Apex

gterma is back in operation following a metropolitan excursion which failed to dig up anything more mysterious than a garden of zen. It is time to finally make public the year's last two releases which are a pair of unusual treasures. We wish all our friends and listeners a good ending to this year and send our thoughts to those who no longer wander among us.

[gterma025] : Aqua Dorsa - The November Earth (out now)

The duo Aqua Dorsa, perhaps better known under their respective names, Gianluigi Gasparetti and Enrico Coniglio, here present a very solemn yet foreboding album with dark undertones. Gigi originally composed the source material which was then expanded upon by Enrico. We've done some final editing to the material during the summer and fall of 2013. The November Earth also features a short story written by Gigi in 2012, called Sogno di Luce. Album in jewelcase with 16-page booklet.

[gterma037] : David Parsons - Stupa (out now)

It has been some time now since we heard from everyone's favourite New Zealander. Rest assured though that all is well with David, and he is still composing new music. However, some material has been ready for release for quite some time but is held up at the publisher. Meanwhile, David sends us these new greetings from the sphere where ambient and Indian classical music converge. Dig out your Ramayana and float away on a little lotus leaf along the river of souls. Comes in a jewel case with 16-page booklet.

Rahu is coming...

[gterma040] : V/A - Phra Rahu by the lost gterma

Report: New Urenga EP "Mantha" out on Retrospective Zoology

Hot on the heels of the recent Echinoderm EP comes a new EP length four-tracker from our Hungarian friend, this time on the Slovenian label Retrospective Zoology. Mantha consists of two longer tracks and two remixes of the title track by Adam Kroll and Coppice Halifax. The release is available as digital only through the label's bandcamp page.
 

Pushing the shroud of darkness away

As a seemingly impenetrable mass of liquid clouds have descended upon Scandinavia for the past couple of days we're letting off a defiant scream and stubbornly attempt to lift the heavy skies at least a bit, in an effort to catch the fading light at the horizon. I know I am not the only one who has patiently awaited these albums and I hope that they will assist in lifting the seemingly endless darkness of autumn.


[gterma028] : Alexander Saykov - Mistral (out now)

One of last year's highlights on the digital scene was the Mistral album, a beautiful and introspective piece which much like its namesake sweeps in like a strong chilling wind from the north. The forceful tempo of the mistral also leaves a strong touch of melancholy and serenity following in its wake. Originally released on Cold Tear Records last autumn the gterma edition has been continuously mixed and expanded upon. Comes in a jewelcase with 16-page booklet.

[gterma033] : Havdis - Nightbreeze (out now)

Havdis and gterma would once again like to welcome all listeners back to the northern hinterlands, to experience the magnificent colours of the long summer nights, the strange shapes of the peculiar rocky landscape and the inward journey into the expansive ocean of the mind. Ten introspective pieces of twilight music. Album in jewelcase with a 16-page booklet.

[gterma034] : Mathias Grassow - Tamanoshima (out now)

Travels on dim ethereal oceans of mystery should be familiar waters to those of you who have been following gterma for some time now. On Tamanoshima, Mathias brings us into unchartered vistas for a slightly mindbending and hypnotic journey into minimal soundworlds. A warm and glowing drift based on material composed in the summer of 2013. Album comes in the regular jewelcase with 16-page booklet.

Report: Alexander Saykov's "Cold Front" out on Spaceal Orbeats

Our young Russian friend Alexander Saykov has a new digital only EP out on Spaceal Orbeats. "Cold Front" is deep and lush soundscapes of the same calibre as we saw on last year's Mistral album and is available as a free/name-your price download through bandcamp. And speaking of Mr. Saykov, our delayed album is currently in the bowels of the pressing plant and we eagerly look forward to the end of the long wait.
 

A lesson in impermanence...

Who would have thought that the 100th post on this page would concern a grim lesson in the finitude of all things of shape and form (and perhaps even more so, the things that are not represented as part of the tangible part of the universe).






We thank the creators for this timely reminder of the impermanence of all entities and begin to pick up the pieces from here. Some small delays will undoubtedly be the result of our dealing with a now slumbering digital archive.

Engulfed by October

Yes, it is that time of year again, when the last of the migratory birds have given up on the season and headed for their winter habitats. The rest of us up here prepare to ride out yet another dark season and here at label hq we've been quite busy as of late. The first batch of releases has begun the manufacturing process and we hope to see these out in a couple of weeks from now. There should also be time for one more wave of release as we get closer to Christmas. For now, let us just pull a blanket over our heads and await the coming of November...

Late night listening: Undara featured on latest Hypnagogue podcast

Our Portuguese friends Undara are featured on this week's Hypnagogue podcast, which has a decidedly tribal feel, in fact sitting next to a track by the wonderful mystery band Penjaga Isaf whose recent album on Loki sublabel Power & Steel has been getting a lot of spins around the gterma headquarters. Anyways, lots well known acts featured in this podcast which could be a source of inspiration for those who wish to dwell deeper into the other side of ambient. The podcast can be found on the Hypnagogue website.

Report: New Urenga EP on Stasis Recordings

Our gterma mainstay Andras Kiss has just released a new EP on the Toronto-based digital label Stasis Recordings. The four track "Echinoderm" consists of both fast-paced tracks and floating ambience. Andras has also recently been working on material for another digital release due to be out soon. You can also expect to see Urenga pop up soon again on gterma with a collection of old pearls. The Echinoderm EP is available from Stasis' Bandcamp page.

Enter September

Summer has definitely begun to fade here in Scandinavia after an unusually long and warm summer. As the dark season slowly descends upon us we start looking ahead to an autumn with deep listening experiences.

Late night listening part 3

Time again for a gterma feature on the ambient show "Seance" on Czech Radio 1. Joseph Sedloň has put together an hour of his favourite tracks from some of the more recent releases on the label. You can see the program tracklist here and also find the program available for download here.

Havdis returns to gterma

Halfway through August we can begin summer slowly drawing to its close. Havdis and gterma are happy to announce a celebration to the long twilight nights of the north. The new album Nightbreeze is currently being assembled and should be available in early autumn.

[gterma033] : Havdis - Nightbreeze by the lost gterma

While we wait for the new album to complete, here is a chance to indulge again in last year's wintery tale The Hidden Islands.

 

Report: Seetyca releases new Sleep States album on Mbira

We've also just learnt that our darkscape friend Seetyca has released the fourth installment in his Sleep States series. The new album "Parasomnia" (Sleep States IV) is released on the artist's own label Mbira where you will also find the previous three parts. Longform seductive dark dronescapes are the name of the game here. Visit the artist's website and drop him an email if you are interested in acquiring these titles, as they can be hard to find through the usual outlets, hidden treasures at their finest.

parasomnia | sleep states IV (excerpt). by seetyca

Report: Enh releases new EP on Bandcamp

Our "Japanese" friend Ian Handsley has just released a three track name-your-price EP called "Five Men Stand Under" on Bandcamp (where might I add, you will also find his recent gterma album "Body of Blue" as well as the previous mini-album which it was based upon). These three new Enh-scapes are collated from Soundcloud and feature more beat-orientation and speech samples yet still come with that typical zoned-out and drifting feeling about them. Well done, Ian.

Notification of absence: August expedition

Yep, it is time for the little red-helmeted postman to take a break in August. gterma will continue to ship out orders throughout July, and then we will be catching our breath in August to muster up some strength for the autumn season. There are already a couple of albums in progress as well as advance work into some new titles, so keep an eye out on this page from time to time if you'd like to know more. Meanwhile, a good holiday to those of you who enjoy summer in the northern hemisphere and to those still slugging it out in the south, hang in there.

Two for the seemingly eternal summer nights

Having passed Midsummer a mere week ago we've now begun the slow descent back into the dark season. Before the chilly embrace of the dark umbra though, we will experience a short but graceful time period which lends itself well to those late night contemplative journeys when you can leave the window open and breathe in the life and light from outside. The latest gterma offerings will also fit like hand in glove in this environment.

[gterma031] : VelgeNaturlig - Húmus (out now)

Portuguese soundscaper VelgeNaturlig has a penchant for creating dramatic soundworlds where the elements interact freely with more complex constructs. His magical album Húmus, originally self-released some nine years ago, is a true gterma favourite and we are delighted to bring it once more into the spotlight where its regal stature can inspire a new generation of listeners. Album comes in jewelcase with 16-page booklet.

[gterma032] : Ashtoreth's Gate - Ashtoreth's Gate (out now)

gterma follows in the wake of Ashtoreth, goddess of love and war, known by many names and cultures. Experienced sonic excavators Lee Norris and Craig Murphy have backtracked her steps through the blue tileworks of the Ishtar Gate and beyond the Temple of Marduk, only to enter a state of inbetween, a possible portal to the very realm of the gods. Journey with us into the unknown. Comes in a jewelcase with 16-page booklet.

Report: New album by Mathias Grassow on Practising Nature

And so here is also the latest Practising Nature-album "Tara" by Mathias Grassow, a three part suite running for about 70 minutes. One must say that it has that evergreen minimalistic Mathias Grassow/Klaus Wiese sound with lots of singing bowls. "Tara" is dedicated to the two recently departed ambient community profiles Gianluigi Gasparetti and Nextera label mastermind Kristian Kotarac. The album is obtainable primarily through Practising Nature's distributor Databloem whose shop is currently in holiday mode, orders are planned to be shipped out by mid July.

Report: New albums by Oöphoi on Practising Nature

Following the departure of Gianluigi works of his are beginning to appear posthumously on labels and with artists whom he worked with. Earlier this spring a collaborative album together with Ran Kirlian surfaced on  Spanish label Altera Orbe titled "The Physics of Heaven". And as we enter the summer month of June the Dutch label Practising Nature, with a history of reissuing many of Gigis past Umbra releases now also sees two new and hitherto unreleased albums. Click the album covers to reach their respective pages with som samples attached.

Here is what the label says about the two releases: "Not long before his passing Oophoi gave us the recordings of two, previously unreleased parts from the "I Hear" trilogy. Part one "I Hear The Water Dreaming" was a collaboration with Louisa John-Krol and released in 2005. The other parts "I Hear The Wind Singing" and "I Hear The Woods Whispering" were initially meant for further collaboration but for some reason this never came off the ground. On Gigi's request we edited and released the basic tracks, with artwork from his beloved wife Alessandra. Both albums showcase, in retrospect, Oophoi's talents for creating aural paintings of nature in a pure and soothing way."

Stay tuned also for a new album by Mathias to surface on Practising Nature soon, called "Tara".

Report: New EP by As If on Biorecordings

Our Danish friend Kenneth has been busy lately, and out a few days ago is a new digital EP published on the Italian Biorecordings label. The release features both delicate and lush ambience as well as the more pulsating dubtech-sound, both which were found on last year's "Faraway Trees..." album. The digital release is available through some digital distributors such as Beatport and Juno. If you are considering a purchase, remember to keep an eye on the various file formats offered on each platform. AS IF - Lines From The Past Ep by Biorecordings

And since we are on the topic of Biorecordings... the label has several interesting artists in its catalogue, mostly sitting somewhere in the dubtech/ambient range. It feels only natural to remind Urenga fans to check out Andras' compilation appearance "Warming Ocean" on the label's first compilation EP released in 2011. If you enjoyed the sound on "After Rain" this should be right up your alley as well; the hypnotic, dreamy draw of the ocean. Urenga - Warming Ocean [VA Biology 001] (Biorecordings) | Out now on Beatport! by Urenga

Welcome summer!

gterma has returned after an expedition into the River Kwaee valley just in time to hail the appearance of the first warming rays of sunshine here in Scandinavia. Rest assured though, order has been restored and the sun is now veiled again in its usual blanket of cold rain and fog. Instead we choose to celebrate the promise of summer with a pair of new releases.

[gterma026] : Ornah-Mental - Excursions (2013-05-20)

Veteran cosmic travellers Dirk Schlömer and Carsten Agthe look back on journeys past and present, in preparing for the excursions of tomorrow. Music made for drifting out of consciousness into the higher understanding based on enlightenment and revelation. Expect a mix of instrumentation from past and present. Album comes in jewelcase with 16-page booklet.

[gterma030] : Mathias Grassow - Sonnenwende (2013-05-20)

Sonnenwende is the spiritual successor to Dämmerung and follows the sun along her passage through the seasons, the seemingly endless journey between darkness and light. Contemplative ambience, ominous droneworks and some dashes of folk. Double album in jewelcase with 16-page booklet.

Report: New As If-album available for preorder at ROHS! Records

Our Danish friend As If returns with a new album on the little Sardinian label .ROHS! (exclamation mark theirs...). The first (only?) physical edition in CDr format is limited to a mere 50 copies and since most of their previous releases are already sold out gterma advices interested listeneres not to sit on their laurels on this one. The physical release is due to be released on May 15 but the digital version is already available. Check out the label's bandcamp page for more information.

Report: New Urenga track available on Stasis Recordings

Small Canadian label Stasis Recordings is back with a 3-year celebratory compilation featuring tracks from their mainstay artists. Artists include Off Land, Sebastien Legz, Sanderson Dear, Elwood, Urenga, Oicho and David Roiseux. gterma-listeneres would do well to check out a number of their previous releases, especially the Urenga releases. More information is found on the label's bandcamp page.

Report: Atmospheric Stratification released on Ghost Sounds

Anders Peterson, known to gterma listeners for his inspired mastering work on most of the label's releases, has just completed and released his new album under his Skyscaper alias. Awesome deep ambient techno with an experimental edge complemented by a set of remixers from well known producers in the scene. The album is manufactured in a rather small quantity and is available directly from Anders via his Ghost Sounds page.

Report: Gianluigi Gasparetti continues his journey

News about the premature departure of Gianluigi Gasparetti, better known as Oöphoi, has saddened the ambient community today. Gigi had struggled with persistent illness and an equally aggressive treatment for a long time. Last year his studio equipment came up for sale and around the beginning of this year he started planning for some of his unreleased works to be distributed among different artists and labels. We here at gterma once again wish to thank for all the musical treasures he recorded and released on his lovely Umbra label. But for now, his journey must continue beyond the boundaries of our known horizon.
 

Report: Sulphur Part 7 out on Otium Netlabel

Followers of Seetyca are hopefully aware of the long running collaborative project Sulphur done together with Etheocles Stevens. Today saw the release of the seventh part on the Russian netlabel Otium, were a couple of the previous parts can also be found. On the seventh installment the dark dronescapes meet more abrasive and stark noisy segments. As mentioned last time around, gterma strongly recommend you check out Part IV.

Alright, after an initial delay we are now shipping out the latest batch of releases. We have more in the pipeline scheduled for late May, so keep eyes and ears open.

[gterma019] : Parikrama - Manusyaloka (out now)

The drone tapestries of Parikrama can once again be heard as they have finally materialized here in the Manusyaloka, or our human realm again. After having seemingly phased out of our world the travellers have visited the vast continents circling Mount Meru and on their way back nearly got lost in the thick vegetation of the age old Himmaphan forest, having there encountered bizarre creatures that defy description. Seasoned gterma veterans will know what to expect. Comes in a jewelcase with 16-page booklet.

[gterma022] : Enh - Body Of Blue (out now)

Body of Blue is a very personal form of expression signed Ian Handsley, who moved his operations into an old hotel on the Pacific coast of Japan. From there he has been able to experience the different characters of various types of weather systems forming literally upon his very doorstep. Ian's ethereal soundscapes reach into the otherworld and allow a tired mind to drift into a deep sonic ocean. Album comes in a jewelcase with a 16-page booklet.

[gterma029] : Hakobune - If It Were To Fade (out now)

The output of Japanese drone mainstay Hakobune could best be described as both heartwarming and sombre at the same time. "If It Were To Fade" follows this tradition and captures the sensation of being lost deep inside the endless distance of a great between. Album in jewelcase with 16-page booklet.

Report: As If releases new digital EP on Biorecordings

Our Danish friend has just released an new four track EP on the Italian Biorecordings label. If you liked the previous album Faraway Trees... you'll probably be wanting to hear this. Ambient/dutbtechno/minimal. Available via the usual digital platforms, follow links from the release page on soundcloud.


AS IF - Lines From The Past Ep by Biorecordings

Late night listening part 2

Once again the weekly late night program Seance on Czech Radio 1, curated by Joseph Sedloň, did a feature on various gterma releases. Again the program has since been made downloadable and can be found here. I am particularily happy about how this program dedicates space to the lesser known artists of the label, and I would really encourage people familiar with the label mainstays to have a look.

Report: A call from the wilderness

Inspired by the imposing wilderlands surrounding Mount Telpoz-Is in Ural comes this collaboration between Mathias Grassow and Russian ambient/experimental profile Closing The Eternity. Deep and dark soundscapes yet sparkling like the icy waters of Shelgultan river itself. The album is scheduled for release in mid-March on Aquarellist, visit the label website for more information.

Enter the Serpent

Here at gterma we are excited at the prospect of entering the Year of the Water Snake. After all, what better omen to finally find a trace of the elusive sea serpent can one hope for? A lingering thirst for the knowledge and wisdom of the ancient Naga means our efforts will be redoubled as the search continues. As a direct consequence the webshop will soon close for a few weeks as we pack the necessary charts, a few crumbling old manuscripts and some elaborate 21st century tracking equipment. We will return come the beginning of spring.

Meanwhile we would like to take this opportunity to wish our friends and listeners a prosperous Year of the Snake. Stay tuned for further releases as the year starts uncoiling and emerges from its hidden den.

Late night listening...

The weekly late night program Seance on Czech Radio 1, curated by Joseph Sedloň, recently featured a cross section of music from various gterma releases of the past year. If you are interested you can listen to or download the one hour program here. The music ranges from drone ambient to dub techno, tribal soundscapes to classical Indian ragas.

Report: Urenga and Arjen Schat mixes on the new Stasis EP

I can't help but feel that the new remix EP from Canadian Stasis Recordings has a little something for everyone, several competent remixers turn the title track into very different expressions. And of course people who follow Urenga's and Arjen's work will be very satisfied with this nifty little EP. You will find it available on bandcamp here.

Happy birthday, Peter Elson!

Today is the would be 66th birthday of the iconic British science fiction illustrator Peter Elson, who together with Chris Foss must be considered one of the masters of the outrageous and colourful space themed art which flourished near the end of the late 20th century. If you like to read old sci-fi novels, chances are you have come across his works in your local used bookstore. His style has inspired many of us and it seemed only fitting to honour his legacy with an album dedicated to his art. The opportunity presented itself in the deep and futuristic music of Danish musician SecondFace. gterma are extremely proud to present this album as a belated birthday gift for all lovers of deep space travel. Happy birthday Peter, we'll be seeing you down at the spaceport!

[gterma027] : SecondFace - Vega Colony (out now)

Looking back through the first 250 years of spaceflight and terraforming, humanity is still not closer to solving the age old riddle of our cosmic origins or the true purpose of our existence. The journey must continue across new frontiers. gterma takes the help of two artists in illustrating modern life in the Vega system, one of the core colonies and located a mere 25 light years from Sol. The album is dedicated to the iconic British painter Peter Elson, whose lavish illustrations fill the 16-page booklet.

[gterma027] : SecondFace - Vega Colony by the lost gterma

Ringing in the new year from the north

Yes, we're still here... resurfacing from the depths of the still ocean, catching a ride on the back of Havdis' most recent track posted on Soundcloud yesterday. Odd continues his marvelous soundscaping from the northern reaches of Europe, where land meets the icey cold waters of the frozen wastes of the Arctic. gterma takes the opportunity to wish all our listeners, artists and colleagues a fruitful 2013. Stay tuned for more news and surprises as the new year gets going. (Photography by Ninja Benjaminsen)
Entering the sheltered waters close to harbour by havdis