Tag: ambient

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The 93 – 09

Hopefully, by now, you are familiar with the work of The 93 after we featured them here back in June. I hadn’t been in contact with them before writing that entry but since that entry was published, I’ve got to know Sylwester (one of the two brothers who form this awesome duo) quite a bit and I can say he is one of the kindest and coolest person I have met (as well as one of the most active supporters of T.A.M!). This has allowed me, in some way, to be part of the process behind the release of their new EP, Space, which got out across all platforms in the last 2 days. They worked incredibly hard to get everything ready on time, from composing and making arrangements, to producing the songs, all of this while also taking care of their day jobs/occupations.

Now, something you have to understand about these two brothers is that they aren’t doing this for fame or money, but pure love of music. Their main goal is actually finding people who can connect with them, using music as a language. And that brings me to Space, inspired by their passion for sci-fi movies about space travel. I had an opportunity to listen to the whole EP before it was mastered and I can tell you that even then, the whole record -which consists on five tracks, an intro and an outro- sounded amazing. The 93 tried hard to make it sound as close to audiophile-grade as possible and you can certainly notice it. I simply cannot get enough of the guitar riffs on these songs.

We are familiar already with one of the tracks in this EP, 03, as it is the one featured here before. What I didn’t know then was that the theme of this song was mysticism in the future through sound. Even cooler, however, was what inspired the Intro and Outro, which was basically what you would feel if you were travelling in a space ship, looked out the window and saw a nebula for the first time. 12 is a great track about the current state of the world (2020, hi!) and how we should focus more on peace and prosperity. I was close to featuring this track today but, in the end, I opted for 09, because, quite simply, it is my favorite track in the EP.

From the intro that would make Tom DeLonge jealous for not coming up with it himself for Angels & Airwaves, to the surreal vocals and atmospheric soundscape of the track; everything in this song is flawless. Written as a letter to our architect (or God), The 93 meant to express with it their fears and doubts while respecting said architect. I assure you, you will want to put this song, and the whole album, on repeat.

These two brothers came from a small village in Poland to the UK a few years ago chasing the dream to do music, as they believed they had something to say. I personally think the whole world got lucky because of that. Don’t believe me, just give them a chance.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Relax

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Diarmuid J Kennedy – The Piano Tide

The Piano Tide is a beautiful composition that soothes your spirit whenever you listen to it. It got traces of Erik Satie on it and a subtle elegance that takes the piece to another level. This piano solo is as charming as it can get. Give it a chance and you’ll see what I mean.

The composer, Diarmuid J Kennedy, is a classically trained pianist from Ireland. His debut single was released just last year and back in January he performed a sold-out gig in Dublin. Diarmuid describes his style as indie classical (I like that) and he can’t wait to play live again once it’s safe to do so. If he keeps composing pieces as delightful as The Piano Tide, he’s have plenty of chances to do that.

Listen to this wonderful piece below. Isn’t it the perfect soundtrack for your lazy Sunday afternoon?

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Relax

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Stan iB – The Sky Above You

The Internet and Social media may have a lot of issues, but we cannot deny the fact that that they help us connect with people from all around the world. This is specially true for musicians. How else could we have been aware of, for instance, Bulgarian pianists if you didn’t live there unless they became worldwide famous? Stan iB is a good example of that. Not the worldwide famous part –not yet– but the one about being a talented pianist and composer from Bulgaria. Influenced by both classical music and Jazz, he focuses on the latter with his project Stan iB trio, and on the former as a solo artist, having released several albums so far.

The Sky Above You is the first track from Stan’s latest album, Dedication, and it is a sublime piece that lifts your spirit on a chilled day. If you’re looking for a calming piano-based song, head over to the mixtape with relaxing melodies or just play the video below. You won’t regret it.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Relax

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Max Richter – All Human Beings

Max Richter

According to Wikipedia, Max Richter “works within postminimalism and in the meeting of contemporary classical and alternative popular musical styles”, and I totally agree with that description. This German-born British musician is one of my favorite composers out there today. He’s not an unknown artist, with over one billion (yes, with a b) streams and after having worked on the soundtrack of popular movies such as Ad Astra, but just in case this is the first time you hear about him, let me tell you that you have probably heard Spring 1 from his album Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi – The Four Seasons (2012), as it’s been used in plenty of TV ads, like this one from LinkedIn.

This month, Richter returned with a conceptual album, Voices, which is based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This peculiar records consists of 2 discs: the first one features recordings of people in over 70 countries reading articles from that document, perfectly intertwined with Richter’s mesmerizing compositions played by his orchestra (which has an unusually high number of cellists). The second disc got the voiceless versions of the same compositions. Both versions are beautiful and interesting. The piece I liked the most is the one called All Humans Beings, and in the video below you can listen to the original version with the “voices” in it. However, the version I added to the mixtapes listed after the video was the “voiceless mix“. I highly recommend you try both versions. Enjoy!

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Relax

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Holly Jones – Believe

Few instruments are as capable of giving you calm and peace as a piano, and when it comes to piano compositions, I favor heavily the melody over everything else. This is why I like Holly Jones‘ latest piece, Believe, so much. The song’s beautiful melody takes you on a journey to the Sea of Tranquility and back, which is very much in line with what Holly had in mind when she composed the song. Her aim was to bring relief, reassurance and comfort during these uncertain times.

This contemporary classical pianist and composer is originally from Kentucky but now lives in Oklahoma. Her debut piano album was released in 2003 but it wasn’t until 2016 when she released her sophomore record. Since then, Holly has been getting new music out regularly, including Believe just this week.

Check her work out on your favorite streaming platform. In the meantime, you can relax on this Sunday afternoon listening to Believe here.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Relax

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The Echelon Effect – Your Memory Feels Like Home To Me

There are plenty of musicians out there who have been studying and playing music for decades and can play and compose the most challenging pieces, which usually sound every bit as complicated as they are supposed to be. I dislike that type of music. I think the true musical geniuses, like The Beatles, are those who are able to make even intricate compositions sound simple. Do you know what’s hard? Making music that sounds beautiful and original using the same four chords everybody have been using for ages. Yet, it happens from time to time, and when it does, you wonder why no one was able to come up with that idea before. Well, that’s because it isn’t easy.

All this preamble is just to say that I think David Walters, the man behind The Echelon Effect, got that talent. His songs, which dance on the border between ambient music and cinematic/post rock, are beautiful yet sound incredibly simple, until you start noticing all the different layers and textures revealing just a wonderful entanglement. The Echelon Effect started in 2009 and I fell in love with its 2019 track, Goodbye My Friend (a really emotional song despite having no lyrics). Now, David is back with a new single, Your Memory Feels Like Home To Me, that is just as good. What could be a better song to “chillax” to on a Sunday afternoon?

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Relax

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Darkfield – A New Beginning

Darkfield

I’m always amazed by the number of talented musicians out there waiting for an opportunity to be heard. Joey Westerlund, a multi-instrumentalist from Portland, Oregon, is the creative force behind Darkfield. The music he creates as Darkfield ranges from heavy to mellow post-rock, with A New Beginning from their second EP, Carry Us Away, falling on the latter side. All of Joey’s tracks, however, can definitely be considered cinematic.

In fact, this beautiful track feels like the score to an epic space travel movie, making it a perfect companion for a Sunday afternoon. Enjoy it here!

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Relax

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Kirsten Agresta Copely – Tableaux

Kirsten Agresta Copely - Tableaux

Friend of The Alternative Mixtapes, Kirsten Agresta Copely, is back with a new modern classical harp track inspired by Rachmaninoff‘s Études-Tableaux. With the piece, Kirsten wanted to “capture romantic era elements with a modern approach”. It’s safe to say she achieved that and more.

Tableaux is a charming and very peaceful song. The perfect track to relax to on a Sunday afternoon. Enjoy it, here:

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Relax

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Floating In Space – Eclipse

Floating In Space - Eclipse

From Spain to the world, Floating In Space is yet another great cinematic rock band in Deep Elm Records‘ lineup, which includes Lights & Motion and U137. And just as those bands, Floating In Space is really the one-man show of multi-instrumentalist Ruben Caballero, which is frankly incredible. Earlier this year, the “band” released its third full-length album: A New Dawn, which is a great collection of emotional soundscapes, such as Eclipse, the epilogue of the record.

Eclipse is a beautiful song that evokes new beginnings, featuring a magical clarinet that sets it apart from other cinematic songs. It is really a beautiful track and album. Enjoy!

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Relax

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Amelia Warner – Drawing Room

Amelia Warner - Drawing Room

Maybe the name Amelia Warner does not ring a bell to you, but it’s quite probable that you have listened to her work before. Perhaps it was back when she used the moniker Slow Moving Millie and her gorgeous song Beasts was everywhere after it got featured on a popular Virgin Media ad. Or more recently when she started to score movies such as Mary Shelley . If nothing else, you for sure must have heard about her husband, the actor Jamie Dornan, a.k.a. Christian Grey. Since 2017, Amelia has released a few EPs and one album under her own name, consisting of beautiful piano melodies.

Last month, Amelia put out a new EP: Haven, with Drawing Room being its first track. It is a touching and melancholic piano song that is the perfect soundtrack for a moment of solitude on a Sunday afternoon. Check it out at the resources below.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Relax