It all seems so long ago the early 90s. When I saw Paul Oakenfold and Carl Cox then did I ever think they’d still be doing their thing thirty years later? Doubt it. And yet here they are with their first ever collaboration, Concentrate. No point in any potted biog of either Paul or Carl. You surely know both of them, legends. It’s been a long time since I listened to Paul Oakenfold. His descent into cheesy prog lost me long ago. Carl was always a great DJ but his recorded output was a bit of a disappointment. I remember listening to 1995’s At The End Of The Cliché and really wanting to like i ..read more

OK so I spoke too soon. After a couple, of warm days it’s back to wintery rainy days again. Boo. Time for some IDM then with Constant Current. Constant Current is an electronic artist from Belarus, currently based in Vilnius, Lithuania. On remix duties is Ukrainian sound-engineer Nikita Bulgakov (NDNL). The track being remixed is Revival which is an electronic listening piece pitched between Ambient and Organic House, with a touch of Folktronica. The remix is an altogether hazier affair. Everything sounds like it’s on a fuzzy delay. This allows it to drift more than a little into somethi ..read more

Ambient Sunday is tentatively celebrating the start of Spring with YFGP and Daffodils. YFGP (Your Favourite Ghost Producer) is Manu, a Music Producer and SFX Artist from Sibiu, Romania. He appeared here at the back end of last year with some old school hip hop. He’s back with new release Daffodils that offers more head nodding boom bap charm. Daffodils is part of his short mixtape Flowers. It’s a lovely piece, albeit short. It makes max use of the xylophone. Seriously under-estimated piece of the instrumental hip hop armoury. Stuttering beats arrive and then that reassuring whap of boom bap ..read more

The return of Kodomo with some complex but funky IDM on Trenta Trenta. Kodomo is Christopher Child from Brooklyn. He’s been making IDM since 2007, first appearing here in 2011. His work has roots in IDM, minimalism, techno, and various styles of ambient music. But on his new release we’re firmly back in IDM. As for the inspiration behind Trenta Trenta (thirty thirty) he says “Inspired by the pulsating rhythms and dynamic atmospheres of urban centers, “Trenta Trenta” draws its name from the recording of a street vendor in the bustling metropolis of Mexico City.” Sonically, the heart of this tr ..read more

Some grumpy IDM from GEM_DOS which is a case for celebration. It’s been nine years since Irish born but South London based GEM_DOS was last here so I’m treating this post like the return of the prodigal son. GEM_DOS says of himself “I am a south London based artist who makes electronic tunes with software, hardware and eurorack. I want the machines I use to sound like they have a soul.” He’s back with machines that have a tortured soul on new The Hurt And The Hatred EP. The opening track is the splendidly titled Curmudgeon. A lovely old word dating back to the mid-1500s but of uncertain origi ..read more

Chill doesn’t always have to be uplifting, gentle or even melancholic. As w-berg proves it can have a heart of darkness. w-berg is Wolfgang Worpenberg from Meppen Germany. He describes his work as “ambient, downbeat and dub” That’s all kinda true but on Mangroves there’s also a proper downtempo darkness at play. This avoids cuddly chill cliches. Mangroves takes a cinematic stance at the start, allowing strings to generate an eerie unsettling calm. There’s just a hint on menace in the blank thud of the drum. Proper beats and dubbed keyboards don’t entirely dispel that feeling. There’s a quiet ..read more

A bit jealous that Londons not been able to participate in the eclipse end of days experience. My musical participation is a lovely uplifting track from Light Chaser. Light Chaser is a Brooklyn-based musician/song writer and producer. His chilled house gets leavened with guitar and bass. Here’s recent single Astrea. Astrea is a Greek goddess whose name means ‘starry night’ or ‘star maiden’. She’s the virgin goddess of justice, innocence, purity and precision. According to myth, Astraea will one day come back to Earth, bringing with her the return of the utopian Golden Age of which she was the ..read more

Todays Ambient Sunday offers the twin charms of TaigaSoundProd, and Kris Vango. TaigaSoundProd is a collective from Georgia. Their biog explains that it “is a team of passionate musicians and sound designers. The team’s name is inspired by “Taiga” – a boundless dense forest as a force of energy, inspiration, and life.” Despite that the featured track looks elsewhere for inspiration. It’s looking up at the stars for a track called Stardust. And it looks to Denmark for musical inspiration. They says “This is our new track which was inspired by the legendary Trentemøller and his track – “Miss Yo ..read more

A rare Spring like day today. Warmth seeping into my old bones. Musical accompaniment inspired by Iberia from Danube. All glittering guitar and warming ups and downs on Lisboa. Danube is from Belgium. But the Danube – Europe’s second longest river – doesn’t flow through Belgium. Danube explains that “Just as rivers shape the landscapes they traverse, Danube’s compositions mirror the organic flow of life, constantly evolving, meandering, and surging forward. His music blends various influences coming from the basement of a Berlin club till the highest Mountain of the Reykjavik landscapes ..read more

It’s a first time this year for downtempo artist Aerial2k with new track lettuce is for slugs. He’s, of course, quite wrong. Slugs do like lettuce but I’m also partial to a Little Gem in a sarnie. Aerial2k is a producer from Wellington, New Zealand. Lettuce is for slugs is taken from the new big whale EP. The track is a mix of some quite experimental IDM in the background with some wonky sub bass. But in the foreground everything glitters with tinkling sounds that make this quite ethereal in an away with the fairies sort of sense. That Alice in Wonderland sense is added to by the odd vocals ..read more