Articles
Andy Vaz Interview and Set
Mark O'Leary's Grønland

Albums
Acre
Arborea
Ólafur Arnalds
Kush Arora
Asura
bbcb
Steve Brand
Nick Chacona
Robert Curgenven
Cuushe
Daniell and McCombs
Delicate Noise
d'incise
Ecovillage
Danton Eeprom
Seren Ffordd
Paul Fiocco
El Fog
Koutaro Fukui
Corey Fuller
The Go Find
Ernest Gonzales
Koss
Francisco López
Ingram Marshall
Craig McElhinney
Minamo
My Majestic Star
Mystified
Nest
Nommo Ogo
Olive Oil
O'Leary - Passborg - Riis
Oy
[Post-foetus]
RPM Orchestra
Ryonkt
Richard Skelton
Slow Six
Sone Institute
Sousa & Correia
Stanislav Vdovin
Viridian Sun
Christian Zanési

Compilations / Mixes
Erased Tapes Collection II
Hammann & Janson
Leaves of Life
Music Grows On Trees
Phasen
Quit Having Fun
Scuba
Thesis Vol. 1

EPs
Aubrey
Be Maledetto Now!
DK7
Herzog
Hrdvsion
Mr Cloudy
Damon McU
Morning Factory
Neve
M. Ostermeier
R&J emp
Stanislav Vdovin

Koss: Ancient Rain
Mule Electronic

A towering ambient collection from Koss (aka deep house producer Kuniyuki Takahashi), Ancient Rain isn't ambient of the wallpaper kind but rather its diametric opposite: large-scale mood settings of symphonic scope that Takahashi fleshes out with a prominent percussive dimension and an occasional field recording (rain dribble, cresting waves, wireless radio frequencies) for added atmosphere. The production design is epic too, and though the music itself doesn't invite a dub classification, the billowing atmospheric opulence of the tracks is reminiscent of the genre.

A natural opener in title and style, “Dream” cultivates a meditative mood through the use of lulling rhythms and synthetic washes, while the playing of an oriental harp deepens the music's seductive character. Whistling tones and acoustic piano sprinkles infuse “Jumoku” with warmth, while reverb-drenched piano clusters and metallic washes boost the title track's epic feel. The longest piece, “Odyssey,” leaves terra firma for a ten-minutes exercise in cosmic ambient where slow-burning synthetic swirls are undergirded by an industrial pulse so regulated it's like the churn of a factory machine. The album's prettiest track, “Dream (Real World),” revisits the opener and strips everything back to little more than the glistening pluck of a harp and a faint exhalation shimmering behind it. Ancient Rain is a serenading trip, for sure, but be prepared for a long journey as Koss's leisurely tracks check in at about seven minutes per piece on average. There's no question it provides ample opportunity for immersion.

February 2010