Monday, July 17, 2006

Draumar Um Kalt Sumar
















In my first post here, I mentioned the Draumar Um Kalt Sumar compilation available from Sutemos Records. This is a wonderful compilation of otherworldly IDM/ambient electronica inspired by the summer sky in Iceland. I've never been to Iceland, but if it's anything like the visions and feelings these tracks inspire in me, then I surely need to go there. In particular, the first five tracks on this album are about as close to perfection as any song listing on a compilation I've ever seen. Five pieces of gauzy, otherworldly, lovely IDM/ambient by artists like ISAN, Galaktlan, Am-boy, Mind Over Midi, and Wildach Sonnerkraut, containing ethereal atmospheres and chiming, music box melodies. The rest of the compilation is also good, with the middle part containing some slightly less haunting, brighter sounding IDM tracks by IJO and Norman Fairbanks, and some deeper ambient tracks by artists like Yagya and Tisana. Then the last part of the compilation veers back towards the same kind of fragile otherworldly beauty as the first five tracks with repeat performances by Mind over Midi and Galaktlan as well as tracks by Boc Scadet, Static, and Kiln. Sutemos doesn't release very frequently, but releases like this make it worth the wait. The music on this compilation, along with its lovely accompanying artwork and Sutemos great website reinforces that they are one of best netlabels out there.

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