Noteworthy highlights from the past week of music discovery, releases, previews, and other news. Daily updates are available on the Stationary Travels Facebook and Twitter feeds and audio/video links to all tracks featured during the month are available on the Songdrop page.
New Releases
Belle Arché Lou| Pour détruire le chagrin du monde [ISTI MIRANT STELLA]
Belle Arché Lou, the duo of Wesley Paul and Alexis Paul, deliver another dreamy acoustic avant-pop confection in Pour détruire le chagrin du monde. My fondness for their style grows with each successive release. Wesley’s vibraphone and Alexis’s guitar meld with organ, mellow horns and subtle electronics to create 12 minutes of spellbinding music that rests easy on the ear and lightens the heart. The release is through ISTI MIRANT STELLA, a publishing house dedicated to poetic and musical works and is offered as a book designed by the group which includes a voucher for download of the EP.
Previews of Upcoming Releases
Hessien | Your Empire, In Decline | Long Story Records (Jan 2015)
Hessien, the duo of Tim Martin (Maps and Diagrams, Atlantis, Black Elk) and Charles Sage (y0t0, Rothko Chapel), will follow up last year’s Calcifer EP with Your Empire, In Decline in January, their first full length record in over 4 years. The album consisting of hard to come by compilation tracks and other previously unreleased material will christen the roster of The Long Story Recording Company, a new micro-label from Gavin Catling of Twice Removed and will be limited to 100 copies. A preview track called ‘Hypothesis’ is now available to enjoy.
Western Skies Motel | TBA | Preserved Sound (Jan/Feb 2015)
Danish musician René Gonzalez Schelbeck, aka Western Skies Motel, will be following up his atmospheric Reflections EP with a new album of solo classical guitar music on Preserved Sound either in late January or early February of next year. A preview of what’s in store is now available to enjoy, a lovely piece called ‘Different Paths’.
Virlyn | TBA
A new album appears to be in the works by Antwerp based electroacoustic ambient artist Virlyn. A new song called ‘Hills’ appeared on his Souncloud simply described as a “new track for a new album”. More like this gorgeous textured and meditative drone would be very welcome indeed.
Singles
Kamyar Tavakoli | Glimpse
Kamyar Tavakoli of the IDM/guitar duo Artirial has been quietly releasing a series of lovely solo pieces on his Soundcloud page. The latest, ‘A Glimpse’, is especially captivating, floating strains of soulful guitar between ambient billows and earthy textures.
Bruno Bavota | Mediterraneo
Pianist and composer Bruno Bavota releases his first new song since The Secret of the Sea in the form of a video. Enjoy the simple magic of ‘Mediterraneo’
Mixes
Sublimations and Accretions – Stationary Travels 2014.11.15
The first of two new cloudcasts curated this week. Acoustic instrumentation, classical and folk motifs, and elegant minimalism prevail in these beautiful tracks selected from recently released albums and EPs. Featuring:
Tess Said So
Richard J. Birkin
Maxwell August Croy & Sean McCann
Aaron Martin
Christina Vantzou
Islands of Light
Luke Howard
Lucy Claire
Nathan McLaughlin
Peter Gregson
Sophie Hutchings
A Vivid Melancholy – Stationary Travels 2014.11.21
A cloudcast of deep ambient reveries & melancholia from a truly global sampling of recent releases and discoveries. I was drawn to the introspection, emotion, stillness, and beauty in each of this pieces. Warning: may induce long glassy-eyed stares. Featuring:
Noveller & thisquietarmy
Strië
Siavash Amini
Halo
Arash Akbari
Ornitology
Tomonari Nozaki
twincities
Maiya Hershey
Abul Mogard
Stationary Travels 