Ben Bondy & exael - Aphelion Lash

this one is doing it for me

https://boomkat.com/products/aphelion-lash

  Quote

Beautiful. amorphous, floating and rhythmic Ambient impulses on on Huerco S.’ West Mineral Ltd - highly recommended if yr into classic Din-era Arovane, Dynamo, Chain Reaction, Ghostride The Drift.

Exael and Ben Bondy float ambient ideas about augmented reality and technology powered by organic matter, or Biotech, following up the assymetric lines of Serwed’s debut and the frayed interzones explored by Pontiac Streator and Ulla Strauss. Marking Exael’s return to the label after 2018’s ‘collex’ album, ‘Aphelion Lash’ brings the sympathetic soul of Ben Bondy into the fold for a sensitively dreamy album oscillating the pair’s work in solo and collaborative forms.

Using barely-there, liminal traces of electronics arranged in laminal flows, the pair arrive at illusive conclusions across eight tracks comparable to a more worn-out take on Torsten Pröfrock’s T++/Dynamo/Traktor mechanics, or indeed the fleeting, thizzing timbres of Ghostride The Drift, aka the trio helmed by Exael with Huerco S. And uon. Operating at a point of dematerialised compositional control where the layers of desiccated rhythm and pads appear to operate interdependent of each other, the album blooms and wilts in cycles of etheric harmony and scratchy, amorphous rhythms that unfold with only the slightest presence of human input.

Like the Serwed album of generative oddities before it, the sound of ‘Aphelion Lash’ craftily emulates a posthuman sort of nature, but like all the material on West Mineral Ltd., that elusive pathos or ghost in the machine spirit is key to the album’s appeal, and by the end of its course it’s practically impossible to tell who is behind each cut, as the artists dissolve into ambient compounds on its collaborative highlights, the dreamily diffracted slosh of ‘Aphelion Lash’, and the supremely blunted, Spectre-style illbient ‘90s hip hop crush of ’Six Steppa’.

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just listened through, it works surprisingly well as an album despite being a split release.  tasty!

actually just got to the last track.. wow  

One of my favorite newish labels, always alien sounds to discover and hi quality sound design. This ones so knackered sounding and shimmery its like Fennesz remixing Andy Stott. 

I prefer the Naemi material which is more droney and peaceful. Didn't rate the Cryptobitch album much. Hope Huerco S releases something else soon on here as well.

Check out the exael & Arad Acid split that just came out, too. I've really been enjoying it along with the album you posted. 

https://motionward.bandcamp.com/album/exael-arad-acid-furi

  On 4/12/2020 at 5:01 PM, Key said:

One of my favorite newish labels, always alien sounds to discover and hi quality sound design. This ones so knackered sounding and shimmery its like Fennesz remixing Andy Stott. 

i like that description.  still digging this album

  On 4/12/2020 at 5:01 PM, Key said:

Hope Huerco S releases something else soon on here as well.

New Pendant would be sick... I can only find these 30s clips, but HS dj'ed a short set of slowed down syrup-y hip hop stuff for the c- finale that was really awesome

https://www.twitch.tv/c_minuss/clip/VastObedientCookiePermaSmug

ben bondy has been killing it. I've only checked out 3 of the (5!) albums he's put out this year but they all rule so hard.

https://www.discogs.com/artist/7793715-Ben-Bondy

Very highly recommend>

https://benbondy.bandcamp.com/album/pajeon-dj-tapes-vol-1

yes - this album is great. the experiences ltd full length - sibling - is amazing as well

I agree, the West Mineral and Experiences releases are the strongest but it's all good. I'd say Ben Bondy is a bit of an outlier amongst this bedroom ambient scene. He covers a lot of different styles, some tracks seem to be able to mimic the tone of 90's Warp organic techno incredibly well, while some of it is almost detroit-ish. Some of that may be subconscious tho, the artwork on this new one is an alien smoking a spliff in combats and chunky trainers. Guess thats the vibe.

  On 9/21/2020 at 6:37 AM, markedone said:

Very highly recommend>

https://benbondy.bandcamp.com/album/pajeon-dj-tapes-vol-1

 I'm compelled to once again post that this album is just fucking amazing. Don't sleep on it.

But notice I'm too lazy to make its own thread.. I would be joyed if someone takes up that noble task