Presenting ... Spring Chimes (waag_159) by Fabio Keiner

 

Spring is finally here in Scotland ... the May blossom has come and gone, leaving pink and white confetti in the streets ... and the sun doesn’t set until after 9pm.

With this in mind I present the latest release from Fabio Keiner, “Spring Chimes (waag_rel159) ... a four-part ep that brings to mind the intoxicating sound of wind chimes swaying and making their music in the wind.

The short opening track, “Morning Chimes”, captures the scattered random nature of chimes ... an entrancing sound that distills the nature of chimes.

We then have “Spring Chimes I” ... a truly entrancing longform ambient track that presents a soundscape of ethereal beauty and otherworldliness where musical notes dance off on the horizon.

The penultimate track, “Storm Warning”, has a mysterious Lovecraftian air about it ... there is a sense of cyclopian vistas and being in places that have not been visited in aeons ... think Dyer and Danforth in Kadath in the Cold Waste. It is utterly intoxicating.

The last track, “Spring Chimes II”, is another longer-form piece, this time with an atmospheric feel that is very much in keeping with “Storm Warning”.

All in, I really enjoyed this ep from Fabio Keiner and hope you will too.

- Thomas

Presenting ... My Tribute to Jeanne (waag_rel158)

There are those among us who show what giving is. Jeanne gave of her heart, mind, and spirit. I am forever grateful.
- Allen Pitts

"My Tribute to Jeanne (waag_rel158)" is a reflective EP that allows Allen Pitts to document his feelings towards his dear friend and provide some sense of closure after her untimely passing. It is a very personal recording for Allen and one I am proud to share here on weareallghosts.

The opening track “Into The Light” is a melodic synth and piano piece ... a gentle, introspective number that delights me as a listener with its warmth.

We then move to the irresistibly titled “Jeanne's Jam” with its infectious instrumentation and catchy rhythm that had me thinking of the title to “Thirty-something” (a soundtrack I love and listen to regularly). The guitar on this piece is so wonderfully upbeat and, dare I say it, jolly ... it is a joyful recollection of Jeanne and all the good times that Allen has simply jamming away with her.

“Free” moves in another direction altogether from the joyful upbeat to a more reflective, almost sacred, synth-driven otherworldliness that gives way to melancholic piano before a rhythm section bursts in to ground the piece. You can almost sense Jeanne going ... “what’s this, Allen? I want upbeat!” ... and Allen delivers whilst still retaining a sense of his sadness in her passing. It is a longer, more complex track but one that has a sense of freedom to it ... a celebratory track for a life well lived.

The EP then ends with “Signs and Wonders” with its gentle synths and melancholic piano before more vibrant rhythms burst forth to ground the piece. This is a fitting end to the EP with its passionate playing and inventive soundscaping ... it leaves you wanting more.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

- Thomas

Presenting ... Old Stones (waag_rel157) by Cousin Silas

“Old Stones (waag_rel157)” by Cousin Silas is an album of immense beauty that is inspired by the old stones of Scotland and the myths and legends that surround them.

The album consists of two longform tracks that have an ethereal magic about them:

The first track, “Sunrise on Clach an Trushal”, captures that liminal period between what was and what is to become ... it conveys this misty twilight otherworldliness in a manner that enthralled and captivated me when I first listened to it.

The second track, “Sunset on Tomnaverie”, whilst also capturing a period of change, is a more measured piece of ambient brilliance ... it so eloquently articulates a day that is nearly over with the anticipation of period of rest.

Within both tracks Cousin Silas has sought to bring forward sonic elements inspired by old stones: the suggestion of Celtic vocals in “Sunrise ...” and gentle strings and vocals in “Sunset ...” and does so with grace and ease ... nothing feels forced, everything is as it should be.

And that is this album in a nutshell: everything is as it should be ... especially Cousin Silas who is back at WAAG, his second home.

I am honoured to release “Old Stones (waag_rel157)” by Cousin Silas and hope you find the joy I have found in escaping the here and now for places of immense, awe-inspiring beauty.

- Thomas

Presenting ... Dronescape 050 (waag_drs050) by Cousin Silas

It is a bittersweet moment for today marks the release of the 50th and last dronescape from Cousin Silas.

And, as always, it is a fitting addition to his dronescape collection and the weareallghost canon.

But it is the last of the series.

We released the first one in January, 2013 ... and I have been guilty of eeeking them out, trying to make the last ... 049 was released a year ago in February, 2023.

And so, an 11-year series comes to an end ... and I am both delighted and gutted:

Delighted because Cousin Silas took an idea I proposed to him and made happen ... and that idea, to take longform ambient and make it “Silasy”, has been so well received throughout the eleven years that the series has been going. For some, the Dronescapes ARE their viewpoint of Cousin Silas’ music and that delights me because I make no secret of being a huge fan myself.

Gutted because we’ve reached the end of the road with the Dronescape series ... there was only ever going to be fifty.

But what a way to finish the series and what a series that we have been given!

Dronescape 050 is a wonderfully brooding affair ... one that feels like the soundscape to the exploration of a far-off world. It is a track alive with possibility that fills me, as the listener, with anticipation as I take each imagined step.

This is one for the imagination ... it isn’t really a track that can be passively consumed, rather it is to be enjoyed in all its otherworldly glory.

I have said it before and will say it again ... I really do hope you find enjoyment in this piece. This is because I do. From the first listen, I found this piece to be deliciously engaging ... it is one for the headphones and maybe one too many coffees.

Who knows what will come next ... Cousin Silas has hinted of something new in the skunkworks.

I cannot wait for what is to come but, for now, I am content with this and the other forty nine Dronescapes ... and marvel at the 60-plus hours of longform ambient music that Cousin Silas has produced.

Please Note:
weareallghosts is funded through the money we receive for albums and dronescapes such as this. For us to realistically continue we need to levy a small charge for some of our releases. Please help out by buying the dronescape.