Headphone Commute: Recent Episodes
Headphone Commute
some original solo piano pieces... some mixes for my podcast... some random sound postcards... and some tracks from the albums I review for Headphone Commute... Enjoy!
in fact displaces time itself. And through this time we travel with this music. Let's listen.https://www.patreon.com/HeadphoneCommunity
to their full-fledged artistry and near-occult status following of their collaborative albums as Deaf Center and monumental solo works. Erik has rewarded his listeners not only with his particular style of experimental darkness through works as Svarte Greiner, but also by permeating that delicious aesthetic on his own independent label, Miasmah. While Otto, of course, has been a constant companion on sombre and nostalgic nights with his gorgeous solo piano releases. Together, they are a force to be reckoned with, and their new album on Sonic Pieces is a perfect testament of how these two amazing artists continue to grow together and share their gifts with us. It's been on repeat since the imprint's owner and curator, Monique Recknagel, sent it to me, and I'm finally happy to reveal it to you.
About two years ago, two of my favorite composers got together after a live performance and recorded a fantastic album. This timeline feels strangely like it was just yesterday, and also like a long time ago. Even the cover of the follow-up is like an echo of colors, although I assure you, that's an entirely different image featuring a newly glazed vessel. The music, revisited and refired, marks a brand-new progression in the sonic object that these two artists establish. It is at once more polished, radiant, and softer composition. It's fully organic, with the strings and the voice, courtesy of the two new collaborators appearing on the record: Martina Bertoni and Andrea Burelli, who appeared as part of the duo's three-day residency at Morphine Raum in Berlin. The recording was captured through a 1970's mixing console and microphones placed in this open space, and then further refined, shaped, and molded back in their respective studios, as Rafael and Guido exchanged the stems. The result is a requiem, worthy of a cathedral's elegy, elegant and divine, and its beauty spreads the warmth of sound from the duo's minds to mine.
, was composed exactly two years ago, and I used it as a reminder that life is short, and although reality does not often match our expectations, it is nevertheless fluid, and we can, if we put our minds to it, break out from its grip. Break out from the suffocation of other projections, break out from hurtful delusions, break out from the strong hold of our past. Break out so that we can breathe again. Break out so that we can be...
performed by Yann at Dronebath Edition 003 in Los Angeles, California, in July of 2024. In the context of this theme, it's both unsettling and reassuring at the very same time.https://www.patreon.com/HeadphoneCommunity
. Long-time fans and followers of Uwe's sound design will be incredibly delighted by the sparse melodies and rhythms, which are further enhanced by Yui's acoustic architecture and spatial perception. The two sonic artists come together on Form to create an organically sounding celestial environment that seems to swirl, fold, and echo off the invisible structures placed throughout the space. On this sonic marvel, the layering is deliberate, clearly articulated, and light, with each sound carved out to stand on its own, highlighting the intentional silence and negative space. This is a sonic marvel that would appeal to those fascinated by sound design and to those who appreciate it for its therapeutic benefits. Let's listen...
I just wanted to remind you, in case you missed it, that Joachim Spieth is currently the featured artist for March over at Headphone Community. We just kicked off his month-long residency, where he already generously shared some Bandcamp codes for his monumental Tides album. We still have plenty of ground to cover, including many unreleased tracks, a traversal of his discography, an in-depth dialogue on his background, music production, collaborations, and, of course, his influential label, Affin. Today, I am happy to host this exclusive track premiere from his upcoming new album, titled Vestige, which will be released this Friday (March 6th, 2026) via his own imprint. Those already familiar with Joachim's incredible control of rich textures, spatial ambiance, and hypnotic rhythms need not hesitate to pre-order the 6-panel digipak before it drops, and, in addition, jump on board the listening party, which will take place as a livestream on March 5th via Bandcamp. Vestige is all about tracing paths, the journeys of getting to where we are, building upon all the past experiences that contributed to our arrival. For Joachim, that means revisiting the many foundational elements of his sound, interpreting and placing them into a new context, bridging the many years of his evolution as an artist into a cohesive sonic reflection. Check out more on Headphone Community:https://www.patreon.com/c/HeadphoneCommunity
Happy Thursday, friends. Last year, I managed to put together only a handful of mixes, and, as usual, I found myself wondering whether it was still worth the time and energy. That’s a conversation we can finally have properly now, over on Headphone Community. But for all the self-questioning, some rituals are too important to abandon. Today marks the arrival of the 18th chapter in Mathias Van Eecloo's eisOtones series - a carefully assembled journey through 50 tracks drawn from 50 different releases. You can explore all earlier editions if you feel like retracing the path, but this one very much stands on its own. Expect a wide-ranging and occasionally surprising selection, brushing up against styles that don’t always revolve within the usual Headphone Commute orbit. And that is exactly the point. If you're a fan of Phantom Limb, Thrill Jockey, 12k, Room40, Hands In The Dark, Dronarivm, Audiobulb, and about 40 other labels, then this is definitely a voyage for you. And with that, it’s time to stop talking and let the music take over.Full tracklisting is here:https://headphonecommute.com/app/uploads/2026/02/337-mathias-van-eecloo-eisotones-18.pdf
You don’t have to read the press release for Rafael Anton Irisarri‘s latest opus, Points of Inaccessibility, to know all of its conveyed emotion. It’s already all there. That is the power of music when it’s delivered through the heart and mind by an amazing artist. Sure, there is an interesting background behind this work [and one which you can read on Bandcamp anyway], but for me, it doesn’t matter. When I listened to this album for the first time, I was immediately overwhelmed with its immersive poignant arc, and then I listened to it again, and again, and again… until the four pieces became not just the sounds for the story to be discovered later through these words, but they became the sounds for the story of my own, the one where words are not enough, the one that only speaks in music. This music touches something deeply personal, and then these words come out in abstract. But when you read them, you will know at least one thing: they have been written by a human. They have been triggered by a human. And when two humans speak without words, there is a true and genuine connection. One, which we can’t replace with a digital domain. And as we sink a little deeper every day into a world of artificial emotion, remember that you can return to music. Remember that this music is the key.Points of Inaccessibility came from thinking about how disconnection feels in an age obsessed with connection. We are constantly online, constantly visible, yet we drift further apart. The real distance isn’t geographic anymore, it’s emotional. We mistake connectivity for community. The more we share, the less we seem to feel. This album is about that strange loneliness that hides inside constant communication, a loneliness that hums quietly beneath the surface of everything. The record isn’t nostalgic. It’s about the way the present is haunted by all the futures that never arrived. We live inside systems that promise connection but deliver repetition. Everything loops, nothing resolves.— Rafael Anton IrisarriThe album is scheduled to be released on February 6th, 2026, via Irisarri’s own Black Knoll Editions. Preorder the beautifully mastered limited edition 12″ by Stephan Mathieu at his Schwebung Mastering, with a bleak yet stunning cover art by Jaco Schilp. Once again, you can grab the digital and vinyl versions directly from Irisarri’s Bandcamp. Don’t sleep on this one.https://irisarri.bandcamp.com/album/points-of-inaccessibility
Good morning, and welcome to your Thursday. I may not have hosted many mixes this past year, but I can't let this one fall through. Tradition is a tradition. I've been hosting Mathias Van Eecloo's label showcase since 2021, whereby he compiles two years of LAAPS and IIKKI releases into a single continuous mix. Once again, this is a glorious selection of two years of music, spanning 23 releases and even 8 books - a label sampler unlike any other, available exclusively here, which, hopefully, will whet your appetite, and you'll check out the albums in full. As usual, when it comes to sharing these mixes, words become futile, and I'd rather let the music speak for itself. Enjoy the music, and please don't forget to support everyone (human) who shares this beauty - it's the least we can do in this increasingly bizarre age of agents.
Every year since about 2010, Mike Jedlicka and I have kept up a tradition: he creates a vinyl-only mix of his favourite records, and I share it on Headphone Commute as part of our end-of-year celebrations. And yes, this is his 15th installment! As always, Mike keeps me in check by navigating the releases of the past year across a variety of genres, even throwing in a hip-hop track or two, which makes this journey all the more exciting. It’s always a great pleasure to experience his deep knowledge of eclectic selections in a long-form continuous mix, and I’m always happy to share it with you!If you like these choices, check out the Optic Echo Presents archive. Enjoy the sounds, and please support the featured artists and labels! Pick up their releases on Bandcamp, even if you still intend to play them on Spotify on the go! Full Tracklisting is on Headphone Community:https://www.patreon.com/c/HeadphoneCommunity
Glace”, you’re immediately transported to those murky days of Untrue (and damn, Burial’s self-titled turns 10 years old next May!). But back to La route des Alpes. This album is actually a film score, and was commissioned by the Scène Nationale du Lux in Valence for a cine-concert on André Bayard’s 1921 silent film. This is a journey through the regions like Évian, Col du Galibier, and Mont Blanc. And although we don’t have the silent film, we’ve got this music for you. “Epic flights echoing the grandeur of the landscapes, a deep sense of nostalgia, darker tracks shaped by the harshness of the elements, later contrasted by the lightness of clearings traced by his synthesizers, a fragile, skin-deep composition elevated by immersive and masterful sound design.” I liked this album a lot, and I was initially planning to premiere a track for you on here, but time slipped by, as I got swallowed up by Headphone Community, where I am spending most of my time and energy these days. And that’s all good, since now you get a dedicated write-up. Pick this one up from the French Lifeguards / IFT imprint.
Low Harmonics builds upon the reflective world first introduced by Zach on Dolere, which explored how time stretches during periods of sorrow and how sound can create a brief shelter from that weight. The predecessor fluctuated between ache and relief, and now its follow-up dives further into the inward, existential space beneath those emotions. Here, the use of deep and subterranean tones feels both intimate and vast, pulling you deeper into the lower spectrum of sound, shaped by heavy bass ebbs, low-frequency flow, and slow-moving drift. This album echoes the textural gravity of artists like Thomas Köner and the cold Arctic brush of Geir Jenssen, while remaining rooted in Affin’s commitment to sound that lives outside the expected.
Headphone Community: https://www.patreon.com/c/HeadphoneCommunityQuiet Details Bandcamp: https://quietdetails.bandcamp.com/
There are a few collaborations that work really well. And, when something works well, why not double down? Two years ago [I almost said last November], Markus Guentner and Joachim Spieth came together for a full-length release on Spieth's own Affin imprint. This was more than just their initial conversation, which appeared on Kompakt's Pop Ambient's 2022 installment. Overlay was full of lush texture and ambience, which gently tickled the sensitive nerve endings in my ear canal, leaving my brain to decipher the signals into analgesic pleasantries. This year, the duo returns with a follow-up full-length release, delving deeper into atmospheric soundscapes, punctuating them with a dub-inspired heart-pounding beat. Fans of hypnotic, kaleidoscopic, and sonically rich environments will surely want to lose themselves in the caverns of this all-encompassing sound. If you are a fan [as much as I am] of their solo works, you will find that here, together, the multiplier is higher. They're truly at the top of their art here, so let's put on a heavy ADS for a fully submersible voyage. A subwoofer is recommended.
I may not trust the intarwebs, but I will surely trust my label. When it comes to discovering new music (to pop me out of my echo chamber and insistent feedback loop), it’s easy to get lost among the new releases. There’s just too much of everything, and it’s only getting harder to discern. Anyone can share their latest content. And anyone can upload with a click. There’s a reason for that. The companies that host it all have made it easy for a reason: to monetize your music. To turn your content into cash. On the flip side, the labels take their time. They are, in turn, investing in the artist. So when you buy into the label, you buy into their world. Past Inside The Present has been curating my journey since 2018, and I have learned to trust Zach’s choice in music. So when he backs North Carolina-based vocalist Angela Winter for her slightly avant-garde solo debut release for the label, I’m all ears. I write “solo” because in 2024, we’ve already heard her voice on a collaboration with the label boss himself, titled Mid Sky. Together, the duo navigated “a realm between the terrestrial and cosmic with organic drones and ethereal vocals“. In August, Angela returns with a full-length titled Forbidden Questions In Space, centered around ambient and drone improvisations, and of course, her voice, for a koan-inspired drift into the endless cosmos. If you’ve been following Headphone Commute, you know that I tend to focus on mostly instrumental music, often with a darker tint of sonic experimentation. Today, I select one of those pieces from her upcoming album to give you a taste.
After decades of chasing, accumulating, and then sharing new music with you, I think I've hit some saturation point. I think I'm done spinning in the vortex of the "new", being pulled in all directions, catching up on all the "fresh" and "innovative" tracks. I'm not saying that I will stop covering new music. No. But I think I'll focus the virtual lens of my listening on a very narrow point, investing my time and attention over more extended periods. I think I will turn inwards... towards music and the artists that genuinely make me feel. This is the case with Rafael Anton Irisarri's A Fragile Geography, an album from 2015, which captured my attention then as it does now, triggering memories, triggering thoughts, and emotion. A decade ago, during a move between coasts, Rafael lost his possessions - stolen with the moving truck - along with all his audio archives, forcing him to rebuild his studio and sound from the ground up. The pain of this loss is reflected in almost every single track on the album. This music is slightly dark and melancholic. It's visceral, and it gets under your skin. And there it stays with you for ages. Becoming part of you, becoming part of your existence.On September 19th, the album will be reissued, beautifully remastered by Stephan Mathieu at his Schwebung studio, along with a limited edition cassette of remixes by the most renowned artists, handpicked by Rafael. "This record has always been about letting go of one life and rebuilding another", says Irisarri, "It feels fitting to return to it now - ten years later, in a different country, a different world." These reworks are worthy of your precious awareness as well. I know that there are more than a few in the pipeline (at least six), which will be revealed one at a time. As of this writing, there is already a gorgeous rework by the one and only William Basinski, with his version of "Secretly Wishing For Rain" with Gary Thomas Wright, which incorporates field recordings of Reseda rain and birds captured by Basinski himself. You can check out a digital stream of that track here. BUT! Today, I am premiering for you a second rework by Abul Mogard! This piece bears not only the original elements of "Persistence" but, of course, Guido's extremely personal touch that breathes new life into this sound.Head over to headphonecommute.com to read more about this release, including a quote from Abul Mogard on the rework.
Jason van Wyk is a Cape Town (South Africa) based electronic music producer whose music I often wish could have been my own. From cinematic soundscapes to soft piano keys and mesmerising passages, the elements of his pieces are all the necessary ingredients that I often try to combine in my music. And that is basically the highest sort of praise that I could give. There are many incredible ambient musicians who truly inspire me with their ability to create and transport me to their fantastic sonic worlds. And plenty have contributed to my growth as a musician - I am permanently indebted to many of them, whom I am honoured to call friends. But in my soul, I am a pianist, and the instrument [or its echoes] inevitably make it into my tracks. And this is what I love about Jason's music. His most recent release on the beloved n5MD, Inherent, is a more upbeat, forward-driven progression, combining his skills of crafting dance-oriented grooves with atmospheric soundtracks. For his upcoming EP, Jason reworked three tracks into pure ambient pieces. To truly appreciate the transformation, start by hearing the original track, followed by this alternative version. If you want to dig deeper into the process behind the composition (including the details of the actual effects chain used, like the Space Echo, etc.), you can read up on Headphone Community, where Jason revealed it all when he was a featured artist for the entire month of July [the content is still up there!]. Deep listening and focus are essential to truly appreciate the textures here...https://www.patreon.com/HeadphoneCommunity
I don't think I will ever forget the first time I heard m.=addiction. I can also confirm that every time I played out that record, folks waltzed over to me to find out the name. Something mystical and enigmatic brought them over to music, making me feel like I was a snake charmer enchanting a cobra with the sounds of a pungi. The music of Dictaphone often evoked hazy spaces, full of jazzy smoke, lo-fi textures, and noir voices, occupying those distant corners of your memory where you felt glamorous comfort, charming enchantment, and warming delight. Since the 2002 debut, the Berlin-based duo of Oliver Doerell and Roger Döring released five more albums, all of which I think I have covered on Headphone Commute. And, in my humble opinion, their latest upcoming release is the closest to that special aura I felt nearly two decades ago. Unstable is Dictaphone's 6th full-length, where Doerel and Döring are also joined by Alexander Stoze (on violin) to mesmerise us with that special scent of future-retro nostalgia that seems to drift in the air like thick incense in a temple of soporific ghosts.
For over two decades, the Osnabrück duo of Stephan Otten and Oliver Klemm has inhabited the sacred intersection of Krautrock's motorik pulse, ambient's expansive consciousness, and contemporary electronica's limitless possibility. Their approach to composition mirrors the architectural precision I've celebrated in my previous coverage on HC, where each element serves both structural and emotional purposes. In the liminal hours between consciousness and dream, Sankt Otten crafts sonic territories that feel both ancient and impossibly futuristic. "Die Gute Fee War Schon Da" (The Good Fairy Was Already There) emerges from their forthcoming album Tote Winkel like a meditation on synthetic breath. Long sighs and deep breathing from a machine that carries an undercurrent of foreboding beauty. This particular piece unfolds with the hypnotic inevitability of oncoming headlights—mesmerizing yet tinged with existential unease. Recorded predominantly live with Martin Schmeing spontaneously contributing DX7 textures, the track embodies Sankt Otten's evolution toward more organic creation methods. The fairy tale reference in the title suggests narrative completion. As their fourteenth album approaches on Denovali, Sankt Otten continues to prove that the most profound electronic music emerges not from technological innovation alone, but from the spaces where human vulnerability meets synthetic precision. Fans of synth-based explorations of future-retro sound will agree.
For almost two decades, I have been tirelessly seeking honesty in music. I aim to find the sounds with which the artist speaks. Soundscapes that make you feel. Atmospheres that not only fill your room (and headphones) but truly transport you into another time and place. I will never forget the first time I heard Abul Mogard’s music. I was mesmerised. His intricate attention to sound design, rich textures, and manipulation of the created environment instantly transformed me into an avid fan. His music didn’t just augment my mood; it seemed to seep into my being, altering the code behind the perception of my mind. I didn’t just listen to his music, I invited it to be a part of my condition. In an effort to delve deeper and spend more time with such music, and more importantly, the composers themselves, I created Headphone Community, where I feature an artist for an in-depth exploration. In the last three months, I’ve highlighted the sounds of James Murray, Ben Chatwin, and Erik K Skodvin. Today, I am honoured to announce that Abul Mogard will be the featured artist for the entire month of June! I invite you to join us on this journey, with the knowledge that your financial contribution will go directly to the artist!Join here: https://www.patreon.com/c/HeadphoneCommunity
Believe it or not, I am not that great at self-promotion. So when it comes to using this very platform, I hesitate and stall. When it comes to shouting into the world about my music, I often feel a bit self-conscious. I'm sure that musicians understand what it takes to finally "release" their work into the world. It's both - a ball of tangled tension and a sigh of great relief. And so today, I finally get over that hurdle by announcing my new album on the esteemed Dronarivm imprint. The roots of Tarnished Tapes and Saturated Signals are deeply intertwined with those of Sacred Tonalities (Past Inside The Present, 2023). In fact, a couple of pieces are complex reworks and further explorations of themes. All of it is still a little hazy, deconstructed, and concealed. Not because I'm hiding something, but because you need to scratch at the layered surface to understand and know the truth. Most of you will have no trouble, as I hope my sounds will resonate with something that you also pushed inside. In the end, my curated journey through deconstructed electronica, cinematic ambience, and modern classical sound fuses into expansive nostalgia, reductionist pianism, and deep emotional atmosphere, hopefully evoking a sense of loss, disintegration, and the fragility of our temporal selves. And now I can move on...
South African Jason van Wyk is quickly becoming a favourite and prominent artist on these pages. You may even think I’m biased, because I asked Jason to rework one of my tracks. But this relationship is indeed in reverse – I only requested his participation because I admire his sound, and am indeed inspired by his music when I choose to work on my own. There’s something ethereal, delicate, and dreamlike in how his cinematic pads swirl in a cocktail spatial ambience and pulsating rhythm that takes over my heart and bewitches my soul. Stunning harmonic progressions show off true musicianship, while the layered textures keep me occupied with intelligent sound design. This is the culmination of elements that I highly respect in my music. This is why I keep listening to Jason’s music and try to share it with the world. This is why, I’m sure, Mike Cadoo continues to invite him on his label. We last heard from Jason nearly three years ago [time is always speeding up], when in October of 2022, he released Descendants, which inevitably landed on my Best of the Year list in the most coveted category, Music For The Film Behind Closed Eyelids. This is a sacred space, often occupied by the likes of Max Richter, Ólafur Arnalds, and, of course, Jóhann Jóhannsson. With his latest sixth full-length album, Inherent, Jason is back on n5MD, pushing his boundaries forward, featuring even more expansive soundscapes of warm ambiance, haunting piano melodies, and trance-inducing beats. Enjoy this exclusive track, and who knows, maybe Jason will show up on Headphone Community (wink, wink).
Sometimes I wake up in a different bed, in a different city, at a different time. Everything around me is new and there is excitement about all the possibilities. But there’s also a bit of anxiety and maybe even dread. My anchor is gone, and I am drifting with the current, afloat among the unfamiliar waters. This is when I turn back towards music. Music that makes me feel like I am safe, serene and cosy. Music that I often call my home. This is precisely what I hear in the soft piano keys of the Norwegian pianist and composer Øystein Skar, who has announced his upcoming debut album, titled Hem. I may not know him as a person, and yet his playing makes me calm. I may not truly know his story, and yet his story’s somehow mine. And while I navigate the stormy weather, this ray of sunshine points the way. In these turbulent and truly anxious times, I turn back towards home. I turn back towards music.Composed during winter’s embrace in his woodland home outside Oslo (I imagine a hushed sanctuary of a snow-draped retreat), the piece embodies the album’s central theme of homecoming – not merely to a physical place, but to essential truths long carried within. In its patient build and emotional resolution, “Levva” invites listeners into the intimate geography of Skar’s personal mindspace. The piece stands as testimony to what becomes possible when an artist, after years of outward exploration, turns the compass needle toward the territories of the heart."Levva, meaning “to live well,” is a longer, more experimental track blending classical, improvisational, and electronic music. Anchored by a synth arpeggiation and a piano melody, the piece has two parts with the second evolving into an expansive, percussive, and dreamy landscape created with an array of synths. For me, it’s about embracing strength through authenticity." — Øystein Skar
I have been writing about music for nearly two decades now, and it’s time to turn inwards again. Away from being a promotion vehicle and towards a curation platform, supporting music and musicians that resonate within. And when it comes to highlighting one of my favourite electronic musicians, that is certainly the case. Somewhere, in the darkened, quiet and euphonic spaces between synthetic, buzzing pulses and organic, breathing textures, Ben Chatwin has been crafting his sonic language. This voice speaks through modulated frequencies, soaring string arrangements, and the ghostly hum of man-made machinery brought to life. This month, he’s been the featured artist on Headphone Community, where I showcase his music through exclusive track premieres, unreleased alternative mixes, in-depth interviews, and yes, even an 80% OFF discount to his last album, Verdigris. You can join for only $1 a month to get access to all of the above, and invest your precious attention among the many like-minded folks who still believe in the transformative power of deliberate, thoughtful, and visceral music. Today’s track is taken from the forthcoming EP, Klasis, scheduled to be released on May 9th, 2025. This is the second release from a new project Ben calls Tether – a series of EPs and singles rolling out over the year, eventually leading to an album. The first release, The Beginning, is available on his Bandcamp, and you can name your price for that release.See more on https://www.patreon.com/HeadphoneCommunity
I’ve been mesmerised with the sound of Deaf Center since the very beginning. I think it’s been more than 20 years now since their Neon City EP was released on Type. This is way before I even knew that behind the project was a Norwegian duo who started making music together as friends. This is before I knew their names to be Erik K Skodvin and Otto A. Totland. Before I listened to, admired, and celebrated their solo works on here. And, before I met each one in person, and of course, before we naturally became friends. This is precisely why, when it came to launching Headphone Community and deciding on who I should profile there from the start, I reached out to Erik and his partner Monique Recknagel (who runs Sonic Pieces imprint) to pitch them this idea (it was actually when I visited their mi-so shop in Berlin). This is why Erik is the currently featured artist for the month of May on Headphone Community (join for just $1 for an intimate journey!), and this is why I am premiering this track for you today. It’s been another long period of silence for Deaf Center, but the two long-form pieces on Reverie clearly show that they have not put their collaboration on hold. If anything, it has only evolved into a hypnotic meditation on Otto’s keys and Erik’s strings, guitar, effects, and atmospherics, designed for a very deep listening session. The recordings actually come from a live performance in October 2024 in Rabih Beaini’s studio, Morphine Raum in Berlin, during the 15th anniversary celebration of Sonic Pieces. This is less of an improvisation and more of a dialogue between the two friends who haven’t spoken in a while. It is truly magical, and I only wish I could be there to experience it live.In “Rev”, deeply effected piano motifs reverberate and echo in the depths of the room, evolving through looping and electronics into a blissful, mesmerising cloud of (dis)harmony. The sound is reminiscent of the 7inch “Vintage Well” mixed with the basic elements of 2011’s “Owl Splinters”. […] The immediate duality of the two performers has rarely been so strongly felt, Totland’s deep melodic feeling is underscored by Skodvin’s abstract ambience and processing. Dark versus light, loud versus quiet – this has always been at the core of what makes Deaf Center a special project.
Some things could be attributed to chance, while others result from human [in]action. Reality has a way of unfolding, but we also can shape it, if we only try. We can create distortion fields in this world, both negative and positive. I prefer to do it with music [and also with these words], feeling the pressure levels of air displaced through this space, seeing my actions evolve our community. The key is to channel it into the right things. The key is to mould this reality by lowering suffering and not creating more insanity spun out by imaginary thoughts. Turkish electronic musician Siné Buyuka expresses her frustration, aggrievement and grief for the loss and devastation of the 2022 Turkiye-Syria earthquake on her latest album, Farewell. Producing under her Sinemis moniker, the music captures the visceral emotional maelstrom through sound shaped by organic pads, pulsating bass, and prickly stabs from semi-modular synths. Buyuka's music is "at once a love letter to the beautiful land that she once called home and a scathing indictment of the governing powers that have so harmed its own people, culture, and freedom." The tension of this cinematic expression is held together by beatless rhythm and sweeping noise that would appeal to fans of Caterina Barbieri, Alessandro Cortini and Helene Vogelsinger. Siné, of course, is more than an artist - she is also the founder and curator of an Istanbul and London-based boutique label, Injazero Records, which put out a benefit compilation two years ago (March 2023) titled re-LEAF with all profits donated to the Ahbap NGO in Turkiye for their wide-range relief operation in an ethnically diverse area home to millions of immigrants and Syrian refugees.
About a month ago, I launched and announced Headphone Community – a special place where independent artists can connect with their supporters in an intimately curated space. The first and currently featured artist is James Murray, whose music I have been covering for over a decade now. We’re only halfway through the month, and so far, I have already published an exclusive track premiere [unavailable anywhere else], an interview with Murray [he’s usually very reserved about sharing his process and technique], and a shout-out to his imprint Slowcraft [including a 50% off discount code to anything in the label’s catalogue, exclusive to the members]. And, yes, I tend to believe that for only $1 a month, as a subscriber, you get immense value for your contribution, not to mention that every dollar raised will go back to the artist! So, I feel very optimistic about the entire project and (on some mornings) proud.But there is another thing that has been happening behind the scenes. As I began to highlight this artist and spend more time with his sound throughout the month, I started to truly connect with his music on a level much deeper than ever before. Yes, I have already lauded his 2022 album, Careful Now, as one of the best of that year, but as I listened to it again and again and again, it started to open up beyond its sonic medium. It became more than just music – a conversation between a composer and a listener, and suddenly… I really heard. This active and heightened experience of listening reminded me of the very early days of discovering the beauty of music – when I used to nestle with an album for months and years at a time. In the last greatly accelerating decades of social media, algorithms, and time-sliced attention spans, I feel like I’ve been robbed of that. And now, I’m bringing it all back. Today’s track premiere is from Murray’s upcoming EP, Clearings, scheduled to be released via Home Normal in April. It’s an alternative mix of one of the pieces from Careful Now, showcasing the evolution of the track with an intimate glimpse into its transition and the final shape. Read more about this alternate version directly from James on Headphone Community.https://www.patreon.com/c/HeadphoneCommunity
In the brackish territories where ambient Gothic dissolves into industrial techno's harsh architecture, Richie Culver's Quiet Husband finds its most compelling voice. The track I am premiering for you today, "At Your Worst," operates at this precise intersection—a dankly atmospheric piece that reflects haunted soundscapes while maintaining the raw visceral energy that has defined this multi-disciplinary artist's sonic explorations. Following his mesmerizing Atonal Festival appearance and the brutal Religious Equipment (2024) album—that unflinching portrait of addiction where track titles borrowed the clinical language of opiate blockers—Raging Habits 2 suggests a subtle shift. Here, Chicago house rhythms intermingle with looping ambient elements, creating tension between forward propulsion and suspended animation. I've had my eye and ear on Quiet Husband for a while now, seeking out the perfect piece that would appeal to all my readers, and I think that "At Your Worst" may hit that note. Disintegrating loops, raw noise and dark distortion operate in the foreground of this piece, scratching its nails on the outer walls of the chalkboard. The track's title itself speaks to Culver's unflinching examination of human fragility, that moment when substitution becomes salvation—when "noise becomes a proxy for silence, and intensity replaces numbness." This is music from the peripheral spaces of experience, from that liminal zone where endorphin rushes skim "over the synapse surface." Just days before his upcoming Berghain debut, Culver offers us not merely a composition but a séance, invoking ghosts of past raging habits while simultaneously exorcising them through the catharsis of sound. Not for the lighthearted, but if you're brave you will enjoy.
Once in a while, I come upon an artist whom I cannot wait to introduce to you. I met Evan Gildersleeve via the remnants of social media channels when he shared Ben Chatwin's remix of one of his tracks with me. I am a massive fan of Chatwin's ability to combine musical and grungy elements into a single sonic journey - enough so that I invited Ben to be the next featured artist on Headphone Community (in April 2025). Gildersleeve's music grazed one of the OUT TODAY columns back in 2020, but today, I'm happy to highlight this British producer front and center. All of my favourite elements of electronic music are here, from cinematic storytelling to memorable melodies to intricate sound design. Gildersleeve is not a stranger to the scene, having collaborated with artists such as Jónsi of Sigur Rós and the dearly missed Jóhann Jóhannsson. His forthcoming debut EP, Wake, appears on Max Cooper's Mesh imprint, and it's an immense pleasure to discover this artist at the beginning of his solo career [I would love to be the first one to share his first full-length!]. There are only six pieces on this teaser, and I secured the final track for this premiere, titled "Grief". The music of Wake documents "a turbulent period of self-recovery and exploring the power of collective empathy" expressed through the emotionally-charged tapestry of energy-building highs and deeply-resonant and dense collapsing lows, the likes of which are culminated on this closing piece. "Grief" is a perfect glimpse into this artist's heart, and I can't wait for you to hear the entire thing.
If, 20 years ago, you told me that I'd still be writing about ambient music, I think I would have simply laughed. How much could be said, not just with words but also with these sounds? But as the years appear to speed up, I find myself immersed in it much more (even as I see so many other publications slowly disappear), discovering new layers, space and people who have another story to convey, one that I am happy to be a part of. Regular followers of this site will, without a doubt, recognise my personal connection with the present moment, often hoping to convince myself and others that we should focus on what is instead of how it was before and certainly instead of how it could be. How could it possibly be any other way? How could we not be here and now, experiencing all that's happening around us as it could only be? Are there better times ahead of us, or is it only doomsdays? And does it really matter when we get there in the end? Okay, I'll pause here for a time and focus on the music, premiering for you a piece by Austin-based ambient artist TJ Dumser, who releases music under his Six Missing moniker. This piece is titled "Guidance", and it is taken from his upcoming full-length, Here For Now. Across the twelve pieces on the album, soft pads, swirls, and swooshes are echoed in a faint, reverb-drenched ambient calm, sometimes accompanied by the quiet acoustic guitar strums, sometimes allowed to simply expand into infinite indistinct space. It's in this space where I find myself writing these words. Here for now... and hopefully for a little bit more...
This piece was written specifically for Headphone Commute's benefit compilation curated by Hollie Kenniff, titled "For Ukraine". Volume 1 is currently out and is available via Bandcamp here: https://hcdi.gs/ForUkraine
"Sometimes there are words to describe all the outrage. Sometimes there are protests with signs that are blank. On the first volume of our benefit compilation, a diverse representation of musicians come together to speak with their music."
Please help and support our message!
For today’s exclusive track premiere, we are honoured to share with you James Murray‘s slow-burner, titled “In Your Head” which is literally a half of his brand new album, titled "Embrace Storms" [the other half, being another long-player, “In Your Heart”], released as a multi-format split between his very own Slowcraft and KrysaliSound labels. The two pieces sonically capture the weather patterns which are rising and subsiding, rising and subsiding, all on their own, in the caverns of your mind, body and soul, where, instead of fighting, or even worse, identifying with this uncontrollable climate, you can notice, use soft focus, and then let it pass. Let it all pass… The music serves as a perfect meditative accompaniment to your daily routine, in order drown out all of that hum, and accept things as they are…
"James Murray’s new solo work takes the form of two carefully constructed long-form sound collages; twin formations gradually unfolding in continuous, ever-evolving streams of delicately controlled chaos."
The release is out in just a few days, on November 9th, 2019, and is available as a CD from Slowcraft and a beautifully pressed limited edition vinyl from Milan-based KrysaliSound imprint. Highly recommended for the seekers of their inner peace…
This quiet Wednesday morning seems like an appropriate time to begin a day with another Headphone Commute Mix. Today’s selection is curated by Aaron Martin, whose discovery not only blankets many notable labels, such as Fluid Audio, Dronarivm, Facture, Preservation, Experimedia, Eilean, Lost Tribe Sound and many more but also extends to his collaborations with Dag Rosenqvist (who, also, by the way, made us a Headphone Commute mix) as a very special project they named From The Mouth Of The Sun. So, as you can imagine, I’m pretty excited and honoured to host this exclusive mix, where Aaron selects his favourites for your ears and for your commute.
For a full track listing and a download of a higher bitrate MP3, please stop by http://headphonecommute.com and subscribe to our podcast! Don't forget to check us out on Facebook and follow us for more music recommendations!
And as always, please enjoy responsibly and support the featured artists!
"Good Bye Forever" is one of my favourite tracks from one of my all-time favourite albums, "Lilies," released by Arovane on City Centre Offices in 2004. This short piece is an improvisational piano vignette on that beautiful theme, with special atmospheric treatments by Uwe Zahn himself. It marks the beginning of our musical conversation that we have begun in December of 2017 and continue to this day... Stay tuned for more!
HEADPHONE COMMUTE PRESENTS UNDISCLOSED // a series of anonymous releases curated by HC
Composed by a hand-picked roster of contemporary artists, the project allows each musician to explore a particular sonic territory, while remaining detached from all of the previous associations with their notable name. The series also invites the listener to strip away all of the predisposed concepts and instead focus on the only thing that really matters -- MUSIC. credits
HEADPHONE COMMUTE PRESENTS UNDISCLOSED // a series of anonymous releases curated by HC
Composed by a hand-picked roster of contemporary artists, the project allows each musician to explore a particular sonic territory, while remaining detached from all of the previous associations with their notable name. The series also invites the listener to strip away all of the predisposed concepts and instead focus on the only thing that really matters -- MUSIC. credits
HEADPHONE COMMUTE PRESENTS UNDISCLOSED // a series of anonymous releases curated by HC
Composed by a hand-picked roster of contemporary artists, the project allows each musician to explore a particular sonic territory, while remaining detached from all of the previous associations with their notable name. The series also invites the listener to strip away all of the predisposed concepts and instead focus on the only thing that really matters -- MUSIC. credits