Alpine.
Fr:om Harmed Weather To Stark, Micro, Climates. | hpll038

Release Date: 2009-07-06

Hazy and warm, like sunlight through the shades on an early summer morning, a cool breeze blowing through an open window, the sound of nesting birds in the tree outside - Alpine.'s music is an immediately arresting listen, bristling with subtle swelling strings, delicate melodies, and shimmering percussion interwoven with evocative, somehow familiar, field recordings. The six tracks contained in this EP combine to form an imaginary journey with only aural sign posts to lead you through a drifting reverie, placing the listener in a world of lush dreams and engaging imagination.

Alpine. is the solo project of Alex Smalley, one half of Pausal, whose earlier eponymously named EP we net-released back in 2007. Pausal toured Europe last year supporting Koen Holtkamp, and have also played shows with Stars Of The Lid, Grouper, Aidan Baker, Rameses III, and Greg Haines. Their debut full length should be released this year. (The Pausal EP has just been remastered with an additional track and will also be seeing a proper release at the end of the July 2009).

Alpine.'s video work was also included in our 'Analog For Architecture' DVD from a few years back.

Reviews

"At times, there are hints of Eno's Ambient experiments hidden deep within the dense sound clusters of this record which, when they surface, most notably on opening piece Fr:om and on Climates. which closes, give these respective tracks a particular hue otherwise only noticeable in the distance, while, elsewhere, his confident production and sound formations contribute to making this a truly fascinating, if much too short, opus."
The Milk Factory

"A work that's potent with the fragrance of a calm before the storm, its rustic ambience is a momentary vision of tranquility. With just six consolidated tracks, the EP presents an uncluttered approach to some of the most diverse and imaginative instrumentation."
Igloo Mag

"There are many highlights as it works so well as a single flowing piece but the organic crackles and mesmerising drones of 'micro,' do it for me. As do the tweeting birds and looping chimes of opener 'fr:om' that descend into orchestral bliss. The field recordings on 'weather' are something else too you can really feel the ambiance captured on tape from these places. Here we have music for late nights and early mornings, Alpine. shows the way on a journey mapped out through sound. Its compelling and beautiful, it just shines with a shimmering laid-back energy."
The Sonic Minefield

"Straight outta, um, the Home Counties comes this lighter-than-hydrogen EP. Gorgeous opener 'fr:om' has got that Spacemen 3/Spiritualized zephyr feel to it, while 'harmed' and 'micro,' are richly satisfying exercises in delicate, Eno-like drone."
Drowned In Sound

"With six tracks all under five minutes, 'Fr:om Harmed Weather to Stark, Micro, Climates' (sic.) suffers the rare affliction of understaying its welcome, but that just makes these bite-sized pieces all the more attractive. Smalley's clearly listened to Kompakt's Pop Ambient series, and he borrows liberally: bells and windchimes from early Markus Guentner ('Fr:om', 'To Stark'), treacly synth pads from Andrew Thomas (and countless others) ('Micro'), with the mournful, weeping tones of Ulf Lohmann audible throughout, but combined with rustic field recordings and lazily daubed effects, the result is more handmade and welcoming. It's all over before you know it, but such is the nature of ambient music that you can go right back to the start and it will be just as fresh as the first listen."
Cyclic Defrost

"The EP opens with the clinking ice of 'Fr:om' which fades into an ambient loop of synth drone and plucked guitar. 'Harmed' is a short organ monotone that leads into 'Weather', a piece that seems to be comprised of wind and bird samples, with some faint musical echo in the background. 'To stark' has crystalline ringing, fizzing water and ebbing organ drone that gives it a cold and clear atmosphere. The micro-clicks of 'Micro', the stand-out track, are redolent of the Spring melt, as the power of the sun makes itself felt in the warm ambient tones that loop and fade leaving the clicks and drips to gradually ease themselves into silence. The simple treated piano melody of 'Climates' wraps things up in a gentle calm. Fr:om Harmed Weather To Stark, Micro, Climates is an understated 18 minutes or so. Its charms are subtle, but rewarding."
Music Musings and Miscellany