Discover 4 collaboration releases with free Bandcamp download codes from independent artists and labels.
his marks the second collaboration between pianist Merle Louise and ambient/drone artist rsn. But whilst their debut, “clarity #1”, was a wonderfully unconventional ambient work, “astonishment #1” takes a much more experimental approach. The piano and bass setup has been expanded to include synths, loop tapes, noise boxes and effects pedals for the piano. The bass swells and drones typical of rsn recede into the background, creating sonic space. The five tracks still feature piano motifs, as heard on “clarity #1”, but the sounds are distorted, appearing rather fragmented here or repetitive there. Underlying these are drone synths, rustling tape loops and varied sounds, creating a rather surreal sonic journey rather than the soothing, cotton-soft one found on “clarity #1”. There are undoubtedly moments of immersion, yet one is gently pulled out of them time and again, for a spirit of experimentation reigns here. Thus, “astonishment #1” is more of an adventure than a relaxation.
1. Stefan Schmidt ° EMERGE - el martirio de las ranas 17:05 2. Doc Wör Mirran ° The Oval Language - Oval Eclipse 17:08 3. Carsten Vollmer ° Sprengmeister - Die Unterschreitung 14:20 photo by Dan Penschuck (feindesign.de) re:flexions logo by Heinz Stempfle design by EMERGE ALL TRACKS EXCLUSIVE FOR THIS COMPILATION
Thomas Rosen aka rsn continues his exploration into the universe of dronescapes with varying collaborators he started with a series of albums on attenuation circuit in 2025. In this latest chapter of his ongoing story of drone, he joins forces with Carsten Vollmer, himself a prolific collaborator. "I work with frequencies", is how Carsten Vollmer describes his practice, the implication being that if noise is intense enough it can cover all frequencies at once. In their collaborative work, rsn and Vollmer try out different approaches to "noise" - those with an abstract electronic timbre, and those that carry the overtones of sonic "dirt" (feedbacks, electromechanics) with them. With all the microtonal pushing and shoving - pogo in the ear canal, so to speak - going on within the walls of this sound, you could sum up this album with the motto: "Always static, never boring".
This record partly documents Arcanum Oceanus. Written and recorded by Arcane Synthetic and Silent Deep Ocean it explores shadow integration. No resolution is offered. This is a record, not an escape.
