Already in autumn, when I wrote about the electronica/ambient-duo ad dios, I could present a track from their upcoming album “A Journey through Middle Earth”. Now the album is here, and the journey is complete.

That they would create an album set in Tolkien’s landscapes doesn’t come as a complete surprise; the inspiration from celtic myths and ancient landscapes is there both in the stories from Middle Earth and in the works from ad dios. I do find, though, a little shift in style in this album compared to the others; this is much more focused on melodies than the ambient style. Like if the melodies carries some part of the story and not only describe the places.

Many of us have a special relation to this world of fantasy, and other composers have before created music with this theme. Here you can listen to a couple of tracks from ad dios’ version of Middle Earth.

On ad dios’ site you can find out more and listen to the album.

Isengard
Anduin

I’m sitting here listening to nice ambient tones from Moist. To be exact, the EP “Alone”, a 7-track record with 4 original tracks and 3 interesting remixes from Addeboy vs Cliff, Håkan Lidbo and Red Snapper.

The Moist songs has a mellow, atmospheric feeling, where heavy bass beats step down and give depth to it all. At the same time this is good down-tempo pop with Maria Marcus’ somewhat distanced, souly voice in a perfect marriage with the ambience. Really good electronica which you can dive into and dream away with for a while.

Behind Moist you’ll find the songwriter and producer David Elfström Lilja, who, in various collaborations, creates this beautiful music under the name Moist. On Moist’s site you can listen more and also download the EP “I Am What I Am”. Recently a collaboration with Sophie Rimheden “Just Say You’re Sorry”, was released, which you can listen to and download.

Moist also has a Myspace page, where you can listen to the EP “Alone”. Here’s a video from the EP “I Am What I Am” and two tracks from “Alone”, which you can listen to and download:

I Am feat Íse (from I Am What I Am):

Not Alone
How Long

I guess that New Years Day is the slowest day during the whole year for most people. At least it is for me, so I can’t really say that the new year begin with a flying start. But maybe, it’s just what we need; a day of  quiet afterthought, or maybe no thoughts at all, a few moments of eternal stillness before life starts pulsating again, faster and faster.

Maybe I See, (Niklas Björkman is his real name) can provide us with a soundtrack for today. Music that explores ambiences of beauty and darkness. Still but also with pulse. Something that creates images in my mind and with a touch of eastern mystique.

Visit I See on his Myspace page.

Kanto Plains of Despair
Master Over Seas
Nightfall In Kyoto
Reflecting Her Shadow

After listening to Best-of Christmas albums too many times, too many Christmases, I thought it would be nice to find some new favourites. And why not start looking among all the artists we have presented here at Meadowmusic?

So, here’s a collection of new christmas songs, and I hope that you too will find some songs that gives you that extra Christmas atmosphere.

Merry Christmas!

ad dios, the masters of ambience have created their own version of an old Christmas carol. On their site you can also download the wav-file of the song and a cover, so that you create your own Christmas gift.
Once In Royal David’s City

The Deer Tracks
Christmas Fire

Twiggy Frostbite
Lanterns & Stars

Mikael Herrström (with his own version of Hanoi Rocks’ song. Mikael will be presented in an upcoming post.)
Dead By X-mas

Maini Sorri, buy her Christmas EP here.
Our River Runs On Christmas Night

Strangers In Wonderland
Flickan i fönstret

Christian Björklund and Chuck Dread
O, helga natt (Chuck Dread remix)

Pär Enqvist Band
Blir det nån jul i år?

SvenStures Poporkester, the children’s pop band, world famous in Skåne, Sweden, also gives away their new album for free download. If you’d like to listen to the songs you can visit their site. (in Swedish)
Nissarnas A-lagskapten

I feel rather limited in presenting Echodeck in a blog post. Their entire concept is built upon a total experience of sound and vision and also contains a large part of improvisation. I do feel, though, that the recordings they present gives an interesting insight into what they want to accomplish.

It’s about music that is built around an ambience where layer is built upon layer, often to an electronic beat. Melody passages is mixed with moments of pure ambience and sounds of normal instruments are interwoven with  electronic sounds.

It is very beautiful, and it would be very interesting to be able to see them live someday.
Enjoy two tracks with Echodeck:

Black Box
Ohm

Visit Echodeck on Myspace