by Ben Hogwood
The work of Andrew Weatherall is greatly missed, not least because he managed to include so many different forms and genres in his writing. We don’t always associate him with ambient music, but Sabres of Paradise, the group he was part of with Jagz Kooner and Gary Burns, wrote an absolute beauty with this heat-soaked track:
Published post no.2,979 – Monday 9 August 2026
posted by Ben Hogwood, with text from the press release
Since first meeting in 2009, Shame sees Bibio and Dorian Concept explore a shared language across sound and moving image, through a process rooted in experimentation, improvisation and exchange.
Shame arrives alongside a music video, created by the pair:
Published post no.2,958 – Saturday 25 July 2026
by Ben Hogwood
The rumours are true – after a protracted absence, celebrated electronic Scottish duo Boards of Canada are returning to the long player game with Inferno, to be released by Warp Records on 29 May 2026. Their first album since Tomorrow’s Harvest in 2013, Inferno has 18 tracks and lasts 70 minutes
The album announcement was prefaced by new music from the duo, Tape 05 appearing online last week – and set to take its place in the album as the fifth track, entitled Father and Son. If you haven’t heard it yet, you can listen here:
The album release is typically shrouded in mystery and creativity, though Tape 05 is an extremely promising teaser ahead of D-day.
Published post no.2,867 – Thursday 23 April 2026
Reviewed by Ben Hogwood
What’s the story?
Kinds is the first solo album in eight years from London-based kwes.. It was inspired by an incident with his daughter, who knocked a glass of drink over the drawing she was doing – and in the moment, kwes. – real name Kwes Sey – resolved to “‘release’ life-experience: good, bad and everything in between – to ‘commit it to tape’ as succinctly as possible, without too much deliberation.”
The music is named after colours, following a theme of synaesthesia, and was made with the producer’s children in mind. Given the inspiration behind the project, it seemed only right for them to contribute to the cover art.
What’s the music like?
Immensely restful – and, of course, colourful. Each of the portraits is about three minutes long, and kwes. links them harmonically to their neighbours, creating a cycle that moves gradually but with a sure sense of direction.
There are no beats, and very little in the way of rhythm, so the music hangs suspended like a thick cloud. This provides a great deal of ambience, especially when listening on headphones, as the head lives inside the big canvas that kwes. has created.
The titles are a strong indication for the musical contents; Blue Violet being rich in depth and deeper in register, while the timbre on Brown Green Yellow is a bit scratchy and dry initially, but settles down.
Interestingly Black (Grey) has a glossy tone initially, before quietening, while Yellow Green gives the impression of scorched fields. One of the deepest combinations is Green White, with wide open textures, before the incredibly soothing Orange Blue closes the album, its colours initially rich but dying out as the candle burns low.
Does it all work?
Yes. Synaesthesia is of course wholly dependent on the mind’s eye of the person perceiving it, so not all the colours and music will match for every listener, but the spell of deep meditation remains cast.
Is it recommended?
Yes. With timely precision, kwes. has provided a wholly effective companion for the stressful world we currently live in!
Listen / Buy
Published post no.2,819 – Wednesday 4 March 2026
by Ben Hogwood
We bring intriguing news from Tom Jenkinson, aka Squarepusher, who has announced a new album release.
It is described on Bleep.com, as “a riot of onyx-hard, hyperfast riffs, fiendish orchestral themes and handbrake turns through varieties of progressive, ambient, electronic and experimental music.” This quote, presumably from the press release, reflects the thoughts on an album whose title is German for ‘chamber concert’, and harks back to the Kammermusik series of compositions published by Hindemith in the 1920s.
The headline piece from Kammerkonzert is K2, where virtuosic bass work is set against a laid back electro beat that nonetheless contains a great deal of suppressed energy, like a coiled spring. This is the track whose intentions are described as “the liquid fusion of Weather Report in their Body Electric phase”.
It is certainly a striking piece of music, with a rigorous construction and severity reflecting the album title, but also with plenty of room for movement, as the increasingly fractious percussion shows.
Kammermusik will be released on 10 April 2026 on Warp Records – and you can listen to K2, along with further releases from the album when announced, at the Squarepusher Bandcamp page below:
Published post no.2,809 – Sunday 25 February 2026
Arcana.fm 