Relaxed Machinery

Steve’s Hypnos Secret Sounds release “Children of Alcyone” was reviewed this month on textura along with 3 other Hypnos releases.

Steve released his “Circular Scriptures” album on Relaxed Machinery in 2010 (look under “releases” in the top menu).

I’ve copied the Steve Brand section of the review below, the full text is at textura

A supra-terrestrial theme also runs through Children of Alcyone, the second release by Steve Brand (who’s also issued recordings under the Augur name) to appear on Hypnos Secret Sounds. The inspiration for the work came from the writings of Barbara Marciniak whose books supposedly channel information from the Pleiadians, distant ancestors of ours from the Pleiades constellation (Alcyone, incidentally, the name of the constellation’s ‘central sun’). Initial sound sketches for the recording were produced in September 2007 during a master class taught by Steve Roach and were refined subsequent to it at Brand’s studio. The material on Children of Alcyone is minimal, even simple, by design but is alluring nonetheless. Lonely tones whistle to one another across immense expanses, and a melancholy spirit shadows the four calming meditations. A brooding epic of long tones and ringing percussive flourishes, “Outside the Grid of Time” forcefully draws the listener into its murky depths, but the recording’s coup de grace is the stirring “Light Age” where minimal synthetic tones unfurl gracefully for an entrancing twenty-three minutes. Showing a deft and pitch-perfect touch, Brand skilfully weaves the elements into hypnotic form, never hurrying the material along nor slowing it down too much either. The result is that rare thing: ambient music that’s both artful and moving.

I utterly love Lunar Monograph by Beta Cloud. In fact, after listening to it I invited him to release on Relaxed Machinery and I’m listening to a preview of that new album now (and I’m utterly blown away). It will come out sometime this year.

In the meantime – here’s a review of Lunar Monograph by Phil Derby. Go get this album, you really won’t be disapointed!

Beta Cloud “Lunar Monograph”
(www.betacloud.com, 2010)
5 tracks, 67.37 mins

Two tracks in to Beta Cloud’s latest release Lunar Monograph I already find myself totally captivated, particularly by the 22-minute masterpiece of piano, rain, and occasional found sounds like sirens that make up “Sea of Rains,” a deceptively simple yet elegant piece. This is one of the best mood pieces ever. The track preceding it, “Marsh of Sleep”, is equally relaxing and soporific, a skillful blend of ambient textures and field recordings of people milling about in the background. After being lulled into a relaxed state, “Marsh of Epidemics” transforms the atmosphere with a wall of sound and slow heavy beats, reminding me of My Bloody Valentine or early Cocteau Twins. It is a bold move, and one could argue that it belongs on a different album, but it is a quality track nonetheless. “Sea of Tranquility” goes back to ambience, a companion piece of sorts to “Sea of Rains.” It sets a darker tone but likewise finds a very comfortable space and explores every nuance of it for 20 wonderful minutes. An organ-like drone floats into infinity as shimmering higher choir-like tones balance it off nicely. More city sounds emerge toward the end. If the disc only contained these two tracks it would still be worth every penny. “Bay of Billows” is a soft sound collage of field recordings and processed guitar sounds that finish off this excellent disc in fine form. Carl Pace, the man behind Beta Cloud, has already set the bar high for 2010 ambient recordings.

Review by Phil Derby
http://www.electroambientspace.com

Congratulations to Steve Brand for making the Star’s End Top 15 for January 2010 with his Hypnos Secret Sounds release “Children of Alcyone”! If you’re interested in this album or any of his great releases on CDR (including his rather excellent Relaxed Machinery release: “Circular Scriptures” – please go to:

Steve Brand section of the Hypnos Store.

STAR’S END 1-6AM SatNite/SunMorn 88.5FM WXPN Philadelphia, PA
Top 15 For Januray 2010 (alphabetical) Compiled by Chuck van Zyl

ARTIST – ALBUM – LABEL

Anomalous Disturbances – Archive Two – Disappearing Music
Anomalous Disturbances – Inside – Disappearing Music
Arc – Rise – DiN/DDL
Matt Borghi

…continue reading Steve Brand’s Children of Alcyone on Star’s End Top 15

The name Relaxed Machinery stems back to a field recording I made years ago at the electronics factory I work at. I was doing a lot of weekend work at the time upgrading our main system software and was alone in the building. I decided to take my minidisc recorder in and place it in different parts of the factory and let it record.

Even though no one was in the building, the lights were off, and everything was more or less “shut down” – many of the big machines that solder, place components, etc… still make noises –

…continue reading How the name Relaxed Machinery evolved…

I honestly didn’t plan on adding another artist quite this quickly, but Beta Cloud’s album “Lunar Monograph” utterly blew me away.

I’m very happy to announce that Beta Cloud will be recording new music and releasing it in 2010 on Relaxed Machinery. With the amazing quality of talent that is planning to release this year, wow, this is going to be one heck of a first year for Relaxed Machinery!

Beta Cloud website
Beta Cloud – Lunar Monograph

Thanks!

John

Steve Brand’s new album “Circular Scriptures” on the Relaxed Machinery label will be played in it’s entirety tonight, Wednesday, February 3 between 8-10 pm Pacific Standard Time on Portland Radio Authority ( http://praradio.org ).

The show is called “This is What It’s All About” – and plans to open with a Meat Beat Manifesto track at 8 pm PST, an intro break, and then Steve’s album will be played.

I’d sincerely like to thank Austere for giving the album to their friend that hosts the show.

John

I’m very happy to announce Bob Ohrum will be releasing on Relaxed Machinery this year. He’s previously self-released several ambient albums, and I’m very happy to be releasing his “Elevated” album in the coming months. He’s also working on new music for release in the future.

I think Bob is a perfect fit for Relaxed Machinery.

Hover your mouse over “Artists” in the menu above and click on “Bob Ohrum” to read his bio and his comments about his previous releases.

John