ANGEL SIMITCHIEV & LINUS SCHRAB “Airborne” (Amek)

 

As if you didn’t know what you were getting into right now. Angel Simitchiev runs Amek, and is also Mytrip. Linus Schrab is V I C I M, an Amek alum. Together, they should inherently distill the Amek brand/sound into its most basic form. That they do it is not a surprise; that they continue to evolve the work of the label and push themselves in amazing new directions most definitely is.
 
No, wait – I’m not surprised that they do that at all. I’m just astounded at the result, that’s all. As if “that’s all”! But anyway, Simitchiev and Schrab are dark ambient veterans, infusing their intricate vibes with alternately heavy smears and delicate shimmers of synthesizer. Airborne is the sound of something massive gliding across the sky, shadowing the ground below. It sounds like its size, and despite how big it is, it feels light and airy too, like it belongs up there.
 
But that’s the beauty of Amek, and of the work of these two label vets – they’ve perfected turning the crushingly bleak into the resoundingly familiar. Every time an Amek tape arrives in my mailbox, I immediately get wistful – then I get my rear end handed to me as it knocks my socks off. See? I can’t even keep my metaphors straight around these folks.
 
https://amekcollective.bandcamp.com/
 
--Ryan