iPhone performance

next saturday i will be taking part in an "iphone group performance" at the Popakademie here in Mannheim. about 15 "performers" will play bloom, RjDj, and possibly other iphone apps in a live improvisation, as demonstrated in this video of a warm up jam for the event. this unique event is part of a conference called "future music camp." hopefully some photos and video will follow. it is also planned to live stream the event via peoplezapping.

they are still looking for more people to take part in the performance, so if you live nearby mannheim and want to participate, feel free to sign on to the forum, or contact @beichstaedt, one of the organizers of the event. the official forum with more information (auf Deutsch) can be found here.

Ten and Tracer - Tsotsitaal

Ten and Tracer is a very prolific netaudio artist with releases on labels such as 8bitpeoples, Zymogen, Archipel, and Rope Swing Cities, as well as numerous remixes. most of his work so far comes from the experimental idm realm - heavily processed bitcrushed glitches and brittle, fractured beats. on hit latest commercial album, he has altered his style quite dramatically, the glitchy clicks and cuts are dissolved into layers of soft pink noise and nestled deeply in a luxurious couch of smooth minimal drones. lovely “opium-ambient-bliss” for unexplored realms of consciousness.
the album is available for free MP3 download (donations welcome!), as well as uncompressed download or cd for a very reasonable price. if you purchase a physical copy of the album, you can choose between several "special editions" which include a book of artwork also created by the artist.

Phillip Wilkerson and Tange - Ege Denizi

i have to admit, the pedal steel guitar is not one of my favorite instruments- the twangy sound often used in country music can really grate on my nerves. but the instrument can also be very effectively used in ambient and atmospheric music, providing subtle textures or smooth and ghostly leads. Gordon Macmillian's contributions to Ege Denizi are a wonderful example of the masterfully subtle use of steel guitar-- the gliding amorphous melodies and swelling textures are couched in Phillip Wilkerson's luminous pads, soothing atmospherics and occasional rhythmic elements. as noted by the earth mantra staff, an immensely beautiful, delicate and transcendent release.

Carl Sagan's Ghost - Behind Clouds

according to the composer, the album behind clouds is designed to be listened be listened to as one piece, looped over and over with no real beginning or ending. no mater how you listen to it, the music is beautifully detailed yet subtle and understated- ambient sounds for deep thoughts.

AmbiScience

one of my favorite apps for the ipod touch lately has been the AmbiScience series from Tesla Software. these apps play loops of ambient music which can be combined with various brainwave entrainment sounds, including settings for increased alertness, meditation, and deep sleep (i definitely recommend reading up on brainwave entrainment if youre not familiar with it already, its really fascinating). the apps work great as a sleep aid, and a timer is included which will shut down the app after a certain time. even without the entrainment options, the ambient loops are very enjoyable to listen to, well-produced and usually long enough so that the loop is not immediately noticeable. the Pure Sleep and Brain Power editions feature more organic sounds somewhat in the style of Steve Roach or Michael Stearns, and Androids Odyssey naturally has a more electronic, classic sequencer spacemusic feel.
and as an added bonus, An Android's Odyssey is free at the iTunes store for the next few days. definitely recommended for fans of ambient music who own an iPhone or iPod touch!

Offsets - Circular Drift

a new release from the distance recordings netlabel, Circular Drift is composed of soft suspended drones, quiet guitar loops, subtle percussion and processed field recordings which dissolve into gentle breezes of blissful ambient tones. perfect music for a rainy spring morning, a warm afternoon of daydreaming or a lazy evening with the window open, the music seamlessly melding with the sounds of the outdoors.

Planet Boelex & Lisa's Antenna - Little world [remastered]

my favorite release of 2008 has just been tweaked and professionally remastered, giving it an even more lush and refined sound. a perfect excuse to re-visit this stunningly beautiful album of ambient dream pop.
for more information, visit the official press release on the soft phase label page, or planet boelex's myspace blog entry.