an aural awakening and trusty trichomes. peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)
Mediterranean Years, on No Kings, is one of the nicest ambient trips of the year. Currently residing in Melbourne, and originally from Auckland, Tim Coster creates elegant keyboard hymns. Mediterranean Years is a different kind of release compared to that which preceded it - Ocean Liner. Where Ocean Liner inhabited minimal fields and sparse sound, Mediterranean Years bathes one in a myriad of textures from the outset. Throughout the tape, elongated tones vacillate in pitch and frequency. When in the presence of this caliber of ambient music, one should fully submit themselves to the sound and environment.
The tape begins with a short track, 'Peach Prism', which is comprised of warm, bouncy tones shrouded in hiss. The highlight of this tape is the second track, 'Compliments'. On 'Compliments', acute, blue tones and opaque, ubiquitous textures hover in your awareness. Listening to this is so natural. It reminds me of sitting in nature and focusing my attention on it - seeing, feeling and letting go. The sounds approach in meandering waves of sonic warmth, only to recede and manifest slightly altered. The flip begins with the title track, a beautiful loop of warm, woozy tones. The tape ends with 'We', another great track. In its infancy, sporadic tones echo among the choppy hiss and embryonic drone. As the track progresses, the tones appear more frequently, with the drone running strong. The arrangement of sounds is masterful. Towards the end, the drone dissipates in the presence of soporific tones that acquiesce and drift from your consciousness.
During meditation, my guide gently recites, "feel the breath moving through your chest; the way the lungs breath, heart beats, how the ribs and sternum move with each breath. simply feeling what it feels like to be alive in this body." Much like the breath, Tim Coster's beautiful compositions are an aural awakening. Mediterranean Years is pro-dubbed, limited to 80 copies and accompanied by letterpress / risograph artwork. You've been waiting for these sounds - now get 'em directly from No Kings.
peace to you, friends :)
