Ambient/Drone charts

Review: As this expansive reissue proves, Max Richter's 2004 album The Blue Notebooks remains one of the greatest neo-classical works of recent decades. The album was famously inspired by the 2003 US invasion of Iraq and featured narration from actress Tilda Swinton. Such was the record's impact, in fact, that numerous pieces subsequently appeared on a variety of high profile movie soundtracks. To celebrate the work's 15th birthday, Richter has bundled the album with a second disc of largely unheard material. This includes a couple of intriguing remixes by Jlin and Konx-Om-Pax, two archive tracks produced during the album sessions, and a handful of new recordings of key instrumentals. These are all excellent, of course, but still pale in comparison to the inspired original album.

Review: Max Richter's latest work Sleep: Tranquillity Base first arrived on Deutsche Grammophon for World Sleep Day. Ot is a thirty minute work split across two parts and are inspired by the moon landings. It is music that "functions as a vessel that disconnects and travels through the body of work, allowing art to provide something which resembles peace within ourselves." It also comes with a couple of belting remixes from much loved contemporary innovators Alva Noto and Kelly Lee Owens. There is a reason Max Richter is so well revered and his music has had over three billion streams and this EP is one of them.