Presenting ... all​|​is​|​bright_2020 (waag_COM005)

When I spoke out loud about my love for the all|is|calm series that Brad used to curate over on his netlabel, FreeFloating, and wondered if we could revive it ... needless-to-say I didn't expect the response I've received: 17 wonderfully diverse tracks that really work together and, for the most part, bring something meditative for this time of the year.

Yes, some of the artists didn't take the direction I gave them of "not too out there" ... but do I care? Not one bit. The music on this, the fifth weareallghosts compilation, is simply delightful and I am rather overwhelmed, if truth be told.

From the fantastic opener from Tim Kays that references rocket launches to the minimal piece from Kevin Buckland, we have a very varied selection of predominately ambient music. The overall theme is downbeat and melodic with some excellent pieces from Allen Pitts, Cousin Silas, George L Smyth, and Pat Pik.

We also have some more atmospheric and abstract pieces from Pendro, Jaime Munárriz, Puppy Bordiga, and Autonomaton that bring something special and really up the interesting level.

Thomas Jackson Park makes a welcome return to waag with one of his generative pieces that acts as an intriguing prelude to his upcoming release on waag in the new year.

There are more sequenced, electronic pieces from Brian Talgo, James Lowe, Ramón Sánchez, and EISENLAGER in the mix too ... all bringing a sense of the upbeat and the euphoric to the compilation.

Lastly, we have a late addition from Jon Johnson that is crazy brilliant in the way all the best Christmas songs are.

All of this combines to make nearly 2 hours of truly exceptional electronic music ... and I thank all the artists for their work!

I also extend my thanks to Cousin Silas for his help with sound levels and sequencing of the compilation.

I would like to give something back with this compilation ... so all monies received will be donated to charity. As such, this compilation will not be available on Archive.

- Thomas

Weareallghosts · all​|​is​|​bright_2020 (waag_COM005)

Presenting ... The Changing Of The Seasons (waag_rel144) by George L Smyth

Each season has its own personality, some with aspects both loved and abhorred. However, these seasons do not start and end at specified times, but fold into one another, at times with fits and starts. We start awaiting a season to begin, then experience the season, and finally we feel it slip away.

The Changing of the Seasons is a set of four pieces, each representing a season, and each piece having three parts - awaiting the season, the season, and following the season. Each of the twelve segments offers its own theme, its own representation of the time of year, as it relentlessly moves through our lives.

While each of the four pieces can be played in any sequence, or alone, the recommendation is to start with Spring and end with Winter, like a year waking up and moving through to the point where it again falls asleep, restarting the cycle.

- George

On what is a miserable winter's day, I am proud to release the latest album from George L Smyth, entitled "The Changing Of The Seasons (waag_rel144)".

This is an album that could so easily be the soundtrack to a film ... it features engaging orchestration and scoring, and an effervescent expression that really helps to convey the nuances of the four seasons.

I find this album to be utterly captivating and have had it on repeat as well as interspersed with other modern classical work. I personally think it sits nicely with the work of Max Richter and Leonard Roseman; and makes me dream of the sounds Smyth could make with access to a full orchestra.

This is not Smyth's first release with weareallghosts, his album "Winterfylleth" remains a fave for this time of year and "The Changing Of The Seasons" is definitely cut from the same cloth: warm, accessible modern classical music with a minimalist edge and a romantic tinge.

I really hope you enjoy this album as much as I have and will, no doubt, continue to do over the years.

As before, my thanks goes to the wonderful waag community for their generous support.

- Thomas

Presenting ... Dusty Fallout (waag_rel143) by Eraser Ears

 

When Jaime Munárriz came to me and offered up another live recording from his Eraser Ears [Orejas Borradoras] collective, I jumped at the chance.

I love the soundscapes that they produce because they remind me of Tangerine Dream's seminal mid-70s period: albums like "Rubycon" and "Phaedra" were instrumental in my love and understanding of the broad church called "ambient music" ... and Eraser Ears do remind me of these spontaneous adventures in sound.

"Dusty Fallout" as this most recent session has been called is split over two 35+ minute pieces. It would have been one whole piece but Bandcamp's file-size limitation necessitated a break in proceedings.

These soundscapes are to be savoured and enjoyed ... preferably on headphones. Let them take you on a journey ... let them take you, as they have me, to another place.

I hope you enjoy these soundscapes as much as I have.

A 320kbps version of this release will be available, for free, over on Archive with a lossless version available on Bandcamp for ‘pay what you want’.

- Thomas

-----

Album Credits

Eraser Ears [Orejas Borradoras]

Tino Varela: Elektron Digitakt, Orbitador, processed micro-percussion.
Richi F. Martin: DIY Modular & piezos, Crave, Volca FM.
David Llorente: VCV Rack.
Jaime Munárriz: Microbrute, pedal effects.

Eraser Ears is a project of LiSD/Codelab, the image and sound experimental laboratory directed by Jaime Munárriz, based at the Fine Arts faculty, Universidad Complutense de Madrid.

-----

Archive

Presenting ... Cousin Silas & Friends volume 8 part 4 (waag_rel142)

At summer's end, as the nights draw in, we need as much light and hope as possible. As the UK endures a second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions are being reintroduced, we need something to keep us going ... something to remind us that the sun is still shining above the clouds.

And it is in this environment, that Cousin Silas brings the fourth part of his " ... and friends, volume eight", a wonderful mix of the familiar ("Portland (Rework)" by Cousin Silas & Wilfried Hanrath); delightfully gentle ambience ("A New Day In A New City" by Cousin Silas & Ron Shaylor or "Westford Morning" by Cousin Silas & Adam Steinberg); Berlin School style synths ("Majestic Antares" by Cousin Silas & OneAmbient4); and the vibrant and quirky ("Across The Wastelands" by Cousin Silas & Kevin Lyons or "An Apocalypse Is An Opportunity (To Move To A Higher Level)" by Cousin Silas & Reader Advisor);

This volume just gets better and better.

As with the third part, there is just so much beauty on this album and I, for one, think our world needs this right now.

- Thomas

PS ... Volume 8 in all its parts will be "pay what you want" ... I would rather you download this album for free and pay it forward by using the money you may have spent to donate to a charity doing something positive in these strange days. I also want this album to be accessible to folks who may have financial concerns as a result of the pandemic ... please take the album for free and may it be a help and blessing to you in these uncertain times.

Archive

Presenting ... Dronescape 045 (waag_drs045) by Cousin Silas

 

Earlier in the year, August to be exact, I had the privilege of spending a few days in Fife, Scotland; As we drove to our digs in a farmhouse near Glenrothes, we decided to stop off in the beautiful village of Culross for a picnic lunch. 

The rain that day did not stop but that didn't deter us from exploring the village. We wandered around the cobbled streets and spent some time in the Palace's Gardens, which were kindly opened by the National Trust for Scotland, the custodians of said Palace. 

Afterwards, rather than heading back (we had visited the Palace before) we explored further and ended up in these wonderfully eerie and deathly quiet back lanes: lanes with cobbles that we treacherously slick with rain and green with various forms of intentional and unintentional flora ... lanes where no car could go ... lanes where you felt in another time and place, out of step and just passing through;

It is a wonderful memory that came to me almost immediately when I played the latest Dronescape from Cousin Silas ... a piece that reminds of the peace and quiet of these lanes, so much so that it informed the artwork for the release.

Dronescape 045 is a wonderfully gentle piece: vivid and yet relaxing; it is the perfect soundscape for these anxious times that we are living in ... music to relax with ... music to be enjoyed with headphones and minimal distractions ... the perfect accompaniment for "me time" whether your 71 minutes involves of a sound-bath or a bubble-bath ... or wandering with your camera in the back lanes of a historic village.

Take time out to listen to Cousin Silas' latest Dronescape, I doubt you will regret it. I certainly haven't.

Please Note:

weareallghosts is funded through the money we receive for albums and dronescapes such as this. For us to realistically continue to put out this level of quality in the quantity that we do, we need to levy a small charge for some of our releases. Please help out by buying the dronescape. 

That said, if you aren’t able to then please note a 320kbps version of this release will be available in the next couple of days over on Archive (archive.org/details/we-are-all-ghosts) for free. 

- Thomas

Archive

Presenting ... Cousin Silas & Friends volume 8 part 3 (waag_rel141)

In August, when I released part 2 of this compilation, things seemed to be getting better ... restrictions were being lifted and people were accepting the "new normal".

I didn't think that we would see a resurgence in the virus but we did, and with that came more restrictions. 

And now, in September, in the midst of all the renewed uncertainty and worry, I am proud to release another of Cousin Silas' exceptional " ... and friends" albums.

Volume 8, part 3 is the prefect balm for the broken, anxious soul ... it is, for the most part, a predominately ambient affair that kicks off with the truly beautiful "Midsummer" by Cousin Silas & Raymond Russell and takes us on a journey that ends with a transcendental soundscape called "Freedom Without Movement" by Cousin Silas and WAAG alumnus, Scott Lawler. There are beats: Tim Kays' exquisite "After the storm" has a Berlin School feel that is very welcome and the ambient "supergroup" of Cousin Silas, Kevin Lyons, Martin Nuehold, Puppy Bordiga & Carbonates Of Mars take things in a refreshingly different direction with "Waving Goodbye To Time". 

There is just so much beauty on this album and I, for one, think our world needs this right now ... may this become the soundtrack to your time at home. 

- Thomas 

PS ... Volume 8 in all its parts will be "pay what you want" ... I would rather you download this album for free and pay it forward by using the money you may have spent to donate to a charity doing something positive in these strange days. 

I also want this album to be accessible to folks who may have financial concerns as a result of the pandemic ... please take the album for free and may it be a help and blessing to you in these uncertain times. 

**Tracklist**

01. Cousin Silas & Raymond Russell - Midsummer 04:33

02. Cousin Silas & Tim Kays - After The Storm 05:49

03. Cousin Silas & Sergio Mariani - Ego - Charis - Arkeo 05:49

04. Cousin Silas & Kevin Lyons - First Night on LV 426 - LV 09:47

05. Cousin Silas & Walter Fini - The Mystery And The Enchantment 06:27

06. Cousin Silas, Kevin Lyons & Tim Jones - Shuttered Concepts 14:29

07. Cousin Silas, Kevin Lyons, Martin Nuehold, Puppy Bordiga & Carbonates Of Mars - Waving Goodbye To Time 05:37

08. Cousin Silas & Ron Shayler - Movements Of Sunlit Shadows 07:10

09. Cousin Silas & Adam Steinberg - The Quiet Skyline 05:36

10. Cousin Silas & Scott Lawler - Freedom Without Movement 06:47

Archive

Weareallghosts · Cousin Silas & Friends volume 8 part 3 (waag_rel141)

Presenting ... Cousin Silas & Friends volume 8 part 2 (waag_rel140)

 

In April, I spoke of strange days requiring strange music ... that uneasy listening is ideally for the uneasy times that we experience. 

I didn't think that, in what is now the second-half of 2020, things would remain so utterly weird: 

Whilst our shops and restaurants and cafes and pubs open up ... we have face-masks and hand-sanitiser and still cannot hug our loved ones. Our movements are tracked and whole towns have been locked back down due to a resurgence in the virus. We have people grateful for the relaxation in the rules, trying as best they can to get back to some sense of normality and we also have people protesting having to wear a mask as if looking after both yourself and your neighbour is a bad thing. 

And in response to these strange and uncertain times, Cousin Silas amassed a group of his friends to create, in collaboration and at a distance, another of his exceptional " ... and friends" albums.

Together, alone ... this group of friends has created music that speaks to this day with ambient sounds, beats, guitar and bass. I welcome more music from Cousin Silas and his friends, and thank him for this: the second part of Volume 8 ... may this become the soundtrack to your time at home. 

- Thomas 

PS ... Volume 8 in all its parts will be "pay what you want" ... I would rather you download this album for free and pay it forward by using the money you may have spent to donate to a charity doing something positive in these strange days. 

I also want this album to be accessible to folks who may have financial concerns as a result of the pandemic ... please take the album for free and may it be a help and blessing to you in these uncertain times. 

**Tracklist**

01. Cousin Silas & Glove Of Bones - Intermission 3 - Nails 03:11

02. Cousin Silas & Autonomaton - Storm Of Days 05:04

03. Cousin Silas, Glenn Sogge, Ron Shayler, Puppy Bordiga, & Jaime Munárriz - Urban Suburban 04:45

04. Cousin Silas & Adam Steinberg - Drak Bonsere 06:32

05. Cousin Silas, Tubby Myers, Ron Shayler, & Puppy Bordiga - Where has Everyone Gone 06:01

06. Cousin Silas & computerchemist - Goodbye Home Service 07:40

07. Cousin Silas, Tubby Myers & Altocirrus - Downbeat 07:37

08. Cousin Silas & Wilfried Hanrath - Holy Moly, She Said And.. 08:14

09. Cousin Silas & Pete Swinton - Sharks In Venice (Part 2) 05:03

10. Cousin Silas & Pendro - Leo McKern's Kegs 12:06

11. Cousin Silas & Adam Steinberg - Approaching Metropolis 05:59

https://archive.org/details/waag_rel140b

Weareallghosts · Cousin Silas & Friends volume 8 part 2 (waag_rel140)

Presenting ... "Emporium Sampler (waag_EMP001)" by Cousin Silas

One of my main motivations, when I first talked about setting up weareallghosts, was to bring all the music of Cousin Silas under one roof or, at the very least, give a home to a good, sizeable chunk of it ... I felt Silas deserved some stability.

All these years later and Cousin Silas is finally bringing all his music, well most of his music, under one roof: his own. And, in doing so, remastering then rereleasing some of his seminal works with additional bonus tracks to enjoy.

The reasons for him doing so are varied: we've lost Candy and the future of her netlabel is uncertain ... there is also the desire to refresh the work (with my other hat on, I've been involved ... creating new album covers and seeking to build a unique visual identity for him) ... and a real desire to bring all his albums back together, all bar the ones on waag.

As such, the "Emporium Sampler" is quite simply that: a sampler of the music on Cousin Silas' netlabel ... it is an introduction to his non-waag music in the off-chance that you may not have heard it before now and wish to expand your collection.

I hope you enjoy the music on offer and take some time to explore the music Cousin Silas' has to offer over on his Bandcamp page: https://cousinsilas1.bandcamp.com

This album will not be available on Archive.

Thomas

Presenting ... Tales of Space Exploration 43​-​50 (waag_rel139) by Brother Saturn

 It's been a while ... more than four years since the last instalment in the "Tales of Space Exploration" series from Brother Saturn aka Drew Miller ... and in that time Drew has grown as a musician and as a person.

We have heard from Drew in the intervening time ... "Unstable Lands (waag_rel087)", "Apollo, can you hear me? (waag_rel104)", and "Music for Sleep (waag_rel130)" ... but there has always been a desire, at least for me, to revisit the familiar themes of travel, desolation, home and of loneliness; the themes the "Tales of ..." series so eloquently describe.

I am so glad that the series continues ... and hope you are too?

I am delighted to welcome Mason Van Kraayenburg who contributes to the track "Night Owls & Hummingbirds" and gives us all the feels with his guitar playing ... it is a collaboration that shows a new level of maturity from Miller, one that I welcome with open arms.

I also welcome Adam Howie's artwork and am so grateful that he agreed to work with us again ... it just wouldn't be the same without his masterful illustration gracing the cover of the latest "Tales of ..." release. His piece - "The Unknown Meaning of the Journey" is available to purchase and I would heartily encourage you to support Howie's art. Go here > linktr.ee/kimded < for more information.

A 320kbps version of this release will be available, for free, over on Archive with a lossless version available on Bandcamp for ‘pay what you want’.

- Thomas

https://archive.org/details/waag_rel139

Weareallghosts · Tales of Space Exploration 43​-​50 (waag_rel139) by Brother Saturn

Presenting ... Seclusion (waag_rel138) by Gurdonark

"Seclusion (waag_rel138)", the latest album from my dear friend Robert H. Nunnally Jr aka Gurdonark, was created during the Covid-19 pandemic. It features his futuristic lullabies, collages that have been informed and inspired by the lockdown. A sense of unease and of distance pervades these soundscapes ... a  vast yet wistful emptiness that is expressed through uncertainty and dissonance.

These are uneasy times and this is uneasy music for these uneasy times ... but with the right attitude and a wee bit of effort, I hope you will find Gurdonark's latest a rewarding one.

A 320kbps version of this release will be available, for free, over on Archive with a lossless version available here on Bandcamp for ‘pay what you want’.

- Thomas

https://archive.org/details/waag_rel138b

Presenting ... Cousin Silas & Friends volume 8 part 1

It could be argued that strange days require strange music ... uneasy listening for uneasy times ... and it can also be argued that one person's uneasy listening is another's vegan quiche.

These are strange days indeed. I doubt anyone could have predicted the first-half of 2020 would have been so utterly weird. 

Social distancing ... quarantine ... self-isolation ... PPE ... safe, not stuck, at home ... pandemic ... lockdown ... furlough ... terms used daily in the common parlance of those working from home along with those who are not, heard on the broadcast media that has become the focal point of our anxiety and our worry, heard on video calls with loved ones or brief conversations held from the top and bottom of a driveway.

And in response to these strange and uncertain times, Cousin Silas has amassed another group of his friends to create, in collaboration and at a distance, another of his exceptional " ... and friends" albums. 

Together, alone ... this group of friends has created music that speaks to this day with ambient sounds, beats, guitar and bass, found sounds, sampled speech, and even the spoken word of Andrew Darlington ... sometimes in the same track, sometimes not.

I welcome this music from Cousin Silas and his friends, and do note with appreciation, that this is only the first part of Volume 8. More is to come.

May this become the soundtrack to your time at home.

- Thomas

PS Volume 8 in all its parts will be "pay what you want" ... I would rather you download this album for free and pay it forward by using the money you may have spent to donate to a charity doing something positive in these strange days. 

I also want this album to be accessible to folks who may have financial concerns as a result of the pandemic ... please take the album for free and may it be a help and blessing to you in these uncertain times.

-----

TRACK LISTING

01. Cousin Silas with Har, Wilfried Hanrath, Martin Neuhold, & Andrew Darlington - Four Enigmatic Epitaphs Part 1 01:28

02. Cousin Silas with Tubby Myers, Ron Shayler & Jaime Munárriz - Red Sky Capillary 04:39

03. Cousin Silas with Ron Shayler & Glenn Sogge - Who Am I 04:41

04. Cousin Silas with Har, Wilfried Hanrath, Martin Neuhold, & Andrew Darlington - Four Enigmatic Epitaphs Part 2 01:28

05. Cousin Silas with Miriam Christina, Ron Shayler & Jaime Munárriz - Subtile Sprache 07:40

06. Cousin Silas with computerchemist, Tubby Myers, Kevin Lyons, Ron Shayler & Jaime Munárriz - Skyhigh Glideway 10:39

07. Cousin Silas with Har, Wilfried Hanrath, Martin Neuhold, & Andrew Darlington - Four Enigmatic Epitaphs Part 3 01:16

08. Cousin Silas with Asphalt Layer, Glenn Sogge, Ron Shayler & Jaime Munárriz - Soulidify 04:27

09. Cousin Silas & Adam Sternberg - An Underlying Air Of Uncertainty 07:29

10. Cousin Silas with Har, Wilfried Hanrath, Martin Neuhold, & Andrew Darlington - Four Enigmatic Epitaphs Part 4 02:48

11. Cousin Silas & Ron Depaepe - Space Oddity 04:02

12. Cousin Silas & Srigala - Sharks In Venice 03:37

13. Cousin Silas & Gaetano Fontanazza - Dark Escape 04:53

14. Cousin Silas with Ron Shayler & Martin Neuhold - Everywhere Is Grey 03:44

15. Cousin Silas with Doug Lynner, Ron Shayler & Glenn Sogge - Popgun 06:26

16. Cousin Silas & Glove Of Bones - Intermission 4 (Float) 06:41

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Archive.org

Presenting ... Dronescape 044 (waag_drs044) by Cousin Silas

From the magical to the mysterious, it amazes me how Dronescape 043 can be so magical and then the next longform piece in the Dronescape series - "Dronescape 044" from Cousin Silas - can be so eerie, weird and mysterious.

When first I listened to this piece I was immediately taken with its vastness and sense of scale... it made me think of walking in the cyclopian city on the Antarctic plateau that was visited by Professor William Dyer in Lovecraft's seminal tale, "At the Mountains of Madness".

The piece has a breathless, otherworldly nature ... it features a constant drone that is interspersed with weird "moments" that shock the senses and bring a sense of the present to the listener.

This is a piece best listened to at night ... with headphones ... and no distractions ... it will inspire the darkest of dreams.

It is important to note that weareallghosts is funded through the money we receive for albums and dronescapes such as this. For us to realistically continue to put out this level of quality in the quantity that we do, we need to levy a small charge for our releases. Please help out by buying the dronescape.

That said, if you aren’t able to then please note a 320kbps version of this release is over on Archive for free.

- Thomas

https://archive.org/details/waag_drs044

Presenting ... Scenes from Suburbia (waag_rel136) by Cousin Silas & Candy L

For me, it is wonderfully bittersweet to release "Scenes from Suburbia (waag_rel136)" by Cousin Silas & Candy L so close to  Candy's birthday ... I'm not sure how old she would have been if she had not lost her battle against cancer and, to be honest, it doesn't matter ... what matters is that the world and our wee community of DIY ambient musicians is considerably poorer for her not being with us.

"Scenes from Suburbia (waag_rel136)" was created in collaboration between the adorably prolific Cousin Silas and Candy, who somehow managed to fit in recording her parts to their album while running a netlabel that I, for one, was equally proud and envious of. Candy's work ethic was unparalleled, as was her creative expression. The atmospheric expressions contained within this album are truly extraordinary, they are varied and engaging ... and serve to remind us how much poorer we are for not having Candy in our midst.

This album was earmarked for release on Candy's label - Studio 4632 - but wasn't released due to Candy's untimely passing. I don't think I am alone in thinking that Candy would not have wanted it to languish on the digital equivalent of a dusty shelf, Cousin Silas certainly didn't think so when he offered it to waag. I am proud to give this album a home and hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

A 320kbps version of this release is available, for free, over on Archive with a lossless version available here on Bandcamp for ‘pay what you want’.

- Thomas

https://archive.org/details/waag_rel136

Presenting ... 11 Tales of Space and Intrigue (waag_rel135) by Cousin Silas & Kevin Lyons

Cousin Silas and Kevin Lyons make the spookiest of sci-fi inspired ambient music and "11 Tales of Space and Intrigue (waag_rel135)" is a superb addition to their body of work.

Theirs are the sounds of abandoned space-stations and far-off moons and the imagined goings-on of the extra-terrestrial stars of loved children's TV shows ... their evocative music is the music that feeds the imagination and inspires daydreams of burning worlds and the most captivating of deserts on the Red Planet.

I, for one, am a huge fan and love nothing more than to sit back with my headphones on, basking in these soundscapes.

I am delighted to see their ongoing partnership with artist, Andreas Schwietzke, continues unabated. As I have said before, his art so effectively catches the gist of what they are saying with their music. Once more, our thanks go to Andreas for the permission to use his wonderful work.

A 320kbps version of this release will be available, for free, over on Archive with a lossless version available here on Bandcamp for ‘pay what you want’.

- Thomas

https://archive.org/details/waag_rel135