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DOWNLOAD: Elephant & Castle - En Memoria (feat. Tune-Yards)
Elephant & Castle, aka David Vincent Reep, is something of a wanderer, which bodes well for his sonic cameleon sensibilities. Take this one, "En Memoria," which features Merrill Garbus (Tune-Yards) on vocals and seems to pluck natural sound from all over the globe with an intensely spiritual focus. Atmospheric, lush and dreamy, flutes flicker while hands pound away on the rawhide of drums and keys hang in the wind – a great introduction to what will go down on Elephant & Castle's debut, Transitions, which comes March 13 via Plug Research.
STREAM: Flaming Lips - Now I Understand (feat. Erykah Badu, Siri)
An oddball surprise from Flaming Lips? Imagine that! On this new one, "Now I Understand," the group goes positively ambient and comforting with some lush vocals from legendary songstress Erykah Badu and an abstract conversation with Apple's favorite new daughter Siri. This is a quick take – simple, peaceful, pure in intention.
DOWNLOAD: Christina Vantzou - Homemade Mountains
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For years, synths and guitars have been the primary tools for making ambient music. Press a button, turn a knob, really really feel it through those headphones and you're good to go. Christina Vantzou takes a distinctly classical approach, though. "Homemade Mountains" meshes long orchestral swells, noble horns, airy vocals and the tentative plink of a piano to beautiful effect. If this was scoring a movie, we'd likely have a single tear rolling down our collective cheek. Hear more via Kranky.
DOWNLOAD: Windy & Carl - Remember
Listening to a Windy & Carl song is like being inside a seriously uplifting dream. "Remember," an ambient fanfare with a lovely, strong drone, goes at its own pace. It doesn't so much have a final destination – more an exploration of a mood that appears gaseous and uneasy to grab. Hear more on the duo's new album We Will Always Be, which is out February 13 on Kranky.
DOWNLOAD: The Good Natured - Video Voyeur (No Ceremony Remix)
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Unrecognizable from its original form, No Ceremony has turned "Video Voyeur" into something more mysterious and dim-lit with soft waves of percussive flotsam drifting over ill-defined synth lines and vocals that move like water. The Good Natured release that contains the original – a pop-rock trail-beater in the vein of Marina and the Diamonds doing Units covers – is out now.
DOWNLOAD: Steve Hauschildt - Batteries May Drain
Steve Hauschildt, a member of Ohio electro-experimentalist trio Emeralds, is no stranger to creating his own sonic universes. His solo debut, Tragedy & Geometry, is an attempt to merge sound and vision, and he describes the album with an equal emphasis on imagery and music. I would normally call this bluff, but Hauschildt seems totally legit. "Batteries May Drain" will have you seeing things. Whether they are fractals, memories of teenage love or your own future ironed out like a map before your eyes, something shall appear. Grab this and more on Kranky right now.
DOWNLOAD: Jacaszek - Dare Gale
(Photo: Piotr Tarnowski)
Jacaszek is back and coldly serious as ever on "Dare Gale." The Polish composer treats airy, abandoned noise with classical hands to make dark ambient music that could easily soundtrack the next time you get trapped in a cave. Sink into this one and try to find your way out. Find more on Jacaszek's new album Glimmer, which is available December 6 on Ghostly.
PREMIERE: Mint Julep - Aviary (Mogwai Remix)
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At first, you can barely see the band in their press pic; can barely hear the band in their download. But relax your squint, adjust your earbuds, allow the darkness to open and the sound to spread, and Mogwai’s post-rock rework of married Portland ambients Mint Julep will become brighter and louder than you ever thought possible. Thick shoegaze textures, soft laser squelches, and enchantress vocals seem to savor a rainy day, embracing all elements cold until they're transformed into something warm.
Mint Julep - Aviary (Mogwai Remix)
