I've spent this week creating an ambient mix for a fellow mix series/podcast (will be live soon, around mid-June) and whilst I absolutely love crafting considered mixes, I find myself immersed in certain specific styles of music for days on end without coming up for air. As I’m searching for tracks, I’m stumbling across other music that I haven’t listened to for a while - often from the same artists, or labels, but offering a slightly different style to your usual ASIP ambient journeys. Sometimes I need to eject out of a state of mind to truly appreciate what it’s like to be back in it. Additionally, there’s no doubt that the “rave” side of house and techno is making a hard-earned comeback. Take Skee Mask’s latest album, which will undoubtedly go down as a future classic; Bicep’s self-titled hit, or the Touch Absence remix that’s pretty much every DJ’s secret weapon nowadays- and for a very good reason. I spend a lot of time listening to other styles of electronic music - be it techno, drum’n bass, jungle or other, and I don’t often get to put a mix together that strays from the normal expected ASIP-related stuff. However, I think this has some elements you'll find familiar and stays close in more ways than one... This was fun to put together, I hope you enjoy it. Download. Tracklist: 01. Skee Mask - Flyby VFR 02. Sangam & Thugwidow - Sea Through Glass 03. Brio - Mening 04. Thugwidow - Spoilt British Liberals 05. Skee Mask - Soundboy Ext. 06. Borealis - Skyhall 07. Intex Systems - Resolve: Direct 08. Bandhagens Musikförening - Protokol A 09. Lanark Artefax - Touch Absence (Intimidating Stillness Mix) 10. Aphex Twin - Rhubarb (1159 remix) 11. Rising Sun - Oskar (Le Petite Prince Mix) 12. Bicep - Glue 13. Aphex Twin - On Image by Daniele Levis Pelusi 

  I've spent this week creating an ambient mix for a fellow mix series/podcast (will be live soon, around mid-June) and whilst I absolutely love crafting considered mixes, I find myself immersed in certain specific styles of music for days on end without coming up for air. As I’m searching for tracks, I’m stumbling across other music that I haven’t listened to for a while - often from the same artists, or labels, but offering a slightly different style to your usual ASIP ambient journeys. Sometimes I need to eject out of a state of mind to truly appreciate what it’s like to be back in it. Additionally, there’s no doubt that the “rave” side of house and techno is making a hard-earned comeback. Take Skee Mask’s latest album, which will undoubtedly go down as a future classic; Bicep’s self-titled hit, or the Touch Absence remix that’s pretty much every DJ’s secret weapon nowadays- and for a very good reason. I spend a lot of time listening to other styles of electronic music - be it techno, drum’n bass, jungle or other, and I don’t often get to put a mix together that strays from the normal expected ASIP-related stuff. However, I think this has some elements you'll find familiar and stays close in more ways than one... This was fun to put together, I hope you enjoy it. Download. Tracklist: 01. Skee Mask - Flyby VFR 02. Sangam & Thugwidow - Sea Through Glass 03. Brio - Mening 04. Thugwidow - Spoilt British Liberals 05. Skee Mask - Soundboy Ext. 06. Borealis - Skyhall 07. Intex Systems - Resolve: Direct 08. Bandhagens Musikförening - Protokol A 09. Lanark Artefax - Touch Absence (Intimidating Stillness Mix) 10. Aphex Twin - Rhubarb (1159 remix) 11. Rising Sun - Oskar (Le Petite Prince Mix) 12. Bicep - Glue 13. Aphex Twin - On Image by Daniele Levis Pelusi 

  Mick Chillage and Lee Norris come together as Autumn Of Communion. Between them, their music stretches into the deepest roots of modern ambient music. Lee Norris' monikers range from the cult 90's electronica of Metamatics and Norken, through to the beautiful tones of The Angling Loser - a collective of ambient artists that also includes Porya Hatami and Will Bolton. Lee's also helming the ...txt label, which has played home to many AOC releases and just recently, a monumental boxset that features the entire AOC discography. ...txt has also presented us with some brilliant albums by Sage Taylor (aka Textural Being) (Raintime) and the more psychedelic ambient sound of Ishq (2016's Fhorm being a fave of mine), as well as becoming home to many of Mick Chillage's productions.  The label and indeed AOC's sound is no doubt influenced by the legendary FAX label, which also presented Autumn Of Communion's most seminal piece to date, their 2012 self-titled masterpiece. The album was perhaps overshadowed by the unfortunate passing of FAX founder Pete Namlook in 2012, but you can think of no better home, or higher praise for the duo. Mick, is no stranger to this high praise either, with one of the most revered albums on the FAX label, FAXology in 2011, followed by releases on FAX-dedicated output, Carpe Sonum. Metal by Autumn Of Communion The web of productions between them both runs deep into some of the genre's best rabbit-holes. Just last week, I was in a record shop in Bellingham WA, at a random second-hand record store. I got talking to the owner about the type of records and artists I was on the hunt for and he said, "I just bought something new last week from Databloem". Sure enough he went on to play a CD and out comes Mick Chillage's 2016 album, Paths. It's the type of music that breaks down boundaries and epitomizes the true early 90's ambient sound and arguably, Autumn Of Communion is the purest distillation of their combined works.  For isolatedmix 79, the duo wade through some of the genre's finest producers, both old and new. Track-by-track, it's a who's-who of ambient music, but the whole is definitely greater than the sum of its parts - this AOC mix channels the very essence of pure ambient music and the many inspirations behind AOC.  Download. Tracklist: 01. William Basinski - 92982.1 02. Tangerine Dream - Sequent C 03. Ryuichi Sakamoto - Fullmoon 04. David Sylvian - The Healing Place 05. Billow Observatory - Plum 06. Tetsu Inoue - Elevator Drops 07. Dots - Dense 08. Cluster & Eno - Für Luise 09. Autumn Of Communion - Streams Pt4 10. Jochem Paap - Dx-Snth 11. Harold Budd & Robin Guthrie - Twilight Autumn Of Communion: Bandcamp | Discogs Artwork/image by Ricardo Gomez Angel 

  We welcome Keith Kenniff back to the isolatedmix series under his post-classical moniker, Goldmund.  A master of many styles of ambient and instrumental music, be it textured ethereal daydreams as Helios, shoegaze inspired ambient alongside his wife, Hollie, or his more instrumental, post-classical side as Goldmund, Keith's output is somehow always outdoing his last note. As a result he has grown a significant following and appreciation over the years, me included.   It's the latter of those three guises that we find ourselves being presented with another beautiful album of late, titled 'Occasus'. Released earlier this month, the album is another fine collection of minimal piano pieces. Staying close to some of his more melodic and infamous productions as Helios, boasting a grainy texture and more analog stylings throughout, Occasus presents numerous uplifting moments - a collection of short stories if you will, amid layers of dusty keys. Occasus by Goldmund A master of his instrument, Keith is one of only a very few musicians who can walk us through a myriad of emotions in one album, evident yet again on Occasus. The piano, playing a key part in every chapter, but each track boasting something unique to the hands of Goldmund that others simply cannot match. His sound, a blueprint for many artists striving for that rare combination of emotion, melody and immersive, lost-in-a-daydream-feels.  Unlike his first isolatedmix back in 2010, which focused on some of his favorite soundtracks and compositions, Keith now chooses to embellish on some of the many styles that likely go into a Goldmund production. You may be expecting a masterclass in modern classical music given that introduction or the moniker find ourselves under, but mixed amongst the many pivotal instrumental moments, are textured elements and softly painted melodies - the two added influences and key ingredients that you can always hear within any Goldmund production. Add to that, a man that knows the secret behind an emotive score; applied to the mix format, and you're in for a beautiful journey.  Download. Tracklist: 01. 0:00 - 1:04 - Black Moth Super Rainbow - Dandelion Graves (end melody) 02. 1:04 - 3:46 - Scott Gilmore - Things Forgotten 03. 3:46 - 5:18 - Monster Rally - Love 04. 5:18 - 7:32 - Limalo - Viewing Growth (w-Botany) 05. 7:32 - 10:09 - Yuutsu - Familiar 06. 10:09 - 13:37 - Mary Lattimore - Hello From The Edge of the Earth 07. 13:37 - 15:28 - Michael Andrews - Goldfish 08. 15:28 - 18:48 - Martin Glass - Floating To Work 09. 18:48 - 23:54 - Lexaunculpt - Emori Dixon Renamed 10. 23:54 - 26:55 - Jóhann Jóhannsson - Odi Et Amo 11. 26:55 - 30:17 - John Dowland - A Pavan 12. 30:17 - 35:32 - Virginia Astley - With My Eyes Open I'm Dreaming 13. 35:32 - 36:48 - Karen Peris - Wales Because the Sun Will Shine 14. 36:48 - 41:14 - Hollie Kenniff - Home Will Follow 15. 41:14 - 43:42 - Ben Lukas Boysen - Eos 16. 43:42 - 46:06 - Dan Romer - Guns Up Goldmund / Keith Kenniff | Web | Twitter | Bandcamp/Store  Listen to Keith's first isolatedmix as Helios, here.   

  One last time, tuned to nothingness, A swan song for the remnants.  Empty buildings, rain and the dark abyss, Lit by neon rain and the artificial descendants.   Our good friend Headphone Commute has just published a new mix of mine, titled The Last Frequencies. It's a pretty obvious concept once you listen, but sometimes these things come to me at the end rather than the beginning. I started this mix after the terrible news of Jóhann Jóhannsson's death and was left wondering what the score for Blade Runner would've or could've been at the time. Perhaps, this thought process subliminally inspired me to create something of my own. Only on hindsight did I realize.   It took a few months to compile and I went through five different versions before finally settling here. Given how much time I spent on it, I thought I'd try to do it even more justice by adding some comments on the featured tracks below. As always, I see mixes as an amazing point of discovery here on ASIP, so want to do everything to support the artists featured within.  Make sure you check out the rest of Headphone Commute's guest mixes - the last one by 36, for example, and a recent epic journey by Roel Funcken - just two that shouldn't be missed.  And thanks to HC for hosting me on his great platform for music discovery - our partner in the ever-expanding conquest to highlight the best ambient music out in the world.  Read more on Headphone Commute.   Listen on Soundcloud Direct download Tracklist + track notes: 01. Computer Afterlife - (Various samples) [Self released] This album is the perfect entry point to Vaporwave (shudder?). If you haven't already been digging around the recent phenomenon that's rife on Bandcamp. 'Infinity Frequencies' is like a compilation of retro advertisements and elevator music, all put through the Vaporwave machine. On its own, the album is an interesting listen as opposed to a relaxed experience, but I chose to edit several of the tracks and combine with TV static to give the effect of someone/something searching through frequencies. It also inspired the name of the mix, as the journey goes on to dictate the dystopian world before the last frequency is heard. Available on Bandcamp. 02. Rashida Prime - {modular frame} [Cyber Dream Records] Continuing the Vaporwave-wave, there's a side to this style that I really love, and Rashida Prime is a good example. To many, this is just heavily textured and processed drone music. But in a similar vein to the likes of Rafael Anton Irisarri, Rashida manages to score a beautiful melody amongst all the noise and static. I also added a little monologue from Blade Runner here to set the scene. Rashida Prime's album, Damaged Interface, is also available on Bludhoney - perhaps one of the most influential Vaporwave labels out there should you want to dig deep. Available on Bandcamp.  03. Innerst Inne - Solen Träffar Topparna Först (Further Records) Innerst Inne are Andreas Tilliander and Johan T Karlsson and this, I believe, is their first outing together - on Further Records, no less. Hailing from Scandinavia, with the album made in Sweden, it'd be silly to think inspiration hasn't been drawn from the cold depths, or the ever-growing techno scene that seems to influence everything that comes out of this part of the world right now. This album contains it all though - murky, deep ambience alongside some beautiful analog synthesizer moments, rooted in archaic dissonance. Fans of Alessandro Cortini, Isorinne, Rashad Becker, rejoice. Available on Bandcamp.  04. Merrin Karras - 47 Drawn [Unreleased] Some exciting music in the near future from Merrin Karras. For now...  05. Steve Moore - Aphellion [Spectrum Spools] I think I've included a Steve Moore track in nearly every mix I've put together in the past few years. He's a master of manipulation and does an amazing job at portraying new, futuristic places.

  I first happened across Aukai (Markus Sieber), when learning of Abul Mogard remixing his track, 'Snow' early last year. A seemingly delicate and beautiful original is turned into a haunting, synth-laden affair by Abul, was it not for a quick check of the original, I may have missed out on the greatness of Markus' work.  A comparison that doesn't do his work justice, but one that hit me immediately upon listening to his ST album, were the similarities between Aukai and some of James Newton Howard's work, specifically 'The Village'. Delicate guitars lining the simple and minimal compositions, evoking moments of beauty, mystery and fear. One of my favorite quotes that go on to describe Markus' work though, comes from John Dilberto from Echoes: "Think Gustavo Santaolalla cavorting in a landscape of Ludovico Einaudi while sitting on the Champs-Élysées with the Penguin Cafe Orchestra...In its matrix of mood and emotion, intelligence and sensuousness, Aukai could not be more perfectly pitched." Branches Of Sun by Aukai Markus has recently returned with perhaps, his best work yet; a new album titled 'Branches of Sun'. Hosting a multitude of instruments and collaborators as 'The Aukai Ensemble', the album once again leads with Markus' secret weapon, the Ronroco (Charango) alongside subtle electronics, violins, the glockenspiel and cello (with Nils Frahm collaborator Anne Müller playing the part). The result is a soundtrack set for breezy fields, dusty plains and adventure beyond the snow-capped mountains. Each turn brings a new level of depth, featuring melodies fit for a theater and vivid compositions that will undoubtedly resonate with any listener looking for an escape into a new kind of wilderness. For his isolatedmix, Markus has brought the same respect for beautiful instrumentation and a similar ability to capture the imagination we've seen across his modest discography. Featuring true masters of their craft, Markus blends the likes of Nils Frahm, Otto A Totland, Ben Lukas Boysen and even Harold Budd into one beautiful enchanting journey.  "In anticipation of my latest release, ‘Branches Of Sun’ I much enjoyed putting together this mix for A Strangely Isolated Place. This last winter I had a good chance to listen to a bit more music again, as with the two previous winters I was busy with writing and recording my own music. In these moments I can’t listen to anything at all - I am already so full with melody and sound after sitting in the studio for a whole day.  I picked mostly quieter ambient pieces here, that share a fine sense for an emotive minimalism and a space of reflection and contemplation.  These are all musical gems either from good friends I had the pleasure to work with like Martyn Heyne, Anne Müller, Alex Nickmann, Abul Mogard, Ben Lukas Boysen, Will Ryan Fritch or pieces that had crossed my path in one way or another leaving their traces within me, may it be for the composition, the sonic texture, sound of a particular instrument, or the way they were recorded. Wishing you all a good listening journey with this mix" - Markus Sieber (Aukai) Download.  00:00 Nils Petter Molvaer - Sober | Thirsty Ear Records  03:20 Aukai - Snow (Abul Mogard Rework) | Self Release/Aukai Music  07:04 Martyn Heyne - Afar | K7!  10:34 Nils Frahm, Anne Müller - On Our Roof | Erased Tapes 15:35 Hecq (Ben Lukas Boysen) - Nescient | Hymen Records   17:52 Dmitry Evgrafov - Wandering | 130701   21:02 Snow Palms - Circling | Village Green  24:47 Walter Fähndrich - Viola II | ECM 30:04 Sven Helbig - Meernacht | Neue Meister   35:09 Harold Budd - Wanderer | All Saints Records  39:14 Mogwai - Dust Bowl | Lakeshore Records  41:53 Penguin Cafe - Half Certainty | Erased Tapes   44:17 Aukai - Colorado | Self Release/Aukai Music 47:40 William Ryan Fritch - By the Letter | Lost Tribe Sound 48:34 Michael Price - Budapest | Erased Tapes  52:18 Gu

  Maria Papadomanolaki has been a part of the ASIP library for a few years now.  One of the first artists that caught my ear on the n5MD label, I remember seeing Maria perform many-years ago in London alongside Winterlight and port-royal. Dalot's shoegaze-inspired ambient drones kicked off a brilliant night of relatively unheard artists from the n5MD roster that left me chasing down many back-catalogs as a newbie to n5MD. After providing a remix on Uncharted Places, Maria was a part of our second vinyl compilation, Europe, finding harmony as she looked back at her home of Kalathas beach in Greece, and setting a warm and gracious tone as the opening track. Her music is often varied as far as ambient goes, from delicate micro-textures, to guitar-laden soundscapes, or as heard on her most recent outing for n5MD in Mutogibito; a moment of rebirth and celebration embracing her post-rock-side, whilst also toying with the more organic elements of experimental electronica. Just as you think you've got her down, Maria goes and partners with Vietnam's, Sound Awakener, on a new project called 'Little Things', further venturing into microscopic details and varied textures; something the two of them have clearly enjoyed partnering on. Guitars, analog synthesizers and of course a multitude of field recordings create a truly rich and varied palette of ambient and experimental recordings on this release for Fluid Audio. It's music that's evidently filled with heart, obsessed over, and then completed with the tiniest of finishes in mind - a sentiment echoed in Fluid Audio's beautiful packaging for the release.Dalot & Sound Awakener - Little Things by dalot When I asked for a Dalot isolatedmix, I didn't know which way Maria would take it, but the end result works in harmony with how I began to describe her work alongside Sound Awakener in Little Things.  Titled 'Un-time', it's a mix of music that bleeds emotion, texture and escapism - all similar traits found in her latest production. A connoisseur of instrumental and organic based ambient music, Maria includes masters of the practice such as Marsen Jules, Taylor Deupree and Harold Budd, to create a blanket of warmth, as microscopic sounds of an abstract nature surround you.  In Maria's own words, “Un-time offers an open space, a space for undoing and reflection and un-timing, of stepping out of time and the awareness of its passage;  like a mayfly or a dewdrop with shades, and light and colours of many shapes and makings, mostly untimed.” Little Things is available now. Download. Tracklist: 01. Eliane Radigue – L’ile Re-sonante (un-time edit) 02. Philip Jeck -  The All of Water 03. Marsen Jules – Beatyfear VIII 04. Josh Mason – Infinite Crown of Shells 05. Taylor Deupree – Shoals 06. Christina Kubisch  - Night Shift 07. Dalot & Sound Awakener – Sailing 08. Sawako – Wind Shower Particle 09. Deaf Center – Fiction Dawn 10. Harold Budd – Children on the Hill Artwork/image credit:: sonalidalal Dalot on Bandcamp | Web | n5MD 

  There’s always something stirring in the depths of the techno realm, but the majority of it on my radar lately seems to be heralding from the lovely country of Sweden.  Hypnus Records label owner Michel is not sure why there’s been an amazing output of deep techno coming from his country in the past few years, notably through labels like Northern Electronics (home to Varg, Isorinne, Acronym et al), and his very own Hypnus Records, but for us listeners, this deeply hypnotic sound is converging the best emotional elements of ambient music, with the trusty techno rub.  When asked if there was something in the water, Michel described Sweden as more of a distraction than an inspiration; "The realm of Hypnus lies more in the imagination. Sweden, and society in general, feels more distracting than inspiring”. Michel is perhaps unknowingly describing the very root of the techno movement - an inspiration to release and break free from society, happening here once again, but this time in his home country of Sweden. If pushed, he would probably describe his label’s sound as “curious and immersive electronic music” after once trying to label it as "psychedelic deep techno”, but only to realize this genre in itself was already established, and his output was different. Either way, to him “it’s highly psychedelic as it is synthetically cinematic”. To the casual listener, it’s techno. But to me and many others, it represents the perfect blend of atmospheric ambient music and heads-down-4-am-stompers. Much of Hypnus’ output retains the basic elements of techno we’re used to; repetition, synthesizers and a sense of progressive euphoria, albeit with a mysterious, bubbly and intriguing feel that’s more akin to the atmosphere found in dub-techno. The label was founded as a result of Michel wanting to release music by some producers he enjoyed on Soundcloud: "I had just recently lost my job which left me with some extra cash that I decided to spend on curating the first Hypnus record”. That record, was released in 2014 - not so long ago, given the extensive output and impact of the label so far, which as now gone on to introduce the world to the sounds of Luigi Tozzi, Feral, BLNDR, Primal Code, Michel’s own techno alias, Ntogn and many, many more. Michel's self-discovered techno community has gone on to become a close-knit bunch of friends that share the roster, retaining a distinct aesthetic and a consistent output.  "I met Luigi and Tom (BLNDR) through Soundcloud many years ago while Alessandro (Feral) and Jakob (Skymn) came into the label through common friends. Over time we’ve all grown closer as we’ve had chances to meet all over the world and this is really a great reward for me. It is a special feeling listening to the music of a friend, hearing the whistles and gales of their mind”. The likes of Luigi Tozzi’s techno is comparable to the euphoria of mastermind Donato Dozzy and the associated Italian techno-mafia that have long held the crown for this style of music. BLNDR, who recently contributed to Silent Season’s tenth anniversary release, represents an even deeper and more hubby sound; whilst Feral features more tribal tendencies. Skymn, lives up to the more ambient/psychedelic sound you might draw comparisons with the likes of Future Sound Of London, for example. And if that wasn’t enough to stretch your techno spectrum, Michel is also running two sub-labels: Kabalion (a slightly more intense, techno output) and Tome, home to Michel’s personal project as Ntogn. Michel's isolatedmix takes us on a journey through the various elements of Hypnus, opening with ambient and quickly moving into the distinct sound we’ve come to love from the label. Describing his thought process behind the mix, Michel notes: “spontaneously I felt that I wanted to make an intro of the first four tracks, although initially I had my mind set on a different order. Eventually they fit better this way and after that I just fo

  2017 was undoubtedly a year for many of us turning to a softer, more comforting style of music to help heal and escape the real world. Many of you reading this probably use the type of music covered here on ASIP as a remedy and form of escapism, and some may just be getting acquainted. Now more than ever, I feel like people are connecting with ambient music, and I see it in the comments, feedback, support and thoughts that accompany each release, friends releases, mixes etc, and and in the growing popularity of the genre in the wider-music spectrum.  We’ve managed to present three vinyl releases this year, and I'm extremely proud of each one. Starting with the organic calming of Lav & Purl's, A State Of Becoming; we then went denser and deeper with Leandro Fresco & Rafael Anton Irisarri's, La Equidistancia. In August, Arovane & Hior Chronik returned for their second album, Into my own. And in the middle of all of this, we experienced the worst possible outcome with our vinyl production (as did many others), but that was put into balance with your amazing support and kind donations for La Espera; the companion EP by Leandro and Rafael, which helped raise funds and get us back on track to continue with a new press (more to come on that one soon, along with news on the vinyl for La Equidistancia). We're already looking forward to 2018's releases, with the announcement of Christian Kleine's upcoming album in January. But before we get ahead of ourselves, it's time to look back at all the music that kept the inspiration high and the mind elsewhere over the last year... Here's a breathless-quick rundown on what’s included... ~ Young composer, Sophia Jani opens up our mix; Kai Schumacher reimagines a Moderat favorite; and South Africa's Jason Van Wyk finds the magical atmospheric piano balance on his Home Normal release. Leandro Fresco pairs up with Kompakt companion Thore Pfeiffer (who also just dropped a new album with Max Wurden); whilst Warmth is back on the year-end list with another pure blanket of warm ambience. I watched Earthen Sea play live in a church this year, and his Silent Season anniversary release was one of the best of a brilliant bunch from the label. ASC strayed away from his Silent Season ambient home to put out a deep-cut on his own label Auxiliary. The powerful, heart-pulls of Black Swan, 36 and Secret Pyramid were some of my favorite tear-jerkers of the year, whilst Rafael Anton Irisarri's political masterpiece on Umor Rex took our emotions to the next level. Noveller moved to LA recently, which might've  inspired one of my favorites of hers in a long time. Ryuichi Sakamoto returned with a twisted and interesting set of compositions, whilst PAN released an intriguing dig through relatively new and unheard ambient artists on their highly regarded compilation, Mono No Aware. Field Records and Acronym are no strangers to us individually, but their combined output was undoubtedly one of this years best pieces of ambient music. The one sweeping piece of ambient from nthng’s original and innovative techno record makes the cut, triggering some deepness from Luigi Tozzi in a rare ambient remix- a break from his bubbling techno on the high-flying Hypnus label. Wanderwelle landed strong with one of the most innovative dub-techno records we've heard in a very long time, whilst my fandom for Alexsi Perälä went up a notch, via his relentless Colundi Sequence compositions. We get deeper with Primal Code (Hypnus with another great release) and then Artefakt pull out the swirling, progressive techno-stomp and another must-own album. Joachim Spieth finally unveils a full-length album spanning ambient and techno- one of the only people who could strike this balance so well. Loess is another big return for 2017 with their signature deep a

  When I stumbled across Amir Abbey's work as Secret Pyramid, I was immediately struck by the pure emotive power of his productions, alongside his ability to portray vivid, dense and often dark atmospheres. A well-walked path for many ambient producers, but Secret Pyramid manages to break free of any traditional dark-drones, with more intense sounds, progressive synthesizers and analog elements that complete a vibrant organic feel. In a similar vein to the brooding drones of the likes of Rafael Anton Irisarri and Abul Mogard, Amir often combines these analog textures with slow-climbing synthesizers that evolve into walls-of-sound and emotional hooks we're often used to coming from the likes of 36. One of my favorites being  the siren call of 'IV' from Distant Works II - an album that also ended strongly with 'VII' - a more ghostly and mysterious pattern set against the static hiss of a failed radio signal, a desolate end to a superb collection of music. Distant Works II by Secret Pyramid Secret Pyramid just released his latest album on Ba Da Bing! titled Two Shadows Collide, which, "deepens Abbey's relationship with modern composition and abstract songcraft". An album that's proving to be one of my favorites from the year so far; Amir dances with slowly intensifying movements and textures in ways that leave your eyes wide open, and your heart yearning for more. His influences may sound familiar, but we had no way of knowing unless he got behind the controls of an isolatedmix, to present us with the many intricate styles that go into the work and mind of Secret Pyramid.   "This mix consists of a range material that influenced my recent LP, newer sounds that I've been listening to lately, and also some all-time favorites. The mix came together pretty naturally, and I'm happy with how it works as a reflection of the variety of styles and moods that continuously inspire me. I took inspiration from some modern classic composers like Scelsi, Ligeti, and Penderecki while making "Two Shadows Collide", as I find their use of space and dissonance, coupled with the sheer intensity to be very engaging. Badalamenti has always been a huge source of inspiration, and this piece from the recent Twin Peaks reboot is sublime. The Abul Mogard and High Plains pieces are recent works that I’ve been enjoying, and the mix ends with a lovely piece of cosmic minimalism from the great Laurie Spiegel." - Secret Pyramid /AA Download. Tracklist: 01. Vikki Jackman, Andrew Chalk & Jean-Nöel Rebilly – Mist 02. Giacinto Scelsi – String Quartet No. 3 Avec Une Grande Tendresse, dolcissimo 03. Abul Mogard – Bound Universe 04. Angelo Badalamenti – The Fireman 05. Broadcast & The Focus Group – A Quiet Moment 06. Alireza Mashayekhi – Chahargah No.2 Op.140 07. High Plains – Black Shimmer 08. Bohren & der Club of Gore – Constant Fear 09. György Ligeti – String Quartet No.2 Sostenuto, molto calmo 10. Slowdive – Cello 11. Krzysztof Penderecki – Polymorphia 12. Laurie Spiegel – East River Dawn Secret Pyramid | Bandcamp | Web | Soundcloud | Facebook