Patterns of Behavior from zooloft records on Vimeo.

Giorgio Gigli and Obtane return with a beautiful ambient release on Gigli’s own Zooloft Records. Accompanying this release is a cinematic landscape music video that makes majestic mountaintops seem eerily alive and deeply connected. In typical Zooloft positive nihilist fashion this release and video is painted with a enigmatic message:

A Sad Wandering Dreamer Trapped in Contemporary Memory Architectures

As you can go away, there will always be something that will not make you forget where you came from…

Use your power and influence to help other people.
Never try to gain power for your own pleasure or supremacy.
Deceptions are everywhere but together we can defeat them.

We cannot be defeated by hanger or hatred!

Twilight Frequencies Podcast via iTunes

Download Twilight Frequencies Podcast 022 | Mountain Range

This month’s free music podcast is a short and lush mix composed of all original music from Mountain Range: Born from a love of Post Rock bands, endless mugs of tea, romanticizing Iceland and watching ‘Youtube’ videos of ‘Baths’. Shropshire born musician Stuart Thomas started writing music under the moniker of ‘Mountain Range’ in the summer of 2010. Blending washes of guitars and electronic beats, over the past year he has started to develop a small following in various pockets of the internet.

Twilight Frequencies: Tell us about the podcast, what was your overall direction in making the mix?

Mountain Range: I’ve never done this before, so to be honest, it was just a case of ordering the tracks in a way I thought flowed quite well, I’m just learning as I go really! As I write more stuff I can start to be more selective with various kinds of sets.

TF: You’re original music has such a cerebral feel to it, almost a perfect score to so many different things. What do you believe is at the heart of the sounds coming from your material?

MR: I started writing music that reflected things in my life that make me feel less uncomfortable/safer. I really got into Post Rock about two years ago, and that’s just stuck with me really, everything about the genre is so peaceful, it surrounds you as you listen to it, but it’s still got those aggressive parts, the dynamic really appeals to me. I’ve only just started to tap into writing that really slow, evolving quality of it and want to build on that. The electronic aspect gives it me that element of complete freedom, there are no constraints or rules, matching the two genres up is the goal! And I probably wouldn’t write anything if it wasn’t for Sigur Ros.

TF: If you were to be contacted to do a soundtrack, what do you think that movie would look like? Who would be the ideal director for this film?

MR: I love Wes Anderson, but I don’t think my stuff would work so well with him. The film would I hope be quite Happy, and quite slow, with lots of still cameras on things, like grass and trees. Shropshire basically. Something that could make you cry but in a good way. Like Wes Anderson films.

TF: Other than Mountain Range, what else do you spend your creative energy with? Is there other work you’ve made that comes through similar to the music, i.e. photography or poetry?

MR: I tried to teach myself photography last year with this old SLR I brought, but it really didn’t last very long, I want to pick it back up at some point for promo stuff, I use a friends photos at the moment that work really well. Other than that I used to draw a lot, but again, not very well, I’d like to tie things like that in.

TF: If you were walking through the woods blindfolded, what would your mind imagine in front of you?

MR: An armchair and mug of coffee. Boring I know. Worrying. Should I have said something more meaningful? A reassuring Deer then.

TF: Pick a color that best fits your sound, and then pick one thing to go with it.

MR: Dark Red. And a wooly knitted jumper.

TF: Is there an album in the works?

MR: I’d love to put out an EP, but I’d wouldn’t really be able to market it, and Soundcloud has the online side of stuff covered, so maybe when I get some more gigs going it’d be nice to have something people could take home. I’ll just continue writing and writing and see what people think, that might then become an EP.

TF: What would be the coolest thing to happen with Mountain Range?

MR: Every summer I spend hours watching festival coverage. I love festivals but never get to go to any, so playing at any festival really, at any time, to anyone. Thats my single aim of Mountain Range for the next ten plus years.

Tracklisting | Twilight Frequencies Podcast 022 | Mountain Range

1. Pylons
2. With Skates
3. The Secret Message (Mountain Range Remix)
4. Bears
5. Sky Chatter
6. And I Will Dance In Your Rays

All music written by Stuart Thomas, aside from track 3, written by Ori.

Marcel Dettmann, a techno music premier dj and producer, took some time off his busy schedule, which includes a residency at club Berghain in Berlin, to perform a live dj set for the team at Beatport. The set was recorded live and streamed to their Ustream channel. Beatport described Dettmann “kicked off his set with nearly 45 minutes of dark ambient and experimental music. Diving into grainy dub techno, Berlin machine minimalism and pure Detroit deepness” Marcel concurred “The first hour of the mix was more of a background-music track selection, like I’m listening to when I’m working. The second part of the set was more of the stuff I usually play in the club.”

Stream Marcel Dettmann, Techno Music Live DJ Set

Twilight_frequencies Podcast 008 comes to you by way of Nathan Youngblood. Nathan is an Ambient producer from Tuscon, Arizona who recently released his debut album, Asunder, under Steve Roach’s record label (steveroach.com). Twilight_frequencies recently had the opportunity to interview Youngblood while he was working on the podcast.

twilight_frequencies Podcast 008 Tracklisting:
1. Steve Roach – ‘Groundswell’ – Artifacts 1994
2. Robert Rich – ‘Mycelia’ – Fissures 1997
3. Brian Parnham – ‘Liquid Aggregate’ – 2007
4. John Vorus – ‘Swampland Dub’ – Transmuting Currents 2006
5. Steve Roach/Jorge Reyes – ‘The Holy Dirt’ – Vine, Bark & Spore 2000
6. Nathan Youngblood – ‘Vesper Nest’ – Asunder 2007
7. Alio Die – ‘A Fragment of Fire’ – Leaves Net 2001
8. Steve Roach -  ‘Dreamer Descends’ – 2002

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Download twilight frequencies Podcast 008: Nathan Youngblood

twilight_frequencies interview with Nathan Youngblood:

twilight_frequencies: Your debut album is entitled Asunder, does that title refer more to breaking something into pieces or to being widely separated? How does that correlate with the music and/or concept for the album?
Nathan Youngblood: At that time, this last minute title was referring to a feeling of separation. The sonic places I’m brought to from these pieces seem far removed from any sort of human life or time. It feels like waking up in an unknown prehistoric landscape, and safely watching evolution unfold. While creating these sounds I never knew they would all end up on an album together, so in that sense of the word, they do have a feeling of brokenness but work well together.

TF: Your music seems to travel into deep, dark celestial space, while still being deeply grounded with this strong connection to the Earth. Where do the inspirations for that connection come from?
NY: One of the biggest inspirations that can be put in to words is from the terrain that I dwell on and it’s mysterious energy. I’ve always felt a deep connection with the desert southwest and it’s surreal imagery.  There’s an incredible sense of stillness that is felt when I leave the city and become part of this vast mystery. It’s such a peaceful yet fierce environment, and bringing these feelings to a sound form is the ultimate goal. Hearing them changes all perspective of time and brings me to a sound-induced meditative state, which I’m addicted to.

TF: You played and incorporated many instruments and organic instrumentation into Asunder, How much do you rely on instrumentation over synthesis during production?
NY:The synthesis and instrumentation complimented each other pretty equally.  A lot of the sounds on Asunder are a simultaneous combination of the two, and a majority began as live looping and processing of instruments and objects. It’s important to have some sort of “real life” elements in my music such as a field recording or tangible objects. “Flume” is the only song that is pure synth.

TF: I know that you’re a multi-instrumentalist, what instrument do you most often reach for these days?
NY: Ultimately there is no single starting point or instrument I turn to when I’m creating sound. Some days I may want to explore processed guitars, while another time I may solely manipulate field recordings I’ve captured. Lately I’ve been getting back into the processed resonant drones of my sitar and Tibetan bowls.

TF: Steve Roach, an absolute ambient/soundscapes icon, produced and mastered Asunder, How did that relationship start?
NY: It began for me in 1998 when I randomly bought an album of his in a Kalamazoo, Michigan record store.  Instantly I felt a deeper connection with this record more so than the other electronic based music I was listening to at the time. I’ve been hooked ever since. It was in 2004 in Tucson when we met after he walked into a record store I was working at. I got a call not too long after asking if I’d like to work for him, and the choice was obvious.  In 2007 I was playing some rough pieces in the office that would later become Asunder. Steve heard this and realized it was me and he wanted to help release it. He became even more of an inspiration, musical and nonmusical, after working with him for many years. One of the best memories of that time period was sitting in a little bunkhouse nested on the side of the canyon on his ranch. We were having a beer and waiting for my music to be aired on Hearts Of Space. A very surreal moment to say the least…

TF: Steve Roach created many of his recordings with all organic instruments and recordings, Has that had an influence on your work? How has that translated to the studio?
NY: I’ve been experimenting with recordings of organic instruments and objects well before I knew of Roach or other sound sculptors. His use of organics has surely inspired me to continue to explore these techniques, and because of my already deep love for this sort of sound, I was drawn to his music even more. For as long as I can remember I’ve heard music in everyday environmental sounds whether it be leaves, wind, or the collective drone of Tucson air conditioners, and have wanted to incorporate them into compositions. I sometimes get tired of only clicking buttons and playing with synthesizers, so it’s refreshing to be able reach for one of my many instruments or field recordings and see what sounds can be molded.

TF: What is your DAW of choice?
NY: For as long as I’ve been using a computer as a music tool it’s been Sony Vegas. It’s used mainly for recording and editing, as most of the processing and effects go on outside through hardware.

TF: Do you prefer hardware or software synths?
NY: My preference is definitely hardware. My digital synths are very similar to what some softsynths are capable of, but I prefer the feeling of knobs, keys, and each board’s individual characteristics. I like to be able to walk into my studio and make noise without having to stare at a monitor. Only recently did I get a softsynth.

TF: What’s next for Nathan Youngblood? Working on new material?
NY: Currently I’m working on some sounds with John Vorus (www.johnvorus.com). We’ve always liked each others work, so it should be an interesting album.

Thanks for your time Nate, looking forward to your next release. Check out Nathan Youngblood’s debut album,  Asunder, available at www.cdbaby.com/cd/nyoungblood.

To put it simply Nuno Lupi is just a brilliant composer. His music is both breathtaking and skillful, blending the craft of sound with imagery seemlessly placed to expel the richness of performance. This weekly series is attempting to cross over the wide spectrum of musical brilliance our world has to offer. With this week’s choice I see that goal being fulfilled. We are excited to share and attempt to bring new listeners to Nuno Lupi from Lisboa, Portugal. His latest album Inner is available on Itunes and through Amazon.