I completely missed this album late release last year, but I’m really glad we dug it up.

Ishq – And Awake

Mr. Ishq is a dear friend, and I’m really happy to see his second release on Interchill Records, a long pause since 2004’s Orchid; one of my top 5 favorite ambient records ever.  Compared to Matt’s other projects in the intervening years, And Awake sounds more like the next chapter after Orchid than anything else he’s put out.

There are a few new production techniques that can be heard, but largely Ishq keeps to his tried and true methods of shimmery melodies with organic and synth ambiences providing a backdrop.  It’s a beautiful record.

A problem that a lot of Ishq’s work presents (and that of a lot of other very talented ambient musicians) for the radio station is the length of the songs.  It’s ill-advised difficult to add a lot of 8-14 minutes songs.  Especially with our multi-genre multi-tempo format, you have to trust that folks won’t tune out after a few minutes of ambient music.  Thus, I try to keep the 8-14+ minute ambient tracks few and far between, and when they are added to the library, they are damn good. 

Also, with Mr. Ishq’s full support, we posted for free download recordings of the live concert her performed for us in San Francisco back in October 2003.  You can download them for FREE right HERE, including the amazing 20+ minute rendition of Fluid Earth.