W.25TH US Vinyl & CDs

Review: Ellen Arkbro's accomplished drone practice won her fans in an instant when she released her debut album For Organs And Brass in 2017, ably followed up by CHORDS two years later. The Swedish composer arrives on Superior Viaduct sub label W.25th with her latest work, which draws on Arkbro's exploration of resonant spaces as a result of her increased profile and the chance to perform in many acoustically-rich spaces around the world. Setting up drones on organs and from other instruments, she tunes and retunes and then moves through the space to explore the harmonic and spatial behaviour of the sound and this album is an attempt to manifest her observations in five pieces. "Rough, focused and yet strangelyAtransparent" is how she describes the sweet spot she's looking for, and you'll find many such moments on Sounds While Waiting.

Review: Superior Viaduct and W.25TH present Diamond Jubilee by Cindy Lee, now available in a deluxe 3xLP format with a collectible poster. Lauded across the board and shortlisted for the 2024 Polaris Music Prize, Diamond Jubilee showcases Patrick Flegel's unique blend of haunting melodies and raw emotion. Crafted over years in studios from Toronto to Montreal, this album delivers timeless reflections on love and longing, backed by sticky hooks and immersive soundscapes that cement Cindy Lee's reputation as a standout in experimental pop.

Review: Cindy Lee's Diamond Jubilee invites listeners to experience an exquisite journey through sound and emotion. Hailed as a major contender for the 2024 Polaris Music Prize, this album offers a fascinating tapestry of ethereal melodies and haunting reflections. Crafted over countless hours in studios stretching from Toronto to Montreal, Patrick Flegel channels a unique blend of nostalgia and longing. With infectious hooks wrapped around evocative arrangements, Diamond Jubilee is a striking embodiment of innovation in experimental pop, solidifying Cindy Lee's position as an important figure in contemporary music.

Review: Since debuting as Grouper back in 2005, Liz Harris has delivered a swathe of experimentalist albums that explore almost every aspect of ambient and drone music. Here she launches a new project, Nivhek, via an expansive double-album of sparse, atmospheric compositions that tend towards the epic. Really, it's two albums in one. The first slab of wax is entitled "After Its Own Death" and boasts a two-part, non-stop suite of tracks built around echoing choral vocals, dark electronics and blissful bells. It's alternately melancholic, blissful and grippingly intense. In contrast, "Walking In A Spiral Towards The House", the piece stretched across both sides of the second record, is breathtakingly beautiful - a meandering, soft focus trip through chiming, reverb-laden motifs and gentle music box melodies.