Simon Scott - Nivalis

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Genre: Ambient, Electronic, Drone
Label: Secret Furry Hole

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Fast forward a few months and Scott is releasing Nivalis (Latin for "covered in snow"), a short, sixteen-minute release created while he was (what else?) snowed in for a couple of days. The piece was created extemporaneously; as the snow fell, Scott continued adding to the pieces, mixing the results as the hours passed and chucking in some field recordings of the event as well. In many ways that mirror Wixel's year long project from last year: it gives us the opportunity to peak into the life of an artist during a delineated amount of time.

On some level it's difficult to be critical of the work because it's so obviously created as an experiment and was not a planned musical moment. But, then again, it is being released for public consumption, so all's fair game, right? What is good about the track is that it's mostly unassuming. Scott does a good job with the production and everything has a impromptu air to it. It's kind of strange hearing an ambient track that's been improvised, but, hey, it's not so bad. What it lacks is almost everything that made me interested in Navigare: subtlety, brevity, purpose, and heart. Since the track was created as the snow raged outside, it's not difficult to find the moments when Scott becomes bored with the project, apparently stunned that the snow is still falling, and returns to his instruments to mash out a few more minutes. It's a nontrivial glimpse into the world of a musician, trapped in this studio for two days, but not something that needs to be tracked down for those who aren't completists.

It's safe to say that Simon Scott has finally kicked the bug that's been following him around since his Slowdive days and can finally step out into the world as a new musician. Navigare is a strong debut, and Nivalis is a welcome experimental release. Scott's on his way to an exciting second career as a solo musician, and something tells me that his best work is ahead of him yet.

Laura Gibson & Ethan Rose - Bridge Carols

Genre: Ambient, Electronic
Label: Holocene Music

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Bridge Carols, the new project from Laura Gibson and Ethan Rose, takes the listener to a place that exists between the notes and behind the words ofmodern music. The project began as a conversation of mutual appreciation and curiosity a shared desire to challenge old ways of working. Rose had mostly distanced his music from words, while Gibson had often felt bound by them. Inspired by her voice, Rose began building soundscapes while Gibson looked through piles of notebooks, coming across old phrases that never found home in verses or rhymes. As the project developed, Gibson began improvising lyrics and wordless vocalizations that tumbled out in long, trailing waves.Rose then reshaped tones and sounds around her wordsand the resulting pieces developed into Bridge Carols, a record of deep atmosphere and an almost sublingual resonance.

Simon James French - Anthem

Genre: Ambient, Drone
Label: Hibernate Recordings

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Simon James French is a sound artist currently based in London, UK. His work is increasingly involved in the art of field recording but often transcends the gap between phonography and sound design. Interested in cross-media work, Simon’s work often contains field recordings, synthesis, and live electronics.

Heavily inspired by the compositional techniques of György Ligeti, Simon’s first release Anthem is full of dynamic movement and heavy textures that, in its entirety make for an ever changing body of work that invites the listener to fall headlong into this world of sinuous, melodic drones, evocative motifs and cleverly incorporated real-world sounds.

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Nest - Retold

Genre: Ambient, Neo Classical
Label: Serein

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Nest is the collaborative project of Otto Totland (Deaf Center; Type Records) and Huw Roberts (Serein Label owner).
The first six tracks on this album were originally released in 2007 on the eponymously titled Nest EP; they are presented here again having been remastered alongside five new pieces composed in 2009. A revised edition of the track 'Cad Goddeu' was created especially for this release.
Taking cues from film soundtracks and contemporary classical music, the story is woven using a myriad of instrumentation. Dulcet piano tones are backed by string and horn arrangements, unidentifiable plucked instruments and the sound of the Welsh harp; often heavily processed, Retold is an album that has as much in common with experimental electronic music as it does with modern classical composition.