Free Music4All

GENRE: Electronic, Ambient, Drone, Piano, Space

Label: Earth Mantra
Release date: 2011
Total running time: 1:10:16

A collection of gorgeous ambient pieces falling somewhere in between the realms of light ambience and ambient drone, with an enchanting orchestral flavor and expertly arranged layers of synthesizers, lap steel guitar, processed piano, electric guitar, manipulated vocals, and radio signals. Spanning a full seventy minutes of audio, with two tracks nearly twenty minutes apiece, this is indeed a deep dive into the mesmerizing sound worlds of Somnarium. Motivated by a fascination with arctic vastness and the impact such extreme environments can have on the human psyche, Michael's original inspiration for Frost drew from accounts of polar expeditions conducted in the early twentieth century. Thematically, the music certainly evokes the scope and distance of such vistas, but we have to confess that we hear little coldness when we listen to Frost. In fact, we might describe this music as uplifting, or even heart warming, almost the antithesis of the stated interpretation. But perhaps this is where Meara's singular genius shines forth the most, his ability to blend two opposites into a whole that somehow exceeds the sum of its parts. No matter what the interpretation, however, the music speaks for itself. The compositional strength and instrumentation in Frost simply blows us away. Michael aimed from the outset to utilize "a more orchestral based approach", and indeed he has created a distinctive fusion of electronic and symphonic instruments that coalesce perfectly, with voicings that delicately pull on the strings of the emotions without going over the top, and with a sound design that can only be described as beautiful. A truly masterful achievement.

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Creative Commons license: Attribution - Non Commercial - No Derivs 3.0

GENRE: Electronic, Ambient, Drone, Space Music

Label: Earth Mantra
Release date: 2010
Total running time: 1:32:20

Phillip Wilkerson is one of those artists we have known for several years now, a musician of great skill and vision who has created some of the most moving and impactful music we have yet released on Earth Mantra, someone we are proud to call a colleague, collaborator, and friend. With his latest release The Way Home, Phillip presents a breathtaking extended collection of his early works, another chapter in the musical story he has written here on the pages of Earth Mantra. There is a great deal we could say about this album, about how terrific the compositions are, about the stunning beauty of the sound design, and about the remarkable cohesiveness of the pieces, despite being created over a large span of time. But instead, we will let Phillip himself tell you about this magnificent release, in his own words: "For the first time in many years, my life was peaceful and I was content to simply explore and create music for my own use that reflected calmness, tranquility, and hopefulness. Ambient music was the natural means for expressing those themes and I felt at home in the genre. At that time, I had no particular desire to share the music with the world, I merely wanted to create it. In late 2009, it finally dawned on me that ambient music was the true and natural path for me to follow. I focused intently on improving my musical ability and the means of recording my material. That path led me to create Daybook, Sun Tracer, and Interplay -- and all of them were received enthusiastically. The early works, however, still needed a permanent home on the internet, so I approached Darrell Burgan about releasing a collection. I wanted this collection to be among the releases of ambient artists I consider mentors and family, at a place I consider a permanent address: Earth Mantra Netlabel."...

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Creative Commons license: Attribution - Non Commercial - No Derivs 3.0

GENRE: Electronic, Ambient, Space

Label: Earth Mantra
Release date: 2010
Total running time: 2:08:41

Finnish artist Toni Viholainen and his Nettless project triumphantly return to Earth Mantra, with the staggering two-disc collection of epic space music entitled Phobos and Deimos. To anyone who has heard his debut album From Beyond, also available here on Earth Mantra, it is obvious that Toni has a special talent for ambient music. So it was with great anticipation that we awaited his second release - and the wait has been more than worth it.
With more than two hours of music, the word "monumental" comes to mind when describing this album. This is a tightly focused assemblage of nothing but heavenly space music, a journey through the cosmos that strongly evokes the best you might hear from such folks as Jonn Serrie or Michael Stearns. Imagine a far future space craft journeying serenely through the most beautiful of planetary nebulae, silent and miniscule amongst the incredible grandeur of the dust clouds and stellar nurseries surrounding it. Now, with that picture in your mind, imagine this album as the soundtrack to such a journey. This is the kind of thing that we see when we close our eyes and listen to this music. Magnificent, glorious, lush, unapologetic space music.
And glorious it is. If the straightforward beauty of the compositions themselves wasn't enough to love all by itself, the sound design and production is also immaculate, with perfectly selected timbres and effects filling the senses with what seems to us to be sheer ecstasy. There is carefully crafted detail everywhere in these pieces, from the vast stereo field, to the ebb and flow of light and dark, to the elegantly simple opulence of Toni's melodies. Ear candy of the highest order, to be sure, but also very satisfying from a compositional and active listening standpoint. Remarkable. We often suggest that our music is best enjoyed with headphones in a darkened room, and for this release it is particularly appropriate. Snuggle up in your recliner, fill up your glass with elixir, dim the lights, close your eyes, and prepare yourself for a tranquil journey through the measureless distances of our universe. What a tremendous experience.
So it is our great privilege to bring to our listeners Phobos and Deimos, the sophomore release by Nettless. Surely one of the top pure ambient space music releases of 2010, and one we think our listeners will enjoy immensely.

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Creative Commons license: Attribution- Non Commercial - No Derivs 3.0