Hanged Man is the human spirit which is suspended from heaven by a single thread. Wisdom, not death, is the reward for this voluntary sacrifice during which the human soul, suspended above the world of illusion, and meditating upon its unreality, is rewarded by the achievement of self-realization.

M.P.H.

Peeling away the borders and structure of Desert Dwellers’ distinguished musical style to reveal the undercurrents that lie beneath, ‘Breath: Portal to Stillness‘ is the fourth remix collection to be borne from the acclaimed duo’s 2019 album, ‘Breath.’ A sense-blurring compilation of ambient melodies derived from the source material’s ten original compositions, these new journeys invite listeners through the veil of music into a realm of boundless perception.

Devoid of percussion and the distinguishable elements of ‘Breath’s’ electronic production, each track paints a vibrant picture of the stillness between beats and offers a respite where thoughts and emotion can either flourish or rest, untouched from the world outside.

A celebration of the life-giving essence of spacious ambient music, ‘Breath: Portal to Stillness‘ hearkens back to an era of sound that blurs the line between organic and digital production techniques while unlocking new doors in a rising era of journey-centric music and immersive psychedelic therapy soundtracks.

Offering countless layers of exploration with each encounter, ‘Breath: Portal to Stillness‘ will reward listeners for years to come, thus ensuring its place in the legacy of one of electronic music’s most timeless and influential genres.

Buy album on Bandcamp.

Featuring 10 tracks that traverse Trentemøller’s many musical strengths, Dreamweaver also represents an obvious artistic leap, treading new ground while retaining the overall plot. Tracks featuring vocals come courtesy of of Iceland’s Disa, who has been in Trentemøller’s fold since the Memoria tour. After astonishing audiences with her own, reimagined versions of songs from the catalog, she contributed to two singles in 2022: “Into The Silence,” and a cover of their “Cops On Our Tail,” originally by Trentemøller’s fellow travelers, The Raveonettes.

Dreamweaver’s nylon string-led opening track, and first single from the album, “A Different Light,” contains many of Trentemøller’s trademarks: exploring dichotomies, musical shadowplay, Nordic frigidity, and warm waves. It opens the door for the steady, hypnotic “Nightfall,” with its tetherless vocal, wistful guitars, and early morning desert chill. The third track in the opening trifecta, “Dreamweavers” finds its footing with a percussive soft trot, which starts after what feels like a shortwave radio scan in search of the right chords, eventually dialing in a weightless voice. Ostensibly keeping a ruminative pace with the previous two tracks, the song and, by extension, album soon opens up as the rest of the elements drop into place with a grand, luxurious burst.

Dreamweaver is about to enter its next phase. With the hatch blown off of the portal, the noisy “I Give My Tears,” driven by its glissed and fuzzy bass line, pours into the void. It’s followed by its sibling, the most chaotic track on Dreamweaver, “Behind My Eyes.” Arriving as a piece of noise rock pandemonium, “Behind My Eyes,” can’t be contained in its plush vault. A whip-crack snare and convulsing guitars smash against each other in the song’s verse chamber. The tension builds, as the particles collide, pushing past the point of critical mass, kicking off the chain reaction which is the chorus. At times it harkens back to the proto-gaze tracks that gave birth to dream pop, at others it newly defines what that is. There’s no time to contemplate it, though, as the song disintegrates in a microphonic feedback instant.

A respite follows with the somnambulistic pair of “Hollow” and “Empty Beaches.” Then, a moment of intensity returns as the soaring textures and tribal drum bursts of “In A Storm” take control, before being taken out with the ambient slo-core of “Winter’s Ghost” and “Closure.” This diptych wraps up an album which certainly feels on-script for Trentemøller, but is also much more psychedelic than previous offerings.

Buy album on Bandcamp.

One Ended Up A Corpse, Others Fugitives. He Too Took To The Shadows.

Yellowbrow

Bear’s X

If you want to study consciousness observe your own thinking.

F.F.

Everything that’s created remains as it was before it was created. The artist fetches it down from the heavens as a finished thing. Eternity has no beginning. Poetry or a Joke: the act of creation lies between what’s self-evident and what is permanent.

K.K.