Ramblings of Altus

February 22, 2009
:: New Blog Location

Hello everyone.
I just wanted to let you know that I'm using another blog program (WordPress) which means there is a new location and RSS feed. Please update your bookmarks and news readers to continue to receive information on everything Altus.

This blog will remain here for those curious to read older posts.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

January 10, 2009
:: What's Planned For 2009?

I'd like to start by thanking everyone who's written me about Winter Embrace III. I'm glad people are enjoying it, and I hope you "dust" it off (so to speak) every Winter season for a listen.

In late 2007, I did a "what to expect for 2008" post. While my ideas didn't go exactly as planned, the three releases for last year (Rapid Eye Movements, Macro & Winter Embrace III) all had their own distinct moods and sounds. This was what I was aiming for, and I'm glad that things turned out that way. I'm planning similar things for 2009, as well as aiming for four releases (every three months).

Excursion Two (March)
In keeping in theme, you can expect more long-play lush melodic ambient from Excursion II. It will be released on the Earth Mantra netlabel.

City of Ashes (June/July)
This will be a special release containing photography by Shawn Sintzel (a long-time friend) to accompany the music. The timing of this release hinges on him compiling a number of photos for me to use as a catalyst, but I hope to release it by mid-Summer. As you might guess from the title, this will be a darker release. I expect it to sound similar to Rapid Eye Movements and Only One Earth to Destroy, although not nearly as oppressive as Only One Earth.

Coma Cluster (September)
I've had a number of requests for longer tracks by some listeners, so this will be a long-play release. It will consist of either one track, or a small number of long tracks that build onto each other. Expect to hear smoothly evolving pads with minimal movement.

The Third Option (December)
This was something I wanted to do last year, but it never happened. I still want to attempt glitch ambient, in my continuing goal to expand my sound.

So I hope this post might entice you for what's to come. It's been a fun journey so far, and it's only just beginning. I'm glad to have you a part of it.

August 29, 2008
:: Ultima Thule Radio

I just wanted to thank Nev Dorrington and all the folks at Ultima Thule for playing a show's worth of my music last Sunday (August 24th, Show# 723). I hope everyone who listened to the show enjoyed what they heard.

July 15, 2008
:: Just a reminder...

To those curious what Macro will sound like, be sure to tune in to StillStream.com at 10pm EST tomorrow (Wednesday) for Off The Record. They will be playing three tracks from the upcoming release.

Macro is scheduled for an early August release.

Also, some listeners have asked for some sort of mailing list to be notified when a new release is available. So, for those who are interested, you can now join a very low volume newsletter which will let you know as soon as a new Altus release is available.
Please rest assured that the list is run right from my site, so there's no way your e-mail address can get into the wrong hands. Like all of you, I hate spam and made sure this was a safe way to send automated e-mails to my listeners.

July 04, 2008
:: "Off The Record" with Mikoli Weaver

StillStream.com is really picking up steam, which at least one live show every day (except Monday).
One show that's breaking the mold is Off The Record with Mikoli Weaver of Sonoprint. Every Wednesday, he'll host a two hour program that'll include an in-depth interview with various ambient artists. His first show (on the 9th), he'll be talking to one of THE ambient masters, Robert Rich. Very cool!

Following that, he'll be showcasing the following artists:
Altus (I've found I express myself better with music rather than words)
Michael Sandler
Claire Fitch
usr/sbin

I've asked if the shows will be available to download after they air, but still waiting to hear back. I'll be sure to let you know.

May 07, 2008
:: Reviews for "Rapid Eye Movements"

I'm glad to hear that people are enjoying my latest release. Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to write. And of course, to those who've gone out of their way to promote my music, spreading the word on various music sites and mailing lists. I truly appreciate it.

Two reviews for "Rapid Eye Movements"
Thinking The Sounds
Sonic Immersion

May 01, 2008
:: I love StillStream.com - How about you?

I'd like to thank all the folks at StillStream.com for their continued support towards my music, and especially for the gracious words they've written about my music as their featured artist for this month. Their tireless promotion for underground artists such as myself have helped tremendously in gaining a loyal audience of listeners. Thank you so much for all your hard work!

If you haven't yet taken the time to listen to the stream, you're doing yourself a disservice. And don't forget to check out the five live shows on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday (which include live performances by many different artists). It's these great features that set StillStream apart from many other streaming audio sites. A true labour of love for the music.

Thank you again!

February 05, 2008
:: Site Changes

I've finally gotten around to updating the site. The download page was becoming awkward, and I think overwhelmed visitors with too many albums showing on one page. Now each release has a little play button to hear 30 second samples of each track, which will give visitors a better idea what they'll be downloading.
So to those who are fans of my music who haven't gotten around to perusing my entire catalogue, it's now easy to sample and download only those releases that please your ears.

If you have any issues with the update, please leave me a comment with details.

November 12, 2007
:: What the Future Holds

First, I'd like to thank those who've contacted me about The Grand Expanse. Please spread the word to anyone you think might enjoy it as well.

I'd like to let you know that I will be playing live on StillStream sometime in November or December. Obviously a date hasn't been set yet, but please check back often to find the date and time when I'll be playing. It'll be a very interesting experience, since this will be the first time I've ever done a live performance. But I'll be working hard to promise that it'll be worth listening to.

Now I'd like to bring you up-to-date on what I've got planned for the next year in terms of direction of music.

I've felt that I'm dangerously close to future releases being old hat, in that I'm not trying anything new. I know that some people would still enjoy my music if I kept going the same route. But I've felt the need to expand my horizons and try new things, and there's a few ways I want to go. In saying that, I'm not talking about extreme genre changes. You will still hear that "Altus" sound, but in a different light.

Ananta (aka Martin Dot), the person behind the Rain Netlabel, recently asked me to produce an album to release on his netlabel. Those familiar with Rain releases knows that their style is very much drone ambient. I've had requests from listeners to make a drone release, so it just seems like the perfect time to try my hand at drones. However in saying that, he mentioned later that he wants to expand his release repertoire of different styles of ambient. I'm still planning on a drone release though.

After that, I have two releases planned that will break the mold and hopefully breathe new life into my works:

Macro - a study in loop will be a fun, experimental album similar in style to Palancar's Précis (many short ambient pieces). My inspiration is also pulled from Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works Volume 2, which is such a timeless, haunting release.

The Third Option will be something similar to Gridlock's sound. The easiest way to describe what I plan is take a usual Altus release, speed it up a bit and add sparse glitchy beats.

The last project I have in mind is so completely different, I may not release under the name "Altus". Listen to the last track of The Grand Expanse (Towards the Galactic Centre), and that'll give you an obvious clue to what I'm looking into doing. However, I'm aiming for something much less minimalist. I still don't know exactly what's planned for it yet but if you enjoyed that track, I imagine you'll enjoy this upcoming release as well.

Like I said, I'm aiming for new directions while not changing my sound completely. Those of you who feel like you may not enjoy these upcoming releases, don't fret. I'll never give up my ambient/new-agey roots. I've had many requests for Winter Embrace III, and I plan on releasing many volumes of Excursions to be released on the Earth Mantra netlabel.

There are many trips to take... I hope you enjoy taking them as much as I enjoy making them.

September 18, 2007
:: Silence isn't a bad thing

I'm still alive... but haven't been near my music software for the last few months. But I'm happy to report that I've just started work on a new release. I don't think I'll be meeting the "deadline" I set myself (which was late summer). The Grand Expanse should be ready for a November/December release and I'm looking forward to sharing it with you!

I also just found out that Bert Strolenberg, known to me from (the now defunct) e-dition magazine, has posted a feature on me and my music at his site: Sonic Immersion. Thanks Bert! :)
You can read the feature here.