Michael Chocholak & Ooy - The Hadron Suite cdr

Collaborative dark ambient by American Michael Chocholak and Japanese Ooy, who also plays in Kluster. The idea here was that both musicians would provide recorded material to the other one, who would be tasked with composing tracks on said sounds. There's a very spacey sound to this and reminds me of some of the most structured material by Bjerga/Iversen, but some of the sounds could be easily part of Tarkovsky's Solaris or Stalker. 2010 cdr on Triple Bath.

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Mike Johnston | Mike Gilmore | Mike Khoury | Kirk Lucas ‎– The Hidden cdr

In contrast to the quartet's second release (here), here there's less emphasis on Asian music influences, and it sounds more like a straightforward avant-garde jazz album (if there's such a term), with strong chamber music leanings. Mike Khoury's violin has a dominating presence along with Mike Gilmore's vibraphone, and the mood shifts from playful improvisations to drone-like atmospheres enabled by Kirk Lucas's cello. 2007 cdr on Triple Bath.

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Mike Johnston, Mike Gilmore, Mike Khoury, Kirk Lucas - Impermanence cdr

If King Crimson's beautiful improv lullaby "Moonchild" had been recorded by Asians instead of Brits, this is what it would sound like. This quarter plays free jazz without the madness and aggression usually associated with it. With heavy use of violin, vibraphone, and folk instruments such as the shakuhachi, the zither, the gong, and saz, they form an incredible relationship and communication in dark Eastern-tinged avant-garde, like a subdued Far East version of The Revolutionary Ensemble. There's also a surprise Japanese music-based cover of "When There Is No Sun" by Sun Ra. Cool stuff! 2009 cdr on Triple Bath, a label that should be releasing more music more often.

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Eziak - Nomads cdr

Ambient soundscapes mingle with instrumental prog rock and jazz and infused with a post rock sensibility. Somewhere between Shora, ECM jazz, and the rhythmic elements of The Necks. 2012 cdr on Triple Bath.

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Jan M. Iversen - 1.05 Drone

Trancey and fizzing drones by Sindre's comrade. 2007 cdr on Triple Bath.

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Costinho - 2

On this second release, Costinho focuses on quartets, rather than on solo modern classical performances, thus showcasing more diverse moods. The first track "Vicinity" is a quartet of piano, violin, viola and double bass that is droning, desolate and mournful, based on beautiful Middle-Eastern scales, and the second track "Mother Sea" - played by a piano, tenor sax, drums and analog synthesizer, goes into more epic environments, with a grand, expansive sound that is closer to jazz. 2017 cdr on Triple Bath.

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Costinho - 3

Costinho is the solo moniker of Greek pianist/composer Costis Zouliatis, who played before in the art pop band Night on Earth, and is a researcher on the life of pioneering composer Jani Christou, about whom he has also directed a documentary if I'm not mistaken. This is his solo release (despite the deceptive title), and is a perfect work of electroacoustic and modern classical experiments (and with a touch of zeuhl and Shub Niggurath-like madness) played on piano, strings and guitar pedals. Fucking great music here. 2014 on the very good Athens-based Triple Bath label, which is really worth checking out for other releases.

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Mystified - Frigid Radiance cdr

Frozen and sprawling dark ambient soundscapes with an emphasis on manipulated sounds of bells chiming by Mystified, the project of Thomas Park, whose work includes collaborations with Nocturnal Emissions and Robin Storey. A good soundtrack for the wintry death of nature that is slowly but surely arriving. 2009 cdr on Triple Bath.

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