3.14.19 by Gray Lee
Four more stars are added to the ever growing constellation of Tatsu, continuing a growing tradition of elegantly produced free-form, ambient works from a variety of artists all over the globe. Yeah that’s right – I said globe – as in ROUND. Don’t expect these elemental wanderings to impress your flat-earthing uncle, who is likely still jamming the Eagles’ greatest hits while painting anti-vax protest signs – these four well-curated tapes full of meditative abstractions and flowing ideas are great for getting into another headspace and exploring the uncharted reaches of your inner self.
Curved Light – Flow and Return
The key word here is ‘return,’ as this is a follow up to “Quartzsite,” the straight-up amazing release Curved Light dropped in 2017 on Tatsu. Abstract sound artist Peter Tran takes us into an endless sky of clouds and sunsets, accented with glitched time lapse photography audio poems that draw upon unusual and unexpected shapes and patterns, with synths that curl and dissipate like wisps of windblown mist high above the realm of men. Melodies convolute in and out of ambient walls of bliss, sometimes resembling terrestrial instruments such as the flute or the bagpipe – but in a distinctly weightless way. Prepare for next-level out-of-body travel on this one, tape heads.
Chris Otchy – Subterranean Landscapes
Chris Otchy neatly boxes us into his concept with the title of this piece. A bubbling brook of organic synths flows over angular rock formations in shadowed places only lit by glowing flora. Bright notes glint like gemstones, while looping low tones carry the listener through the labyrinthine corridors of stone. The distinct sound Subterranean Landscapes is built from is much like a system of caves, with one central composition as the main entranceway, and each individual track a branching path. Provocative titles like “The Day after the Banquet” or “Pets or Children” produce more questions than answers. This journey through an unreal kingdom of stone is detailed, steady, and transformative – perfect for your nighttime reveries.
Jordan Christoff – Enveloped
My first question was “Enveloped by what?” but it immediately became clear. As we have already visited places both high above the sky, and deep below the ground, it seems only natural now to move beneath the billowing waves of the ocean. Longform ambient works that evoke an undersea world full of wonder and tranquility mark this debut release from the artist. These compositions are monumental in their oceanic scale, moving in graceful arcs through the open seas, beholden only to the magnetism and mystical energy of the natural world. Peaceful jets of ambient undercurrent pull the listener effortlessly through meditative periods of shimmering reflection.
Rose – Night Places
After a day of exploring the wonders of the great, round earth we live upon, Rose brings the batch to a close with the darkened rooms and pulsating rhythms of ‘Night Places.’ Return to altogether human settings for an evening in town, cruising through a dimly lit urban landscape from one exclusive, underground club to another. Three ultra-smooth ambient house tracks offer a delightfully grimy mixture of the sacred and profane perfect for your next vampire gathering, or gothic make-out in the parking garage against the limousine.
Despite what your intolerable uncle thinks, the Constellation Tatsu Winter 2019 batch is one of the label’s best to date – and it’s available right here.