Words from Brad Ross-Macleod at Free Floating:

The plans for what would become The Sidereal Cycle took place without any input from me. I first found out about the concept from a post on the Altus blog. As soon as I read it I reached out to Mike (Carss, AKA Altus) with a resounding, “Yes, please!” Fans of Free Floating and ambient I’m sure will understand my enthusiasm.

Simply put, Mike Carss is a master of ambient music, there can be no doubt about that. Of the ambient artists that I listen to and love, I feel that Altus music is the most ‘composed’. While much of it is decidedly cinematic in structure, even the more minimal and abstract pieces seem to have deeper structures and themes that resonate throughout.

With its focus on thematic elements, the music of Altus is also decidedly painterly in that the melodies and structures help to draw mental images, especially since each release usually contains a specific topical reference (time, sleep, fire, water, etc.).

And so it is fitting that Altus turns his hand once again to the grand theme of time and the seasons with The Sidereal Cycle.

In this collection, Mike reflects on the transformation of the verdant summer into the dormant browns, oranges, and golds of autumn. Andromeda is really a two-part suite, I would say. The first part explores the gradual changes in color while the second part reflects leaves falling to the ground and the eventually dormant landscape of the impending winter.

The music is at once placid and dramatic, a perfect reflection of the changing season of autumn itself.