Hallow Ground Switzerland Vinyl & CDs

Review: The hallowed grounds of Switzerland's Hallow Ground label are a fecund floor for cultivating the best ambient experimental music out there. Owing to their curatorial precision and charm, they welcome Japanese composer and sound artist Fujiiiiiiiiiiita (Yosuke Fujita) back to the fore for a sophomore album release. Having already released a slew of records whilst also touring the world, Fujita's latest album hears him in a rare space of quietude, documenting a recent studio rejig to incorporate several new additions, such as adding an electric air pump to his pipe organ and expanding on the use of his own voice. A challenging but ultimately rewarding work, with subtle vocal and textural experiments always peeking through the strata.

Review: Belgian composer Elisabeth Klinck delivers her debut album Picture A Frame, via Hallowed Ground, and in doing so channels a haunting evocation, which, at the same time, sounds as though it were captured on an imperfect medium. The result of a collaborative process that saw her working closely with artist Oscar Claus, the album features eight pieces for violin, electronics, and field recordings, recorded in an abandoned monastery and a small village in the Spanish Pyrenees. An intimate, tremulous record, and an exquisite gem for audiophiles unafraid of lo-fi, we hear the chain-rattlings and wails of ghosts throughout it.

Review: New York artist Aaron Landsman and former Swans guitarist Norman Westberg kept vigilant watch with Night Keeper, a full nocturne named after Landsman's play of the same name. First performed in Spring 2023 at The Chocolate Factory Theater in Queens, with performer Jehan O. Young serving as narrative steward, the original piece filled the space with spoken word, projections, choreography, and music, moving between dim light and darkness. Now the recorded version posterises the performance, as Westberg's original texture-scapes come raggedly coiled around sombre loops and samples, as Young's laryngeal monologues course across the record's rough 44 minutes worth of gloaming. Inspired by sleepless nights and the wandering of the mind, Night Keeper lifts the lid on the wee small hours as would a well camouflaged nightjar, inviting listeners to embrace the subdued chaos of the dark.

Review: Samuel Reinhard's latest release, Movement, feels like a deep dive into the possibilities of space, texture, and repetition. Known for his intricate chamber compositions, Reinhard steps into electroacoustic territory, crafting a piece that's as much about what isn't there as what is. The title track 'No. 1', at a staggering 20 minutes, unfolds at a near-glacial pace. Piano notes decay as they meet fragments of cello, bass flute, double bass, baritone sax, and harp - all contributing to a sonic landscape where time feels stretched. The minimalist arrangement isn't about creating immersive soundscapes but rather letting each note breathe, decay, and be accompanied by the physical actions that produced them. It's a stark reminder that silence, or near-silence, can be just as powerful as sound. In keeping with his usual method, Reinhard uses a predetermined system to arrange these instrumental recordings. It's not the grand layering of instruments into a single cohesive whole, but rather the augmentation of subtle textures, crafting a free-floating counterpoint. There's no rush to move from one point to the next, leaving listeners to focus on the resonance of each note, the breath that fills an instrument, or the bow held in mid-air. As with previous releases on Hallow Ground and Prasens Editionen, including names like Lawrence English and Kali Malone, Movement is an exploration of perception, duration, and attention. Reinhard has produced a suite that manages to evoke both stillness and motion - a paradox that's central to his compositional style.