The Internet is supposedly about quantity over quality – endless releases of every sound a computer can spit out, limitless choice and access, albums as prolific and disposable as Twitter updates. Of course, whether it actually is that or not is, as always, up to the creators.
Netlabel Feedback Loop, based in Lisboa, Portugal, has some self-imposed discipline. They release only three or four editions a year, with tracks carefully curated to represent only the best. The initial EP is free, released in high-definition audio if desired; if successful, a paid full-length is the follow-up.
The latest release is an ideal selection for focusing your thoughts and musical energies on this Monday. “Kuss” is a selection of six exceptional tracks from the Guildford, Surrey (UK)-based artist Ambienteer. (I’ll let you guess his musical genre of choice.) The cuts off the EP are to me a perfect balance of organic and synthetic sound, always imbued with a sense of intention and change; there’s never the static quality ambient releases sometimes have. Gorgeous sound design combine with thoughtful, meditative composition. And that’s all I’ll say about it, because you should really just listen – in 320k MP3, FLAC, and other formats. (Bless you, Bandcamp. We deserve you, after all that suffering with MyS****.)
Download, plus more info from curator Leonardo Rosado:
http://feedbacklooplabel.bandcamp.com/album/kuss
And for other releases from the netlabel:
http://feedbacklooplabel.blogspot.com/
A side note: this comes to us by way of our friends at another exceptionally-fine netlabel, PublicSpacesLab. (Previously on CDM) I’m saddened to learn that the co-founder of that label, Alejandro Mendez, passed away last month. Condolences to his friends, family, and his colleagues at the label.
Hi Peter,
ambienteer a.k.a. James Fahy is based in the UK.
Thank you for continuing to promote netlabel's work here on CDM. We published ambienteer's work at the LAB as well and James sure deserves the exposure.
Cheers,
Fernando
Hi Peter,
thanks a lot for presenting Ambienteer work released at FeedbackLoop Label.
It is really amazing to see this in your incredible blog that I've been following for quite some time.
As Fernando said Ambienteer is in fact based in the UK (it appears Lisbon, because FbL is based in Lisbon – don't know how to change that)
Best regards,
Leonardo
Geography fixed! And thanks, you guys, for the music.
Thank you Peter for taking the time to listen and offer such positive comments. Thanks also to everyone at/involved with FeedbackLoop Label & PublicSpacesLab.
Peter,
Thank you so much for your kind words. Alex will be missed but we will always have him in our hearts and minds and that is also one of the reasons why the Lab will keep publishing.
Thank you for all your support.
Fernando
"…with tracks carefully curated to represent only the best."
But Peter, you used the "C" word!
But its okay… you used it correctly.
Yes, exactly – this is actual curation. It means saying picking out a small selection of things from a large potential selection.
For a second there I thought the article meant Guildford, Surrey in Canada, which would have been a pleasant surprise, because I live in Fleetwood, Surrey, a five minute drive away.
whaoo, thanks !
really good tracks here !
your blog is definitively full of jewels !
Lovely stuff, especially as I live 15 minutes from Guildford in the UK 🙂
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[…] whose excellent work I covered last month, has been experimenting with contact mics. Learn about how he made music with […]
[…] the ambient realm, I’ve been enjoying the music of aptly-named artist Ambienteer, whom we visited in June. There’s a new, pay-what-you-will EP up on Bandcamp if you want […]