Trev’s Virtual Cassette Library 259
https://open.substack.com/pub/trevlad/p/trevs-virtual-cassette-library-259
Good day listeners, wherever you are. Trevor here.
Welcome to the Virtual Cassette Library. Episode 259. A 12 track virtual tape with a metaphysical flip at the half way mark.
If you make music, or are a label, and would like to be featured, send your file links or Bandcamp codes to trevlad@gmail.com. I’d love to hear what you’re working on.
Please leave a tip and subscribe to the Mixcloud channel every little helps.
A gentle, seasonal, and introspective ambient journey through light, warmth, cold textures, and personal discovery.
Side A moves from first light and summer flames into quantum bindings, center-finding, and dated reflections. Side B shifts through cold textures, controlled growth, bubble fragility, speaking pebbles, and small waves.
Overall mood: Serene, contemplative, and quietly wondrous with a strong connection to nature and emotion. Perfect for deep relaxation, morning listening, or peaceful reflection.
I’ve gone back to doing more podcast style episodes but I’ll do all the talking now in the intro as I’ve put a lot of love into making seamless segued mixes. There is just one break halfway through the episode to give the “virtual cassette” title a meaning. The shows are free for the first week and then go to my very few subscribers who get to enjoy the 259 episodes plus the 821 other shows whenever they like all for the price of… I actually don’t know what you can buy for 3 quid. It used to be a coffee.
This episode is based on the wonderful modular bubblings in “Bound by Weak Interaction” by Glasgow based music maker Fraser Rowan aka “Ty Lumnus” from the release “Resonances in the Hidden Field” and that’s out on Astral Discs.
On this episode you’ll be aurally pleasured, once again, by Adam Filip and the Future Sound of London vibe, pre-Christian Slavic ritualistic track “Summer Flame” from his release “The Returning Circle” and that’s out on the every present Cyclical Dreams label.
Stoke On Trents own Phil Heeks is back with his unmistakeable retro sci-fi adventures as The British Stereo Collective in “Bloodrush” from his latest release “ProtoSynthesis”.
Then the shortest piece for today comes from a rework of a Raúl Cantizano & David Cordero piece by Japanese artist, Haruhisa Tanaka with “Mi centro vine a encontrar” ‘I came to find my center.’ From the album ‘Even if the morning comes’. Aunque llegue la mañana · Refracted.
Ending the A side is composer and founder of Hylé Tapes, Richard Francés with some nice intimate sound diary with deep bass drones in the track “14 Octobre 2023 II” from the album “Afterwork II (Octobre 2023)”
Starting off Side B with some distorted drone blisters is the second choice from the Connection: sculpting silence compilation on Richard Francés Hylé Tapes label. This one from Berlin based, French artist, kritzkom titled “Texture of Cold”.
St. Cloud, Florida based Olio Flux brightens the view in “It’s All About Control (Instrumental)” from the NYP release “Selected Frequencies”.
Channel friend, Estonian artist, Paul Beaudoin soothes us with the micro sounds of “10th Cultivation” from his album “spores.dat” out on Audiobulb.
The third choice from the Connection: sculpting silence compilation comes in the form of cassette bliss “Shabondama” by Japans own Hiro Nakamura, aka, Tokyo Bedroom Orchestra
Then the penultimate piece for today comes in the form of the french ambient composer and improviser Tom Leclerc and a rather hopeful piece “the pebbles speak” the final choice from the Connection: sculpting silence compilation.
Finishing us off is the ever drifting wash of ´small waves’ Petites vagues from French Canadian artist Mathieu Lamontagne aka Arbee from his latest from the Chitra Records sub label Ambient Cat, Titled En vain.
But first, to set the vibe is modular sound artist, Milan based, Francesca Pavesi aka IDRA and the piece “First Light” from the compilation album that’s dominated this episode “Connection: sculpting silence” from the latest channel supporting label “Hylé Tapes”. Go check them out.
So settle in, turn it up a bit, and let’s see where it takes us. I hope you enjoy it.
One side flip, just the music.
Side A
00:00:00 IDRA – First Light
Gentle, dawn-breaking ambient with soft, emerging light and hopeful, early-morning textures. Serene and uplifting.
00:09:38 Adam Filip – Summer Flame
Warm, flickering summer ambient with passionate, flame-like glow and seasonal heat. Radiant and lively.
00:13:20 The British Stereo Collective – Bloodrush
Energetic, rushing ambient with pulsing adrenaline and retro-futurist drive. Dynamic and thrilling.
00:18:08 Ty Lumnus – Bound by Weak Interaction
Subtle, particle-physics-inspired ambient with weak, binding forces and delicate, quantum elegance.
00:25:11 Haruhisa Tanaka – Mi centro vine a encontrar
Introspective, Spanish-titled ambient with a sense of finding one’s centre and warm, personal discovery.
00:26:43 Richard Francés – 14 Octobre 2023 II
Date-specific ambient capturing a personal October moment with reflective, diary-like intimacy.
Side B
00:35:49 Kritzkom – Texture of Cold
Crisp, cold-textured ambient with icy surfaces and wintry, tactile chill. Stark and immersive.
00:41:44 Olio Flux – It’s All About Control (Instrumental)
Structured, control-themed ambient with precise layers and a sense of managed flow. Focused and thoughtful.
00:45:32 Paul Beaudoin – 10th Cultivation
Patient, growth-oriented ambient evoking his 10th stage of cultivation with deep, nurturing resonance.
00:51:24 Tokyo Bedroom Orchestra – Shabondama
Delicate, bubble-like ambient with Tokyo bedroom intimacy and shimmering, soap-bubble fragility.
00:54:08 Tom Leclerc – the pebbles speak
Gentle, pebble-talking ambient with natural, riverbed conversation and quiet, earthy wisdom.
00:57:06 Arbee – Petites vagues
Small, wave-like ambient with delicate, French-titled ripples and soft, lapping motion. Peaceful and charming.
Also in the works, the latest compilation titled Quiet Figures which will be released September 26.
Uncover the narratives whispered by the silent, ever-present figures that shadow us, through compositions that unravel their hidden mysteries.
Does that trigger a creative thought?
Send entries to trevlad@gmail.com
Include artist name, track name and link to other work.
Tracks due by September 24.
All the best,
Trevor
Trev’s Virtual Cassette Library 258
Good day listeners, wherever you are. Trevor here.
Apologies for the sound quality today. I’m on holidays and find it hard to hard to get a spot quiet enough to record. Anyway…
Welcome to the Virtual Cassette Library. Episode 258. A 12 track virtual tape with a metaphysical flip at the half way mark.
If you make music, or are a label, and would like to be featured, send your file links or Bandcamp codes to trevlad@gmail.com. I’d love to hear what you’re working on.
Please leave a tip and subscribe to the Mixcloud channel every little helps.
A quirky, colourful, and atmospheric ambient journey through vintage whimsy, seasonal introspection, and urban environments.
Side A moves from posh timepieces and color seas into winter frost, fluid transference, cloud gazing, and returning light. Side B shifts through modular habitats, Trieste streets, secure institutions, and cinematic projections.
Overall mood: Playful yet contemplative, warm, and slightly uncanny with a mix of nostalgia and modern reflection. Perfect for adventurous listening or relaxed evenings.
I’ve gone back to doing more podcast like episodes but I’ll do all the talking now in the intro as I put a lot of love into making seamless segued mixes. There is just one break halfway through to give the “virtual cassette” meaning. The shows are free for the first week and then go to my too few subscribers who get to enjoy the 258 episodes plus the 820 other shows whenever they like all for the price of… I actually don’t know what you can buy for €3 anymore. It used to be a coffee.
Episode 258 is based on the track “Habitat 67” by my friends “The Twelve Hour Foundation” from the release “Expanded & Repurposed” coming out on their Bandcamp on July 27th.
On this episode you’ll be aurally pleasured by Queens, New York based Chris Moore aka Light Vortex with the sound art track “Awash In A Sea Of Color” from the album “Aurora In Georgian Bay” out on Mortality Tables.
My friend of the channel Matthew Davies aka Vic Mars with the Chilled piece we all need right now “Winter II” from his collection of must have tracks “From Different Landscapes”.
A beat driven piece by Paris, France based Stephane Laporte aka Domotic from his amazing 36 track album which I’ve been playing a lot recently “Fourrure Sounds Vol. 3 to 6” out on Virtual Cassette supporting label Astra Solaria Recordings.
Then Canadian artist Grant Gard, who records as landtitles with the clarinet infused track “staring at the clouds” from the album “geographic beings, phosphorus mountains” out on whitelabrecs.
After that Tucson, Arizona based Kirk Markarian aka Neuro… No Neuro with the ambient swelling track “You Wasted Your Time” from the album “MemLoss” out on the Sheffield based Audiobulb label.
Then from the latest Cyclical Dreams label release comes the wonderfully stereo panned piece “The Light That Returns” by Adam Filip from the album “The Returning Circle”.
Ending the A side is Michael Plaster aka yttriphie with the Boards of Canada tinged “A Narrow Field of View” from the album “Solipsis” out on Projekt Records.
Starting off Side B is the inspiration for this episode and one of those bands that are instantly recognisable and just a good mood pill in general. They are of course Polly Hulse and Jez Butler collectively known as The Twelve Hour Foundation. With a track from their latest release “Expanded & Repurposed” with the track “Habitat 67” featuring the brilliant Alan Gubby of Buried Treasure / Revbjelde fame adding vibraphone to this classic.
This flows into Brutalist architecture inspired “Rozzol Melara [Triest]” by Fredy Engel aka MiDi BiTCH from another Cyclical Dreams release titled “Habitat”.
Then the penultimate piece for today comes in the form of another favourite artist from the past few years Cate Francesca Brooks and the hypnotic piece “Secure Environments Ltd” from the album “For Your Security”.
And finishing us off is the 18 minute 25 second piece “Untitled 1 [a,b,c,d,e]” by The Projectionist from the rather special label The Dream Journal Institute whose artists don’t seem to actually exist yet they are not AI. This track would have ended up on an episode of Expansive Waves but I’m not doing them any more as they just aren’t worth it. Too much time equals too few listeners.
But setting the vibe for all of this is Portsmouth based legend Keith Seatman with his track “A Posh Hat and Timepiece” from the album “Counting To Ten Then Back Again” out on Castles In Space.
So settle in, turn it up a bit, and let’s see where it takes us. I hope you enjoy it.
One side flip, just the music.
Side A
00:00:00 Keith Seatman – A Posh Hat and Timepiece
Quirky, vintage hauntological ambient with dapper, timepiece charm and eccentric British whimsy. Playful and nostalgic. Artist Bio: Keith Seatman is a British hauntological artist known for quirky, vintage-inspired electronic works with eccentric charm.
00:10:20 Light Vortex – Awash In A Sea Of Color
Vibrant, colour-flooded ambient with swirling, immersive hues and luminous beauty. Joyful and psychedelic.
00:13:35 Vic Mars – Winter II
Cold, wintry ambient with frosty textures and quiet, seasonal introspection. Crisp and melancholic.
00:15:52 DOMOTIC – Transvaser
Flowing, transference ambient with smooth, vessel-like motion and elegant electronic transfer. Hypnotic and fluid. Artist Bio: DOMOTIC is a French electronic/ambient artist known for precise, tonal, and minimalist compositions.
00:22:44 landtitles – staring at the clouds
Dreamy, cloud-gazing ambient with soft, drifting forms and peaceful, open skies. Serene and contemplative.
00:23:57 Neuro… No Neuro – You Wasted Your Time
Glitchy, self-reflective ambient with fragmented rhythms and a sense of wry acceptance. Sharp and introspective.
00:26:08 Adam Filip – The Light That Returns
Hopeful, returning light ambient with warm, cyclical glow and gentle renewal. Uplifting and radiant.
00:32:44 yttriphie – A Narrow Field of View
Constrained, focused ambient with limited perspective and intimate, narrow beauty. Precise and thoughtful.
Side B
00:40:31 The Twelve Hour Foundation – Habitat 67
Brutalist, modular ambient evoking the iconic Habitat 67 with retro-futurist warmth and architectural charm. Artist Bio: The Twelve Hour Foundation is a British library-inspired electronic group creating retro-futurist and architectural works.
00:43:41 MiDi BiTCH – Rozzol Melara [Triest]
Urban, Trieste-inspired ambient with gritty, residential textures and local atmosphere. Grounded and evocative.
00:48:26 Cate Francesca Brooks – Secure Environments Ltd
Clinical, secure ambient with institutional cool and subtle, controlled tension. Stark and atmospheric.
00:51:44 The Projectionist – Untitled 1 [a,b,c,d,e]
Cinematic, projection-based ambient with shifting, untitled scenes and mysterious, filmic quality.
Also in the works, the latest compilation titled Quiet Figures which will be released September 26.
Uncover the narratives whispered by the silent, ever-present figures that shadow us, through compositions that unravel their hidden mysteries.
Does that trigger a creative thought?
Send entries to trevlad@gmail.com
Include artist name, track name and link to other work.
Tracks due by September 24.
All the best,
Trevor
Trevlad Sounds 