Publicado el

The Woomh Files: a journey of almost ten years

The Woomh FilesAltera Orbe started releasing EPs and minialbums back in 2012 under the special Woomh category, trying to offer to the artist another way to create and release music on an altertive format that allowed a faster develope. The idea was to catch ideas in distinction to the classic album format and time lenght, being perfect for little live performances, smaller conceptual works, medium-form pieces with identity, etc. In the end a lot of ideas fitted the format that sometimes was also possible to have a physical release in mini-CD (210Mb/ 24 minutes).

Ran Kirlian has released a dozen mini-albums in the Woomh series, being a few of them even earlier to the Woomh concept, ranging from year 2009 to 2019. Now he released an album collecting pieces from each of these mini-works with a fine mix that melt them together and also incluides some extrastuff like a pair if unreleased tracks and 12 pages booklet containing a lot of information about the making of these recordings and their artworks. It acts both like a sample of the music pictured on the Woomh series and as a portrait of a ten years journey across Ran Kirlian music.

The Woomh Files is available at Bandcamp for free or name your price.

Publicado el

Ran Kirlian | White Angel

White AngelWhite Angel is the alternative name of the Lyra-8 synthesizer created by Soma Laboratory. It is, also, the title of Ran Kirlian newest minialbum, as the Lyra-8 is the main instrument used on the tracks included on it. This project contains 40+ minutes of sonic explorations beyond ambient boundaries, from experimental and drone to subtle melodies and drifting atmospheres.

Synths: Soma Laboratory Lyra-8, Quasimidi Polymorph, Access Virus Indigo, (track 5)
Effects: Waves Trueverb, TC Electronic M3000 and Valhalla Shimmer

The minialbum White Angel is available at Bandcamp

Listen and see in the next video a sample of the music of this Woomh, with an alternative version of the track White Angel VI played live:

Publicado el

The Many Futures of Ran Kirlian

IMany Futures 1n September 2018 Ran Kirlian released a new EP with 3 tracks entitled «Many Futures issue nº1». Beyond the naive title, its cover art and layout looked closer to a vintage sci-fi magazine than to the typical Woomh albums. Also it did not followed the catalog number of the series, however it is an Altera Orbe minialbum release, but belonging to a new conceptual series, parallel to the Woomh series.

Many Futures is a series of mini albums that collects Ran Kirlian musical and sonic impressions around years of science fiction literature reading.

As Ran says: «More than just a soundtrack for those stories, these tracks are my personal vision of the future portrayed by the authors on their stories. That’s where the series title comes, as the music contained in this and further volumes flows around the many alternative futures of the humankind.»

Continuar leyendo «The Many Futures of Ran Kirlian»
Publicado el

Ran Kirlian | La Cueva de las Almas Perdidas

La CuevaThe first solo Woomh in two years from Ran Kirlian (apart from the Many Futures minialbums) is entitled «a Cueva de las Almas Perdidas» (The Cave of the Lost Souls). It is a experimental atmnospheric minialbum exclusively based on layers and loops of voices treated with different reverb effects. The result os a consistent space full of mystery and mysticism and a charming ambient experience.

All drones, sounds and choirs were done with Ran Kirlian’s voice and, eventually, his son’s voice and a rotating corrugated tube.

This minialbum is dedicated to all the victims during and after Franquism whose corpses were never found.

Available at Bandcamp

Publicado el

OVSCVIRIA by Ran Kirlian & Landru

OSCVIRIAAfter 7 years from their previous collaborative project, Waterfront, Landru and Ran Kirlian join forces again for a new project, this time in minialbum format, entitled OVSCVIRIA.

While released in 2019, this project started back in 2014. While the initial bases and lines were totally clear since beginning and the first mix was ready in 2015, it took few years to complete it. It was taken and abandoned several times during months between other projects and priority commitments from both artists. After finding time to complete this inspirational work during the second half of 2018, it finally found a launch window during 2019.

OBSCVIRIA is essentially a dark-ambient minialbum that combines dark soundworlds, sequences and rhythms by Ran Kirlian and Landru.

Landru: analog and digital synthesizers, samplers & grooves
Ran Kirlian: analog and digital synthesizers, samplers & voices

Available at Ran Kirlian Bandcamp site

Publicado el

Landru | Unda

UndaUnda is the title of the lastest album by Landru. This work, strongly based on field recordings, goes far beyond his previous one, Undra, in terms of immersive soundscapes based on field recordings, drones and minimalistic melodies.

From release notes: «Unda, the latest Landru’s release, features evolving and minimalistic synthesized drone pads accompanied with background atmospheres based on field recordings that capture the essence of water. Consisting of 7 tracks, Unda explores some relaxing landscapes going through vibrating organic textures full of positive and recharging energies from one of the very basic naturals elements in nature: water (Unda: latin, Water). «

Unda has been writen, composed, produced and mastered by Landru at Atavachron Studios, Barcelona between 2017 and 2019. Field recordings were made in Valle del Jerte (Cáceres, Spain) and Torrelasal (Castellón, Spain).

Unda has been released under Landru’s own label Lepysma ( LEPYS002) and it is available only as downloadable format at Landru´s Bandcamp.

Publicado el

Ran Kirlian releases Ethernautica III

Ethernautica IIIToday, last day of 2018, Ran Kirlian repeated his particular ceremony and released the third chapter of his Ethernautica exploration series. It is, again, based on long-form and slow evolving pieces, but this time having three movements instead of one.

In Ran Kirlian words:

«Third instance in the series of recordings based in long format drones and processed raw material. In this volume I collect three pieces as a result of different recording sessions during 2018 with mixed emotions, something that I also wanted to reflect on the cover art.

These tracks were originally created as an inspirational source for my own as well as for meditative purposes. Some of these pieces may sound a bit raw and unpredictible, which is part of the spirit of the recordings, so I’ve decided to release these recordings for free.»

Ethernautica III is available at Ran Kirlian’s Bandcamp for free or name your price download.

Publicado el

Ran Kirlian | The Shape of Memories

The Shape of MemoriesRan Kirlian just released a new album entitled The Shape of Memories. It is a deeply intimate long form track of more than 66 minutes that was originally released in 2013 for Phillip Wilkerson’ Complex Silence Project and has been unavailable for some time. It has been rereleased in 2018, remastered and having some parts mixed again from the source in order to enhance the experience and fix some minor issues.

In Ran Kirlian words:

«This album was conceived as a long-form piece by combining smooth textures and minimal melodic weight with field recordings of a rainy autum afternoon, and it ended as a melancholic picture of the passing of time thru our memories. It has been described by many listeners as one of the most delicated works I’ve ever done. «

Here you can listen to a sampler of The Shape of Memories:

The Shape of Memories is available in downloadable format at Ran Kirlian’s Bandcamp

Publicado el

Ran Kirlian | Distant Signals

Distant SignalsDistant Signals is the long awaited new album from Ran Kirlian (except for Ethernautica series), 5 years after the release of Cosmos and The Physics of Heaven and almost 8 years in the making. It also has a physical release with a limited run of only 25 copies in CDR format on jewel case and impressive artwork.

In Ran Kirlian words:

«Distant Signals was planned as a personal soundtrack for a deep space exploration, both inner and outer, based on pure electronic atmospheres build on minimal structures. Dark and light combines here in a flow of textures and subtle melodies laying on a vast environment out of time and space. The inital recordings were created letting things breathe, letting themselves mark the pace of the recording sessions, pulsating in the studio and me, provoking a state of consciousness that I have seldom achieved by playing my instruments. This is something that I would like to transfer to the listeners.

The initial recordings of Distant Signals were created during summer 2010 based on live in studio sessions but it needed some extra time to finish. It was remixed, polished, taken and abandoned several times during the next years between other projects and it even became a totally abandoned project. It wasn’t until 2017 when I decided to finish and release it.

Although the sound of this album may occasionally sound out of control, I decided to keep it this way in order to preserve the essence of the creative process that inspired them. «

Here you can find a little sample of Distant Signals:

Distant Signals is a ten tracks album of 77+ minutes full of deep and soundworlds and minimalistic melodies with a intimal touch. Both physical and downloadable versions are available at Ran Kirlian’s Bandcamp. Remember that phyisical edition is a limited run.

Publicado el

Ran Kirlian | Ethernautica II

Ethernautica IILike a year ago, it’s December 31 and Ran Kirlian just released a new instance of the Ethernautica series. Following the idea of the previous release, this second chapter delves on live recordings based in long format drones and raw material.

Ethernautica II presents another a single 71+ minutes track of slow evolving atmospheres and textures that was, again, originally created as an inspirational source for experimental, compositive and meditative purposes.

You can download Ethernautica at Ran Kirlian’s Bandcamp site for free or name your price in lossless format.

More info about Ethernautica I