Switched On – The Black Dog – Loud Ambient (Dust Science Recordings)

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by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story

‘Loud ambient’ is an ironic term The Black Dog coined for music that didn’t quite fit in with their series My Brutal Life – but also took on a humourous bent when they considered how they are seen in some circles as making purely ambient music.

As this album reminds us, that is emphatically not the case, and if anything proves their most instinctive form of music. For Loud Ambient began as a response to Rothko’s artwork, specifically his use of colour fields, blending, mood and scale. The band fed these responses through work on their beloved 909, 808 and 707 keyboards.

As the band say, during recording, “everything just fell into place creatively. Surprisingly for us, the tracklisting never changed, just small tweaks here and there. That rarely happens. It marks a first for us as a band. All the stars aligned and the confidence in this album is the strongest we have ever had.

Loud Ambient was made to dance to, something we have not done in a while. We welcome the return to the dancefloor with both hands. Will you join us?”

What’s the music like?

We will definitely join The Black Dog on the dancefloor if this is the music they are dancing to! The ten tracks are completely free of padding, really satisfyingly worked, instinctive and – as they say – confidently dispatched.

This is a strong set of energised electronic music with a bucketload of melodic interest, bolstered by chunky chords above the quicker beats. There are ambient hints of course, but the likes of They Came For My Head get on with things in a pretty lively fashion. The excellent Double Drop Nightmares nips along, while Reality Comes Crashing Back In charms with its chattering and bleeping, as does the amiable Rumination Romance.

Meanwhile the rich tones of Pamphlet offer warm comfort at the end.

Does it all work?

Yes – and it’s all hugely enjoyable. A real representation of fun had in the studio!

Is it recommended?

It is indeed. The Black Dog are incredibly prolific these days, but Loud Ambient is another example of just how consistently strong their work is, whether you’re in the hammock or on the dancefloor!

Listen / Buy

Published post no.2,735 – Monday 1 December 2025

On this day – the first performance of Tchaikovsky’s ‘Rococo’ variations in 1877

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by Ben Hogwood. Image by Charles Reutlinger, used courtesy of Wikipedia

On this day in 1877, the first performance took place of Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme Op.33.

Composed for solo cello and orchestra, the piece had a chequered history. The German cellist William Fitzenhagen, who gave the premiere in Moscow under the baton of Nikolai Rubinstein, made unsanctioned cuts and amendments to Tchaikovsky’s original, meaning the composer’s intended structure and phrasing went awry.

Here is the original version, with cellist Johannes Moser and Case Scaglione conducting the Orchestre national d’Île-de-France:

Published post no.2,734 – Sunday 30 November 2025

Switched On – Field Lines Cartographer: Apeiron Anxiety (Castles In Space)

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by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

Mark Burford, aka Field Lines Cartographer, writes on the Bandcamp page for this release:

According to the 6th century Greek philosopher Anaximander, ‘apeiron’ is a state of primal chaos. It is the limitless, undefinable everything from which all is created & the essential form back to which all will ultimately return. Apeiron constantly & infinitely creates the building blocks of everything, including all states of opposition such as heat & cold, dry & wet, only to then destroy & remake it all anew in a boundless, eternal cycle.

It seems that humanity in the 21st century is living in a type of apeiron with our social, political, technological & economic structures. One crisis is seemingly resolved only to be replaced with another. Alleged enemies become friends, only to return as enemies again. Technology creates solutions, but the unintended consequences of its application create a new set of problems to be surmounted. We seem to be living in a permanent state of uncertainty & flux. This creates a type of undefinable, constant anxiety. Nothing is certain & the cycle of creation & destruction of threats, fears & challenges remorselessly continues. We live in a state of perpetual confusion, the ebb & flow of humanity’s own apeiron.

What’s the music like?

Rich in colour and content, while being deeply immersive.

Uncollapsing steals in but rich in ambient content. A Summoning starts with darker colours but opens out beautifully, giving the feeling of an event about to happen, with movement in the middle ground but long arcs above. The Wave That Breaks Us is a deep, meditative piece, with sonorous tones and a rich, pulsing bass drone that gradually takes over.

These tracks of subtle but intense activity are complemented by the likes of Dying Embers, an immensely reassuring album closer.

Does it all work?

Yes – and is best experienced as a single entity. These long form compositions are ideally paced and beautifully scored.

Is it recommended?

It is. This is ideal foreground music for either end of the day, where its treasures are most fully revealed.

Listen / Buy

Published post no.2,733 – Saturday 29 November 2025

New music – Nathan Fake announces Evaporator album (InFiné)

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adapted from the press release by Ben Hogwood

After several years of silence, Nathan Fake makes a powerful return with Evaporator, his first album on InFiné. Written in six weeks during the summer of 2024, the record distills two decades of exploration into a lucid, tactile form of daytime electronica — radiant, physical, and full of air. Emerging from the nocturnal pulse of Blizzards and Crystal Vision, Fake turns toward light and openness. 

His analog synths and rhythmic architectures shimmer with space and energy, dissolving density into motion. Tracks like Bialystok and Slow Yamaha pulse with kinetic precision, while “Yucon” and “Aiwa” drift into dreamlike ambient clarity. 

Built entirely on his ancient Cubase setup and recorded largely in single takes, Evaporator captures Fake at his most instinctive and human, while collaborations with Clark and Dextro deepen the sense of dialogue between sound and emotion, between control and surrender. 

This marks not only a major comeback for one of the UK’s most singular electronic artists, but also the start of a new chapter: Fake will tour the album with a brand-new A/V live show created in collaboration with Berlin-based visual artist Infinite Vibes, expanding his luminous sound into a full sensory experience. The first few shows in Berlin, Paris, Milan and Roma have just been announced.

A luminous fusion of electronica, ambient undertones, and leftfield techno, Evaporator is Nathan Fake reconnecting with instinct, clarity, and daylight — and taking it back to the stage.

You can listen to Bialystock and The Ice House below:

Published post no.2,732 – Friday 28 November 2025

News – Anna Handler to become Ulster Orchestra’s new Chief Conductor

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published by Ben Hogwood from the original press release. Photo above (c) Christopher Heaney

The Ulster Orchestra is delighted to announce that Anna Handler will be its new Chief Conductor from September 2026.

Joining an impressive and venerable list of conductors who have worked with the Orchestra including Vernon Handley, Bryden Thomson, Yan Pascal Tortelier and, more recently, Rafael Payare and Daniele Rustioni, the German-Colombian conductor Anna Handler is at a stage in her own career that makes a partnership with the Ulster Orchestra a dynamic prospect – just last week making her Boston Symphony Orchestra subscription series debut at short notice, with violinist Joshua Bell. Handler, a former Gustavo Dudamel Fellow and current Assistant Conductor at the Boston Symphony Orchestra, also began her tenure as Kapellmeister of Deutsche Oper Berlin in September 2025. 

During her tenure, Anna looks forward to working in partnership with the Orchestra to grow the artistic identity of the organisation in breadth and depth, taking the level of performance to new heights on the international stage. Her leadership, which is founded on respect for shared musical roots, staying curious and opening the Orchestra’s sound to the future, is inspirational and the Ulster Orchestra is excited for this new phase of its development.

Reflecting on the appointment, Anna Handler says;

“Over the next three years, we’ll ask what it means to be an orchestra that belongs to now: alive, questioning, connected. Every phrase a conversation, every silence a choice. We’ll play as if it were the first or the last time – because real music doesn’t perform; it becomes. I feel deeply honoured to lead this journey – together, with the Ulster Orchestra musicians and the wider team. I feel grateful for their trust to have been chosen as their new chief conductor – a responsibility I carry with joy and curiosity.”

Anna Handler with Ulster Orchestra players (l to r) Gongbo Jiang, Wizz Bannan and Rich Cartlidge, backstage at the Ulster Hall (c) Thomas Jackson

Auveen Sands, Ulster Orchestra Chief Executive and Patrick McCarthy, Artistic Director, commented;

“Of Anna’s many remarkable qualities, her ability to genuinely connect with musicians and audiences is what makes this such an exciting appointment. That ability was immediately evident in a recent concert in Derry~Londonderry’s Guildhall, bringing a new energy and collaborative spirit to the Ulster Orchestra’s superb music making. We’ve already agreed on some exciting and deeply meaningful programmes for next year, and can’t wait to share them with audiences in Northern Ireland, and beyond.”

Ciaran Scullion, Head of Music at the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, added: 

“Anna Handler’s creativity, knowledge and extensive experience will bring a further rich dimension to the Ulster Orchestra’s work, identity and output over the next 3 years.  The Arts Council established the Ulster Orchestra in 1966 and has been its principal public funder ever since. We are delighted to see Anna join as Chief Conductor at a time when the Orchestra’s artistic profile and reach continue to rise.”

Anna Handler’s first concert as Chief Conductor of the Ulster Orchestra will be the opening concert of the Orchestra’s 60th anniversary Season, in the Ulster Hall on Friday 25 September 2026. 

Published post no.2,731 – Thursday 27 November 2025