Softest - Music for Rain: Volume One (Inner Islands - 028)

Music for reflection - and some kush never hurts. peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

 After being near the abyss, a return to bliss is needed to keep this joint rolling. My head was feeling weary and I needed to recover. Thus, I decided to plunge my hand into the Inner Islands jar which sits on the top shelf. They always deliver me to a serene place where my soul becomes enlightened. The first of two Summer releases on Inner Islands, Softest is the new project of Braden J. McKenna. On Music for Rain: Volume One introspective, soothing music provides one with the space and aural light to meditate on the beauty of the moment. Guitar, synth, and field recordings create slowly morphing soundscapes.

As the first track commences, morning dew glistens softly in the faint, embryonic light. Soft nascent vibrations act like the first cup of coffee, slowly shaking off the slumber in the sun's vastness. The mood is light and airy throughout. Waves of soft colors coalesce begetting undulating tranquility. When you breathe with these sounds, the environment shimmers; the bark of the tree uneven, stale and damp; a sheet of heavenly light flashes hot across the saturated grass coating it in brilliance; and the seemingly immutable sweet scent of the Earth that permeates the nostrils like the first few conscious breaths of the day - sweetly flowing and music for anytime of the day. Ascendant energy rings faithfully in "Surface Dance." Shifting radiance and delicate sounds are interspersed with nature. Peaceful loops combine with gentle streams of rain and crystalline radiance in "Trying"; gentle sounds wallow and ripple in the final track. 

One may purchase Music for Rain: Volume One directly from Inner Islands.

peace and love, friends :)

Peasants - Sawngs (II026)

trichome tuesday starts nicely with the latest offering from Peasants. peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

Generally, I prefer to start the day with the kind of vibrations that throw off the shackles of lethargy and embrace awareness. The latest offering from Peasants on Inner Islands has proved as sonorous as the birds that sing outside my window in the early morning. Peasants is a duo from Portland. Sawngs is comprised of music recorded in Washington Park. Tranquil sounds of nature don't permeate the recording; rather, they are an integral part. Along with the lovely sounds of nature, Peasants use languorous guitars that emit idyllic energy. An intimate recording, the dreamy vibe is ubiquitous; hazy transmissions ripple toward the waiting soul. Delicate tones fluctuate in the late morning sunlight. Reverb-soaked strings billow, yielding the sweet, plentiful scent of earth and a gauzy veil of mist. Sometimes the strings echo towards the zenith. At other times, they manifest as swirling ambient energy in the afternoon heat, touching down on the listener benevolently. These songs are aligned with the human condition and something that I unequivocally recommend; especially as the vibrations that breath life into your body upon arising. It's difficult to select a centerpiece, as the album flows beautifully. However, the penultimate track is special. "Slow Flowers" unfolds dreamily. The longest track on the album, it provides the artists an opportunity to explore their ideas more fully. Strings covered in reverb resonate lightly among birds in the beginning. Ethereal drone drifts lazily. As the track progresses, the vibe becomes even more dreamy and hazy. Slowly, meandering sustained tones and vocal drone move to the fore. Folks that dig Koen Holtkamp and Apestaartje are in for a real treat.  

Oh sweet, dank goodness! Inner Islands releases are produced in limited editions. Sawngs may be secured directly from the label, along with Tuluum Shimmering's latest jams.

peace and love, friends :)

Tuluum Shimmering - Sky Tree (II025)

ubiquitous vibrations. peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

Dreamy, loop-driven passages of energy permeate the listener for this two hour meditation. The brilliant vibrations have the tendency to consume, heightening awareness. At times, one tends to get lost in the swirling buoyancy radiating from the speakers. Sky Tree, a recent tape from Tuluum Shimmering on Inner Islands, is an apt title; above the clouds, where the perceptions are more lucid, Tuluum's flowing benevolence begets sagacity. Until I first heard Tuluum Shimmering, I had not previously experienced anything similar. According to an interview, a variety of instruments -  kalimba, percussion, violin, flutes, sampling keyboard - are run from a mixer through a multi-effects pedal into a 30 second looper, and then out to an amp. Across the discography, their is a tendency to lose oneself in a malestrom of luminous vibrations, a celebration of life. Ever since arriving at the house, Sky Tree has been billowing faithfully much like my sacred indica - highly recommended.

The beginning of the tape is intense, imbued with tension. Ominous - almost cinematic - tones protrude and surge clandestinely. Shortly, languid flute pervades the mix swirling upward. Almost unexpectedly, the friction and clang of percussion becomes audible. Synth vacillates from solemn to uplifting reaching a beautiful point in the recording. Suddenly, resonant piano notes and sacred drone begin to cascade from the speakers. Omnipresent and visceral, wave upon wave surges forth; intricate patterns morph subtly. The flipside resides deep in the haze, a languorous stream of energy that moves more slowly than its peer. Delicate tones from the flute drift lazily in the presence of enchanting drone.

These top shelf vibrations on Inner Islands are exalted. Another wonderful attribute of this release regards the visual aspect - artwork by Tuluum Shimmering; layout by Sean Conrad. Pro-dubbed and produced on red tapes in o-card sleeves, Sky Tree may be purchased directly from Inner Islands. Also, Sky Tree was released with another stellar tape by Peasants. Both can be procured inexpensively 

peace and love, friends :)