Gareth Watkin
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Self-appointed Constellation & Kranky reviewer (by sheer will-power). Purveyor of experimental ambient/post-rock music, and occasional ambient music composer under the moniker ‘The Light & Day’.
Articles by Gareth Watkin
A feeling of being pulled deep into the dark abyss of the ocean, slowly sinking as all light gradually disappears until there’s nothing.
Everything pulses and ebbs into the scene, feeling oddly stark and cold and wonderfully futuristic.
A wonderfully strong record that definitely shows the band as one which continues to improve and impress.
From the moment the album begins, one instantly begins to understand that this is a work that is going to be very emotive, in all of the best ways.
Cousin amalgamates so many different genres and ideas all into one cohesive vision.
Everything melds together very comfortably and effortlessly, resulting in a post-rock experience that seems to grow in strengths the further and further you delve into it all.
Here, we’ve now been given a chance to see just what Moss has to offer, and my goodness is it stunning.
The album itself feels like a journey, starting in a cold and stark environment, where everything feels almost indiscernible as you struggle to make out the details, and from there transforms to imagery of wolves in the dark night, thunderstorms that loom overhead, and the break of day illuminating a vast open space.
It all moves seamlessly and effortlessly, gently pulling us into a world that feels incredibly pastoral, full of opaque colours where the detail is hidden behind veils of electronic hums and droning trumpets.
It all culminates into a very meditative yet intense album experience, one that offers reflection on the current state of affairs, whilst also expressing a deep seated rage and anger over it all.
Those Who Dream By Day feel much like a band ready to really showcase what they’re all about, letting their debut EP simply act as a wonderful precursor for what is to come.
Perhaps the incredibly melancholy nature of the album itself will make this one a difficult one for people to really warm up too, but the emotive nature of the music makes it one that is worth a listen.
British Sea Power certainly seem to know what they’re doing, and even on their seventh album, haven’t failed in doing so yet.
Neilyk shows us the many different sides to the landscape, from the beautiful vast open tundras to the incredibly intimidating and powerful weather that shakes one to their core.
Sometimes, one can potentially forget just how varied the post-rock genre can be at times, and it takes a band like Often The Thinker to come along and show that there are other ways of doing it!
The drone elements seem to force the listener into the head-space of the artist, whilst the ethereal and beautiful string sections feel like requiems for the horror and terror being expressed in the field recordings. Nothing seems to be done in bad taste, and instead is an incredibly moving and haunting piece of work.
A beautifully unsettling and chilling album capturing the essence of ambient and neo-classical genres.
Throws us back into the wonderfully bizarre, crazy and ‘Kinda Bonkers’ world of Animal Collective once again.
Black Market Flowers instantly put me back into the place where I was remembering all the many reasons why I love their music.
