Over the past year, a selection of artists have been digging through the depths of their creative pursuits, for material they either cannot finish, or else would like to see adapted. These same artists and more have delved into the resulting repertoire, and emerged with new, repurposed pieces.
Out of this births the first volume of the Sustain Series: a means for artists to make use of old sounds, hoping to bring forward music that might have otherwise not seen the light of day. Thanks to the input from a variety of fantastic musicians, old material can breathe new life, sometimes in more than one form.
In keeping with this 'recycling' of ideas, all proceeds of the compilation here on Bandcamp will go to Conservation International, promoting sustainability and conservation across the world. More than €500 raised so far.
It’s ever more important to think sustainably for the sake of our planet, and every effort we make will help curb the cataclysmic events we see shaping in front of us. Give what is feasible in these tough times, but most of all please enjoy this collection of recovered gems.
"It’s an impressive gathering of ambient artists and their music, showcasing some of the most delicate sides of the genre." - Headphone Commute
"The results are diverse and fresh, from graceful pastoral melodies to darkish, landscaped drones." Ambient Music Blog (Best of 2021)
"So there it is: sustainable ambient music exists!" - Ambient Blog
"Compilations such as this one [...] highlight the diversity and collaborative approaches to music which makes the ambient underground such an exciting one." - Drifting, Almost Falling
""To Steep in Loss" is as much hypnosis as music, as much a nature experience as a song. Meierkord's squeaky cello is the primeval forest that devours one, Sole is the forest raw that calls for one and Haywood's piano is the hypnotic calm you feel and rest in." - 482MHz
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Album art for this series features the brilliant art of Fran McNamara, whose work makes use of repurposed materials. Through her use of 'found and tossed objects', she exhibits the impact of human activities on natural environments, and our wider connection with the natural world.
Her paintings make use of comics, maps, magazines and packaging in an attempt to "elevate the viewer’s awareness of our involvement as human beings in our world’s case for eco-sustainability."
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Composed, performed and reworked by the artists named
Mastering by Ian Hawgood
Image by and copyright of Fran McNamara
www.franmcnamara.com
Design by Ambientologist
released November 27, 2020