June Ambience
What I mostly listened to in June, ranked by numbers of plays (per Plexamp) and with a short blurb if a review is not available.
- Joshua Abrams - Music For Life Itself & The Interrupters. I have been following Joshua Abrams work for awhile now. He is an amazing composer and musician. This release is a Jazz score but it is different type of beast. Groovy, ambient, sparse, minimal and time defying.
- John Zorn - 444. Been getting back into Jazz lately and have been exploring the world of John Zorn. What Zorn does with Jazz is beyond fusion and continues to explore new worlds of sound. Zorn says these interpretations of his compositions are some of his best and I agree. Essential.
- A Picnic of Sorts - Mobile. Another album that defies time and one that sits squarely in the ambient genre but that does not do it justice. One of my favorite discoveries of 2025. I need to do a review of this album soon.
- Padang Food Tigers - God's Plenty. Review here.
- Mind over Mirrors - Bellowing Sun. I had no idea that this artist is also in the band, Setting. Which is funny because I had a previous release by Mind over Mirrors and didn't put it together. Hard to describe this album other than spiritual. It is highly electronic (but not devoid of emotion) and feels shamanistic. Like it is building to something – perhaps just to an altered state and that is good enough for me
- Electric Masada - At the Mountains of Madness (Live) - John Zorn and company tearing it up through funk, metal, noise, jazz and whatever you can imagine. Essential.
- John Zorn - Bagatelles Vol 4. Ikue Mori's interpretations of John Zorn's Bagatelles. The music is difficult and can be off putting. I think it is brilliant and also a favorite discovery of 2025. Will be reviewed soon and this review will explore the idea of difficult music.
- Phil Langero - Practical Dancing (For the Modern Man). I need to sit with this a bit more but it has sucked me into its dark organic sounds. Definitely worth picking up if you are into Moundabout (Phil Langero is one half of Moundabout).
- Hari Maia - The Endless Hum. Another one I need to sit more with. I was attracted to this album because of the title — for me, that is one way to describe drone and Haria Maia seems to agree. I need more listens but it is compelling and worth seeking out for drone explorers everywhere.
- Alan Sparhawk - With Trampled by Turtles . Alan Sparhawk of Low delivers his second solo outing this year. It is raw, emotional, sparse at times and it cuts to the bone. His first solo outing was electronic and this is more rooted in blue, rock, country, folk and so on. I would prefer to think of it as experimental folk.
- Swans - Birthing. Review here.
- Andrew Tuttle and Padang Food Tigers - A Cassowary Apart. Review here.
Photo by Daniel De Los Santos, West Sargent Beach, TX