Norther

When I first heard the tinkling vibraphone come in I was dreading a long, frustrating contemporary art piece. Once the thrumming bass line appeared, I realized this was a more concentrated attempt at making experimental music that wasn’t just bland ambient. Loved how creative and expressive this LP managed to be with a minimal toolset, crafting novel sounds out of familiar synths and showing some heavy artistic depth. I let the suggested tracks run for a few hours after this album concluded and felt pretty immersed in a genre l usually shunned, so thanks for the opening the door to some awesome new (to me) music

After reading up on this, how I would feel about it was a real coin toss. Terms like avant garde and experimental can be harbingers that you're about to get a whacked with the Art stick. But I ended up liking this pretty well. For me reminiscent of some aspects of Laurie Anderson, Brian Eno, Meredith Monk - not bad company in my book. The very analog starting point of the sound gave it some interesting texture in a genre that tends these days to the pure electronica. A little on the fence on the score as I didn't feel like it all held up - never offensive but some of it just faded into the background - but I'll slip it an extra, possibly over-generous point just for being a real lft field inclusion.

Accessible experimental music. Relaxing to listen to

I never heard of Ex-Easter Island Head before, but this is a nice addition to the user list. Minimal electronica with a lot of songs with sounds that are slightly off-tone and/or off-beat. Songs like Easter make you irritated and interested at the same time.

Oh hey I like this very much

I was prepped to be disappointed by this since I've found the ambient albums have done poorly for me here but this kinda worked. I wouldn't say it's essential listening, but the last track worked for me. My personal rating: 3/5 My rating relative to the list: 3.5/5 Should this have been included on the original list? No.

Eno-adjacent with a bit more of a beat.

Wow this was fantastic! Catchy, experimental in a very accessible way… I loved it.

This chill album reminds me a lot of The Field

Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Norther, Magnetic language

Reminds me of K. K. Slider in Animal Crossing.

Listened to this a few times & enjoyed it. Weather especially moved me. I was motivated to listen during some stormy summer weather & I def recommend that vibe

I thought this might be a good one in the car with my 83-year-old mother, as she generally likes ambient instrumental music. Her take was that at least one track sounded like a cat walking on a keyboard. I liked it more than than that, but I probably appreciated the description of the recording techniques involved rather than the listening itself.

kept waiting for it to start.. .and waiting and waiting

Yep, this is pretty good. Can get behind this.

Jesus this is so fucking good. Why have I not heard of it.

Excellent from the 2nd track on. Beautiful album artwork

Album art and album both quite nice.

Minimalism, ambient, experimental. Ni fu ni fa.

Chill beans

A bit repetitive and weird. 3/5.

Intellectually, I found this to be an interesting enough listen. But I think it lacks a certain warmth that it really needs to be effective. I don't really feel a thing when I listen to this. Fave Songs: Weather, Easter, Norther

I like electronics but there is better

A pleasant easy to listen to album that is an easy 3/5.

Interesting record. Enjoyed it enough.

A bit heavy on the wind chime it seems. Overall this classical/ambient album is a pretty laid back album that is decent background music and can be reading. It was somewhat cohesive but a few songs felt disjointed overall. It’s an interesting concept and unique overall but nothing I’d revisit again. 5.3/10

Are we running out of band names? Sounds like music for a documentary about fish. Treads a very fine line between "experimental music made accessible" and "experimental music made boring". Over all, nothing wrong with it, but I don't think I'd ever listen to this again when there's so many albums that do this sound but without holding back.

Na sorry this one just gave me a sore head.

Like ringtones became full songs, that are too long

Norther is alright background music that only grabbed my attention during the title track and the closing track. Dunno if that says anything about the record or my interest in it, but ambient music doesn't do anything for me other than exist or annoy, this lands in the former category, so that's a win for it I guess. 2/5, but I guess someone adores this?

Somehow just really annoying 1

Too experimental and disturbing

I’ve been invited to an “art happening” at the old fruit market, which has now been gentrified into a hip gallery space. I arrive half way through my acquaintance’s set. He’s hunched over a laptop with far more midi devices than can possibly be useful. The picnic table he’s set up on is far too low. Behind him, low-res flowers bloom in time lapse. It’s been poorly keystoned and apparently pays no heed to the changes in music. Between songs, I hold my room temperature stubby between my teeth and give my obligatory applause. That is a much enthusiasm I can muster for this boring dross, without the free beer, would you even bother?