An hour of favourites and all time ambient classics.
1. Susumu Yokota – Sea Blue
I love the strings on this track and thought it would make a perfect start.
2. Sigur Ros - Takk
Reminds me of Benicassim 08. The sun was setting and a dark cloud was circling the mountains in the background as Sigur Ros charmed the crowd.
3. The KLF – Madruga Eterna
Taken from the ‘Chillout’ album which is by far one of the best ambient records known to man. This track features an awesome guitar lick straight out of mid-west USA which would be out of place on any other record.
4. Lightsway – A Sky Full Of Clouds
AKA Winterlight AKA Tim Ingham, this track is a slow burning atmospheric monster. Go get the album ‘Summer Interlude’.
5. Bibio – It Was Willow
A short masterpiece which encapsulates Bibio at his finest.
6. William Orbit – You Know Too Much About Flying Saucers
William Orbit makes outstanding music. Taken from ‘Hello Waveforms’, this is another track with delicate guitar melodies where the sounds seem to fit the title perfectly.
7. The Album Leaf – Over The Pond
Weird child noises and a lovely piano combine to form a masterpiece.
8. Winterlight – Hush Now
As if the Lightsway track wasn’t enough, how about some more.
9. Little Dragon – Twice
Nine tracks in and it’s time to feature the first full on vocal track. And a beautiful vocal at that. The best off the album and a fine video to match.
10. Leandro Fresco – Buenos Amigos
The epitome of ambient. Comatising (is that a word?!). If you like this then check out Kompakt’s annual Pop Ambient series.
11. Jon Hopkins – Cold Out There
A composer, pianist and a self-taught studio wizard. If you needed proof, this is it.
Ambivalence Avenue has been my most played album these past months, its awesome. A far progression since his last, it’s like Bibio has been fed a few funk pills tripping out to old Cassius stuff, whilst watching the Wicker Man. Not quite sure how i got to that conclusion, but it makes sense for me.
Whilst on these pills, he phoned up Warp and said, “my album has trees on it, build me a forest”, so they did. A nice little mini-site which lets you build your own ‘tree’ colour it purple, add some poisonous berries, set an ambient background noise and Bibio soundtrack, and top it all off with a Robin. What else could you want? Oh yes, prove your insanity and share your tree with all your friends on Facebook.
Its great though. Check out my rubbish tree, then have a listen to my favourite track from Ambivalence Avenue – Fireant:
5 mixes, over 10 hours in total, a who’s who and what’s what of downtempo, shoegaze and electronica. Compiled by Jesse Somfay, the Canadian’s production qualities alone are enough to go nuts about. Somfay’s releases on Traum, have helped set the label apart from any other like minded German output. That then, makes these mixes a must for anyone who’s up for coma induced listening. I am just wondering if these are good enough to rival DJ Todos Kilchurn Sessions…
“This is not intended to sound mixed in any way as it is not a DJ mix. It is merely a selection of music strung together, so the focus is purely on the music itself and not the technicalities of mixing”.
Hexahedral Part One
1. Clouddead – The Teen Keen Skip
2. Sole and the Skyrider Band – The Shipwreckers
3. Burial – Archangel
4. Boards Of Canada – Dawn Chorus
5. Aphex Twin – IZ-US
6. Clark – Hot May Slides
7. Radiohead – Idioteque
8. Jel – All Around
9. Air – Run
10. Radiohead – Like Spinning Plates
11. Black Moth Super Rainbow + The Octopus Project – Copying Soup Onto Sexy Birdy
12. Caustic Window – AFX 114
13. Die Fantastischen Vier – Krieger (Aphex Twin Baldhu Mix)
14. Flying Lotus – GNG BNG
15. Clark – Matthew Unburdened
16. Battles – Leyendecker
17. Black Moth Super Rainbow + The Octopus Project – Tony Face
18. Aphex Twin – Alberto Balsalm
19. Boards Of Canada – Amo Bishop Roden
20. Squarepusher – Iambic 9 Poetry
21. Alias & Tarsier – Plane That Draws A White Line
22. Jel – Nice Last
23. Boards Of Canada – Gyroscope
24. Black Moth Super Rainbow – Algae
25. Boards Of Canada – Untitled
26. Global Goon – Glory B
27. Bloc Party – Where Is Home? (Burial Remix)
28. Portishead – Wandering Star
29. Flying Lotus – Auntie’s Lock / Infinitum (feat. Laura Darlington)
30. Broadcast – Corporeal
31. Black Moth Super Rainbow – Zodiac Girls
32. The Tuss – GX1 Solo
33. Yo La Tengo – Nuclear War (Version 1)
34. Why? – Gnashville
Hexahedral Part Two
1. CocoRosie – Rainbowarriors
2. Sol Seppy – Slo Fuzz
3. The Postal Service – Brand New Colony
4. The Knife – Only For You
5. The Postal Service – Such Great Heights
6. Gemma Hayes – At Constant Speed
7. The Cinematic Orchestra – To Build A Home
8. Bon Iver – Lump Sum
9. Fink – Blueberry Pancakes
10. Alaska in Winter – Close Your Eyes – We Are Blind
11. Beirut – Scenic World
12. Ai Phoenix – The Party’s Over
13. Lisa Germano – Reptile
14. Ai Phoenix – Revolutionfriend
15. Blonde Redhead – Dr. Strangeluv
16. Gemma Hayes – Out Of Our Hands
17. Lisa Germano – A Beautiful Schizophrenic
18. Nico – Chelsea Girls
19. Lisa Germano – Geek The Girl
20. Blonde Redhead – Falling Man
21. The Postal Service – Suddenly Everything Has Changed (The Flaming Lips Cover)
22. Death Cab For Cutie – A Lack Of Color
23. Nico – The Fairest Of The Seasons
24. KaitO – Shelflife
25. The Manhattan Love Suicides – Things You’ve Never Done
26. My Bloody Valentine – Drive It All Over Me
27. Eric’s Trip – Happens All The Time
28. Henry’s Dress – Definitely Nothing
29. Eric’s Trip – You’re Always Right
30. Shocking Pinks – Blonde Haired Girl
31. Eric’s Trip – Mirror
32. Helium – Pat’s Trick
33. The Kills – At The Back Of The Shell
34. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Pin
35. Henry’s Dress – Sunshine Proves All Wrongness
36. The Ramones – Listen To My Heart
37. Eric’s Trip – Open Your Heart
38. The Silversun Pickups – Well Thought Out Twinkles
39. Placebo – You Don’t Care About Us
40. Eric’s Trip – My Room
41. Sun Dial – Open Your Eyes
42. Pavement – The Hexx
43. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Maps
Hexahedral Part Three
1. Boris – となりのサターン
2. Kinski – Rhode Island Freakout
3. Dead Meadow – Dusty Nothing
4. Sun Dial – Acid Test
5. Can – Vitamin C
6. Portishead – Half Day Closing
7. Eric’s Trip – Secret For Julie
8. Shocking Pinks – Strip Mall Blue
9. Portishead – Small
10. The Beatles – Tomorrow Never Knows
11. My Bloody Valentine – Come In Alone
12. Spaceman 3 – Mary Anne
13. Sciflyer – Girl
14. Motorcycle Ride – Union City Blue
15. My Bloody Valentine – Off Your Face
16. Stereolab – John Cage Bubblegum
17. Neu! – After Eight
18. Stereolab – Revox
19. The Black Angels – You In Color
20. Stereolab – The Seeming And The Meaning
21. Six By Seven – Untitled
22. La Dusseldorf – Rheinita
23. Neu! – Cassetto
24. Suicide – Cheree
25. Gravenhurst – Velvet Cell
26. The Silversun Pickups – Lazy Eye
27. Black Moth Super Rainbow – Caterpillar House
28. Animal Collective – Fireworks
29. The Silversun Pickups – Little Lover’s So Polite
30. Low – Murderer
31. Why? – Light Leaves
32. The Velvet Underground & Nico – All Tomorrows Parties
33. My Bloody Valentine – Honey Power
34. Deuter – La Ilaha Il Allah
Hexahedral Part Four
1. Aphex Twin – Rhubarb
2. Bibio – Bewly In Red
3. Boards Of Canada – A Moment Of Clarity
4. Clark – Herzog
5. Radiohead – Up On The Ladder
6. Blonde Redhead – Sings Along The Path (Maps Remix)
7. M83 – Sitting
8. The Radio Dept. – Ewan
9. Skywave – I Believe
10. Astrobrite – Orange Creamsickle
11. Brasilia – Hindsight
12. Asobi Seksu – New Years
13. Amusement Parks On Fire – Motown Ritual
14. Electro Group – Glistened
15. Pia Fraus – 400 & 57
16. Study Of The Lifeless – Promised Land
17. Brasilia – Sublimation
18. Chessie – The Century
19. Cruyff In The Bedroom – Sad Paradise
20. Henry’s Dress – Stumble (Demo)
21. Boris – Farewell
22. Electro Group – Killer Bees
23. Brasilia – Prized Fighter
24. STAR – Pure Gold Reason
25. The Ecstacy Of Saint Theresa – Honeyrain
26. Astrobrite – Swooner
27. My Bloody Valentine – Loomer
28. Joy Zipper – Baby You Should Know
29. Fleeting Joys – The Good Kind Of Tomorrow
30. Astrobrite – Lemondrop
31. Pia Fraus – Chromatic Nights
32. The Charlottes – Liar
33. Chapterhouse – Breather
34. Blind Mr. Jones – Disneyworld
35. The Raveonettes – Hallucinations
Hexahedral Part Five
1. Swirlies – Tall Ships
2. Slowdive – Machine Gun
3. Asobi Seksu – Walk On The Moon
4. The Walkmen – The North Pole
5. Rollerskate Skinny – Speed To My Side
6. Gravenhurst – Farewell, Farewell
7. Slowdive – Jazz Odeon
8. Astrobrite – Boy
9. Cocteau Twins – In Our Angelhood
10. Joy Zipper – VSX
11. Death Cab For Cutie – Passenger Seat
12. Radiohead – How I Made My Millions
13. Lisa Germano – Cry Wolf
14. Astrobrite – More
15. Pyramids – The Echo Of Something Lovely (Lovesliescrushing Remix)
16. Lovesliescrushing – Darkglassdolleyes
17. Astrobrite – Amorotic Zoom
18. Lovesliescrushing – Auvn
19. Burial – Endorphin
20. Helios – Vargtimme
21. Vir – Dapur
22. Astrobrite – Girl
23. Boards Of Canada – Olson
24. Sigur Ros – Untitled
25. Bjork – All Is Full Of Love
26. Lovesliescrushing – Ilgesn
27. Burial – Forgive
28. Your Favorite Horse – Tuning Up On Cloud Nine
29. Astrobrite – Dragonfly Pinky Fuzz
30. Lovesliescrushing – Suischre
31. Astrobrite – Cherryflavor Burst
32. Autechre – Vletrmx 21
33. Squarepusher – Tommib
34. Boards Of Canada – Saw Drones
35. Low – Kind Of Girl
36. Boards Of Canada – Constants Are Changing
37. Slowdive – Here She Comes
38. Vincent Oliver – Outro
39. Aphex Twin – Lichen
40. Boards Of Canada – Corsair
41. Bibio – Black Country Blues
42. Boards Of Canada – Tears From The Compound Eye
43. Squarepusher – Tommib Help Buss
44. Boards Of Canada – Over The Horizon Radar
