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A Journey into Sound and Spirit
Last Updated 2-05-2005 on the web since 1999

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AV's Q&A With AtmoWorks

James Johnson

John Strate-Hootman aka Vir Unis


Our Latest Feature
Updated with new list 1-23-2005

 In cooperation with Backroads Music AV is proud to present
Lloyd's Picks.

 

AV's CD Focus

Pete Kelly

 

 

8 Shades of Sound 

 

Under the pseudonym ‘Igneous Flame’, I have released three critically acclaimed ambient albums, ‘Tolmon’ (2003), ‘Intox’ (2003) and ‘OXANA’ (2004). My ambient work was initially influenced primarily by Brian Eno’s ‘Thursday Afternoon’ ‘On Land’ and ‘Apollo’ albums. I also create surround sound soundtracks for gallery installations and have composed soundtracks for short films.

I live in Northern England and I’ve played guitar for 25 years. As part of my studies in Music Technology, I was introduced to electroacoustic music and I started experimenting with the practice of processing recorded sounds, which in turn, started me thinking about applying this way of working to creating ambient music. Some reviewers have referred to the ‘synth sounds’ on my releases, but I actually very rarely use synthesisers for my ambient work. Most of the sounds I create were originally recordings, heavily processed. It is all computer based. I also have a more beat based side project called ‘Formbank’. 

For AV's spotlight on 8 Shades of Sound by Formaria click here.


Ambient Visions
News

02-04-05  Starsend update for this week.
02-03-05  Nearfest records announces new release.
02-03-05  EMUSIC announces podcasting.
02-03-05
 Infinite Sector Recordings announces newest MP3 release.
01-25-05  Ambient Visions suffers outage and loss as hosting company drive goes down
01-24-05  
Suilven Recordings announce preorders for "Mercury"
01-24-05 Atmoworks announces James Johnson's CUBE project
01-24-05 Gears of Sand Proudly announce GOS 7
01-21-05 Parasomnic Records news
01-17-05 Patrick O'Hearn talks to AV about his upcoming release Slow Time
01-16-05 ADmusic update on the news page.
01-16-05
New release page has been updated.
01-15-05 Slo Bor Media Streaming Radio announcement
01-14-05 Echoes schedule for January 2005 has been posted.
01-12-05 Echoes best of 2004 lists have been posted on the Charts page.


Ambient Visions
CD Reviews

01-30-2005  New reviews posted including Byron Metcalf's newest The Shaman's Heart
01-22-2005  
New reviews posted on the reviews page.
01-15-2005  
New reviews posted on the reviews page.
01-12-2005
 Kathy Parsons from Solo Piano Publications has new reviews posted on the site.

 

Artist Interviews

The first "new age" artist I discovered was Steve Roach in 1988 with his release "Dreamtime Return" which became a pivotal moment in my life. I looked at "new age" in a completely new light and not the cliche it had started to become. I realized that there is a substance and feeling invoked with new age instrumental music that most other genres can't connect with me.

Numina - AV Interview 


My process for recording music varies, but the key element that connects everything is to make the songs musically cohesive so that they work well together whether in sequence or as a whole, yet I want the album to be diverse enough to maintain attention and avoid monotony. I didn't go into any preconceived theme when I ended up with the tracks for Sanctuary of Dreams - with the exception of perhaps one or two songs which by that time I had most of the album tracks already assembled.

Numina - AV Interview

 

 

Currently Featuring

an interview with

Numina

aka Jesse Sola

 

 

Sounds to Listen For

Available Now!

 

Ephemeral Highways

by Gregory Kyryluk
aka Alpha Wave Movement


Live Transmissions
Vol. 2

by Vir Unis 
and James
Johnson


The Shaman's Heart

by Byron Metcalf
Read the review.


Labyrinth

by Juno Reactor


Images

By Matt Borghi


 

Bulletin: Second Generation of Space Music composers has emerged!

An Article by 
Lloyd Barde

of Backroads Music