the chill out tent vol 2 The Chill Out Tent Ambient Vol. 1

Here, on the flip side of our Chill Out Tent Vol.1 compilation, is the first in a series of ambient collections for time indoors, quiet contemplation and continental drift.

There are ten tracks, nine exclusive to this collection. The artists come from Japan, Ireland, Denmark, UK and Spain. We begin with ambient sounds, birds and water then flow through various moods and styles. There are deep, pulsing arpeggios, sweet, angelic voices, muted conversations, distant drums and floating guitars, creating a sonic doorway to another place, a different mindset.

1. OGNEK - Akagawa
2. David Cane-Hardy - Hypnotic Vibes
3. Koubabiki - Raven Born
4. SONLIFE - She Misses You
5. Samantha Whates & Ida Wenøe - Lyla (Chris Coco Version)
6. Chris Coco & Yoshiharu Takeda - Leap Year
7. Be.Launuit - Nebulosa (Chris Coco Instrumental)
8. Ataurean - Hope Springs (Ambient)
9. Positive Wizard - Orange Castle
10. Muzka - The Last Moment

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Chris Coco launches an ambient project on his label, DSSPR – short for “disappear”. The first compilation is a more than “chilled out” cherry-picking of 10 artists, a few of whom are regular contributors to the imprint. If you’ve been following Chris for a while then names like Samantha Whates and Be.Lanuit will be familiar. All set in serene soundscapes of charming, calming chimes, each track adds something unique to the mix. Be it ethereal song, blue muted horns, or slow waltzing strings, or twisted accordion emerging from a melodic musical mist, heavenly harp glissando, graceful guitar microtones, or tumbling tabla. I think Koubakiki’s Raven Born even features bagpipes. The standouts for me come, first, from Sonlife, whose She Misses You fuses snippets of dialogue – that hint at separation – with pensive bass notes and piano chords. Its poignancy recalling Matthieu Beck’s recent heartfelt “hit”, California. Ataurean’s Hope Springs spirals out a swell of sampled surf, all flickering fragments, in a moment of melancholy urgency. Staring out past the sunset to an uncertain horizon, in a manner to (almost) match Mixmaster Morris’ classic remix of Coldcut’s Autumn Leaves.

Dr. Rob, BanBanTonTon