Thursday, November 5, 2020

amek049 Non Photo Blue "Dépaysement" CS

 

Order from Bandcamp.

Daniel Donchov (Leaver) is returning to Amek for his second solo full-length album as Non Photo Blue. His crystal synth drones are once again inspired by travels and are a portrayal of his inner dialogs with the unknown. In "Dépaysement", Donchov is reviving and reliving a solitary journey he undertook across several US states in the Autumn of 2019, when international travel wasn't yet a distant memory. 

Beneath the deceivingly calm and warm soundscapes are lurking uncertain tones of distorted pianos, cold voices of public service announcements, various found sounds, and menacing undertones, which resemble decaying memories of train rattle. The album is a slow-paced exploration of ambient sound, but also an example how one could embrace discomfort and anxiety and transform them in an overwhelming sonic beauty. 






Written & recorded by Daniel Donchov. 
Mastered by Marius Costache (Studio148). 
Layout & photography by Kovlen Studio.

amek048 NATT "The Way You Were Made" CS

Order from Bandcamp.

"The Way You Were Made" is the Polish producer NATT's introduction to Amek Collective and his second solo release after a debut mini album for our partners in crime Zoharum. Spanning over eight brooding pieces, this dark and melancholic electronic offering is simultaneously bleak and beautiful. NATT throws us in a sonic world, shaped by gritty field recordings, heavy-weight bass drones, melodies soaked in desperation and synth debris. 

The music is clearly an interpretation of a very personal narrative, but its traces are subtle and non-imposing. Everything captured in "The Way You Were Made" does not make you feel unreal or detached from reality. On the contrary, NATT's music is inhabiting our very own world. It is, however, interested in exploring the shadows rather than exposing itself to the sunlight.





All music written & produced by NATT. 
Mastering by Marius Costache (Studio148).