Dissolving Archetypes

Just posted my review of (val)Liam’s new album, Dissolving Archetypes. Check it out. Quality release. I bet you’ll love it if you enjoyed Daydreamer, and if you enjoy your ambient/downtempo music on the mystical, dreamy side.

Next up will be Krusseldorf”s From Spoil to Space.

Psy-Ambient Reviews @ trwolfe.com

Artist: (val)Liam
Album: Dissolving Archetypes
Format: Digital (FLAC)
Label: Beats & Pieces
Catalog #: BNP007
Release Date: 04/30/12

Dissolving Archetypes

Tracks:

1. Pacific (8:06)
2. Soup (4:16)
3. Midicine (7:28)
4. Dark Room (6:24)
5. Manifest (8:01)
6. The Science of Magic (8:10)
7. It Was (7:35)
8. For A Humble Crowd (5:52)
9. Moonlight Lullaby (4:49)
10. Way We Were (8:15)
11. Dissolving Archetypes (6:24)

 A little over 3 years and we finally get a new (val)Liam album. I’d heard about it for awhile, that it was in production, and that it was finished, and then it was delayed, and then there was no new news. Then it was released. Somewhat sadly, it has only been released digitally, with no plans for a physical release. Guess that’s the future, right? Doesn’t really matter as long as we get to hear it. As with any new release for a favorite artist, there’s always that small piece of trepidation that the sound you grew to love wouldn’t find its way onto the new album. Thankfully, it’s not the case with Dissolving Archetypes. This is the (val)Liam sound: Beautiful meandering floating pads, light dreamy melodies, and somewhat different in style on this release, a heavier emphasis on rhythms. It works, and is a worth successor to Daydreamer.

Presentation

It’s a digital release, so the only artwork we get is the above cover art, which reminds me a lot of the movie Avatar with regard to its color scheme. A honeycomb structure underlies it all and pieces are missing, denoting the dissolving found in the album title. I like it, though I wish a higher resolution version existed….

Sounds

Ethereal, spiritual, intricate. Very close to Daydreamer. A most welcome return to the ambient musings for artist Liam Skogland. Feathery-light piano melodies abound, reverbing off into the ether; mystical and ancient beats show themselves and then fade away as well. The album never loses its ambient texture, while some tracks to get very intricately beat-heavy. It’s really a nice progression from his first full-length album to Dissolving Archetypes.

Subjective Top 3 Tracks

1. Manifest – Love the rhythm throughout, somewhat glitchy, with soothing melodic structures. Seems like he ran out of ideas near the end as he just fades the song out. Still a quality track though.

2. Midicine – Pure (val)Liam right here. Lets you float off to another planet, or under the sea, not sure where exactly, but it ain’t here. Very watery though.

3. It was - Great rhythms here. Pads are wonderful too. Just quality downtempo.

Conclusion

A really good album. Nothing really absolutely groundbreaking though. Skogland sometimes feels like he runs out of ideas on his tracks and chooses to simply fade them out. I like the emphasis on more percussion, but I still think I enjoy Daydreamer more. If you enjoyed that album you’ll definitely enjoy this one.

1. @ Beats & Pieces’ Bandcamp page

Psy-Ambient Reviews @ trwolfe.com

Dissolving Archetypes

Just released is the new (val)Liam album, Dissolving Archetypes off of Beats & Pieces. It’s literally been years in the making and the waiting for the release, but it’s finally out. Unfortunately for us physical collectors, it will only be getting a digital release, but that’s okay, at least it’s finally out, right? From the few listens I’ve given so far, it’s definitely in line with his previous release, Daydreamer, which was released on Celestial Dragon in 2009. This time, however, there’s a focus more on the beats. Definitely a welcomed progression, but also nice to still have the same (val)Liam sound. Purchase the album here at Bandcamp. Below is Track of the Day #049, and #5 off the album, “Manifest.”

Psy-Ambient Reviews @ trwolfe.com

DownTemple Dub: Remixed

Back again with another Kaminanda Track of the Day. This time it’s off the brand new Desert Dwellers remix compilation from White Swan Records: DownTemple Dub: Remixed. 

Featuring artists like Androcell, Aes Dana, Drumspyder, & Kalya Scintilla, this comp is something special. Already on to my second listen, this Kaminanda track is an immediate standout.  Check it out. Seriously, a great release here.  Be sure you got that sub turned up, or some nice headphones!

Psy-Ambient Reviews @ trwolfe.com

Akshan - The Tree of Life

Here’s a very recent release from Altar Records. Artist name is Akshan, and his new album it called The Tree of Life. Samples sound absolutely fantastic. I thought they sounded a lot like Aes Dana, Juno Reactor, and I was right. The bio from Altar Records’ Akshan page states: 

Akshan, a native of France, was attracted to the synthesizer in his adolescent years. Inspired by artists such as Jean-Michel Jarre, Vangelis, cinematic scores, and classical music; Akshan found himself attracted to the seemingly infinite possibilities the synthesizer offered.

In 1993, he attended the first ‘underground’ gathering of electronic music organized in the south of France. It is here that he discovered the magical world of Goa Trance and here that his understanding of music was forever changed. Experiencing forerunners to current Djs such as Alex Escalofrio, Akshan was indelibly marked with an interest in those techniques and possibilities of the mixing styles he experienced, as well as the being moved by the powerful clear energies the progressive mix conveyed to those on the dance floor.

Inspired by this experience, Akshan began mixing and by 1997 began acquiring the necessary gear to being composing his own music. Despite the demands of a busy job, he dedicates time every evening to increase his knowledge of audio mixing and soundcrafting. Following in the footsteps of inspirations Jarre and Vangelis, he chooses to avoid the constraints of traditional music theory and prefers to let his ear, intuition, and inspiration guide his creativity. The result is a style that it is a lush and subtle mixture of electronics and acoustics.

By 2007 the progression of his skills and the influence of artists such as Aes Dana, Asura (Ultimae Records), and Juno Reactor led to Akshan focusing primarily in the realms of downtempo and psychedelic ambient, while still continuing to produce dance floor oriented music. This new musical direction eventually led to Akshan crossing paths with label manager DJ Zen and has culminated in the release of his newest album, “The Tree of Life” which will be released at the end of March 2012 on Altar Records.

Sounds good. Here’s track #6 off the album, “Back to the Origin.” Can you spot The Matrix sample?

Psy-Ambient Reviews @ trwolfe.com

Let me know what you think, and please recommend any changes or suggestions on the new format.

Psy-Ambient Reviews @ trwolfe.com

Artist: Ishq
Album: And Awake
Format: CD
Label: Interchill Records
Catalog #: ICHILL CD 043
Release Date: 11/18/11

And Awake

Tracks:

1. And Awake (9:56)
2. Diving Into Sun (11:43)
3. Leaf (14:34)
4. Mizu (8:34)
5. Skylike (10:32)
6. Blue Drop (11:50)
7. Kong (6:05)
8. A New Life (4:01)

Well, here’s the new Ishq album! After releasing Sama last year on Electronic Soundscapes, which everyone had been waiting for since 2001′s Orchid, Ishq returns to Interchill records with And Awake. I’m happy to report that the new album (not to take anything away from Sama) is a return to the magic we all experienced on Orchid. I haven’t enjoyed an album this quickly in a very long time. To put it succinctly, it’s my favorite release of 2011. Nothing really comes close to it. 

Presentation

And Awake comes in a beautiful 6-panel digipak case. It features a pleasant amber-orange tinge and a classy black, with a whirling dervish theme. It’s simple and elegant, and suits the music side of the presentation very well. 

Sounds

It’s Ishq! Floating, meandering, shimmering, dreamy, watery, ethereal, organic, angelic, psychedelic, etc. Four tracks close to the 10 minute mark. Almost maxes out the capacity of the CD.

Being that it’s 2012 already, and that I’ve been listening to it regularly for 5 months now, it’s safe to say it’s my favorite Ishq album. Orchid is fantastic, Sama is somewhere not as good, and And Awake is Ishq’s finest 87 minutes. I measure this on the subjective level of: can it induce a change in my consciousness, no matter what mood I’m in when I start it. And Awake does this, and does it well. 

Subjective Top 3 Tracks

1. And Awake – Great opener. Reminds me a lot of Orchid‘s opener, “Skyblue,” with it’s nice organic beats. A weird part of percussion comes in at around the 90-second mark. It almost seems off beat, but it’s not, and I have to admit it took me a few listens to not be bothered by it anymore. I friend of mine who’s also a huge Ishq fan confirmed my thoughts as well.  Still a wonderful track however.

2. Leaf – Longest track on the album at almost 15 months. This one meanders along at a nice pace. Beautiful ambience. Under the right conditions you swear you’re drifting down the Amazon somewhere. Ishq at their best right here.

3. Blue Drop – Another Orchid-like track. Floats along with some really nice warm tones and that beautiful guitar! A must hear.

Conclusion

Go buy this album. Now. It’s Ishq. I’ll do the work for you. Purchase: 

1. @ Intechill’s Bandcamp page
2. @ Psyshop
3. @ ImportCDs

Psy-Ambient Reviews @ trwolfe.com

I’ve just recently been made aware of the artist Kaminanda. I’d heard the name before, but never really heard the music, or even heard talk of his work. It wasn’t until a few weeks ago, while talking to a friend of mine, that the name come up again. This time it was in the context of “world” or “ethnic” electronic, and my friend and I had both listened to the work of Govinda. My friend said that since I love the work of Govinda, I needed to check out the work of Kaminanda, and so I did. And I really like what I’m hearing. Luckily for us, he’s put his stuff on bandcamp, and because of that, I’m making the 4th track off his third album, Gateways of Consciousness, track of the day. Titled, “Ritual Ecologies,” the song is an aggressive, beautiful, psychedelic gem. It’s really a must listen, especially since he’s relatively unknown. Enjoy.

Psy-Ambient Reviews @ trwolfe.com

Here’s another one of those duos that never gets the attention they deserve (See my previous post about this regarding Eastern Spirit): Yggdrasil. I think the reason for this is simply that they’ve been written off as Shpongle clones. A bit unfair if you ask me, but I’ll let you decide that. Another reason is that they simply do not get the exposure they deserve. I rarely come across people talking about their work or mentioning their first release, Prose Edda. I implore anyone who reads this post to go out and get this album. It truly is a masterpiece. I’ll even provide some links below so you can purchase it. Below is track #4 off of Prose Edda, “Headfoam Jack.” A blisteringly beautiful foot-stomper. Apologies for the youtube embed — it’s not the best sound quality– but it’s all I could find. Like I said, there’s really not a lot of information about these guys.

Links to purchase the album:

1. @ ImportCDs.com ($10!!)
2. @ Psyshop.com
3. @ Saikosounds.com

Psy-Ambient Reviews @ trwolfe.com

Just announced: New Solar Fields album, titled Random Friday. It’s another uptempo album, however. Not like that is bad at all, but don’t be expecting another ambient masterpiece. From the samples up on Ultimae’s page, it doesn’t seem as trancey as EarthShine was, but it still sounds perfect for a nice summer listen. Samples located here. Preorder the bitch! Below is Ultimae’s sneakpeak youtube video.

Psy-Ambient Reviews @ trwolfe.com