Presenting ... all​|​is​|​bright_2023 (waag_COM006) by various artists

When I was dreaming out loud with Cousin Silas about the future of waag, back in November, I mentioned about curating another Christmas / Winter compilation. He loved the idea and was the first to provide a track. I asked a few others and their encouragement and their support for the idea was evident ... so I set the wheels in motion and here we are.

all|is|bright_2023 is inspired by the all|is|calm series that Brad used to curate over on his netlabel, FreeFloating, and features (for the most part) some gentle ambient music that is ideally suited for the Icelandic tradition of Jolabokaflod, or Christmas book flood, where people give each other books of Christmas Eve and spend the day reading.

We have 20 tracks featuring some old friends of WAAG like Colin Blake, Christopher Alvarado, George L Smyth, Jaime Munárriz, and everybody’s favourite cousin, Cousin Silas ... and new (to WAAG) voices too like Ali Kilpatrick, Lezet, In Vitro, Theofil Tsiolakakis aka Mean Flow all the way from Thessaloniki, Greece; and the wonderfully entitled WHΛLTHISИEY aka Fernando Cerqueira.

The majority of the tracks feature gentle ambient such as “Quiet Night” by Ambi Case, Coolambient’s “Untrodden Snow”, and an absolute beauty by Kevin Buckland entitled “031223”.

We have new music from Fabio Keiner with “Midwinter Song” and “Humbled” by Sergio Mariani, new and old friends of WAAG respectively ... along with tracks from Allen Pitts (“Moonlit Snow”) and Brian M Talgo (“Bliss”) that fit the bill perfectly.

We also have “Mimicked Notion #3” by The Next Commuter, which blew me away, if I can be honest? I hope to work more with Hans Thomas in the new year and would love to have some new music from him to present from WAAG ... that’s my Christmas wish anyway!

A few of the tracks provide some added sparkle to the compilation that may not fall within the definition of “gentle ambient” but who am I to gatekeep? Christopher Alvarado’s “Mend” is synthy gorgeousness and a long awaited return from him. Wilfried Hanrath, another old friend of WAAG, actually submitted three tracks but “Eternally” fit the bill albeit it may wake you up if you are starting to dose off ... and “The Flickering Glows Of Luminous Matter” by Jaime Munárriz is another wonderful piece of electronica that certainly got me listening when I heard it.

I shouldn’t have favourites ... and I don’t! But I will point you in the direction of “Coventry Carol Emmanuel” by Nicole Anderson & Scott Lawlor with my last mention. The combination of harp and Scott’s trademark gentle drones is exquisite ... it is the Angel on top of a beautifully dressed Christmas tree.

My huge thanks to Ali Kilpatrick, Christopher Alvarado, Lezet, Wilfried Hanrath, In Vitro, Ambi Case, George L Smyth, Jaime Munárriz, WHΛLTHISИEY, Coolambient, Fabio Keiner, The Next Commuter, Sergio Mariani, Nicole Anderson & Scott Lawlor, Mean Flow, Allen Pitts, Colin Blake, Brian M Talgo (for his track and for the cover image) Kevin Buckland, and Cousin Silas, who was there for me when I needed him ... and if that’s not what Christmas is all about then nothing is.

To keep the cheer going into the New Year ... all proceeds from this compilation will be donated to a local Scottish charity that works with the homeless. More details to follow.

However you celebrate this time of year ... may this album bring you some peace and hopefully some joy at this time.

Thank you.

- Thomas

Note: there are gaps between some of the tracks. I have deliberately left them in to enhance the peaceful nature of compilation.

Presenting ... LOOKING BACK moving forward VOL.001

LOOKING BACK moving forward VOL.001 features new music from Cousin Silas, Kevin Lyons, David Gerard, and Brother Saturn; tracks that will either appear on new releases in 2016 or are exclusive to this compilation.

As with last year’s compilation, there will be a small charge for the music featured during the month of January. All proceeds will be donated to HOSPICE UK, a charity based in the UK that supports the development of hospice care in the UK and internationally.

weareallghosts is my main side-project and something I do for the love of it. My main employment is as a Senior Business Analyst in Glasgow, Scotland; my employer actively and generously supports HOSPICE UK and doubles any donation made by her staff - by paying for this album (22p per track) we will hopefully be able to raise some money for a really great cause and give a little good back into the world.

The album will not be available on Archive although you will be able to stream it on Soundcloud.

My sincere thanks to everyone who released their music on weareallghosts in 2015 … and to Cousin Silas and Kevin Lyons for helping me choose the tracks featured.

Here’s to 2016 … we will feature some new names along with all the old favourites this year. I hope you enjoy what’s to come as much as I do!

Tx



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Tracklisting
01. Cousin Silas - Berlin Evenings (edit) 06:11
02. Cousin Silas - Dronescape 028 edit with guitar 20:16
03. David Gerard - Hypnotique 18:14
04. Symatic Star & String Theories - Compressionism (Symatic Star & Stephen Briggs) 11:32
05. Cousin Silas & Kevin Lyons - The Desolation 11:14
06. Kevin Lyons - Learning to Let Go 07:24
07. Cousin Silas - Dronescape 002 edit with guitar 04:28
08. Symatic Star & String Theories - Yearning (Symatic Star & Cousin Silas) 09:19
09. Brother Saturn - Beacons 14:14
10. Cousin Silas - Returning to Dust (January 1974) 07:13
11. Matthew VandeBrook - Metempsychosis 04:20
12. Cousin Silas - Tim Jones - Kevin Lyons - Narcoleptic Summer 05:24
13. Cousin Silas - Dronescape 030 edit with guitar 11:26
14. Cousin Silas - Further East 07:22
15. Brother Saturn - Snowdrift 04:14
16. Scott Lawlor and The Gateless Gate - Lemurian Shores- (a) Pleasure Garden (b) Temple 16:08
17. Cousin Silas & Kevin Lyons - The Backstreets Of Marsport Ain’t No Place For Tourists 04:56
18. Kevin Lyons - Dark Flow 05:16
19. Cousin Silas & David Gerard - Bagatelle for Harp and Orchestra 03:54
20. Brother Saturn - I’ve Never Felt This Way Before 06:41
21. Cousin Silas - Tim Jones - Kevin Lyons - Radio Dunwich 07:22
22. Cousin Silas - The Other Jezebel 04:09
23. Cousin Silas - Old Tin Hat 04:39

+

a bonus track from Gurdonark: "Constellation Blackbird"

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Presenting … ending the year on a high 2014 (waag_com003)

Presenting … ending the year on a high 2014. A compilation album that features twenty tracks from some of my most favourite people in independent ambient electronic music. There is well over 2 hours of music here to be consumed, music that I personally find tremendously inspirational and deeply thought provoking.

I have spoken, at length, about the power of ambient music to give the mind space to wander and the music presented here does just that. The music created by the folks on weareallghosts is truly exceptional - music from Cousin Silas and Christopher Alvarado, Brother Saturn and Kevin Lyons, Stephen Briggs and Tim Rowe, Negative Spectrum and Sound Awakener, Delicate Apparatus and Scott Lawlor, William Spivey, Wolfgang Merx and Rhys Anslow, Mystified and Microvolt;

The tracks demonstrate the breadth of talent from further afield too - the music presented from the likes of Orbit Over Luna, åpne sinn, Row Boat, Daniel Prendiville, and Twin Cities; is truly awe-inspiring. I cannot thank each and every artist enough for their contributions.

Normally I would put this compilation out for free as a wee token of appreciation to our faithful supporters and fans, but this year I would like to try something different: I have set a minimum price of £5 or 25p per track. ALL PROCEEDS from this album will go to the charity HOSPICE UK (formerly HELP THE HOSPICES), a charity that supports the development of hospice care in the UK and internationally.

weareallghosts is my main side-project and something I do for the love of it. My main employment is as a Business Analyst in Glasgow, Scotland; my current employer actively and generously supports HOSPICE UK and doubles any donation made by her staff - by donating for this album I will hopefully be able to raise some money for a really great cause and give a little good back into the world.

My sincere thanks to all the artists who have contributed to the making of this album - they have given their time and, more importantly, their music for free to aid this worthy cause.

Whilst it would be wrong of me to single any individual artist out, I have to mention a generous gift provided by Mark Wardale aka Row Boat. He has offered his exceptional post-rock album - In Between (https://enjoyrowboat.bandcamp.com/album/in-between-2) - for FREE to the first twenty people who pay MORE THAN £5 for this album. I am indebted to Wardale for his generosity!

This album will NOT be available on Archive.

Tx






TRACKLISTING

01. Cousin Silas and Christopher Alvarado - Elysian Fields | 06:36
02. Orbit Over Luna - It Seems A Small Thing | 06:37
03. Christopher Alvarado - The Amity Order | 04:26
04. åpne sinn - Auspice | 10:34
05. Cousin Silas - Recollections | 06:02
06. Row Boat - Draugen | 06:23
07. Brother Saturn - God Never Skips A Beat (Space Dimension 9) | 08:32
08. Kevin Lyons - The Burning Sky | 05:48
09. Daniel Prendiville - Floaty Floaty | 02:52
10. Stephen Briggs - Fuzz And Karbonades mk2 | 12:30
11. Tim Rowe - Orange | 06:26
12. twincities - Minim | 03:10
13. Negative Spectrum - Now You Know Where I Come From | 10:12
14. Sound Awakener - Sketching | 01:46
15. Delicate Apparatus - We Are Celestial | 04:21
16. Scott Lawlor - Night Terrors In The Darkness Of Space (Tribute to H.R. Giger) | 14:00
17. William Spivey - A December's Wish | 04:02
18. Wolfgang Merx and Rhys Anslow - Innocent | 01:59
19. Mystified - Perseverance | 04:27
20. Microvolt - Raintown | 03:35

Call for Submissions: "...ending the year on a high 2014"

It's that time of the year again ... where I look to curate a compilation of the very best in independent electronic music from folks connected with weareallghosts - either artists or supporters.

A number of folks have already asked about submissions ... so here's what I'm looking for: 1 or 2 tracks ... .wav format ... no longer than 15mins in duration ... in the Electronic / IDM / Ambient / Experimental vein ... ideally unreleased but willing to overlook if it is the *right* track. In fact, any track if it's the *right* track.

Previous compilations have been released for FREE but with this compilation I'm going to try something a bit different. I am going to levy a small charge for the album ... this will be a minimum price with ALL PROCEEDS going to HOSPICE UK (http://www.hospiceuk.org), a charity that supports the development of hospice care in the UK and internationally.

weareallghosts is my main side-project and something I do for the love of it. My main employment is as a Business Analyst in Glasgow, Scotland; my current employer actively and generously supports HOSPICE UK and doubles any donation made by her staff - by donating for this album I will hopefully be able to raise some money for a really great cause and give a little good back into the world.

If you are willing to submit a track, can you send a LINK to your track (via Dropbox or WeTransfer) to ...

weareallghosts (dot) netlabel (at) gmail (dot) com

Please do NOT share a Dropbox folder with me ... unless you already share a folder with me.

If you want to know more about these compilations ... have a wee listen to the previous editions below:



... and ...

Presenting "...ending the year on a high 2013 (waag_com002)" - our end of year compilation

Due to ill health, what was intended as a fitting close to 2013 has now become an opening shot across the bow of 2014 ... and what a shot it is!

When I put out the call for submissions for the end-of-year compilation, I never thought I would receive what I did: tracks from artists like Cousin Silas, Scott Lawlor, and Kevin Lyons - the very backbone of weareallghosts; new creations from Jack Hertz and Mystified - pillars of the Ambient music community; an inspired remix from Wolfgang Merx of a decidedly creepy yet fun track from Infinite Decay; an equally inspired collaboration between Crows Labyrinth & Microvolt; a new track from Apta alongside new music from Ade Hodges - both rising stars in their own ways; and last but not least a contribution from Row Boat, an artist whose post-rock soundscapes have captivated my ears in 2013;

I could not have asked for more.

This compilation, like waag, focusses on ambient soundscapes ... but isn't solely limited to them - we hear beats from Cousin Silas ... vocals from Infinite Decay with a Krautrock twist from Wolfgang Merx ... samples and field-recordings from Ade Hodges ... and post-rock expression from both Apta and Row Boat.

I am proud to have been in some small way the catalyst for this compilation ... and I give it to you for free. It is my way of saying thanks for all the support I have received in 2013 ... support from the artists who make weareallghosts what it is and from our audience who encourage and embrace the creative expression with such enthusiasm.

Here's to 2014. Here's to the music.

Tx

Please Note:
"...ending the year on a high 2013 (waag_com002)" is available for FREE on both Archive and Bandcamp.



https://archive.org/details/waag_com002

...ending the year on a high 2012 - a compilation from weareallghosts and friends

I love a good compilation for two reasons - they are a great way of discovering new music ... and as I like to listen to a variety of music, a well curated compilation with a number of contributors gives me the variety I seek.

This time last year I never dreamed I would have my own netlabel … and I certainly never dreamed I would be putting out my first compilation on said netlabel … a compilation that showcases wonderful independent talent.

Some of the artists featured on this compilation have released music on weareallghosts and I am indebted to them for their generosity in working with me.

Others have been included because they are simply favourites of mine and I wanted to use this opportunity to showcase their talent too. This compilation is more than just a celebration of the musicians on my netlabel … it is a celebration of truly excellent music within the ambient and electronic genres.

I hope, through this compilation, that you will be introduced to  the work of artists you previously hadn't heard of … and through this introduction you go off and find their work. Independent music needs all the help it can get and I am proud to do my bit.

I love music. I especially love the music featured on this compilation and my hope is … at the end of 2012 … that you will love it as much as I do.

My thanks go to everyone who has, in some way, made weareallghosts what it is today. Here's to 2013.

The compilation is available for free over at Archive AND also free over at Bandcamp. Have a wee listen below ...

Tx

Elements 1 features a previously unreleased track from Cousin Silas

Elements 1 from the music site The Future Elements (for whom I write for) is a compilation of 35 ambient, electronic, post-rock and neo-classical tracks. It is truly first class (read my thoughts over on my blog).

One of these 35 artists is none other than our Cousin Silas... who has submitted a previously unreleased track entitled "The Falling Curtain". This track will be included in an upcoming release by him on weareallghosts.

The compilation is free to download and well worth checking out.

Tx