Dispatches from the Underground // February 2025 Pt. 1

New Music

Barker – Stochastic Drift / Following 2023’s Unfixed EP and his first full-length release since his 2019 debut album Utility, Stochastic Drift builds on Barker’s singular process to capture life’s chaos and reflect on just how much has changed. If his previous records showcased the artist “using ambient materials to remake techno” (Pitchfork), Stochastic Drift pushes Barker’s approach even further into harmonic chaos and dreamy freeform float (h/t ‪Blair Millen‬)

Patricia Wolf / Gregory McGreevy – Tape Series 007 (Presque Tout)

OORT – They Pass By, Barely Showing Themselves – I, II, III (Flag Day Recordings) / OORT is a project born in Turin between 2019 and 2020 from the meeting of two artistic personalities active in many projects (experimental, noise, improvisation, free jazz, jazz core).

Apparitions – Volcanic Reality (Deathbomb Arc) / Experimental drone metal group Apparitions created their 2022 debut, Eyes Like Predatory Wealth by unorthodox means, designing and following outlines for general concepts and duration, then recording each of their parts solo, without the benefit of hearing the others. In this way, each piece on that record was a collage of drums, guitar, and modular synth. This was an avowed exploration of Lutosławski’s compositional technique of limited indeterminacy. The results were sonically colossal and beautiful.

Blue Lake – Weft / The newest record from Blue Lake, aka Scandi multi-instrumentalist Jason Dungan, is a lovely work of pastoral instrumentals that builds on the natural textures of his 2023 record Sun Arcs. Good, restorative listening – Listening Habit

Turmeric Acid y Bardo Todol – Sonopædia (Strategic Tape Reserve)

orchid mantis – rain tape (Start-track)

Rats on Rafts – Deep Below / Definitely gone more down an 80s 4AD/Cure path this time, but have done it superbly. Really looking forward to seeing them in a couple of weeks – Anthony Gregory

Oceanographer – Regen / a gorgeous album of spacey electronic/ ambient/ kosmische goodness. Would sit nicely alongside your Castles in Space/Woodford Halse/ Werra Foxma favourites – Folk Police

Peace Flag Ensemble – Everything Is Possible / “ambient free jazz collective” from Canada – I feel like this is the living object that “darkjazz” is a shadow of – Bill Barnett

Trummors – 5

Echoes of Light – With the Sun Shining At Midnight / With The Sun Shining At Midnight is about Annihilation (novel). Haunting grooves and textures with an eerie, dreamlike atompshere. A dark, psychedelic sound, the experience of being inside Area X.

Socool & The Lonely Bell – Another Kind of Earth (Moolakii Club Audio Interface) (h/t FRBH Recordings)

VA – Staying: Leaving Records Aid to Artists Impacted by the Los Angeles Wildfires / i frequently recommend music and I cannot recommend this comp enough. It’s huge and more importantly, it helps – theiantucker

Listening Recommendations

ALX BROKEN – liminal morpher / Alx Broken is a Sound Sculptor under the influence of semi generative music

Joanna Brouk – Hearing Music (Numero Group) / For obvious reasons, these days I’m playing a LOT of enriching music that sits at the intersection of classical, minimalism, ambient, spiritual jazz, & drone – Prof Gavin Yamey

Lucette Bourdin – Timeless Shore / Another perfect ambient music release, one of many by the late Lucette Bourdain – ‪Allister Thompson‬

Misc

90s albums of choice by Decal / Of_One