Mick Harris & Ambre - Dys (2001)

The third and final part of Hushush's threesome-series pairs up Mick Harris and Ambre.

Going to work in his Birmingham studio, Mick Harris started reworking the samples provided by the Belgian trio into five ambient soundscapes very reminiscent of his more experimental work with Lull.

Abandoning the usual methods and rules of traditional music, Harris dishes out a main course of abstract audio soup consisting of minimal drones, hissing pops and crackling clicks whisked together with a few layers of atmospheric ambience.

Dys is easily the most abstract of the threesome-series, making it the hardest to digest for the uninitiated listener. The seemingly structureless pieces offer very little to grab on to, and the cut-up and rather hectic atmosphere remind me of the Eraserhead-soundtrack at times.

48 minutes of experimental sound collages for the mind-bending surrealists out there. Although the album may feel a bit challenging or "out there" at first, it's definitely worth a few repeated listens. Enjoy!

Download part 1 | part 2
(95+09MB/320CBR)

Mark Spybey & Mick Harris - Bad roads, young drivers (2000)

The second part of Hushush's subscription-threesome pairs up Mark Spybey and Mick Harris. Good times are about to be had.

Another mail collaboration, this time Mick Harris was responsible for the source material, which he then sent over to Mark Spybey, who at the time of recording resided in Klaverland, Netherlands. Additional saxophone blares were contributed by the legendary Niels Van Hoorn of the Legendary Pink Dots.

Bad roads, young drivers puts more emphasis on the rhythm than the first part of the series, but as Sfumato was practically void of beats, that should come as no surprise to the observant listener.

Fusing together dark and brooding soundscapes, wicked sound manipulations and a truckload of diverse percussions, featuring everything from minimal hip-hop beats and mangled rhythms to furious drum and bass, Bad roads, young drivers certainly brings out the best of both artists. They do such a good job at blending their styles that it's hard to tell where Harris's input stops and Spybey's begins.

An eleven-track excursion with a couple of scorching head-on collisions await you. So better jump in the back seat, buckle up and let these young drivers take you down some truely funky bad roads. Enjoy!

Download part 1 | part 2
(95+45MB/320CBR)

Ambre & Mark Spybey - Sfumato (2000)

Sfumato is one of the four canonical painting modes of the Renaissance, a technique that involves blurring of sharp outlines or creating a sense of movement through gradually blending tones into another.

While the Mona Lisa is the best known example of the aforementioned technique in painting, our undivided attention is aimed towards this audial equivalent, the first of a three-part subscription series that was released on Hushush Records.

The first part throws together Ambre, a joint electro-acoustic and ambient project featuring Olivier Moreau, John Sellekaers and C-drík, with Mark Spybey, a man known for his work with Dead Voices On Air, Zoviet France and Spasm.

The collabration was performed via mail. Spybey sent tapes of raw source sounds to Ambre in Belgium, who then embarked on a two-week recording session to De Haan in September 1999.

The main bulk of the music consists of deep drones, field recordings, found sounds and a multitude of ambient atmospheres. Most of the material is very minimal and abstract, with enough gradual and subtle movements in the soundscapes to keep the listener on their toes. Droning, throbbing and pulsating with life, Ambre really did a fantastic job with Spybey's source materials and fleshed this collabration to life.

This album should easily appeal to most people interested in minimalist electro-acoustic soundscapes, ambient and noise. This album is best enjoyed from start to finish, so equip yourself with some good headphones, kick back and dive into these fourteen pieces filled with pleasant surprises. Enjoy!

Download part 1 | part 2
(95+27MB/320CBR)

Halo Manash - Par-Antra I: Vir (2004)

Aural Hypnox has been releasing first-rate dark/ritual ambient records for a good five years, and as the previously featured Zoät-Aon-release proved to be quite succesful, at least by the amount of downloads, for this feature I decided to go with the first ever release to come out on the Aural Hypnox-label, Par-Antra I: Vir.

The first part of the Par-Antra-trilogy, and the only part of the trilogy released so far, is entitled Vir, the latin word for man. Drawing inspiration from the "triad formation of night, sky and time", the album is a meditational journey into the dark depths of Man and the aim for a heightened consciousness laid out in nine tracks, each represented by a sigil.

Although all of the track titles consist of esoteric wordplay with the Finnish language and won't "open up" to the uninitiated, the music still speaks volumes and will capture your attention. This I promise.

The soundscapes are comprised of a blend of organic and synthetic sounds. Shamanistic percussions, moaned, whispered and chanted vocalisations and windbones exist in perfect unison with hypnotic guitar drones, analog synthesizers and a wide array of samples. Everything boils down to a ritual that feels scary and enchantingly beautiful at the same time.

The esoteric path to the Vir is best walked alone, with Halo Manash merely acting as a guide. They are careful not to interfere with the seeker or to reveal any answers along the way, leaving interpretations of the found knowledge pretty much to the listener. Whether he is open-minded enough to find his path is up to him and his instincts.

Truely enthralling electro-acoustic ritual ambience of the highest class. Warmly recommended!

Download part 1 | part 2
(95+44MB/320CBR)

James Plotkin & Mark Spybey - A peripheral blur (1998)

It must have been a weird day in New York, back in 1996. Two men improvised an unprepared soundscape in front of a festival audience at the Brooklyn bridge anchorage. Their performance turned out succesful and it sparked their interest to collaborate further with a recording project.

To recreate the conditions of their shared performance, Mark Spybey sent tapes containing first-take improvisations of vocals, ethnic stringed instruments and various toy sounds to James Plotkin, who then laid out multiple layers of his manipulated guitar sound into the mix.

Although the source sounds are rendered beyond recognition, the end result is a very fluid and minimal ambient album. Totally void of beats, the album progresses through the use of simple looped melodies surrounded with gentle washes of noise and drones.

It's always a joy when artists manage to complement each other. Not only on an audial level, but on their artform and aesthetic as a whole. Not too many albums manage to pull off the feeling of fluffy warmth and calmness where you can get sucked into, with an indescribable sense of dread and danger looming in the sonic textures, at the same time.

Five sound collages of headphone enjoyment dedicated to the insomniacs amongst us, especially the chosen few reloading the front page numerous times a day. Hope you enjoy!

Download part 1 | part 2
(95+20MB/320CBR)

Main - Hydra-Calm (1992)

Once upon a time, there was this band called Loop. Founded in 1986 by a bloke called Robert Hampson and his wife Bex, the band played a fuzzy mixture of psychedelic rock, and managed to release a handful of albums before the group started to wind down in 1991.

It was during this period when things started happening rather quickly. As Godflesh and Loop were touring the UK, Paul Neville was considering leaving The flesh to concentrate on Cable Regime, while Robert Hampson laid the foundation for Main with fellow Loopster Scott Dawson and released the first 12" titled Hydra. After the tour was over, Loop was laid to rest and disbanded, Neville left to concentrate on his new project and Hampson joined the ranks of Godflesh for the Pure-album.

As we know now, his visit with the band was a rather brief one and after appearing on a handful of tracks on Pure and the '92 European tour, Main's Calm 12"EP came out and Hampson left Godflesh behind to focus on Main full time.

So .. after another rather long-winded rant let's get over to the sounds. Judging by the album title, it should come as no surprise that Hydra-Calm collects both EP's on CD, with an additional track, "Thirst", exclusive to the disc. Although later-era Main-material leans more into the isolationist ambient side of things, this album is still heavily rooted in the psychedelic roots of later-period Loop. And unsurprisingly, the disc closes the gap between both bands with a high note.

The key elements are both repetition and rhythm. Throw in a healthy dose of ambient soundscapes, guitar drones, feedback and some minimal mechanic beats, and you've got Hydra-Calm: A great abstract and experimental ambient record, which is almost mandatory for those "zone out"-sessions on headphones. Join the trance, feed the collapse!

Download part 1 | part 2
(95+38MB/320CBR)

Zoät-Aon - Star autopsy (2005)

I took many unnecessary steps to bring much needed coolness into my life this summer. I tried everything from cold drinks to conjuring the mighty Blasyrkh by listening to some Immortal. Horgh and Abbath failed me miserably and only managed to raise the overall humidity by casting down a palmful of pisswarm rain. Thanks a bunch guys! It was time to dig out the big guns.

This time I decided to root for the native alternative, Zoät-Aon, which is cold and otherworldy dark ambient created by my compatriot Jaakko Vanhala. A member of the Helixes collective and released on the Aural Hypnox-label, the music is a chilling blend of electronic and acoustic source sounds, utilizing everything from field recordings and analogue synthesizers to more ritualistic instruments like the human thighbone trumpet and Tibetan singing bowls.

Except for a few similarities in aspect and sound to the great Inade and I.Corax, which just happens to be Jaakko's other project, this is top notch dark ambient that's simply full of life and moving textures. Get entangled in the cold and unexplainable cosmos, today! Highly recommended!

Download part 1
Download part 2
(95+49MB/320CBR)

Ashes - Ashland (1994)

As anything related to Eraldo Bernocchi seems to be highly successful with the readers, perhaps the time has come to share some of his lesser known and rare material.

Eraldo, performing under the pseudonym of Surrealistick Master, started Ashes in the beginning of 1990 as an alternative outlet for material that didn't fit under the moniker of Sigillum S. While this first album was Eraldo performing solo, except for some assistance by Nicola Bernocchi on clarinet and saxophone, on later albums he started collaborating with Bill Laswell, Raiz and a varying cast of other musicians.

The music itself is very relaxed and laid back. As much as I don't want to use the term New Age music, I'm almost willing to bet a small amount of money that this is Eraldo's take on it. Playing everything from guitars, keyboards and piano to programming the beats and organizing the sounds, the album features a wide array of soundscapes, ranging from eastern influences all the way to some tribal drumming.

Released in 1994 under the banner of Verba Corrige, the joint label of Eraldo and Pettulia Mattioli, the disc features nine tracks of instrumental ambient. This is recommended to anybody into early 90's experimental music, and especially for those of you even remotely interested in the works of Eraldo Bernocchi.

It's definetly not the party album for the weekend, instead it's a meditative and almost hypnotic disc for those long nights spent alone. Hope you enjoy!

Download part 1
Download part 2
(95+06MB/320CBR)

James Plotkin - The joy of disease (1996)

The annual Midsummer's festival is up during the weekend. The Finnish people have a funny way of leaving their urban environment behind once a year, because Juhannus "can only be celebrated and experienced correctly at the countryside". Popular activities include lighting bonfires and consuming dubious amounts of alcohol. When you combine The Land of the Thousand Lakes with heavy drinking you end up with another highly popular activity: people drowning in those said lakes.

"So what's that got to do with anything?" I call bullshit on this highly popular holiday. I am staying at home. For once, Helsinki and it's surroundings are almost deserted. Time to dedicate my time to those good things in life.

If you've sampled any of the previous Plotkin-related releases I've shared, you've perhaps become somewhat acquainted with his guitar playing and sound deconstruction. Combining forces with Plotkin are Franz Treichler of The Young Gods and Mick Harris, providing additional samples and "atmospheres", with Ruth Collins contributing her ethereal voice in sung and spoken form.

It's hard to file this album under one particular genre, as it features such a broad spectrum of influences and different soundscapes.

Starting with the cold mechanized beats and heavy riffs of Casual murder, transforming into an almost cheerful vibe halfway through the track, which somehow reminds me of The love of life-era Swans, and ending with the looped guitar strumming and the menacing calmness of Disease as a child. This album has it all. Scattered throughout the nine songs is everything from trippy guitar loops, feedback manipulations, subtle drones and looped beats to dark ambience in the vein of Lull.

It all comes down to a form of escapism, really. I like to imagine myself and a few friends on a silent beach with the album playing in the background. Zoning out to this psychedelic and colorful album is a much better alternative than taking that final plunge into a dirty pond.

Hope you enjoy!

Download part 1
Download part 2
(95+39MB/320CBR)

Tactile - Inscape (1996)

Although I've been busy as a bee, I managed to make some room in my busy schedule for another post.

Tactile is an experimental collective, which at the time of Inscape's release, consisted of Sentrax-label boss John Everall, Teresa Mills, of whom I know pretty much nothing about, except for some album art credited to her name on a few releases I happen to own (The Trace Decay-disc and Scorn's White irises blind just to name a few), and Dael Walker, of whom I honestly know nothing about either, except for these three links to his current ongoings which I found while skimming through Google results in my Sherlock Holmes-mode.

The music itself has a simple but working recipe to it. Everything, from beginning to the end, is comprised of fluttering drones and looped sounds. Although the album is totally void of beats and vocalisations, the flowing textures of sound and the throbbing synths drive the album forward. Inscape is constantly moving with small fragments of manipulated static and bleeping noises. The sounds wash back and forth for a moment, only to fade out into silence the next.

Judging by the booklet, the album is intended as an homage to "the goat-footed balloon man", and as a shout-out to early experimental greats including Coil, Drew McDowall and Lustmord. Even my fellow countryman Mika Vainio gets credited for inspiration.

Although the approach is rather simple, the primitive atmosphere still manages to keep me in it's grasp through the six tracks of the disc easily. For the next fifty minutes, take a ride into the cold and barren emotional landscapes of Tactile.

Download part 1
Download part 2
(95+08MB/320CBR)

Lull - Collected (2003)

Compiled by Mick Harris himself, this is a compilation of rare or unreleased Lull material. If you've sampled any of the earlier albums, you know that for an hour and ten minutes, you're supposed to dim the lights and soak it all in.

The disc features material from the 1990's, collecting various compilation appearances, from '91 up to '97, on one disc. The sixth track, Escape, was intended for The Cheese Records compilation, but likely never happened, as the track is listed as unreleased in the booklet.

This collection chooses not to plunder the albums, instead plucking a wide-flung collection of compilation tracks and unreleased material, juxtaposing various shades of dark mood and creating a time-spanning overview of the project whole.

Leave the cosy computer-controlled, carpented environment and enter a place hewn from the blackest rock and most malign shadow.

I couldn't have said it any better myself. Enjoy!

Download part 1
Download part 2
(95+56MB/320CBR)

PS: If anybody is in possession of the limited special edition, and would like to share the accompanying They're coming out of the walls CDr, don't hesitate to contact me. Thanks in advance!

Trifid Project - Trifid Project (2001)

Perhaps it's time to share some summer vibes, with the weather outside being so nice and today being the first of June. James Plotkin teams up with a few french fellows, namely Matthieu Maire of Celluloïd Mata, Sheila Mata and Marie & Yves Daubert.

The result is a catchy 22-minute disc of fluffy avantgarde electronica. Floating ambient soundscapes, crunchy beats, bleeps and bloops, unprocessed guitar strumming and female vocalisations.

Although I'm no expert on this kind of electronic experimentation, and I originally grabbed the release solely because of Plotkin, I found myself listening to this repeatedly. Especially the "spending the day at the beach, feeling the sand between your toes"-vibe had me smiling. Il fait du soleil. Ethereal, atmospheric and uplifting stuff.

Download
(49MB/320CBR)

James Plotkin - A strange, perplexing (1996)

Strange and perplexing, indeed.

Here's a collection of Plotkin's earlier ambient works, spanning from 1993 up to 1996. According to the linear notes, the only source sound used on this album is the guitar. The source material is manipulated beyond recognition, apart from a few plucked and strummed guitar melodies, present here and there, throughout the album.

This is another one of those great "room-filling" ambient records. Although the album is void of beats, there is no need for rhythm when Plotkin is at the helm. He is in total control of his processed sounds, at times harsh, other times mellow and fluffy.

The resulting album is a minimalist, at times almost meditative, journey into experimental guitar work. I am willing to bet, that when playing the fourth track, The wrong context, at high volume levels, I'm able to stop my neighbours pacemaker in it's tracks. Truely strange and perplexing, isn't it?

Download part 1
Download part 2
(95+37MB/320CBR)

James Plotkin & Mick Harris - Collapse (1996)

Amidst all these releases with angry shouting men, it's always good to return to some isolationist ambient. On Collapse James Plotkin teams up with Mick Harris to perform an album full of beatless, ambient landscapes.

The album consists of five long instrumental pieces, which are put together with guitar loops and a ton of processed (un)natural sounds. Imagine the cold, dystopian soundscapes of Lull blended together with Plotkin's floating noisy guitar loops.

Let's summarize: Two prolific musicians combine their views on ambient music. The result is a massive cloud of sound, filled with abrasive low end rumble, heavy drones washing over the listener with some, occasional, melodic guitar plucking going on in the background. Ambient? Yes. Soothing? No. Enjoyable? Very.

Download part 1
Download part 2
(95+51MB/320CBR)

Lull - Cold summer (1994)

Time for another plunge into the pool of isolationist ambient. Just in time for the weekend, it's Mick Harris turning the knobs through four tracks: 'Slow fall inward', 'Lonely shelter', 'Long way home' and 'Lost sanctum'.

Although the album is very minimalist in nature, it doesn't feel improvised at all; quite the contrary, I feel it's a very strongly structured piece of ambient landscapes. There is the same kind of dread which was present on Dreamt about dreaming, this time it just feels stronger. Close your eyes and take in every nook and cranny of this subterranean lullaby. Enjoy!

Download part 1
Download part 2
(95+80MB/320CBR)

Mick Harris & Bill Laswell - Somnific flux (1995)

What happens when two very prolific musicians combine their views on ambient sounds? Somnific flux, that's what happens. Two mammoth tracks, both over 30 minutes in length, are featured on this album.

The first track, 'Distal sonority', is a gigantic wave of bleakness washing over your senses, time and time again, only to slowly consume everything in it's path.

The second track, 'Capacious', features a bit more movement and structure. There are some cleverly hidden scratching and clanging percussions in the constantly moving aural darkness; once you think you've gotten ahold of something, try again, it's already gone. Was it there in the first place? Is my mind playing tricks on me again?

Once again, I can only go ahead and recommend this warmly. After listening to this album, the silence floating in my flat was deafening. It seemed to take up all the space in the room, only to loosen it's firm grip on me after the last wash of noise had died from the speakers. The atmosphere is truely suffocating. Take a ride into a minimal and bleak soundscape, there's a lot to be discovered. Hope you enjoy!

Download part 1
Download part 2
(95+51MB/320CBR)

Lull - Journey through underworlds (1993)

Time for another journey into the darker side of ambience. Lull's debut album, Dreamt about dreaming, was a oppressive ride into suffocating sounds and bleak imaginary landscapes. On this second full length, we now continue the descend into this weird underworld of sounds.

While there are only three tracks on this album, it is in no way a short listen. The running time exceeds 70 minutes, with the last track being over 45 minutes in length. So take the time to enjoy this netherworldly descend; I prefer to engulf myself in the sounds with some good headphones while lying in a dark room (preferably on a bed or a mattress). Hope you enjoy!

Download part 1
Download part 2
(95+71MB/320CBR)

Lull - Moments (1998)

Here's one more Easter treat for you. Mick Harris presents us Moments: Rumoured to be inspired by the soundtrack to cult David Lynch movie Eraserhead, Harris gives us 99 individual tracks which, when listened sequentially form one smoothly flowing, though evolving and once again spooky, soundsphere.

The album really gets interesting once you listen to it on shuffle: you're thrown from one moment to another; from harsh to mellow, from pleasant to troubling. The randomization offers almost an infinite amount of ways the album can be percieved; each listen is a different one (My only gripe with this is the short, glitchy click before each segment).

Either way you decide to enjoy Moments, I hope you discover worthwhile things with the smooth flow of the big picture .. or the chopped up and rearranged chaos. Enjoy!

Download part 1
Download part 2
(95+51MB/320CBR)

Lull - Dreamt about dreaming (1992)

Lull was conceived in late 1991 by former Napalm Death drummer Mick Harris (also active with ambient dub project Scorn). The idea behind Lull was the attempt to create sounds that would stretch the structures of conventional music; to develop and explore soundscapes without beats.

What we got on Dreamt about dreaming is a petrifying journey into dark ambient. Horror, fear and darkness are all key elements to Harris's sound. There is no warmth, only oppressive noise swirling all around the listener.

The whole album is reminiscent of a horror movie soundtrack; this time you just need to close your eyes and let the visuals play out in your mind. The keywords to the plot are paranoia and isolation. Enjoy!

Download part 1
Download part 2
(95+35MB/320CBR)

Final - Solaris (1996)

The "moar Final, dude"-mails I have recieved have worked. Time for more ambience, then. Originally released on Alley Sweeper, I present you the 1998 reissue on Invisible Records with an additional 30-minute track entitled Dying star. Most of the material was recorded by Justin in the summer of 1995 (with G.C. Green featured on the second track, Light), except for Dying star which was recorded in late 1995, with additional help from Dermot Dalton. Final went for a very calm, minimal approach on this EP. It's almost soothing in a way. Hope you enjoy!

Download part 1
Download part 2
(95+49MB/320CBR)