Suum Cuique – Midden 6.3

                Suum Cuique means in Latin “to each according to his or her own merits”. That sums up this album pretty well. Each song stands nearly alone, though there is a dark theme winding through them all. While this isn’t as stunning as the cryptic name would suggest, it is still fairly competent.

                We are given little to no information of who is responsible for the music. Eliane Radigue is thrown around as a point of reference, but her work is far better and much more patient. Theirs gives off the impression of a group working with similar sounds but less dedication. “Entropy” comes closest to reaching her ideal, but moves too quickly. Usually her material (or any good drone artist) tends to wait longer, to tease out the subtle differences, shifts. 

                A lot of the work suffers from this desire to shock and awe the listener. There are other artists working in this field, like Eleh, who tend to spend more time exploring the tiny details and pieces. “Red Binary” might be an example of a sound they might want explore in the future. Unlike the other pieces, this one avoids the dramatic endpoint. Instead, the piece is rearranged so delicately into something new, without the need for an increase in volume.

                This isn’t a bad recording and it has its moments. Hints of a future approach bode well, so long as they keep their more trickster impulses in check.

Imaginary Softwoods – Imaginary Softwoods 5.6

                 This will be poorly received in some circles but it needs to be said: not every side project of Emeralds is a good one. I know that their fan base verges on obsessive, fanatical even. Some of those projects are pretty amazing as well (Mark McGuire’s stuff in particular). However, recordings like this convince me that perhaps some things are better kept unreleased.

                Attempting to create a zen-like approach to ambient can result in one of two actions: either the artist stumbles upon something truly brilliant (like Eliane Radigue) or as glorified waiting room music. Sadly, I’m here to report that the vast majority of this music falls into the latter category. I’d like to say that this music transports you to another dimension where things are wonderful, but that’s simply not true. Instead, it meditates far too long on a single theme while lacking that subtle hook that brings it into transcending its humble roots.

                Instead, it is stuck music. This is music that reminds you you’re stuck somewhere. It aggravates with its bland scenarios. Focusing harder on the music won’t help; it isn’t interesting enough most of the time to let that be of benefit. 

                Most of the time, it is drab music. A few moments exist on here to help it from being a complete wash, but otherwise it’s a wash. Sorry but music like this gives ambient music in general a bad name as being a bunch of navel-gazing overly sensitive types.