New releases last two weeks: Ambient/Drone

Review: Three lovely, carefully terraformed dub tekno sketches from new co:clear recruit Eden Aurelius. Both in title and soundworld, these pieces strongly evoke slow-panning aerial shots of undulating terrain, gusts of wind through glistening skyscrapers and diffused sunlight through striated cloud. A stretch maybe - but a stretch informed by years of dub techno semiotics from precursors like Rod Modell and Pub, whose visually evocative sonic staging doubtless laid some of the groundwork for records like this. There's a formalism and orthodoxy to Aurelius' work, marking it apart from the glut of neu-ambient ASMR-scapes from labels such as INDEX and 3XL. Take the cathartic pulse of title track 'Plateau', for instance, which deftly weaves cavernous swathes of vocals and band-passed chord stabs into something that would sound equally at home on SUED or echospace. Real nice.

Review: The now ten year old 'Acid Test 09' sees a special tenth Anniversary Edition repress with a new vocal mix of the track 'Test 3'. The original EP, released in 2014, saw acid nomad Tin Man team up with techno dreamweaver Donato Dozzy for three slices of deep acid and dubby, bleepy ambient; this special anniversary version adds a surprise new vocal mix on the A2, with either Dozzy or Tin Man himself gracing the beats with a set of carefree, moony phonic impressions, lyrically concerning the object of his affections looking oh so good on the dancefloor. We already know and love the rest; it's up to you to put the new addition to the test.

Review: What does it mean To Belong? Cynthia Bernard aka. Marine Eyes only begins to scratch the surface of this question on her latest ambient record (yet leaps a great deal forward in wrestling with it nonetheless), following up her prior effort 'Chamomile' with a distinctly beauteous fortnight of forenoon drones, all of which spur the realization that "belonging is everywhere and nowhere". Belonging is indeed a kind of ephemeral longing of being than can only ever be partly grasped, attained. Through its looping washes of warmed, brackish, padded backwash - not to mention its many bass-undergirded angel choirs - the likes of 'Timeshifting', 'Bridges' and 'Mended Own' stand out as such revelatory highlights, all contributing to an incredible album of sonic diaristic reflection, in which every sound sticks out clearly yet plays its proper part in a humble, rose-smelling gestalt.

Review: The limited 7" edition of Marine Eyes' latest full-length ambient record 'To Belong' hears a distilling of the original fourteen-track record down to just four selections. Though every track on the digital version of the album works in its own right, the choice on offer here - 'Hushed', 'Of The West', 'Bluest' and 'Call & Answer' - are particularly deserving of the study on wax. Something static, nigh time-crystalline is achieved on the B2, with its held root note evincing something of the quality of an infinite dream; the A1 recalls some mix of DJ Healer, Malibu or David Motion with its three note tenor-pad lilt; the A2 gets at the best of both worlds, sounding like a paradisiacal bathhouse vision set in slow motion; the B1 is the tensest, opting for a moodier key, but its reversed guitar taps and sustained choir-synth working in a no less lachrymose aesthetic.

Review: Shabaka Hutchings' Perceive Its Beauty is a profound and meditative musical journey that celebrates the richness and grace of African culture. Through a diverse ensemble of renowned musicians, Hutchings invites us to immerse ourselves in a sonic landscape that evokes the beauty and bounty of the Motherland. The album's meditative quality stems from the restraint and collective nature of its creation. The instruments seem to float effortlessly, creating a sonic cloud that carries echoes of Afro-Asian music and the tranquil sounds of nature. Yet, within this understated atmosphere, individual brilliance shines through. The artistry of Jason Moran on the piano and the ethereal voices of Moses Sumney and Eska add layers of nuance and emotional depth. In an era often marked by division and disharmony, Perceive Its Beauty offers a refuge of unity and peace. It invites us to transcend superficial boundaries and embrace the beauty and grace that resides within and around us.