"As you’ll hear, Necklen uses synths, guitar, field recordings, and even a didgeridoo to create the most wonderfully engaging ambient soundscapes.
These soundscapes are transfixing … gentle and soothing with a real sense of atmosphere and presence that I, as the listener, can easily get lost in."
"When Allen Pitts pitched his latest album to me, “The Last Voyage of the Mythos (waag_rel160)”, the images he conveyed were of a spaceship venturing out for one last expedition and getting lost in the depths of unchartered territory … to say I was intrigued and excited would be an understatement. I love the darker ambient soundscapes that Cousin Silas and Kevin Lyons have made for waag, both individually and collectively, and hoped Allen would produce something in that vein.
Well … Allen delivered!
Allen Pitts uses ambient and electronic soundscapes to help the listener visualise a modern day Marie Celeste … with a mix of livelier beat-driven electronics and atmospheric ambient soundscapes.
I really hope you enjoy “The Last Voyage of the Mythos (waag_rel160)” as much as I do.
Back in December, I wrote in the notes for all|is|bright_2023 (waag_COM006) that I was blown away with “Mimicked Notion #3” by The Next Commuter. I said I hoped to work more with Hans Thomas in the new year and would love to have some new music from him to present from WAAG.
Well … with “Organised Sounds (waag_rel161)” my Christmas wish has come true.
In “Organised Sounds (waag_rel161)” Hans Thomas presents an album of wonderfully evocative guitar-orientated ambient music … his soundscapes are, at times, gently reflective and at others, wonderfully expansive.
I really liked the otherworldliness of “tilted” and the ominous feeling of “skyscraping”.
I also found “New Horizons II" to have a warmth about it (and some great playing) and the track “Lille" caught my attention with the aforementioned expansiveness … a feeling in sound that I really liked (again, with some great playing).
2 musically very different albums, yet very satisfying experiences both recorded with Sound Liaisons ‘One Mic technique’
When recording with just one stereo microphone, the Josephson C700S, we must create the complete soundstage on the spot by gently moving each instrument left and right and closer or farther away from the microphone. The height of the microphone is also important. Especially for the low frequencies, the placement of the microphone in relation to the studio floor is important.
The result is a recording with full phase coherence, perfect imaging, a wide and deep soundstage and superior realism. And it forces the band being recorded to play!
It’s real, it’s live, it’s now.
One hall
One band
One mic
One take
One source
“One microphone straight to DXD recording – and it’s totally enchanting”…
Hifi Critic
“Fabulous…challenging the possibilities of current recording technology.”…
Inner-magazines
…“Surface 10 is nothing less than a pulsing, wreckless tour de force of spiky, punchy beats welded and fused with white noise, grunge guitar, dislocated voices and a swaggering disregard for somnolent sine wave culture that permeates much of todays Electronica…”
Joni Mitchell - The Reprise Years - Qobuz Sublime download 96/24
Also last week - Several albums lute music by Hopkinson Smith and Jakob Lindberg also from Qobuz - 96/24/and 44.1/16
Dvorák: Symphonies Nos. 7, 8, 9 - Czech Philharmonic, Semyon Bychkov
Downloaded from Qobuz Sublime. 24/96 - £12.99. Sublime discount 50%.
From PS Audio. Recorded live by Paul McGowan in DSD 256. I downloaded a 176/24 bit version, but it’s available in up to 352/24 or DSD 512.
Before that:
Both DSD 64, the first from Qobuz, the second from ProStudioMasters
Nice cover shot - interesting contrast with the original album.
Joan Crawford
Superb recording!
Dragged Into Sunlight - Hatred For Mankind (FLAC, 44/16, Bandcamp)
I actually bought this a few years back but it was on an old PC prior to getting my Innuos Zen Mini where my music is stored now. Unfortunately I couldn’t re-download it from Bandcamp so I just bought it again.
Pure, unvarnished misanthropy distilled into a black/death/doom sludge. Like a slower-burn Anaal Nathrakh.
Saw your reply just now. Afaik you can buy downloads at Qubuz Dowloadstore without a subscription. Maybe worth to take a look at.
Ok, I gave the Hatred For Mankind a listen. Very dark, sort of experimental black metal. An odd listen with all the spoken word parts then screeching black metal vocals. Interesting, but not one I would revisit but thanks for posting, it’s always good to try something new.
Definitely an acquired taste for sure.
Thanks. Yes it would appear you can.
