Showing posts with label electronic music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label electronic music. Show all posts

20 October 2026: Ian Boddy and Scanner "Juxtapositions" (DiN97); Shallow Margins "tule (QD55), Various Artists "Kinetic Void" (USG122)

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The music you hear on tonight's show is available on the artists' Bandcamp pages and websites. (links below) 

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                                               Ian Boddy and Scanner  Juxtapositions (DiN97) 
 
Scanner (UK musician Robin Rimbaud) has previously released two solo albums on the DiN imprint, namely An Ascent (DiN63) and The Homeland of Electricity (DiN72), as well as being included on several of the label’s compilation albums. He also performed alongside label boss Ian Boddy at the Subliminal Impulse festival in Manchester back in 2022, and although this concert was well received, the duo didn’t take their collaborative efforts further at that time. However, here we are four years down the line, and this pair of renowned musicians have finally combined their multitude of talents on Juxtapositions.

In many ways, both Boddy and Rimbaud operate in different sound worlds, but such diversity is often the catalyst for the best form of musical collaboration. The nine tracks on the album gently oscillate between hypnotic cycling patterns and nebulous, ambient soundscapes. The music plays as a continuous suite of tracks, which segue into each other and create a dream-like journey that constantly shifts the listener’s focus. Interspersed with field recordings from old houses and reverberant cellars, as well as Rimbaud’s signature radio chatter, the music is both abstract and emotive. The concept of deep listening is well known to the electronic music fraternity, and certainly, this album will benefit greatly from such an approach, as this will unveil its delicate beauty and hidden depths.

Over the course of the DiN label’s extensive catalogue, Boddy has collaborated with many diverse musicians. With this release, once again, such musical connections between different sonic voices has produced an album of outstanding quality.
 

credits

released September 4, 2026
FreeForm Radio thanks Ian Boddy for a complimentary copy of this release.
All music composed, recorded and produced by
Ian Boddy & Robin Rimbaud.
Mixed and mastered by Ian Boddy (January 2026).


Ian Boddy:
Serge, Roland System 100-M & Eurorack modular systems
Analogue Systems French Connection
Make Noise O-Coast
Moog Matriarch & Voyager
Soniccouture Polarity Modular
Spectrasonics Omnisphere
Folktek Resonant Garden
Field Recordings

Robin Rimbaud:
1010 Music Bento and Blackbox
Eurorack modular system
Elektron Digitakt
Erica Synths Zen Delay
Novation Bass Station
Roland TR-6S
Ableton Live 12
UVI Falcon
Shortwave Radio

ambient em electronic electronic music electronica experimental electronic modular synth Sunderland

 

                                          Shallow Margins - Tule

 

For the next in the quiet details series, we are pleased to present a collaboration between Craig Tattersall, the humble bee, and Alex Gold, fields we found - here as the shallow margins, with tule.

Inspired by a mutual love of ecology and fragments of sound, and the margins of our lives - shaped into musical form.

Quiet and textural - these pieces are a view through misted glass, clouded and suggesting a reflection on the layers found within. Emotions conveyed through hand-played instruments, magnetic tape and the patina of many generations of recording.

Sharing sounds back-and-forth - piano, harmonium, field recordings, long free-form experiments from collections of instruments and more. Recorded and looped on multiple tape machines and old samplers - coaxing out the underlying sonic remnants, and bringing those traces into view.

Endless thanks to Craig for this, and his constant inspiration.

The artwork was made as always influenced by the music and idea behind the album - originating from a photo from the humble bee which was then captured with analogue photography and processed here at quiet details studios.

As usual, the album is presented on the physical edition, a custom six-panel digipack with a separate fine art print too.

The CD also has a special long-form continuous mix of the album, unique and representing the music in its purest form.

Credits: 

FreeForm Radio thanks Alex for a complimentary copy of this release.
Music by the shallow margins (the humble bee & fields we found)
Mastered by Alex at quiet details studios
Artwork by quiet details in collaboration with the shallow margins
Design by quiet details
© quiet details 2026 all rights reserved

 
The ambient lineage, from Brian Eno’s Music for Airports forward, has been characterized as sounds that can recede into the background, creating an absence that exists laterally to the listener’s attention. The Kinetic Void originated from a different premise. The compositions assembled here retain a commitment to atmosphere, putting texture over melody and suspending conventional notions of meter. But they embody an inverted relationship to density from that of the tradition. These pieces are present, saturating and confronting the listener with detail, weight, and structural complexity, yet stopping short of being pure noise.
There is no settled name for this particular style of music. It has no genre, though it can be described in terms of adjacencies: the more abrasive moments of Ben Frost, the looping decay of William Basinski, the layered distortion of some Tim Hecker pieces. When I put together the call for submissions for what became The Kinetic Void, I felt as if I was throwing a dart while blindfolded, hoping that I hit a target that I could not fully articulate. It was a leap of faith that the artists who answered the call would understand what I intended – that the void of the title was not a space to be preserved but a vacancy to be intentionally overloaded by the compositional act. I was not disappointed. The ten tracks of this album take these notions in different and even surprising directions. The densities of these pieces vary along compositional, textural, and emotional axes. Some artists, such as Nihil Impvlse and Soloi Sounds, develop intricate, overlapping strata. Others explore the capacity of a single instrument, as in the guitar work of Gianluca Becuzzi and Robert Thurman.
Richard Bégin presents a work based around a three-note pattern that builds to a crescendo before falling back into quietude. Browning Mummery explores patterns of percussion in combination with feedback and swirling noise. Rumore and William St. Hugh’s contributions are two sides of the same coin, the former focused on sculpted distortion, the latter on a haunting soundscape that uses tension to fill space. Similarly, Mario Lino Stancati employs echoes and processing as load bearing elements. Autistici closes the album with dissonant fragments drawn from instruments, field recordings, and synthetic sources. I am grateful to these artists who answered the call. What began as a question about how silence might be populated has become, across these ten pieces, a set of answers. The void has been filled for now, and in ways that I had not considered.

Mike Borella
Avant Music News (www.avantmusicnews.com)
April 2026
  
released October 8, 2026

REVIEWS

Weird Bones
This is an album that asks us to consider what ambient is, but it’s an album that also asks us to consider what music itself is, why we enjoy what we enjoy. Sometimes it’s okay to listen to something that doesn’t initially make a lot of sense, because if you give it the time it needs, it might end up telling you something you didn’t realise you needed to hear.
weirdbones.co.uk/ambient-music-and-the-strange-business-of-paying-attention

Bad Alchemy
The oxymoron of Kinetic Void (USG122) reads like an attempt to build the photographic negative of 'Ambient Techno', reversing it entirely. Background and atmosphere become a complex, restless, blindfolded approach. Together with Mike Borealla from Avant Music News, Raffaele Pezzella has gathered ten attempts to touch the desert and the void, in the microcosm and in the macrocosm: Prof. Richard Bégin in Montreal with 'Ubik' as a cryonic lullaby. His countryman Nihil Impvlse with 'Malignant Accretion' as a surrendering, grinding surf. Gianluca Becuzzi in Rome with the fatally surrendering 'Liturgy of Void'. Soloi Sounds in Tokyo with 'Ordinary' as a melancholic postscript, a tender what if not? Browning Mummery in Terra Australis with distorted pain and merciless loop in 'Persistence in Absence'. Mario Lino Stancati from Mesagne with 'The short distance between two deserts' as a wistful 'from dust to dust'. Robert Thurman in Tennessee, in electric guitar driven, turbulent drama with 'Convergence'. Rumore (?) with a plaintive guitar and sawtooth rough drones in 'Mustang'. William St Hugh in Fairhaven with 'Andromeda', which after a touchingly monotonous beginning drifts anxiously toward doomsday. And Autistici in Sheffield with 'Recoverse 79S', guitar waves and guitar farts in stereophonic minor key. Soundtrack for sleepwalking into chaos? [BA 135 rbd]

DaMusic
damusic.be/cd/various-artists-kinetic-void


Curated by Mike Borella and Raffaele Pezzella.
Mastered by Raffaele Pezzella.
Layout by Matteo Mariano.
Published by Unexplained Sounds Group in collaboration with Avant Music News. (Cat. Num. USG122).
© 2026 All rights reserved.
experimental avant-garde drone improvisation musique concrete sound art Italy
 

18 August 2026: Thad DeBrock "Perfect Abstract (Guitar Only)"; Defense Technologies "Instability"

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The music you hear on tonight's show is available on the artists' Bandcamp pages and websites. (links below) 

                    We urge you to support the musicians you hear on FreeForm Radio

Overview of "Perfect Abstract (Guitar Only)"

Perfect Abstract (Guitar Only) is an album by Thad DeBrock, released in 2019. The album showcases DeBrock's guitar work and features a total of 9 tracks.

Album Details

AttributeDescription
Release DateJanuary 4, 2019
Total Tracks9
Total Duration43 minutes

Notable Tracks

  • Hello (Can You Hear Me)
  • Like It's the First Time

This album is available on various music platforms, including the iTunes Store.

Perfect Abstract is a distinctive album by Thad DeBrock, featuring a guitar-only format. It consists of 9 songs and has a total runtime of 43 minutes. This album marks a departure from DeBrock's earlier works, emphasizing a unique artistic direction focused solely on guitar compositions.

Comparison with Previous Albums

FeaturePerfect AbstractPrevious Albums
FormatGuitar-onlyVaried instrumentation
Number of Songs9Typically more songs
Total Runtime43 minutesVaries
Artistic DirectionFocus on guitarBroader musical styles

Key Differences

  • Instrumentation: Unlike previous albums that may include various instruments, Perfect Abstract is solely focused on guitar.
  • Artistic Direction: This album represents a shift in DeBrock's approach, showcasing his guitar skills in a more concentrated manner.

Overall, Perfect Abstract stands out as a unique entry in Thad DeBrock's discography, highlighting his versatility and commitment to exploring new musical avenues.

 
 
Instability is the third album from Defense Technologies. This was the result of recording sessions in June, July and November 2024. Recorded, mixed and mastered at Worthless Research Dublabs in Providence RI

loudbient dronegaze loopscapes improvised music, drone ambient, doomgaze, looping, soundscape,

credits

released August 7, 2026




 


 

 

14 July 2026: Arabs in Aspic, “Madness and Magic”; Andreas Tilliander, “Lava”. QD51

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The music you hear on tonight's show is available on the artists' Bandcamp pages and websites. (links below) 

                    We urge you to support the musicians you hear on FreeForm Radio 

                                               Arabs in Aspic. “Madness and Magic”


https://arabs.bandcamp.com/album/madness-and-magic


Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by TCat
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin
4 stars This is Arabs in Aspic's 6th full length album. "Madness and Magic" is really the perfect name for this album as, when I listen to it, it sounds like an excellent progressive sound (which is the Magic), yet it also sounds almost like it is going to fall apart at any time (the Madness). This combination makes for an intriguing listen, not only on the first listen, but also on subsequent listens. I recognize that saying something sounds like "it is going to fall apart at any time" might seem negative, but in this sense, it gives the music a feeling of unpredictability, which to me, is a great thing. But, along with this, the Magic side of the album is that it sounds authentically progressive, borrowing sounds and shades of classic progressive bands while still sound quite relevant and fresh. It is this mix that keeps me coming back to this excellent and well-constructed album. 

But, unfortunately, there are some issues here, which, from reading the previous reviewer's comments, is an issue that the band has had in the past. This problem stems with the odd lyrics that are sometimes embarrassingly bad. For those listeners that don't put a lot of weight on the lyrics, this might slip by unnoticed, but since lyrics and vocals are quite an important part of the band's music here, it is hard to imagine that the listener would just not notice that. Looking at past ratings for the band's previous albums, each one of them has managed to average at 4 stars. Honestly, this is the first time I have heard this band, though I have heard of them before. The fact that they haven't raised or lowered that score among fellow Archive raters, does concern me a bit, but listening to this album does make me want to explore deeper into their music.

The 6 songs on this album are all "fused" together, each one flowing into the next, almost making this entire endeavor sound like a suite. However, it's obviously not that as each song (except for the two part "Lullaby for Modern Kids") is it's own entity. But through these songs, one things remains constant, excellent composition and well-constructed progressive music, which flows along quite smoothly from drifting, psychedelic passages to melodic sections to heavy and solid riffs. The album definitely has something for everyone, but also seems focused to deliver high-quality music. But it is the instrumental portions of the album that are the best and that stand out the most in the first several listens, and the vocal complexities soon become a more appreciated part of the music as both your ear and mind adjust to the style. 

This is an album that will impress most progressive listeners right at the outset. Of course the track that will garner the most interest from the progressive crowd will be the 16+ minute "Heaven in Your Eye", which again is almost perfect, but seems to end a bit lackluster and abruptly, like the song is ready to move on to another section, but instead just quickly fades out. There are a few minor issues like that that seem to keep this album from reaching a 5 star status, but hopefully that doesn't keep anyone from at least giving this album a try. It's not a masterpiece, but it is still quite enjoyable and worthy of 4 stars.


Credits:
Music by Andreas Tilliander
Mastered by Alex at quiet details studios
Artwork by quiet details in collaboration with Andreas Tilliander
Design by quiet details
© quiet details 2026 all rights reserved

Extremely pleased to say that next in the quiet details series, with an interpretation of immense breadth, is the eminent Swedish producer, Andreas Tilliander, with Lava.

Andreas has been established in the highest echelons of electronica since the late nineties - amassing a vast discography across many leading labels and multiple aliases. Wide-ranging productions under his own name, Morika, TM404, Rechord and many more - on the likes of Kontra Musik, Mille Plateaux, Raster-Noton, Acid Test and his own Repeatle - has proven him time and again to be one of the most important and influential artists of recent years. Essential live performances have served to enforce this legacy.

Lava is Andreas Tilliander at his finest - endlessly experimental and wildly creative expressions, shaped into a sonic excursion of mind-expanding distinction.

As he says, this is “An exploration of southern Sweden - light, memory, and open landscapes.” And we can feel this from the very first second.

Deeply atmospheric from the start, submerged locational recordings intertwine with gradually evolving synths - creating an introduction that lays out the beginning of the path into this beautifully constructed album.

Trademark acidic pulses emerge through the clouds as the music continues on unabated, and from there we’re led by the hand through the emotions Andreas elicits from his surroundings.

His mastery of his machines is total - analogue richness, digital grunge - recordings from many sources manipulated into fascinating collages - all meld into a cohesive whole by the immense creative vision he possesses.

At times vivid and luminescent, and others dark and meditative - always profoundly reflective - this is an album of vast contemplation, perfectly executed by a master of his form.

As Andreas says:

Recorded primarily with samplers, some shitty synthesizers, field recordings from Hässleholm, old VHS tapes, and the quiet electricity of Skåne.

Special thanks to the fields and roads of Vinslöv, Vankiva, and Hässleholm. To the shores of Åhusfältet and the streets that shaped everything. Thank you for the crystal clarity, the glow, the light, and the stillness.

Street Wise. Vinslöv. Vankiva. Hässleholm.

I feel crystal clear.

Huge thanks to Andreas, a stunning addition to the series.

The artwork was made as always influenced by the music and idea behind the album - originating from a photo from Andreas which was then captured with analogue photography and processed here at quiet details studios.

As usual, the album is presented on the physical edition, a custom six-panel digipack with a separate fine art print too.

The CD also has a special long-form continuous mix of the album, unique and representing the music in its purest form.

repeatle.bandcamp.com
 

credits

released July 1, 2026

ambientsweden

07 July 2026: Rush 50 Something Tour Celebration; DiN Reimagined Volume 1 (DiNDDL36)

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The music you hear on tonight's show is available on the artists' Bandcamp pages and websites. (links below) 

                    We urge you to support the musicians you hear on FreeForm Radio 

Tonight we celebrate the 50 Something Rush tour set for 2026 and 2027. We'll start with Side 1 of the 1976 album that was their major breakthrough, 2112,  and follow with some choice studio cuts from A Farewell to Kings (1977) and Hemispheres (1978).

2112 (1976): 

 I. "Overture" (4:31)

II. "The Temples of Syrinx" (2:16)

III. "Discovery" (3:25)

IV. "Presentation" (3:41)

V. "Oracle: The Dream" (2:00)

VI. "Soliloquy" (2:19)

VII. "Grand Finale" (2:16)

"Cygnus X-1 Book I : The Voyage"       (A Farewell to Kings, 1977)

"Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres"     (Hemispheres, 1978)

"La Villa Strangiato"                          (Hemisperes, 1978)

"Closer to the Heart"                         (A Farewell to Kings, 1977)

The Fifty Something tour is a concert tour by the Canadian rock band Rush. The tour began on June 7, 2026 in Inglewood, California, and is currently set to conclude in Helsinki, Finland on April 10, 2027.[1] It is Rush's first tour in 11 years, and their first live outing without drummer Neil Peart in 52 years, following his death in 2020,[2] with Anika Nilles filling in for him.[3] On February 23, 2026, Rush announced that Loren Gold would be the keyboardist for the tour, making it the first time the band has toured with more than three main musicians.[4][5] 

 

 

The merits of the DiN releases Box of Secrets, Distant Rituals, Outpost, Art of Sacrifice and Blaze continue to be worth extolling, as the ideas they contain are remarkable and unique in history. Setting these titles as reference points, Ian Boddy has reconceived and reworked each to produce the five 30 minute experiments presented on DiN Reimagined Volume 1 (158:05). This impeccably crafted batch of reconstructions have been dropping periodically over the years, for people in the know (Boddy's Patreon subscribers), and are collected now in this first of a new series. Though all tracks are rooted in a previous DiN designation, Boddy sees the aforementioned albums as reference points - reconsidering the music and intentions of the earlier version, in a transformation of markedly different artistic outcomes. Suppressed beneath a midnight of softly burning dreams listeners delve into chill currents - to emerge beyond the control of known forces. In direct connection to lower levels of thought electronic textures and tones expend their force in an atmosphere of searching. Falling through darkness notes collide, collude and combine. Moments pass in a ramble of melody, a flight of timbre, a search of harmony. Chords, moving in contrary motion suggest a scene, create a mood - fashioning a world that may be real, but not representative of reality. Hallucinatory and fragmentary, these impressionistic aural images are the product of a particularly astute re-interpretation and refinement of the original recordings. Commanding a range of technologies and mechanisms Boddy has here realized a pentad of surreal, dreamlike sonic experiences - which manage to acknowledge their sources, while emphasizing a distinctive craftsmanship, inventiveness and personality. DiN Reimagined Volume 1 offers a sound collage that moves well within the painstakingly detailed shades and hues of Ambient Music. In such cerebral Spacemusic, even when challenged by dissonance we hear a unity in the arrangement - and what message it is trying to convey.

- Chuck van Zyl/STAR'S END   18 June 2026


As the core DiN label inexorably heads towards a century of releases, it’s worth looking back on a huge legacy of incredible releases. Label boss Ian Boddy has been producing some very special mixes of the early, deep back catalogue titles over the last couple of years. However, unlike the free-to-download DiN Mixes (of which there have been six so far), these are total reconstructions of the relevant albums. This method of working has involved Boddy using a number of techniques, including time-stretching, tape recorder pitch changes, granular engine manipulations, adding new effects such as reverb and echo, as well as accessing the original albums’ stems. Thus, they are not simple remixes using the original album tracks but rather a reconstruction of each release to produce a new piece of music. Indeed, Boddy has eschewed any references to rhythmic or sequenced material from the source tracks but has rather created a series of ambient soundscapes that each span 30 minutes or so. These open up new possibilities from the peacefully ambient to the weird and mysterious. Originally released exclusively via Boddy’s Patreon channel, this first volume collects five of these reimagined mixes as a Bandcamp digital download album.

credits

released June 12, 2026

All mixes reimagined by Ian Boddy from the original DiN albums.

Ian Boddy Patreon channel @ www.patreon.com/ianboddy

https://bandcamp.com/discover/sunderland?from=tralbum&artist=1737731247   

 

05 May 2026: Far East Family Band "Parallel Worlds"; Sulk Rooms "Songs of Soil" (Quiet Details 49); "Music for Ancient Catacombs"

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You can now listen to the livestream of the show through the KMXT app; it's available through the Mac App Store or Google Play. The stream is also available at www.kmxt.org

Please support FreeForm Radio and KMXT by going to www.KMXT.org and pledging your support.

The music you hear on tonight's show is available on the artists' Bandcamp pages and websites. (links below) 

                    We urge you to support the musicians you hear on FreeForm Radio 


Musical Style and Influence

The album features long, hypnotic tracks that reflect the band's experimental approach. It draws inspiration from the psychedelic sounds of early Pink Floyd and the electronic experimentation of Klaus Schulze. The music is characterized by its immersive soundscapes and intricate arrangements, making it a significant work in the progressive rock genre.

 Review by Proghead
PROG REVIEWER 

5 stars This is without a doubt the best album FAR EAST FAMILY BAND has ever done. Unlike other albums where the band focused mainly on ballads influenced by PINK FLOYD, on "Parallel World" they decided to merge the prog rock style of the time with electronic music in the vein of Klaus SCHULZE. And just like their previous album, "Nipponjin", this album was also produced by SCHULZE, and you could swear he actually played on the album (he didn't). All the synth duties here are Fumio Miya[&*!#]a (who also played guitar and sang), Akira Ito, and Masanori Takasaki (who we all know as the future New Age star of the '80s and '90s, that is KITARO).

For "Parallel World", the band went to England to record at Richard Branson's Manor Studios to strike a deal with Virgin Records. Unfortunately Virgin rejected the album (their loss), so it was left released only in Japan (with two different album covers, depending what you got, mines is the lesser known one with the peering eyes cover). About these two different album covers, I am unable to determine if what I own is a reissue, but probably is. Let's say this new electronic direction for the band was an excellent move as they produced their ultimate masterpiece. Here you get "Metempsychosis" which shows the band in a more experimental setting, complete with synth drones and percussion. "Entering" and "Times" will fool you for SCHULZE's own works, Shizuo Takasaki's drumming often reminds me of Harald Großkopf (WALLENSTEIN member who was often found playing on SCHULZE's albums), and it's packed with same kind of space electronic effects found on a SCHULZE album. It's the presence of guitar (from Fumio Miya[&*!#]a and Hirohito Fukushima) that separates this from a SCHULZE album. Then you have "Kokoro", which harkens back to their earlier works. This is basically a slow ballad, sung in Japanese that could easily fit on "The Cave: Down to the Earth". This is the only song like this on "Parallel World".

And then you get the 30 minute title track that is just so amazing that it totally justifies the five star rating I give this album! Here the band goes on a lengthy jam, with the Akira Fukakusa's bass dominating with tons of killer synths, lots of great spacy string synths and Moog. After about halfway through this piece, the bass and drums gives away to straigh-up synth experiments. Somewhere you hear some chanting and references to Zen Buddhism. There are some truly mindblowing use of Mellotron that pop up on occasions, and this one synth solo I am pretty sure none other than KITARO is responsible for. I can't believe this album, it's hard to believe that a guy whose later music is often dismissed as New Age fluff (KITARO, that is) is on this album. Truly a wonderful album and if the description of this album sounds good to you, find a copy. 


Next up in the quiet details series, with a beautifully crafted interpretation, is the UK-based musician, Thomas Ragsdale, here as Sulk Rooms with Songs of Soil. (Quiet Details 49)

Full release 6th May 2026.

A mainstay of the UK electronic music and live performance scenes - Thomas has been releasing music for well over a decade and established himself as one of our most important voices, making what he describes as “luminescent electronica”. 

Releasing on a range of excellent labels (Waxing Crescent, Werra Foxma,  Subexotic and more), plus loads of self-releases, has created a deep back-catalogue - and he’s a regular fixture playing live across the country alongside some of the biggest names around. He also plays in the band Pijn and runs his own Frosti label.

His quiet details interpretation, Songs of Soil, is a reflection on his life living in rural Yorkshire and his connection to nature - in his own words this “is an album dedicated to the majesty of worms”. 

Making extensive use of field recordings of these essential parts of the ecosystem in his allotment, Thomas imprints the organic chaos of their hidden world - sounds rarely heard by humans, amplified and shaped into captivating and mesmerising soundscapes.

These worlds are both delicate and evocative of unknown space and are the perfect compliment to the ethereal and powerful sonic atmospherics Sulk Rooms does so well. Using a range of synthesisers, guitars and effects, the album winds its way though a huge range of emotions. Vast dynamics - from time-stopping euphoria to soft introspection - Thomas’s command of his instruments is absolute.

Melodic, textural and deeply moving - this is Sulk Rooms at his very best.

Undulating synthetic motifs unfold to effervesce waves of bliss; choral pads draw you into psychedelic stasis; soft piano evokes gorgeous melancholy - all mixed with the potent textures from the worms and their ceaseless movement.

Overall a stunning and wonderfully constructed piece of work - a true album and exploration into the creativity of Sulk Rooms.

Huge thanks to Thomas.

The artwork was made as always influenced by the music and idea behind the album - originating from a photo from Thomas which was then captured with analogue photography and processed here at quiet details studios.

Credits:
Music by Sulk Rooms
Mastered by Alex at quiet details studios
Artwork by quiet details in collaboration with Thomas Ragsdale
Design by quiet details
© quiet details 2026 all rights reserved 
FreeForm Radio thanks Alex for a complimentary copy of this release.
 
 
 

 
Across centuries, catacombs have exerted a powerful fascination on the human imagination. These underground networks, carved beneath cities and landscapes, have served as places of burial, devotion, secrecy, and contemplation. Their presence continues to resonate strongly today, inspiring artists, writers, and musicians who perceive them as symbolic spaces where history, spirituality, and the passage of time converge. The silence of stone corridors, the weight of centuries, and the sense of suspended time still speak vividly to contemporary sensibilities.
“Music For Ancient Catacombs” is conceived as a descent into subterranean spaces where time, memory, and silence accumulate layer after layer. The catacomb emerges as a resonant chamber in which sound takes the form of ritual, meditation, and threshold. These underground architectures, both imagined and real, evoke permanence and decay at the same time, spaces carved to preserve the dead and to host a deep sense of continuity beyond human presence.
Featuring contributions from key figures of the dark ambient scene whose work has long explored liminal zones between sound, spirituality, and darkness, the compilation shapes a coherent sonic environment built from drones, distant harmonics, and slow-moving textures. Each piece unfolds as a chamber within a wider underground complex, distinct yet interconnected, guiding the listener through a continuous immersive experience.

In the same series:

Music For Abandoned Monasteries
eighthtowerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/music-for-abandoned-monasteries

Music For Haunted Asylums
eighthtowerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/music-for-haunted-asylums

Music For Alien Temples
eighthtowerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/music-for-alien-temples
 

credits

FreeForm Radio thanks Raffaele Pezzella for a promo copy of this release. 

releases May 14, 2026

REVIEWS

Bizarrechats:
bizarrechats.blogspot.com/2026/05/eighth-towers-music-for-ancient.html




Published by Eighth Tower Records.
Curated and mastered by Raffaele Pezzella.
Photos: The Catacombs of Paris and Naples; the Capuchin Crypt, Rome. Layout by Matteo Mariano.
Cat. Num. ETR071.
2026 All Rights Reserved.
ambient dark ambient drone ambient electronic music industrial noise ambient Italy