N5md Us Vinyl & CDs

Review: Brock van Wey's BVDub project has long been a source of inspired, sonic detailed and aurally grandiose ambient, where experimental sound design techniques and the overdriven noise of dub techno add untold layers of complexity. Violet Opposition, his latest full-length excursion under the alias, continues in this vein, with waves of fuzzy, hard-to-pigeonhole noise, effects-laden chords, mutilated instrumentation and cascading, ear-pleasing melodies combining to create a quartet of epic, opaque ambient soundscapes. It's an approach that pays dividends though, with the immense beauty of van Wey's arrangements and instrumental choices consistently breaking through a wall of echoing, intoxicating aural fuzz.

Review: Under the BVDub alias, ambient, drone and electronica explorer Brock Van Wey has amassed a vast discography of full-length excursions, though very few of these have been released on wax. The American producer has therefore pushed the boat out for new album Wrath & Empathy, which comprises four lengthy tracks stretched across two green vinyl plates. It's a hugely enjoyable set inspired by what van Wey calls the "magical realism" of Japanese writer Haruki Murakami. We're not well versed enough in Murakami's work to spot the sonic references, but there's much to admire, not least the San Franciscan's uncanny ability to create musical gold with little more than layered and effected instrumentation, slow-release ambient chords, gentle IDM beats, tactile aural textures and melodies that linger long in the memory.

Review: Franck Zaragoza continues to shape out a vivid catalogue of ambient and soundtrack-oriented work with this latest release on his label n5MD, which celebrates ten years of activity this year. The Bordeaux-based artist has been on a spiritual journey of sorts, which has manifested in the introspective nature of his most recent albums, and the theme continues on Nouveau Depart. His rich and accomplished sound embraces beats and rhythms as expressive tools within his broader compositions, but this is harmonically-minded music first and foremost, crafted with care and rendered in startling detail.

Review: Tangent's latest album Presence Reverts to Absence is a dizzying display of the talents of its two Dutch sound engineer members, Ralph van Reijendam and Robbert Kok. Exploring themes of loss and transformation, the LP is the product of the duo's introspective musical process, in which beatsmithing fuses smartly with ambient tonework and electroacoustic magic. It makes a neat contrast to their former four albums for the label, such as 'Approaching Complexity' and 'Transience'.