Ambient Music Blog

This is an interesting interview discussing how the composers at Asche & Spencer put together the score for “Monster’s Ball.”

From Hidden Shoal Recordings, the label that brings you Ambient Music Blog favorites Wes Willenbring and Slow Dancing Society, comes a new record by Melbourne, Australia-based band Bury the Sound. Autmn Magnets is a 3 track EP of instrumental post-rock type stuff, and fairly intense at that. Nice tempo changes as well.

You can download the tracks from the Hidden Shoal Recordings online store (Hidden Shoal is all digital), or you can wait until July 3rd when it should be available widely in all the usual online places.

• Having a Ball! - An Interview with Composer Thad Spencer of Asche & Spencer
  “What we are trying to do is create a situation where, even though there are seven composers or four composers, who might work on a project, it will always read “Asche and Spencer.” This will help establish us as a brand.”

There’s more where this came from at del.icio.us/ambientmusicblog.

I received a pre-release copy of some tracks by a Seattle-based duo by the name of The Solaris Project recently. They create long, interesting drones with guitar and koto. The tracks were all recorded live, with minimal post-production fussing with. The result is some really top-rate ambient music.

No news just yet on when they’ll have tracks available for purchase or download, but in the meantime head over to their MySpace profile where you can stream 3 of tracks from the disc I received. I’m looking forward to hearing more from these guys.

Related
The Solaris Project MySpace profile

I had been trying for a some time to get a copy of the DVD Screaming Masterpiece via Netflix but it was always unavailable. I finally broke down and ordered a copy from Amazon when I did a quick search and found that it was available again.

Though I ordered on June 9th, I have yet to receive my copy. I think Amazon is trying to convince me to sign up for their Prime program again. In any case, though I can’t personally vouch for the quality of the disc just yet, I’ve read a lot of great reviews and I know some of the readers here might be interested in picking up a copy for themselves.

• Bury the Sound - “Autumn Magnets”
  “With the opening strains of ‘What Would One Become’ the Autumn Magnets EP opens the door to an emotionally charged landscape masterfully terra formed by the Melbourne based instrumental four piece.”

There’s more where this came from at del.icio.us/ambientmusicblog.

I mentioned Amiina last week, but I wanted the eMusic members who read to know that their latest release, Kurr is now available for download. Mysteriously, as sometimes happens on eMusic, track 9 is not available. Nontheless, download the thing and enjoy the Icelandic niceness of it all!

Related
Ambient Music Blog: Amiina

I started this series back in February, and then I kind of ran out of steam. Well, I’ve been listening to some more soundtracks lately, and so I thought this is as good a time as any to pick back up and put out part 3.

I don’t really remember how I came across the Solaris soundtrack, but I’ve been listening to it for well over a year now and it’s one of my favorites. I haven’t seen the film, but the music Martinez wrote and produced for it is full of wonderful tension. It feels mostly like something is always rising, and we never really get to the point where anything is resolved.

Despite this fact, I do find it to be a record that’s quite comfortable to listen to, whether it’s droning away unnoticed in the background, or I’m actively listening to it on a stereo or through headphones. It’s particularly nice early in the morning, just before it’s completely light out. A real nice listen all around. Highly recommended. Stay tuned for more soundtrack reviews, as I’ve got a few more queued up.

Related
Soundtracks, Part 1: Michael Brook, An Inconvenient Truth
Soundtracks, Part 2: Hilmar Orn Hilmarsson & Sigur Ros, Angels of the Universe

Just a note to welcome those of you coming from Google looking for the “A Ryhthm of Lines” Audi commercial that features Dustin O’Halloran’s Prelude 2.

You can find what you’re looking for in a post titled Prelude 2, Dustin O’Halloran.

I started doing this months ago, and then let it slide because there was just too much work involved. I think I’ve found a better process for managing it, so I’m going to try to start back up again. At any rate, below you can find the records that I added to my library for the month of May 2007.

The American Dollar, The American Dollar
Pan Or Ama, Console
Tripper, Efterklang
Burning Off Impurities, Grails
one, landscape
Omns, Lichens
The Psychic Nature of Being, Lichens
Tangled Wool, Xela