Complex Silence 22

Phillip Wilkerson, fellow artist and curator for the Complex Silence series, shared his thoughts on this release created for his on-going project. I’m humbled. Thank you, Phillip. It’s an honour to be part of it.

I’ll admit to being dismayed when Mike Carss told me he didn’t have any self-written liner notes for his Complex Silence 22 release. But he did add, “the track titles pretty much cover what I want to say.”

The first thought that flashed through my mind was, “What could I possibly write, by way of introduction, to do sincere justice to his CS contribution?” I considered writing nothing; just letting the music and the track titles speak for themselves (which happily they accomplish perfectly and poetically).

But as the CS curator, I feared my silence might be taken as disrespectful of Mike’s effort and his gift to the Series. So, as I was listening to his release again, searching for appropriate words and phrases, the music itself presented the solution. There was only one word I had to write:

Altus

Without doubt, Altus is among the elite best artists working in the ambient music genre. Indeed, his music, with every new release, helps further define the genre. The proof? His music inspires fellow ambient artists and listeners alike. Merely say “Altus” and we all rush to download his latest release, confident it will provide sublime listening and fresh inspiration. Music worth keeping and hearing again and again. Anyone who is a serious ambient music artist, curator, reviewer, or listener knows I am not overstating the case. And it’s exactly that listener confidence and artistic consistency that defines Altus as a master of ambient music.

For Complex Silence 22 the Series is pleased and proud to present: Altus

~ PW

Available to download in 320kb MP3, and FLAC for those who prefer the higher fidelity it provides.

Here’s the planned line-up. I won’t bother with release dates because there’s too many variables in play to give reliable dates at this time.

COMPLEX SILENCE
Phillip Wilkerson invited me to be a part of this series over a year ago, and I’m happy to say that I’ve finally started working on it over the past month. Right now, it has the musical structure of Sleep Theory mixed with darker sounds of Rapid Eye Movements.

UNTITLED SEASONS PROJECT
This is something that I should’ve done years ago, and has been suggested by a number of listeners. This will be a four “disc” project that will be on-going into 2013, and will include a spiritual successor to Winter Embrace (since you guys keep asking for Winter Embrace IV).
Although nothing has been confirmed yet, I hope to release this through the Free Floating netlabel.

UNTITLED SECRET COLLABORATION PROJECT
I’ve been working with a fellow artist since last April on a collaborative effort, and while we still have much to work on, I’m really happy with what we’ve produced so far. This one will delve into dark/melancholy territory. We hope to release in 2012, so fingers crossed.

Happy holidays!

ECOTONE

Utilizing rhythm, epic chords and gentle soundscapes, Altus invites you to accompany him in a journey away from everything. A land where man can’t ruin. Perhaps this is only a place in your mind.
Available to download in 320kb MP3, and FLAC for those who prefer the higher fidelity it provides.

Join me and the usual gang of friends in the Stillstream chatroom while listening.
I hope to see you there.

If you can’t make it, don’t fret. The release will be made available to download November 11th Friday morning. Watch this space to know when it’s available. You can also join the Altus (Canada) facebook page for details.

Symmetry and Shadow : Singles Collection Volume 2

A compilation of single tracks from Altus covering the time between 2006 and 2011, including five unreleased tracks.
Available to download in 320kb MP3, and FLAC for those who prefer the higher fidelity it provides.

September 5, 2011
Symmetry and Shadow – Singles Collection Volume 2
A compilation release of various tracks written between 2006 and 2011, including five unreleased pieces.

November 11, 2011 ( 11 / 11 / 11 )
ECOTONE
After nearly two years of contemplation, work has finally begun on this album. When I was introduced to the word ecotone, I decided to take the definition and skew it. If there is one word to describe what to expect, it would be “epic”. Expect a diverse landscape of sound. A journey from rhythmic patterns to vast soundscapes.

Introducing Free Floating Music.

Its first release is nearly three and a half hours of excellent music, never heard before, from 22 artists (including a track from Altus). The release is called Conception, which is quite fitting a name.

I would also like to mention that an unreleased track from Lucette Bourdin has been included. Even after death, she keeps on giving!

You will, without a doubt, find future Altus releases on this netlabel. So be sure to bookmark it!