Felguk – Side by Side (Flict mix) out now!

Posted by Flict on July 28, 2010 - 12:22 pm
Welcome to Ambient Explorations! This is your first visit so please feel at home. Comments are appreciated! -Flict

My friends from Felguk, the amazing Electro House project from Brazil, just released a new remixes EP and it’s with great happiness that I contributed with a chilled-melodic-dub version to Side by Side! Have a listen:

Go to Beatport.com Get These Tracks Add This Player

You can download the EP (or the track only) exclusively on Beatport.

Future Sound of London – The Isness

Posted by Flict on July 27, 2010 - 3:11 pm

The Isness

After reading on The Echoes Blog that the guys from Future Sound of London won the Mojo Award for “best Compilation” I got curious about what they are doing nowadays. I already knew about their modern day 60′s psychedelic band Amourphous Androgynous but didn’t knew that the FSOL went on this road to.

So armed with a lot of curiosity I started listening to The Isness and was hit with a bang. This is great music! First thing: Forget “Lifeforms” or “Dead cities”. Forget eletronic music. Instead, think of Syd Barret, King Crimson and all the big progressive rock names. This is psychedelic prog rock made on 2000′s! If you like the style check this album, you will not regreat it. It was released on 2002, how I have missed this is a mystery to me.

And if you are wondering “who the hell is Future Sound of London” do yourself a favour and listen to “Lifeforms” album, a milestone of the ambient genre (released on 1994!) that still works like a charm. Prepare to be transported…

New Bluetech album (Love Songs to the Source)

Posted by Flict on July 26, 2010 - 2:16 pm

love songs cover

Once in a while comes an ambient / chill  album that is so likable that even my non-ambient friends feel the urge to ask  ”what is playing?”.  It happened with the first Omnimotion (“Dream Wide Awake”) and lastly with the Gaudi vs Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan album (“Dub Qawwali”). In both cases they were not the type of album that I would spin when playing out (choose something deeper) but the quality was so high that I couldn’t remove it from my cd player.

When I heard that there was a new Bluetech album and the it was going to be released by Interchill records my first thought was:  already?! Last year Evan released a great album on Aleph Zero (“The Divine Invasion“) followed by some singles and EPs. He is incredibly prolific! Not complaining here…

As expected this new gem is different from his previous releases and it has the Interchill brand written all over it. Loads of real instruments, vocals and participations. Much more commercial and dub oriented but never loosing the great melodic and nostalgic Bluetech vibe that is his trademark.  You even receive one of the best songs Evan has ever composed in my opinion: Seed to Soil.

Bottom line: Go get this fast! It will certainly warm your days with bass juice… Buy it here.

NanoStudio

Posted by Flict on July 23, 2010 - 11:05 am

The dream of creating music using  mobile phones is coming true. Yesterday I used the NanoStudio on a friends iPhone (I don’t have one) and thought it was amazing! The user interface is very attractive and functional but the the best thing is the sound. Incredible for an mobile app!

Now I want a iPhone only to use this!

Planet Boolex

Posted by Flict on July 22, 2010 - 2:46 pm

Came across this project last week on thesixtyone and immediately downloaded their new free release: Raja. Ambient music with a lot of instigating emotional melodies passing by and a oriental vibe. Reminded me of the first Koan album, “Two Moon Butterflies”. High quality production!

Download it here.

Youtube sampler

Posted by Flict on July 18, 2010 - 2:08 pm

How cool is that?

Interview with Eitan Reiter

Posted by Flict on July 18, 2010 - 2:05 pm

Morpheus music published a nice interview with Eitan Reiter. Read it here.

Auditorium

Posted by Flict on July 16, 2010 - 1:24 pm

Do you like music? Do you like video games? Just found out the perfect game for us! It’s a puzzle game called Auditorium and is very cool and intuitive.

..oh, and very addictive! Play it online here. Who can reach the highest level?

Hammock – Chasing After Shadows… Living With the Ghosts

Posted by Flict on July 15, 2010 - 2:26 pm

Following Magnus Birgersson (aka Solar Fieldsmusical recommendations, I purchased the new Hammock album in flac format… and it is amazing!!

Chasing After Shadows... Living With the Ghosts

The first thing that came to mind when listening to “Chasing After Shadows… Living With the Ghosts” was Godspeed You Black Emperor. Like the Canadian band, Hammock uses a lot of guitar feedback drowned in reverb. But sounds here are a lot more gentle and melodic than the former. It is also a very visual album, reminding me of childhood memories and places that I miss.

I can tell this is one of the albums that will grow on me. A lot of depth and atmosphere here. Can be quite transcendental at times… Recommended, especially for fans of Post-rock!

Buy it here.

Carbon Based Lifeforms interview

Posted by Flict on July 14, 2010 - 1:13 pm

If you read this blog frequently you probably know that I’m in love with the new CBL album (Interloper). Here is a cool interview with the guys made by Gad K. and published by Isratrance.

There is a strong feeling that Interloper is the last part of a CBL trilogy.
I feel that there is a strong connection between your three albums, like they are tied to each other. Did you intended to release a sort of a trilogy already from the beginning or is it something that just happened by itself? Tell us the story behind those albums.

J: Well we did not set out to make a trilogy, but it felt natural for us to make it a continuous flow rather than isolated albums.

D: To be honest, no. Hydroponic Garden was a dream come true, to actually release a full length album on a real record label. It contained all sorts of tracks we made in a ten year time span. World of Sleepers was easier to make because we had some sort of sound to relate to and there were tracks on Hydrophonic Garden we thought could be better, on the other hand it was really scary to release it because by that time Hydrophonic Garden had become some sort of milestone. Interloper was a struggle, firstly intended to be a pure ambient album, but was delayed for many reasons. So we got to rethink it all and make an even better album, this time not inhibited by previous albums. But it was at the same time very hard to finalize almost the same album twice.

I know that you guys love your Roland TB-303 synth. Where in your albums we can hear the presence of this synth?

D: We use it more or less in every track actually :)
J: Yeah, even if it’s not in your face on every track we usually sneak it in somewhere in the textures…

You developed a very unique sound and style, how would you describe it?


D & J: Our inspiration is nature and technology and the possible interactions between the two. So one way to describe it could be potions of sap extracted from cyberneticly enhanced plants. Others call it psybient :-)

Among other things, music provides a window to the outside of reality, where our imagination can blossom freely and our souls can find some peace, excitement or whatever they need. CBL’s music definitely provides that magical window. Tell us how does it make you feel, knowing that you give this beautiful thing to people all around the world?

D: It’s very rewarding. Sometimes it’s very hard to actually accept the impact our music has on some people. At the same time, I’ve been deeply moved by music so I can relate to the feeling. I write the music I want to listen to and I get very warm inside every time someone other than me really appreciates my music.
J: For me it’s a bit unreal, but it makes me very happy that other people, not just me and Daniel, gets it.

What are your musical influences? Name a few bands, artists that inspired you.

D: With CBL, it’s Johannes that is my inspiration, and the world of sounds we create together.
J: aaww :) Well of course we inspire each other, for me that’s the beauty of not doing stuff solo.
As to bands that have inspired us, well a lot of stuff… to name a few: Solar Quest’s Orgship album, especially in the beginning, was a huge pointer in the right direction for us. Future Sound of London’s Lifeforms, of course. Some of Ralph Lundsten’s earlier work, Bo Hansson’s Lord of the Rings album, Kraftwerk, M83, etc. There’s a lot….

Tell us about your relationship with Ultimae. How much they are involved in the making process of your albums, and in what ways?

D & J: Ultimae is family, so they are involved in our personal life, even. When it comes to the process of making an album we wait until we feel ready to present the whole peace. They give feedback and if they feel something should sound better. Sometimes we change, sometimes we stay firm with our idea. We let them do the track list as they are accomplished DJ’s and have more experienced in setting up moods. Also we’re not objective enough, after a couple of months producing to see an actual pattern. But of course it’s a dialog even there. We are involved in the making of the cover art even though Ultimae does the main part.

Tell us a bit about the relationship between you two. How is it to create music as a duo?

D: We work very exceptionally well together. Johannes strives for unique and interesting sounds, whereas I want to produce as soon as I hear something I like. This means that I make Johannes let go of a sound before it becomes something totally different, in which case I tell him to save both and he stops me from going too mainstream in my strive to finish a track.
We have worked together for over 15 years and have very similar taste in almost everything, which means that we almost finish each others sentences and work with two brains as one.
J: I love synthesizing, Daniel loves beats and we both love making melodies, harmonies and soundscapes… So it’s a pretty good match actually :) And it’s really good to have someone take over when the other gets stuck…

Sometimes your music contains that morning twilights atmosphere. Did you ever think about making a morning trance album?

D: I don’t really feel for trance music in general and it’s not really in our sound so I doubt that. Sometimes tracks end up in that direction but it’s more a coincidence.
J: We’ve talked about it, but since neither of us really is into trance it will probably never happen.

What are your plans for the near future? Any gigs planned?

D: Yes, we’re playing in London, Lithuania, Hungary and Ukraine. Got some more planned but not confirmed.
J: And we still have a drone album to produce as well. .We’ll see what becomes of it…

Let’s play a little game, I’ll throw a few words and you’ll say the first thing that comes to your minds.

Electronic music?

D: Arpeggio
J: Machines and possibilities


Hardware synthesizers?

D: Knobs
J: Cords, knobs, basslines and joy :)

Self-fulfillment?

D: Done!
J: What?

CDs?

D: Obsolete
J: Yay, collectibles!

Carbon Based Lifeforms?

D: Nature
J: Water

Thanks for your time guys.