Rolling Ambient/Modern Composition/Drone Thread 2023 Edition

Ryuichi Sakamoto - 12

12 tracks written and recorded between 2021 and 2022 while convalescing after cancer surgery. Great review from RA here: https://ra.co/reviews/35257

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Thoroughly enjoying this, @FontaineYouGotaSon - thanks for the rec!

Ben

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Remarkably an article in The Guardian about a female musician who wasnā€™t in the Spice Girls

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Yup - roll on Friday!

Ben

TIDAL

Team,
Thought Iā€™d canvass opinion from the clever folk in this thread re: Tidal.

Iā€™m on a 60-day trial atm and I am convinced that I can hear the difference in streaming quality compared to Spotify and definitely Bandcamp.

It is more evident - as youā€™d hope - when listening to their Masters-quality tracks, but the ā€˜Hi-Fiā€™ ones also sound better to me. Iā€™m using Sony WF-1000mx4ā€™s as I finally decided that I just like the convenience of wireless so much.

What are other peopleā€™s experiences with comparative streaming quality into (decent) wireless earbuds? Essentially I am trying to decide whether I can possibly justify shelling out for Tidal once my Ā£4 for two months expires.

Would appreciate any thoughts.

Ben

I think my ears are very stubborn, but to me Tidal ā€˜Hi Fiā€™ was a bit of a wash. I honestly thought Spotify streaming sounded better to me. (Bandcamp streaming quality is very low, I do notice that when listening).
For all that Tidal Hi Fi /Masters stuff to really make an impact I think youā€™d need to be listening to the music on really top-of-the-line equipment, as in expensive over-ears, amp, the works to actually hear it. My two cents.
(My phone has a similar ā€˜Hi Defā€™ button and I prefer to leave it switched off)

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Really appreciate that - thanks so much.

Ben

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Qobuz has the best sound quality for me (cheaper than Tidal too for the hi res stuff)

The selection can be occasionally a bit limited though. But the curated playlist are really good, with actual writing about the music and stuff, and the suggestions algorithm seems to be improving all the time

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New Imaginary Softwoods incoming next month.

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I know weā€™re all probably busy listening to Kali Malone today, but I posted this is in the new releases thread ā€“ new album of cello drone from Martina Bertoni. A bit more processed and abrasive than her last record, Music For Empty Flats, which I think was on a few peopleā€™s best of lists in 2021.

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Cello? Drone? Abrasive? Count me inā€¦

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Starting with this one today - in my head itā€™s more manageable than Ms Malone, as much as I have been enjoying the lead track from her new one!

Good startā€¦!

Ben

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My thoughts exactly!

Ben

Andā€¦

For those looking for the triple LP, the sold-out on Bandcamp vinyl of the new KM is available on Bleep:

Ben

Also on Juno for a quid cheaper.

This is out today too, team.

Some nice moments of ambienty droney field recordingy stuff on the ever reliable Room40.

Will need repeated listens (for me, at least) to enjoy properly, but I like some of the tracks a lot. Headphones recommended (only listening on desk speakers atm).

Ben

Edit - and a little call for people to post new releases in here as soon as they can after coming across them. Iā€™m ALWAYS on the look out for a new record to listen to, and this is by far the finest resource I have in my musical life for finding stuff I like!

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In honesty, I think this is ā€˜fineā€™, but my I get frustrated when the cello is so lost in the reprocessing that itā€™s no longer really a cello record. If you compare to (say) Resina, Oliver Coates or Simon McCorry, their records are very much rooted in the cello and clearly so. I think (for similar reasons) itā€™s why I didnā€™t connect with Sudan Archivesā€™ latest when her debut was so clearly a violin based record.

Will definitely give this a listen, not least given that itā€™s about the fens (to which I live near) about which I recently read an excellent book (Imperial Mud) that covers Holme Fen and the history of the fens.

Name your price on Rafael Anton Irisarriā€™s Sacred Hatred and Sacred Variations guysā€¦

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YOINK!