The release of the British label Audiobulb Records which is planned for this autumn is the second part of compilation Favourite Places. Its conception is not new but of course it's devilisly attractive for ambient listeners - the musicians record the surrounding sound atmosphere with the help of their recorders and then they use this material in musical tracks. As opposed to the compilation Birmingham Sound Matter released earlier on the label (I wrote about it a little bit earlier), here we can speak about music in more traditional context - in some places we can hear melodies, sometimes even rhythm... All the material is well-dosed and perfectly represented - multipaged booklet accompanying the compact-disc, includes the pictures of the places, the sounding of which became the prototype of musical material and also the accompanying text of music's authors.In most cases parks and small villages are chosen as the locations the spirit of which is conducted with the help of musical tracks. Actually ambient with the elements of field records in different ways makes us closer to wonderful nature surrounding us. Let's take for example track "Winter Heather, Frozen Breath" by Autistici. He skilfully reproduces the unity with morning natural landscape, breathing of cold fresh air, quiet rustle of steps the sounds of which are being gradually shrouded with modest, airy electronics.
Among nature sketches Sawako stands out a little bit, it moved the listener to one of Tokyo's suburbs. Distinguishable is also Michael Trommer who produced the records in Toronto, in the underground pedestrian network - recognized as the biggest underground shopping comlex in the world. And Eric Shoster, known as He Can Jog chose for the last tenth track his flat in New York as the "favourite place", to be more exactly his bed. Somebody's snoring during "Woodbine Entwiat" amused me especially after previous immersings into prostration, disposing it to dreamy and motionless pastime. Developing track gains syncopated but rather definite rhythmical IDM picture and summs up this release where perfect content is put into not less perfect form.
- Audiobulb