II: Plains/Patterns by Billow Observatory (Review)

Danish-based ambient/electronic producer Jonas Munk recently launched his own label, Azure Vista Records, which gives him a channel to release music by him and his friends. Case in point, Billow Observatory, a collaboration between Munk and Auburn Lull’s Jason Kolb. (Sidenote: Azure Vista will be releasing Auburn Lull’s first LP in nearly a decade this September.)

As their name implies, Billow Observatory creates lofty, airy ambient music. Opening track “Pulsus” is a fine example, with drifting synthscapes serving as a backdrop for pulsing arpeggios that suggest wide open spaces. The textured sounds on “Kercheval” conjure up an idyllic scene of billowing (npi) clouds drifting across the bluest summer sky. Finally, “Montcalir“ ‘s solemn sparseness is reminiscent of the nostalgia-laden soundscapes on Manual’s The North Shore.

All in all, an immaculately produced album of ambient electronica that will certainly please fans of the prolific Munk’s other output.