Records of the Week

[12K Records]

Music from Italy, even when it’s dusty and sparse, always sounds classier. The composer’s new release contains the same kind of airy haze of ambient perfection that we’ve come to rely on him for, but the songs are briefer, more constrained, and less expansive than usual. For other artists, this would be a step backward. But for Ielasi, it makes his mini-epics shine and breathe in a way that’s particularly relieving and sunny in the middle of January. Organic sounds with an electronic aesthetic resonate throughout the record, but aside from the occassional bright keybaord, the instruments aren’t recognizable, which is a trademark for the musician, proving that music can be both nebulous and relaxing, complicated and simple at once. Get your chance to give a listen to 2009′s first Instrumental Recod of the Week on the nowlikephotographs podcast.