The Living Music List #17: On Dreams
Where does sleep take us? Music offers many answers.
Currently listening to: Dreams by Helios
Veriditas by Helios is one of the first ambient albums I remember deeply listening to—this is more than background music for sleep, I thought. One of my best friends first shared it with me back in college and I loved to play it before bedtime. As you’ll see in a moment, today’s reflection is about the same theme as this song: dreams. Ambient music, to me, is synonymous with dreams and sleep. It’s mostly steady, often soft and relaxing, and usually doesn’t ask to be noticed. Ambient can also, however, be weird and offbeat and extremely visceral, especially under certain states of mind. Most of all, though, ambient is abstract like dreams. You can’t always see things in your dreams clearly, and ambient music can be equally blurry and amorphous.
Reflection
Hello, friend.
“When we all fall asleep, where do we go?”
Billie Eilish asked us all that question with her 2019 debut album. I’m asking you now—where do you think sleep takes us?
Dreams are weird. In some ways, they feel counterintuitive to how we typically think about the primary, surface-level benefits of sleep: rest and renewal. Our brains and bodies work hard during the many hours of the day we spend active and awake, so it would make sense if they almost entirely shut down for a while.
Except, they don’t. Our brains are renewing themselves by working overtime to dump the built-up toxic chemicals they’ve produced during our waking hours. They’re also tending to themselves like gardens, sifting through memories, harvesting the useful fruit, and eliminating extraneous information. During REM sleep, they process more emotional memories like traumatic experiences, and this is when most dreaming occurs.
To me, dreams have always felt like one of two extremes: 1) coded messages with mysterious but certain intentions, aimed at assisting our ability to better understand and confront our past and present selves, or 2) the most random fucking meaningless cartoons that represent nothing more than our brains being cruel screenwriters having fun playing the role of a mad scientist for a night. Seriously, when it’s the latter, it’s like my brain has synthesized several of my most left-field thoughts and experiences into some Frankenstein’s monster of an acid trip.
When a dream falls into the first extreme, though, it can seem like we’ve glimpsed an alternate reality. We inhabit versions of ourselves who occupy a different plane for one night only, where the actions we take and the people and places we encounter feel half-familiar. After we wake from these dreams, depending on what we can remember, we may feel called to investigate their symbolism or reconsider a real experience from our past with which our dream seemed to be processing.
Dreams are invitations. They are confounding gobbledygook. They can be visceral and feel as real as waking life, making our heart race and triggering tears when we escape them. They can be completely unmemorable, like a subtle breeze on our face that gently touches us and then is gone forever.
Whatever our dreams are, they are always agents of inspiration.
How many times have you woken up to an idea that had been eluding you the day before? How often do we pledge to “sleep on it” when facing a difficult problem to solve? I have almost always felt my best ideas arrive as I’m attempting to fall asleep. It’s as if my brain is an airport with a runway that’s only open after 10 PM. In the dark night, thoughts flying around on the other side can finally see the runway’s lights guiding them in to land.
Logically, this makes sense based on some of the loose science I’ve mentioned above. If our brain has been processing memories and sorting information, it’s effectively clearing our head so we can think more effectively about whatever it is we’ve been toying with. The grateful creative in me, however, must acknowledge that there is likely more to it than that. I think sleep breaks down certain barriers that we hold up during the daytime, letting more of the source, as music producer and creative guru Rick Rubin calls it, find its way to us to deliver messages of inspiration we had been blocking out due to our survival routines. In his book The Creative Act: A Way of Being, Rubin surmises:
Source makes available.
The filter distills.
The vessel receives.
And often this happens beyond our control.
It’s not unusual for inspiration to slip through during our waking hours, of course, especially as we improve our ability to recognize it through efforts like mindfulness. Something about sleep’s sanding down of the brain’s surface in preparation for sharpening the saw makes sleep the ideal time for source to wiggle its way through the folds.
If there was ever any question about just how powerful sleep can be as a tool for siphoning inspiration from the source, music gives many validating answers. Here’s a playlist for you with a small sampling of those answers:
There is something about dreams that aboslutely captivates the musician and encourages songwriting. Dreams are typically ripe with emotional, perhaps because they are the visual machinations of memory processing and subconscious coping, and what is a better method of catharsis than music? What is a more natural expiration of the inspiration we receive from dreams than music? As I was writing this, I received an email promoting a forthcoming release from electronic producer Kelly Lee Owens titled Dreamstate. Talk about coincidences.
***
Don’t be afraid of the dark, friend. We wake up from even the worst nightmares. There is inspiration to be found in dreams, for they dig up the invisible side of our mind we bury—and there be treasure.
If you couldn’t tell by now, I have my answer to the question at the start of this reflection. When we all fall asleep, we don’t really go anywhere. Dreams come to us. They are already within us—they are just rising to the surface. Sleep is an answering machine. Okay, a little before my time—a voicemail? Sleep is leaving a window open, so the sounds and smells and hidden thoughts can drift in overnight.
If you’re feeling stuck or uninspired, I hope you can get a good rest tonight and see what has floated in through the window by the morning.
Music Recommendations + Bandcamp Friday Reminder
Hello again, friend.
Thank you for reading today’s post. I hope you enjoyed the reflection—it was inspired by a video abouts sleep by Johnny Harris, an independent journalist (formerly at Vox) and YouTube creator. It’s where I got some of the sources I linked early in the reflection, and it’s pretty interesting. If you feel regularly tired, I’d recommend giving it a watch.
I also want to remind you that today, Friday, October 4, is Bandcamp Friday. Today, Bandcamp waives its commission fees so 100% of revenue from all purchases made on the platform go directly to the artists and labels from whom you’re buying. If you have favorite artists you want to support financially, today is the day to buy their albums, CDs, vinyls, etc!
Special bonus: This month, Bandcamp is partnering with Roland to offer Bandcamp users 3 free months of Roland Ultimate Studio Suite. That’ll give you access to over 50 Roland virtual instruments via Roland Cloud, like the TR-808 and the JUNO-106. Check it out here.
Alright, enough gabbin’ and unpaid advertisin’ (though there’s more of the latter after the music lists)—here’s this week’s iteration of the Living Music List. Happy listening.
The Living Music List—Ambient
Note: All of the below ambient projects are available on Bandcamp. * and bold denotes reader-submitted work—thank you!
Hidden Voices Unveiled by Bob Holroyd (single / drone, worldwide) [Independent / Bandcamp]*
Selected Ambient Works Volume II (Expanded Edition) by Aphex Twin (album / electronic, drone) [Warp / Bandcamp]
Red Moon Tide by Rafael Anton Irisarri & KMRU (single / drone, noise) [Black Knoll Editions / Bandcamp]
Chroma by Loscil & Lawrence English (album / drone {note: this originally released in April 2024 but just hit streaming services at the end of September}) [Independent / Bandcamp]
Jade by zakè & Tyresta (album / drone, noise) [Independent / Bandcamp]
Mirage by Brendan Moeller (album / drone, dub) [quiet details / Bandcamp]
Awakening by Crypthios (album / electronic, dark ambient) [Cryo Chamber / Bandcamp]
Tempest by Federica Deiana (EP / drone, ambient piano) [Home Normal / Bandcamp]
Defocus by Michael Santos (album / noise, drone) [Home Normal / Bandcamp]
VONDISY 1 by VONDISY (EP / dark ambient, electronic {note: percussion in the first track}) [FOIL / Bandcamp]
Music for Healing: Equinox by Richard Norris (album / drone, meditative) [Independent / Bandcamp]
staring at the ceiling at 3am by come le onde (album / drone, dark ambient) [rohs! records / Bandcamp]
Negative Space : Gradients by Lehnen (album / drone, electronic) [Healing Sound Propagandist / Bandcamp]
Alpenreissen by the volume settings folder (album / drone, field recordings) [Independent / Bandcamp]
Connection by k.markov (album / electronic, space) [Independent / Bandcamp]
Cloud Streams by Nobuto Suda (album / drone, minimalist) [Independent / Bandcamp]
The Living Music List—All Genres
Note: Most of the below projects are available on major streaming services, unless otherwise noted. * and bold denotes reader-submitted work—thank you!
Molten Glass Soup 5000 by Ursula’s Cartridges (album / experimental electronic [note: only available on Bandcamp via Ingrown Records])*
By Design by Dogwood Gap (single / folk rock [note: only available on Bandcamp via Revelator Records)*
Material Prosody by mHz (compilation / electronic [note: from Room40 and has an ambient track or two, but mostly harsh, upbeat electronics])
Quad by The Advert (EP / electronic)
Fragments of Us by Midland (album / electronic)
Lahai (Deluxe) by Sampha (album / electronic [4 new tracks added])
Spiritual Driveby by Sara Landry (album / dance)
Adult Contemporary by Chromeo (album / electronic)
Higher Resolution (Side A) by Kasablanca (album / dance)
Discothèque Records Vol. 5 by Confession (album / house)
PARTICLES by clear eyes (album / electronic)
̟̞̝̜̙̘̗̖҉̵̴̨̧̢̡̼̻̺̹̳̲̱̰̯̮̭̬̫̪̩̦̥̤̣̠҈͈͇͉͍͎͓͔͕͖͙͚͜͢͢͢͢͢͢͢͢͢͢͢͢͢͢ͅ ̟̞̝̜̙̘̗̖҉̵̴̨̧̢̡̼̻̺̹̳̲̱̰̯̮̭̬̫̪̩̦̥̤̣̠҈͈͇͉͍͎͓͔͕͖͙͚͜͢͢͢͢͢͢͢͢͢͢͢͢͢͢ͅ ʅ͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡(̸̢̛̼̞̭͋ͅ)̸͚̰͛̔̾̀̿͒͂ ʅ͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡()ʃ͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡ ꐑ(ఠీੂ೧ູȯ̶̞̮͖̑̈́)̸̳̥̰̜̥̺̐ͅv̴̢͚͚͎͎̞͒͊̎ȯ̶̞̮͖̑̈́̿)̸̳̥̰̜̥̺̐ͅ࿃ूੂ✧⃛✧⃛)̴͎̜͍̱̋̌͋̓̾̚͜ ̷̨̢̥̅͝ͅ(̸̢̛̼̞̭͋ͅ)̸͚̰͛̔̾̀̿͒͂ by ⣎⡇ꉺლ༽இ•̛)ྀ◞ ༎ຶ ༽ৣৢ؞ৢ؞ؖ ꉺლ (EP / electronic [note: this is an alternate project of Four Tet, here’s the Bandcamp link because it’s impossible to find this project without links]
Dunya by Mustafa (album / alternative)
Moon Music by Coldplay (album / alternative)
For Cryin’ Out Loud! by FINNEAS (album / alternative)
Leon by Leon Bridges (album / R&B/soul)
Cutouts by The Smile (album / alternative)
The New Sound by Geordie Greep (album / alternative [note: genres are pointless here; this is the solo debut of Geordie Greep, frontman of black midi])
“NO TITLE AS OF 13 FEBRUARY 2024 28,3440 DEAD” by Godspeed You! Black Emperor (album / indie rock)
You Feel It Too by Palomino Blond (album / indie rock)
Clipped Wings by Maya Hawke (EP / alternative)
Acadia by Yasmin Williams (album / folk)
Time Machine by NICOLOSI (album / indie folk)
JRNY by Jordan Ward & Joony (EP / R&B/soul)
Meanwhile by Eric Clapton (album / blues rock)
The Press Box
If you read last week’s issue, you’ll remember that I featured some new releases from a small label known as Ingrown Records after the owner, Ryan, got in touch with me via email. It was really great to connect with him and learn more about his story and the artists of Ingrown.
This week, I’m taking the next step in the journey of this newsletter with a new, (hopefully) regular section: The Press Box. Here, at the end of each letter, I’ll be featuring new releases from artists and labels who have reached out to me personally with press releases and more in-depth information. Of course, these will be releases I’ve listened to and connected with too! I’m super stoked to feature a release or two each week in a more prominent way.
If you’re an independent artist, label owner, or PR manager, always feel free to reach out to me at meltedform@gmail.com.
Now, let’s say hello to this week’s visitors to The Press Box!
Hidden Voices Unveiled (Single) by Bob Holroyd [Independent]—Out Now
Ranging from ambient minimalism to world music, modern classical to jazz, Bob Holroyd’s music is difficult to pigeonhole. In this new release Hidden Voices Unveiled, Holroyd shines a light on the unheard voices of those facing oppression abroad. The two pieces that make up the new single were originally written for a project that intended to focus on the fact that life in Afghanistan was improving for women—centering on the fact that young Afghan women were able to go to school. Due to outside influences, the project never came to be, and since it’s conception, the Taliban have regained power in the country, reversing the good work that it intended to highlight.
As a result, Holroyd developed the tracks to take on a new meaning, recalibrating them as a tribute to all those across the world who’s voices are repressed and unheard. Speaking on the track, Holroyd says:
I want to expand the topic because, unfortunately, it's not just Afghan women who are in this situation. There are numerous examples of men and women who aren't heard: Hong Kong activists, the Rohingyas, the Uighurs… the list is unfortunately pretty endless. The pieces are both ultimately meant to be inspirational—symbolic of the hope for change in the future.
Upon my listen, I did feel the collision of strife and hope that Holroyd was aiming for. There are cascading ambient drones overlayed by haunting, ethereal voices yearning toward the light from darkness. The first half of the single’s cinematic origins are apparent, feeling rather grand at times, elucidating the scale of these oppressive events taking place around the globe. The grand feel of it all does deliver that surging feeling of hope, though.
In the second piece, the atmosphere feels more desolate, illustrating the state of existence these hidden voices are stuck inside. Noisy sounds brush across the stereo space like wind across desert sands. Atop this, the striking vocal lamentations of US-based Iranian artist Mahsa Vahdat gives form to the suffering of millions. She frequently repeats:
When will we be heard…? When will we be heard…?
More on Bob Holroyd: With an extensive back catalogue of albums and remixes to his name, Holroyd’s eclectic and texturally cinematic work has been recognised and remixed extensively by a huge range of artists such as Coldcut, Nitin Sawhney, Four Tet, Francois K, Mogwai, The Album Leaf, T. Williams, Lemonde, Loop Guru, Steve Roach, and more, and has been used prominently in mainstream TV and films such as THE DARK KNIGHT, LOST, TRUE BLOOD, THE SOPRANOS, PANORAMA, COAST, and many more.
House Sounds (EP) by Dogwood Gap [Revelator Records]—Out November 15
Patrick Murray started playing guitar when he was nine years old. In 2023, he graduated from Berklee NYC with a Masters in music production and songwriting, marching into the vast abyss of a fabled New York underground scene with an album called Winesburg (after Sherwood Anderson’s novel Winesburg, Ohio) as part of his Brooklyn-based artist project Dogwood Gap (for the title of a song by the late Jason Molina, one of Murray’s crowning inspirations).
Now, Dogwood Gap is returning with a sensational new EP of feverish folk, House Sounds, debuting on Murray’s newly formed label Revelator Records. Listening to House Sounds was an unexpectedly emotional experience for me—it was a record I felt in my gut and chest first. Murray’s voice gently conveys a sense of simultaneous longing and acceptance with a subtle, raspy tenderness. The EP flows between soft and urgent, like the 7-minute track Sicario that blossoms halfway through with cool guitar licks, harmonica, and Murray’s pleading lyrics, “You should have listened when I said…”
House Sounds releases on November 15, but you can listen to the single By Design on Bandcamp now and pre-order the full EP on CD or digital on Bandcamp.
More on Dogwood Gap: Dogwood Gap searches for stories in the overlooked corners and crevices of the world—roadside antique shops of the American South, moss-covered boulders in the woods of Vermont, medievalIcelandic texts, and the dim-lit, garbaged alleys of New York City. Like the folk icons of its musical predecessors, storytelling is at the core of D.G.’s artistry. From traditional folk tunes to Twilight Zone episodes, tales of the twisted, broken, tattered, and bizarre are what spark the songwriting process. Sonically, the music sits on an infernal plane somewhere between alt-blues and folk-punk, but we just call it soup-rock because it warms the belly.
More on Revelator Records: Keep an eye out for more releases from Murray’s label, Revelator Records, which will focus on small-batch CD releases from artists like Sockeye (Hayden Carr-Loize), Simple Son (Evan Tannenbaum), Rachel Bard (herself), and Mozz (Cole Triedman).
That’s all for this week’s issue. Thank you for reading. Until next time.
Your friend,
Melted Form
Remember to listen to the hum, buzz, & hiss of the world around you—there is music to be heard there.
Read the previous issue of The Living Music List:
Afterword—Let’s Get In Touch
Are you an artist, a label owner, or a member of the press? Want to share an in-depth feature of your upcoming release, an advertisement, or a guest post for a future Hum, Buzz, & Hiss issue? Get in touch with me at meltedform@gmail.com. As always, I would love to hear and recommend your music, especially if it’s new and ambient/experimental.
Also, you can keep up with me and hear more of the music I’m listening to by following me on Substack Notes. Join our community of music-loving writers and readers discussing the latest releases, old gems, and everything in between.
Another timely reflection!
great edition - thanks for the inclusion of qd24 brendon moeller :)