the influential DeepChord label alongside Rod Modell, was instrumental in pushing the boundaries of electronic music in the late 1990s. DeepChord quickly became synonymous with the second wave of the Basic Channel sound, achieving cult status among electronic music enthusiasts worldwide. The label's unique approach to dub technoimelding the gritty, urban soundscapes of Detroit with the echoing, reverberant textures of dubiset a new standard for the genre, one that many have tried to emulate but few have truly captured.

dc15 exemplifies this approach. The album was crafted in a motel room, with Schommer allowing the environment to seep into the music. The result is a deeply introspective and atmospheric experience, with each track carrying the weight of its surroundings. The ambient sounds of the motel, the distant hum of traffic, and the subtle movements of transient life all find their way into the fabric of the music, creating a body of work that is both haunting and immersive. The recording process itself was as much about capturing the mood of the environment as it was about producing music, a holistic approach that has become a hallmark of Schommer's work.

The album's packaging was as unique as its contents. Released as a limited edition CDr, dc15 was made available exclusively through the DeepChord website on February 15, 2002, as a preorder for a short time. Limited to just 50 copies, the original release came in a simple white cardboard sleeve with a clear sticker containing black-and-white artwork affixed to the center. Each CDr was individually numbered, with a digital print on the clear plastic part of the disc. This meticulous attention to detail in both the music and its presentation further solidified the album's status as a coveted collector's item, a true gem in the dub techno world.

Review: Repping Sugar Records and Tanum Sounds, Winsome comes through with three really interesting perspectives. 'Tab' is a unique and highly springy piece of work as it works and wriggles its away around some well sculpted table drum hits and sub plunges. '24gb' takes us down a much dreamier pathway, sitting somewhere between Indian Ropeman and Chicken Lips. Finally 'Who' closes this stunning EP with a faraway drone. Intense.

Review: We also heard from Andrew Wasylyk late last year when he offered up his second LP for the esteemed Clay Pipe Music label. Now it is to Edinburgh's Athens of the North for Parallel Light, another collection of sumptuous ambient sounds that are so much more than just background music. The album is actually an alternate mix of his 2020 long player Fugitive Light And Themes Of Consolation so offers a different perspective with plenty of moving spiritual-jazz and neo-classical sounds that help paint alluring musical landscapes.

Review: You'll probably already be acquainted with the name Manuel Gottsching - and you should be - but just in case you aren't, he was a pillar of Ash Ra Tempel's golden years and, among other of his contemporaries, was a pioneer of the genre that is often dubbed 'new age'. E2-E4 was a 1984 solo album from the man, and is certainly up there with the likes of Steve Reich's best minimal material, although it has often gone relatively unnoticed. MG Art from Germany have done us the favour of reissuing this monumental release, and we're utterly awestruck by how contemporary and fresh this album still is. In fact, one could say that a tune like "31'38" is the basis for the sound championed by new labels like Mood Hut, where a significantly danceable beat is laid above placid, warm harmonics. Similarly, "23'00" is just as balearic and phased out but, once again, we just can't believe how great this music still sounds more than thirty years later. Warmly recommended.

Review: Roy Of The Ravers takes a break from his mischievious outings on Acid Waxa et al to lay down some of his braindance tackle on Emotional Response. White Line Sunrise II.I (Le Roy Soleil) can rightly be considered a follow-up to White Line Sunrise II and indeed it represents a similar kind of spectrum of electronica. Roy's sound is edging further into the kind of 'artist' territory where slower, softer tracks, odd vocal diversions and some pop sensibilities merge with the acid, electro, breakbeat and other well-established tropes of his sound. It's the kind of record which could easily broach this quirky fringe operator of UK electronics to a broader fan base, and there's no doubt he's got the melodic, emotional heft on tracks like 'Versace 101624' to get everyone on board.

Review: Inhmost is an alias of UK-based Simon Huxtable and Future Research Journal Entries: Part I marks his debut album for the peerless US ambient label Past Inside the Present, after albums for stables as illustrious as re:st, Huinali, Tonight's Dream and Spatial. It fits right in with the imprint's vast canon as it's an immersive work described as "a time capsule from a forgotten generation of space travellers." The album follows his collaboration with ASC on The Moons of Saturn and has similarly cosmically-minded themes. Opener 'Visualization of Forever' features calming drones and soft synths, 'Surface of an Untouched Moon' is awash with tranquillity and 'Gravitational Correction' and 'Haunting Silence' capture the fragile boundaries between life and the void. The closing piece, 'Sunrise On A New World' is a final dynamic odyssey that will leave you wanting to start the whole trip again.