#57: A Very Special Announcement

My first full-length album is out September 5! Listen to a sneak peek single inside + 11 new music recommendations on this Bandcamp Friday

Currently listening to: through my eye by Melted Form

Hello, friend.

It’s done. As of last night, my first full-length album is finally submitted for distribution.

I’ll be sharing plenty more information on this release—including its title, some sneak peeks, and the story behind it—over the next month, leading up to the release on September 5. Mark your calendar, friend!

For now, enjoy the sneak peek at the interlude track though my eye above (first time I’m sharing it anywhere) and the cover art below:

Cover art by me for my new album (title TBA), out September 5.

Today, I just wanted to announce the album and mention a few tidbits of background, then get on to the new music lists on this beautiful Bandcamp Friday. So, for a moment, indulge me…

This album has been at the center of my creative world for almost 5 years now. Even when I’ve strayed from it to pursue one-off side projects, sometimes for many months, I thought about these tracks.

This album has been through many iterations. I’ve probably listened to it far too many times, made far too many teeny tiny tweaks, and let it marinate for far too long.

But now, I’m finally ready to let it go. I have been for the last year, honestly, but I’ve been holding myself to too high a standard. I haven’t had the money to put toward a professional mastering engineer, but there was also fear there—fear that the professional wouldn’t want to work on it. Fear that my mixes weren’t good enough. Fear that the release was pointless.

I wound up doing it myself, start to finish. It isn’t perfect, but no art is. Eventually, I realized that, because I found myself listening to it over and over again, I liked it. And if I liked it, someone else would probably like it too. Hopefully…

That doesn’t really matter though. 1 person could listen to this album and I would still be satisfied putting it out there. Because I’ve realized that this album has also been holding me back. It’s always lingered there, loomed in the background, waiting for me to release it from it’s hard drive prison. When I think of starting something new, I hesitate and think of this project. I’m ready to move on, but I need to let this chapter finally come to a close.

Anyways, I’m so grateful to have made it to the final hurdle. The last month before release. I hope you’re at least interested, and maybe even excited?

Know that the album will be more than a bit weird—a bit ambient, a bit electronic, a bit experimental, a bit dark, a bit dreamlike. I’ve found it hard to categorize or assign a genre to this record, which makes me happy.

Stay tuned for some extra letters from me in August as I share more about the story of this album. I can’t wait to tell you more and, eventually, listen alongside you.

Be sure to follow me on Bandcamp so you’re ready for September 5. Pre-orders will be announced next week.

P.S. If you’re a fellow music writer, I’d love to share the album with you early—let’s chat!

P.P.S. The album will NOT be on Spotify, due to many issues that I have with the platform, but all other streamers will have it.

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The Living Music List

Bandcamp Friday will take place 4 more times this year: August 1 (today!), September 5, October 3, and December 5.

Hello again, friend. Happy Bandcamp Friday! Today’s the day to snap up some of your favorite albums and tracks on Bandcamp, because 100% of your money will go straight to the artists.

Now, on to this week’s new releases. Happy listening.

P.S. There’s even more great ambient beyond the list, down below in today’s One More Thing section.

Ambient

1. Almost An Island by Almost An Island (album / minimalist, electroacoustic) [Past Inside the Present]

   Almost An Island is a new project from the trio of marine eyes (Cynthia Bernard), James Bernard, and Kenneth James Gibson. This, their debut self-titled album, is a breathtaking beauty. With a peaceful Americana aesthetic, soft drones, and ethereal vocal layers, this is ambient music that feels as essential as breathing. It meshes the more reverb-laden, minimalist ambient sound that all 3 artists are known for and electroacoustic instrumentation with a pastoral feel. Per the Bandcamp description:

   “The instrumentation is as eclectic as it is purposeful—guitars, piano, voices, six-string bass, Chapman stick, pedal steel, Taishōgoto harp, and synths—each adding depth to the sonic landscape. The album leans into restraint. Muted tape hiss, gently swaying guitars, and ghostlike tones drift in and out of focus, creating a space that feels both intimate and cinematic.”

2. When We Are Free by Harbors (album / meditative, drone) [Nettwerk]

   Like the Bernards, we have another husband and wife duo sharing a new release today: Hollie Kenniff and her husband Keith (AKA Goldmund) have a new album out today under their new project Harbors. On When We Are Free, the couple have leaned into the idea that their music can be what some ambient artists and deep listeners tend to avoid labeling ambient music as: background music.

   The Bandcamp description reads, “Whether studying, relaxing, napping, or drifting away, this is an instrumental project perfect for providing the backdrop to your next activity. Pouring coffee, sipping tea, or meditating and practicing mindfulness. Press play and instantly feel like you're in a day spa or a wellness retreat.” And truthfully, the album takes on this role very well while still sounding fresh. Part of that is the crisp and clean production that makes these washes of textured drones and fleeting melodies meet the ear with meaning.

   Hollie and Keith are both known for various music monikers: Keith being the artist behind Helios and Goldmund; the duo have also released music as Mint Julep and A Pale Fire. Additionally, Hollie runs the publication Resonance that frequently shares insightful interviews with a variety of artists—I highly recommend giving that a look.

3. Skintone Edition Volume 1 by Susumu Yokota (compilation / various subgenres) [Lo Recordings]

   Legendary Japanese ambient and electronic artist Susumu Yokota was a pillar of the early 2000s scene. Between 1998 and 2012, he released 14 albums. Now, Lo Recordings is releasing remastered versions of them all, beginning with this box set of the first 7 albums. 1998’s Magic Thread is also now available as its own re-issue, but those interested in the box set will get the original masters as well as the remastered versions. The box set is available with vinyl or CD formats, but you can also buy the whole thing on digital too.

   All of these albums will span many genres, such as minimalist ambient, electronic, experimental, deep house, neoclassical, and more. This is only the first half of a long journey through 14 years of Yokota’s life, so start with Magic Thread and see where Yokota takes you.

4. A Marble Sentiment by cinchel (album / drone, experimental) [Ingrown Records]

   These 4 longform pieces each evolve throughout their 13-20 minute runtimes, dynamically ranging from soft, singular tones to cacophonous walls of sound. There’s both a hollowness and an extremely solid feel to it all, and in the end, the project tips in favor of calm while remaining conscious of the unease that can lurk beneath.

All Genres

FIRST 3:

1. smallest things by Memotone (album / jazz) [World of Echo]

   Somewhere in the realm of contemporary jazz, chamber folk, and ambient lies this new record by Memotone, AKA Will Yates. Yates has been rather prolific as Memotone, releasing around 15 albums since 2007—that’s exciting because this is the first I’m hearing of him, and smallest things has already convinced me to explore further. The Bandcamp description features a review by Jack Rollo, who beautifully describes his own experience with the album:

   “On first listen, I feel like I am on unfamiliar ground with this new Memotone album. Its textures are dry and brittle, its weave open and loose. But even the first time I return to it, lushness creeps in at the edges, tiny green shoots on what appeared to be bare soil. smallest things sheds the skin of Will's previous recordings, removing the electronics and the looping and layering of previous work, to create something almost entirely acoustic. But don't be fooled into imagining music that's folksy, pastoral or twee.”

2. The New Eve Is Rising by The New Eves (album / alt rock) [Transgressive]

   When I heard Astrolabe, a track from the alt rock group The New Eves’ debut LP, I realized this band was for fuckin’ real. They’ve got a punk edge, but they also play the cello. Astrolabe sounds like a folk anthem performed by a group of rebellious spirits living out in the woods. There’s gritty guitars, driving bass lines, and shouting choruses, but there are also playful lyrics, harmonicas, and acoustic instrumentation. It’s a ton of fun and certified fresh.

3. If Not Winter by Wisp (album / dream pop) [Music Soup / Interscope Records]

   Few genres hit for me the way that a great shoegazey dream pop album hits. Cocteau Twins and Beach House were both influences named by Wisp when she was discussing this record with Apple Music, but her work has also been compared to iconic acts like Slowdive and The Jesus and Mary Chain. Swelling, droning guitars encompass you on this record, complemented by Wisp’s vocals that fall like petals from a flowering tree. My friend Ian, to whom I sent this record immediately after listening to its first couple of tracks this morning, said, “It’s like floating in a distortion field.”

4. Untitled Singles by Hayley Williams (singles / alt pop) [Post Atlantic]

   This is a confusing but fun one—Hayley Williams has released 17(!) new tracks, all as singles. Therefore, there is no true title to this non-album/collection of singles. She first released these tracks on her website, but they’ve all now been released on streaming officially today. See this Stereogum article for more details, as it explains the whole situation well, and check out this single, Glum, as a preview:

IN THE QUEUE:

5. Autofiction by Far Caspian (album / indie rock) [Tiny Library Records]

6. The Architecture of Love & Loss by liesl-mae (album / alt folk) [Independent]

7. Man on The Moon by Fitz and The Tantrums (album / alternative) [Atlantic Records]

Music List Reminders: Bold and ^ denote reader-submitted work. Bandcamp links provided for every record that is available on the platform. If an album is not on Bandcamp, YouTube or other streaming links are provided. List format: Title by Artist (release type / genre or subgenres) [Label].

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One More Thing: Bandcamp’s Best Ambient Music of July 2025

It’s always humbling as a music writer to see a list like this Best Ambient Music of July 2025 from Bandcamp and remember that you will inevitably miss so many great records. Though I was prepared for a couple of these—Biosphere’s latest, The Way of Time, and Siavash Amini’s Caligo—I count 10 more albums that passed me by.

A note from DJ Ted Davis, who compiles this best of list for Bandcamp, on what to expect:

Embracing a fluid, forward-thinking approach to ambient, anything deemed worthy of the genre tag is considered eligible for this column. This month: Albums that toy with prickly jazz, serrated dub, verdant raga, and beyond.

You’ll find recent releases from artists like Félicia Atkinson, Perila, Rhucle, Jonny Nash, and more. It’s a great place to start exploring little offshoots of ambient and some of the most unique voices in the space right now.

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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:

#56: And the Livin' is Easy

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 or join our Discord Community. As always, I would love to hear and recommend your music, especially if it’s new and ambient/electronic/experimental.