Castles In Space

Review: The mysterious Black Channels have or has previously released on Death Waltz Originals and now returns with another seasonally appropriate collection of haunting radiophonic recordings.
These are lo-fi and unsettling atmospheres of spoken word monologues, lonely synths and ghoulish sonic appropriations. In fact, the group use this 30 minute sound art collage to explore the poltergeist phenomenon and make use of recordings from British cases including the famous 'Enfield Haunting.' The Buchla 200e Electric Music Box is one of the key tools used in the making of the record and help lend it such a spooky and unsettling vibe.

Review: RECOMMENDED
If you know about musique concrete take note - Concretism is far from that sound. Not that there aren't moments where seemingly disparate sounds have an amazing accumulative affect. 'Luma' does this is in a cosmic, Bladerunner-deleted-tune kind of way. 'Black & Burst' is far more abrasive yet accessible, while still somehow sounding like a twisted spin-out on a ghost train.

But Tellifusion isn't about manipulation of found noises, and instead focuses on using musicality in ways that most people probably weren't immediately expecting. While the previous examples are cases in favour of abstract and experimental, on the whole Tellifusion is first and foremost about captivating tunes. 'One Thousand Striped Per Second' delivers one in opening credit-worthy stomps, 'Orthicon Halo' takes us into snappier, broken electro routes. Each track is its own, but the record also feels complete.

Review: "There have always been "ambient" tracks on previous albums but they have in some ways served as a bit of peace and respite from the more busy percussive tracks. The purchase of some effects units triggered the decision to use delays and reverbs during the composition process much more, and an entirely ambient record seemed the best vehicle for this. I was simultaneously attempting, and not for the first time, to fully grasp the concept of special relativity and so a record about time and space, focussed on the manipulation of time (delay) and space (reverb) was born."

Not our words, but the words of Suffolk, UK born, London based ambient drone producer Jon Michaelides, who presents Dalham as his fifth release. A work of hidden, or perhaps just deceptively rhythmic qualities, these are blissful, melodic masterpieces that you can jump onboard and ride into the stratosphere, rather than simply allowing them to wash over and through you.

Review: Den Osynliga Manteln is Swedish for The Invisible Cloak, an item of clothing that neither conceals the wearer from others nor can be seen itself. Perhaps a Nordic take on The Emperor's New Clothes, it's also rooted in science fiction and fantasy, as much part of folklore as it is dreams of future technology. And it's a fitting name for this project, born from the embers of the band KLANG.

Ola Sandberg and Fredrik Gronvall are the survivors in question, and here offer a playful take on sounds that are at once quite old school downtempo - strong nods to the likes of His Name Is Alive, early-Cinematic Orchestra, and King of Woolworths - with one eye on the path less trodden that lies ahead. Tracks that take you with them on an instrumental journey as they unfold and unfurl, we challenge you to find someone who can't get onboard.