ambient
While Europe is being crushed by an unseen heatwave people are basically migrating to places with massive bodies of water. Like thousands of other people, I spent yesterday at the Belgian coast, enjoying the cool seabreeze and the fresh sand. The beach was crowded with people. Children were building sand castles, couples were rubbing one another with sunscreen yet most people just laid down and sunbathed the day away. Inland, temperatures are scorching and here too, people jump in pools, ponds, streams and rivers. Right now, I can clearly imagine myself on a rubber boat, far away from all those people, listening to this new album by North Atlantic Drift.
Canadian duo North Atlantic Drift somehow manages to cool down my eardrums with their friendly waves of minimal ambient. Inspired by acts like Stars Of The Lid and Boards Of Canada, Mike Abercrombie & Brad Deschamps deliver soothing soundscapes, not too dark and far from obtrusive. The music resembles the calm tides of the water, hence perhaps the rubber boat reference in the previous paragraph. 'Empty' and 'Carousel' drive on gentle electronic loops, somewhat rhythmic but without any form of percussion. For minimalists, this album certainly comes close to ambient perfection.
Most of the tracks on this album remind me of my early adventures in ambient music, the time when I got acquainted with the music of Laraaji, Brian Eno, Philip Glass, Eluvium and Biosphere. It's no wonder then that this album fits perfectly well between these. And it's probably no wonder that I will recommend this beautiful release to all of you, not only the ambient fans but also the people who need to lay down, relax and feel comfortable once in a while. With highlights like 'Formation' and 'Mountain Spectre', 'Departures Vol. 2' is an excellent safe haven in a stressful world.
Serge
Canadian duo North Atlantic Drift somehow manages to cool down my eardrums with their friendly waves of minimal ambient. Inspired by acts like Stars Of The Lid and Boards Of Canada, Mike Abercrombie & Brad Deschamps deliver soothing soundscapes, not too dark and far from obtrusive. The music resembles the calm tides of the water, hence perhaps the rubber boat reference in the previous paragraph. 'Empty' and 'Carousel' drive on gentle electronic loops, somewhat rhythmic but without any form of percussion. For minimalists, this album certainly comes close to ambient perfection.
Most of the tracks on this album remind me of my early adventures in ambient music, the time when I got acquainted with the music of Laraaji, Brian Eno, Philip Glass, Eluvium and Biosphere. It's no wonder then that this album fits perfectly well between these. And it's probably no wonder that I will recommend this beautiful release to all of you, not only the ambient fans but also the people who need to lay down, relax and feel comfortable once in a while. With highlights like 'Formation' and 'Mountain Spectre', 'Departures Vol. 2' is an excellent safe haven in a stressful world.
Serge
