The Top 5 Ambient Albums of 2013

Good evening, readers!  Another year has come and gone.  Per tradition, we like to break down what we feel are the top album releases of the year. 

In December of 2012 we published a list of the top 12 overall albums.  There were some great albums that year, and limiting the list to only 12 releases proved to be difficult.  The year 2013 has been even busier.  So many new albums and EPs were released this year that we decided to make a simple top 5 for each genre we cover.

I have been increasingly enthralled with ambient music, and 2013 has given us at least a dozen masterful releases.  We have five spots and some honorable mention awards to hand out.

1. Olekksii-Iris
This Kiev, Ukraine composer put together a very impressive album early this year.  Iris presents to us a classy mixture of lovely, minimal synths and modern classical-styled compositions set against electronic elements to add further texture.  The result is a real treat.  Listen for yourself below.


2. A Veil of Water-Reminder
Norway may be home to numerous metal bands, but sometimes a more somber, beautiful type of music emerges from the chaos.  Reminder is a remarkable album that renders thoughtful, airy piano work into a breathtaking work of art.  Not many pianists can do what Rune Trelvik has done.  Trelvik is a self-taught musician of piano, drums, guitar, and bass.  This album is almost entirely piano melodies interspersed with some lightweight ambient guitar textures.  Listen to some of this incredible work below.


3. Endless Melancholy-Epilogue
We have raved about Endless Melancholy here before, and with the sheer number of quality releases Oleksiy Sakevych has put out this year alone, it should come as no surprise that his debut full-length album makes our list,  Like A Veil of Water, Endless Melancholy's works appear on the Hidden Vibes record label.  And, like said band, Endless Melancholy deliver sensational piano tunes interspersed with electronic ambient music.  Sakevych is also a self-taught pianist.  Listen to the title track from Epilogue here.


4. Olafur Arnalds-For Now I am Winter
Olafur Arnalds is an Icelandic composer we have talked about here before.  This year he released a spectacular album that is as much about varying styles as it is peaceful melodies.  Several tracks on this album feature vocals from a variety of artists.  This style of music is easy to enjoy.  You just sit back and lose yourself in the waves of layered sounds. A featured track is available here.


5. Gamardah Fungus-Night Walk With Me
This Ukrainian band's music is slow, meditative, and, at times, dark.  This may be as close to drone as I can realistically enjoy, but the band incorporates a plethora of other sounds from a variety of instruments, all juxtaposed against a backdrop of sweeping, atmospheric synths.  Night Walk With Me was largely inspired by a 1992 prequel to the movie Twin Peaks, starring David Bowie.  While no Bowie-esque music makes its way into this release, it has plenty of other things going on.  It is more than good enough for a top five ranking.  Check it out here.


One of the better aspects of these brilliant pieces of work is that most of them are available as name-your-price downloads from the respective bandcamp pages. 

If you liked what you heard above, check out these honorable mentions from 2013:
Berserker Children Club-Someday (EP)
Endless Melancholy-Five Songs, Autumn Outtakes, and November
Equal Stones-To Erase a Lifetime
Linear Bells-For Your Eyes Only
Myosotis-Too Little Too Late
Ulver-Messe I.X-VI.X

As always, thanks for reading and enjoy these wonderful tunes!

Syahmi Rawi-The Odyssey

If you paid attention to our last installment here, you will know who the subject of today's edition is.  Syahmi Rawi is the brother of Zuhair Rawi.  Together they form Malaysian post-rock duo Gespenst.  A few months ago I found a new solo EP called "The Odyssey."  Fluttery Records more than mentioned the Gespenst connection, after my initial listen to "The Odyssey" I decided I needed to check out Gespenst.

When talking about artists who are part of other bands, it is almost unavoidable making comparisons to said group, so I apologize in advance if this rubs any of you the wrong way.

In contrast to the richly instrumental-driven Gespenst sound, Syahmi Rawi uses a more earthly sound constructed mostly of pianos and string arrangements.  As such, it is a completely different style of post rock.  I would even hesitate to call it post rock, as it is much more in line with Endless Melancholy or Olekksii. 

For an EP it is often difficult to say much about the music.  There are still layered undertones of atmosphere present, but these influences are subtler and so, do not dominate the music.  The album starts off with some heavy breathing set against a somber prelude of keyboard before the other instrumentals kicks in.  This sound seems a little too bland for my tastes, but the intensity picks up when the labored breathing fades.  This results in a more sonically pleasing sound.  From there, the EP gets better and better.  The minimalist string sections create an interesting juxtaposition with the soft and simple pianos.

Rawi is a masterful musician.  In contrast to Gespenst, there are very few electronic interruptions to the music.  If I had to categorize "The Odyssey" with an established genre, I would label this as instrumental ambient music. 

As I have stated, this album is an EP which is composed of six short tracks.  You can listen to the album stream below.  If the breathing bothers you, you can always skip to the next track.  Enjoy!

FREE music-Myosotis-Too Little Too Late

Admittedly, ambient music is a genre that takes patience and an open mind to become interested in.  Believe it or not, I used to be one of those closed-minded metalheads that assumes anything not metal is bad.  Over the last several years, however, I have broadened my horizons.  One of the best thing's I've ever done, as I have discovered countless artists who create beautiful, passionate music that energizes and transforms one's outlook on life.

I realize that I run the risk of over dramatizing musical listening pleasure by describing music the way I just did, but the fact remains.  When I'm in a sour mood, I can relax and just chill to some amazing music.

Lately I have stumbled across an album from a Dutch duo who go by the name Myosotis.  Released by Hidden Vibes--the label that brought us masterpieces from Endless Melancholy and A Veil of Water--"Too Little Too Late" is an album chock-full of seemingly boundless soundscapes.  This music sounds something like what the cover illustrates.  Picture yourself gliding across sweeping green fields and immersed in cool sunlight as the music takes you to far flung places of the imagination.  This music provides that sensation.

Contrary to what some may believe, I am very selective about what ambient artists I can listen to.  For example, the ambient drone music to me sounds flat and uninspiring.  Others try to get too cute with electro-pop elements that somehow lose the vibe of ambient brilliance.

Myosotis has released an album that sticks with you.  It is the kind of music that somehow wraps around your senses, but does not strangle the listener.  It is memorable in that it does not embed itself into your conscience.  This is a feat that is difficult to accomplish, especially by ambient artists. 

Take a listen to the album below.  This is a FREE download so if you like it, you have nothing to lose.  Warning: Be patient and allow it to grow.  With extended time listening, you begin to like and appreciate it more.  As always, thanks for reading and enjoy!!

A Veil of Water-Reminder review

This past week I received an interesting email from Hidden Vibes, a small record label of out Kiev, Ukraine.  This email was touting their latest release, a piano-based instrumental record from A Veil of Water. 

"Reminder" is A Veil of Water's first release.  Hailing from Norway, this is a one-man musical project by Rune Tralvik.  Originally revolving around a solo piano and then evolving to more, this artist is an impressive self-taught musician and player of multiple instruments. 

From the very first track it is evident that "Reminder" will be mostly a modern classical piano masterwork, and thus it truly is.  Without sacrificing tone, clarity, and melody, this artist weaves post-rock and ambient flavors to create a deep and moving listening experience.

In the past I have raved about artists such as Heinali and Endless Melancholy.  A Veil of water manages to match them both.  I have high respect for people who can play musical instruments, and more so when they can play multiple instruments.  I have also noted more than once that there is no such thing as bad classical music, and that is a mantra I naturally extend to film music, trailer music, and neoclassical studio projects.

In listening to "Reminder," we are presented with numerous melodic textures, each carrying their own weight and contributing greatly to the whole.  This is a classic album to which listeners just have to sit back and relax.  This music is beautiful and provocative.  For using the piano as the centerpiece,
Tralvik creates deep and energetic pieces as well as slow, melancholic burners, each of which carve a comfortable niche in the lucky listener and remain memorable for days on end. 

If you enjoy tasteful piano and instrumental music, you will absolutely love A Veil of Water.  "Reminder" is available for purchase at the artist's bandcamp page, from whom we owe thanks for the full album stream.  Thanks for reading and, as always, enjoy!

Olekksii-Iris review

When I first stumbled across Olekksii on the Fluttery Records website, I thought the name sounded familiar.  Indeed, this is the last name of a Ukrainian artist known as Endless Melancholy, only his last name is spelled with a single 'k'. 

The artist Olekksii is Alexey Krolevets.  Like Endless Melancholy, he is from Kiev, Ukraine.  Olekksii specializes in electronica, but his music can appeal to fans more diverse than the typical electronic music lover.  His new full-length album, "Iris" is an abbreviated eight-track album rich in classic electronic beats, smooth, atmospheric reverb, and piano.

This music is multi-layered.  While ambiance plays a crucial role in developing the dreary aspects of these tunes, it is sole focal point.  Olekksii builds upon that template with recognizable electronic beats, which provide tempo and depth the music.  Another key element of the mix is the piano.  Simple, catchy piano melodies play a thoughtful juxtaposition with the electronic beats, while various string arrangements cast rays of beauty into the mix.

"Iris" would be a strong modern classical performance without the electronics.  With those beats mixed in, it reflects on some latter film pieces.  These arrangements of multiple cellos and violins instead call to mind true classical music.  These arrangements are deep enough to sound cutting-edge and modern, but paced more like contemporary. 

The length of tracks does often matter to me.  As I said in yesterday's post about Funeral for a Friend's new disc, short tracks can lead to less variety in musical sound.  This is not the case with "Iris."  Though the average track length is nearly identical to the new FFAF album, the music is strikingly diverse.  This perhaps owes to the absence of vocals and the insistence of contemporary musicians need to create music devoid of catchy hooks or other sounds of repetitive nature.  Indeed, these eight tracks seem to stretch much further. 

This album is still short and I do feel that Olekksii would have been served well by including just one or two additional songs, but this is but a minor complaint. 

Fluttery records claims that this music is for people impressed with works by Olafur Arnalds, Max Richter, and several other lesser-known artists.  Having read this bio before I listened to a single note of the music, they had me at Olafur Arnalds.  Olekksii is indeed similar to Arnalds, and believe me that is a major plus.

I fully recommend purchasing "Iris".  This is a fantastic listen and an inexpensive download.  Check out the full stream, courtesy of the Olekksii bandcamp page below.  Thanks for listening and enjoy!

Heinali-Air review

When opting for the free download from Endless Melancholy we featured the other day here, I discovered another artist that Endless Melancholy was recommending.  That artist goes by Heinali.  He is another Ukrainian multi-instrumentalist that is similar to Endless Melancholy.

Having listened to "Air" in its entirety, I can't help but be impressed.  Heinali offers up the same gloomy piano work, but backs it up with beautiful string sections and flourishes of harmonic ambiance.  The production on this album is impeccable.

Though this album includes only six tracks, it is remarkable.  Minimalist neoclassical composition teams up with downtrodden ambient moods seamlessly in this music.  One of the things that impresses me so much is that the ambiance in this disc is not overstated or saturating, nor is it so abstract that it is difficult to enjoy.  It isn't overtly distorted.  Also impressive is the fact that Heinali incorporates more traditional ambient soundscapes like sounds of nature, including-but not limited to-tidal roars.  Basic ambient drone matches up with cello so perfectly that one might think that the sound of both is one and the same.

Ukrainian artists have impressed the heck out of me lately.  Thanks, Endless Melancholy for pointing me toward Heinali.  "Air" is a peaceful and strangely uplifting listening experience that should receive plenty of play time in my ever-growing classical and ambient selection. 

Unlike the latest from Endless Melancholy, "Air" is not a free download, but it is more widely available, either through Amazon or iTunes. 

Check out the full album stream below.  I can't recommend any single track, as all of them are equally outstanding.  Thanks for listening and enjoy!

Free Downloads-Endless Melancholy

Neoclassicism is a sub genre of contemporary music that can evoke countless emotions and produce styles too numerous to quantify.  Since there is no such thing as bad classical music, how on earth can you go wrong with classical music that is offered for free?

Endless Melancholy, otherwise known as Oleksii Sakevych, records minimalist neoclassical piano music that borrows some low-key elements of ambient and rolls it together into one tight package.  This is gorgeous music to be sure.  Even more impressive is the fact that Sakevych is completely self-taught.  Hailing all the way from Kiev, Ukraine, his music is only readily available through his bandcamp page.

He is generous enough to offer all of his recordings as name-your-price downloads.  By listening to his heartfelt piano solos, it is apparent that Endless Melancholy is an artist who makes music solely for the love of music and with little regard for possible fame and wealth. 

All five of the pieces on his new self-released EP, aptly titled "Five Songs" are down tempo minimal piano pieces with light ambient reverb that both preserves melody and encourages contemplation.  Traversing from dark, sad melodies to more upbeat textures, this music manages to hit right where Endless Melancholy was aiming for.  Even if you are not a casual easy-listening and classical fan, you can't help but admire this man's unshakable grasp minimalist neoclassical composition. 

"Five Songs" is a wonderful EP that was recorded in one week.  You can listen to the entire EP below.  Should you feel compelled to download this EP and have the means to do so, please donate a couple of bucks.  Thanks for listening and enjoy!

Free Downloads from Endless Melancholy and Blue Stahli

Here at ThinkMuzik, we love sharing brand new free music with our readers.  Call it a gift to our loyal fans, but there is little music better than free music. 

Today's first item is from Endless Melancholy, a solo musical project from the Ukraine.  This beautiful music is from the exceptionally talented fingers of Oleksii Sakevych.  Sakevych is not only talented, but is also self-taught.  This is incredibly impressive for an artist with no formal musical training.  Endless Melancholy, as the name implies, is a down tempo instrumental ambient project, from which the music is played mostly on keyboards with some slight atmospheric ambient nuances to add just the right amount of taste.  Drawing the line between instrumental post-rock and down tempo ambient music is a feat many artists have attempted, but where few have succeeded with such masterful results.  This music is sad and dreary, but oddly uplifting the way a single ray of light in a dark room can lift spirits and enrich outlooks.  For ambient music, this album is surprisingly not all that challenging a listen.  All it takes to enjoy it is an open mind and a willingness to take chances.  The last part of that statement is an easy undertaking, because Sakevych is offering his new album, "Before, After" as a name-your-price download from the Endless Melancholy bandcamp page, which is also where we are getting our full album stream from.  Check it out below.  If you feel inclined and don't hate PayPal, please donate a few bucks.  It will be worth it.


Our second item is a brilliant new single from Blue Stahli.  It is called Atom Smasher, and is downloadable from Soundcloud for absolutely free.  This single is classic Blue Stahli, as electronically distorted guitars clash with punchy samples at an alarming rate.  Blue Stahli is also affiliated the electronic rock project Celldweller.  Contrary to most Blue Stahli tunes, this new track is entirely free of vocals.  Sadly, it is criminally short, clocking in a just over two minutes.  Call it a teaser for a new album, which it sounds like will be entitled "Antisleep Vol. 3".  Check out the new track below!  Thanks for listening and enjoy!