Takin’ it easy with local ambient offerings
SF BAY AREA, CA (Jan. 16, 2025) — I enjoy a wide array of music styles, but ambient music is the only genre that I consume on a daily basis.
The sedative sounds of William Basinski, Brian Eno and Sigur Rós have been my sleeping medication of choice for years. On my morning commute, when I’m uncertain of what I want to listen to but still need to protect my ears from BART screeches and other unwelcome noises from fellow passengers, relaxing ambient music comes to my rescue.
I’ve learned of some great local ambient artists, and I’d like to share some of their recent offerings.
Last June, Martinez composer Doug Michael released “Spectral Granulations for Electric Guitar.” This beautiful album is made up entirely of electric guitar. At times, that might not seem evident, as Michael does use a number of effects pedals and processors to create his sound. Other times, you’ll recognize the unmistakable instrument up front, as if it were conducting the symphony of tones, drones, bleeps and bloops behind it.
If you connect with “Spectral Granulations,” you might also enjoy Michael’s other three ambient albums released between 2017 and 2020.
Dayfader is the ambient project that Danville songwriter David Salcheck began during the pandemic. In July, he released “Four,” his fourth EP composed and recorded entirely at home on his keyboard. Rich synthesizer pads allow each chord to unfurl like cumulus clouds drifting in the sky. The familiar major key chord progressions give the music a cathedral-like gloriousness, with a new-age feel.
If you keep a list of “music to breathe to,” be sure to include any of Dayfader’s four EPs.
July also saw the release of “Slept In” from Oakland artist Michael Louis. Perhaps it’s due to some of the swooshy sounds, but hearing this conjure up images of bioluminescent sea life moving about in slow motion … in outer space, somehow. As the surreal imagery might suggest, this is a very dreamy album.
Appropriately named, “Slept In” actually serves as a companion piece to a previous ambient release by Louis, the 2021 album “Slept On.” Both albums are in the same key and free of percussion, so they can actually be played together without any clashing.
Berkeley artist Katsy Pline describes her September release “Devotion” as “a record of ambient country music assembled from B-bender guitar, electronics, synthesizers and saxophone.” The subgenre of “ambient country” seems to be growing, and Pline’s contribution is a welcome addition to this underdiscovered pantheon.
With shiny slide guitar gliding over layers of atmospheric sound – mostly in major keys – “Devotion” invites the listener into its comfortable world. Save for the expressive saxophone outburst in the closing track, you won’t find much dissonance here. Even that one excitable moment resolves itself peacefully into consonance as the song and album conclude.
Last month, Concord’s BJamminSinceBirth released “The Infinite Impossible Possibilities,” a cinematic album that employs elements of jazz, hip hop and R&B. Soundscapes are often met with jazzy basslines, keyboard licks, chill beats and some saxophone. Other times, the instruments pull back, allowing synthesizers to fill the space, sometimes creating an eerie feel of suspense and mystique.
With 13 unique tracks averaging about 2 minutes, the album’s changes come pretty quickly, thereby limiting the listener’s ability to fall into any kind of trance. “The Infinite Impossible Possibilities” is not music by which to fall asleep.
Released earlier this month, “Unseen Passengers of the Night” from Concord duo Primrose Station offers a variety of different types of ambient music. The first few tracks explore the droney side, playing with sound textures and layering, with little-to-no movement. The next few unnamed tracks are more assertive in demanding the listener’s attention, incorporating melody, chord changes and some sense of rhythm.
Track 11 is essentially intricate white noise, which may stimulate some enthusiasts of Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR). The closing track is perhaps the most traditionally structured song, with a discernible rhythm, tender keyboard chords and soft piano melodies that lullaby the listener to a gentle conclusion.
Catch some of these ambient works played in full on the radio at 8 p.m. Sundays this month as The Beat of Diablo presents “Nightcaps” on 90.5 KVHS.
Dave Hughes
Dave Hughes is a local music advocate with an extensive network of independent artists. He produces and hosts a local music program on KVHS called The Beat of Diablo, every Sunday at 7:00 PM on 90.5 FM. Dave also catalogs local music releases at ConcordRockCity.com.