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Here are a few selected reviews. More reviews of Trillium can be found here, and more reviews of 360° can be found here.
A review of Trillium from ambientrance.org The
swirly synth-cyclonic waves of disc-opener imatra are imbued with a steadily-sizzling
cycle of gritty accompaniment. alta ventures forth into phantasmally billowing
mists of tonality and atmosphere speckled with particle activities. The
seductively soft gauze of lua (10:36) is adorned with sparsely-applied
piano twinklings and eventually backed by a slowed-down hip-hop rhythm
(and is also laced with those crackly sensations, which here occasionally
reveal their origins as shortwave transmissions). Dreamlike
environments and heavy water flows from a mesmerizing droneworld whose
irradiated skies ripple with unusual sounds (perhaps the "weird noises"
contributed by michael bentley), sparkling notelets and subtle percussion.
ganymede rises on deep bass pulsations and textural rhythm grains; the
track makes an unexpected detour when lanky slide-guitar sounds suddenly
gleam onto the scene... a pleasant surprise actually. Another winner from Foundry/Hypnos.
an
excerpt of a review of Trillium from Vital All the music here has a 3/4 time signature, which is basically the measure of a waltz or polka. However Hughes does some interesting work. The rhythm parts give the pieces a distinct push, a nice drive. Rhythms, since this is not just a work of heavily floating synths; they are there (I hasten to say: of course, it's The Foundry in combination with Hypnos releasing this), but rhythms play an important role. Obviously an album like this has those deep washes, but Hughes plays also around with more harsher sounds, especially in the first track, which makes this distinctively remote from anything new agey. Nice one.
A review of Trillium from Outburn magazine: WARM
AMBIENCE AND SUBTLE BEATS:
A review of Trillium from windandwire.com Jonathan Hughes’ Trillium is a startlingly good ambient recording that offers up a unique blend of quasi-spacemusic drifting soundscapes, abstract floating ambient pieces, and “scratchy/glitchy” textural rhythms and atmospheres. It’s a well-balanced exploration of moods both light (almost serene) to dark and at least somewhat disturbing. What Hughes does that is most interesting, though, is how he manages to cross-pollinate the light and dark shadings through his juxtaposition of dissimilar musical elements. This “hybridization” (if you will) of polar opposites (at times, you could say the album is Aphex Twin meets Jonn Serrie) makes Trillium a delight to listen to over and over, as it slowly reveals its many pleasures. I highly recommend you use headphones on this one. “Imatra” opens the album with a “deep space cruise” synth wash, a la classic Serrie, before a looped Hammond-organ like patch lends a quirky circularity to the piece. Way cool beginning to the trip! The spookily-titled “A Nightmare Dreamed of Thunder” is less foreboding than you might think, although sampled overtone chants at the onset had me thinking this was gonna be a track I’d want to pass on. However, at eight-and-a half-minutes, the piece unfolds nicely and introduces “typical” Foundry textural electronic/computer music elements. But underneath it is a warm drone and that is what I referred to in the opening paragraph, i.e. Hughes’ steadfast decision to “humanize” even the more non-melodic ambient passages through subtle drones, washes, or other touches. “Alta” begins with glitchy scratches, but a warm synth wash flits about the periphery of the track, counterbalancing the vaguely disturbing rumbling effects and glitches. A more rhythmic feel to the “noise” evolves, even as the cut is anchored by the ever-present pleasant drone. Admittedly, being a Foundry release, ambient “purists” (those who believe ambient music cannot have rhythms unless they are either tribal or Berlin-school, or have anything resembling a discordant element) will decry some passages on the CD, such as on “lua,” with its march-like cadence scratchy beats played out against treated piano and (analog-sounding) synths. Personally, I have no time or patience for people who cannot expand their “ambient” horizon to include works from musicians such as Hughes’, label-mate Michael Bentley (in one of his many guises, such as eM) or the artists on a label like Warp. Sure, we’re all entitled to like what we like and dislike what doesn’t trip our trigger. But Trillium is every bit an ambient album to my ears - and a damn fine one at that. I love how “frozen, drifting” starts off as a series of (despite the title) warm synth drones/chords but eventually becomes a playfully kinetic trip into scratchy rhythms, buoyed by the same lush washes of synthesizers. And wait’ll you hear the end of the last track “ganymede” with its out-of-left-field space “cowboy” touch - quirky and fun indeed! Hughes
has released a solid, and occasionally outstanding, ambient recording.
I must have listened to it about eight times and enjoyed it more and more
on each trip, exploring the nooks and crannies of the netherworld where
spacemusic meets “new” ambient music. As I have come to expect
from albums released on The Foundry label (now through Hypnos), the music
on Trillium is exciting, envelope-pushing, and thought-provoking. However,
in this case, it’s also quite accessible and can be appreciated from
the very first listen (provided you’re not an old-school purist).
Recommended. a review of the 360° compilation by Jim Aikin from Keyboard Magazine An inspiring collection of spacey electronic sondscapes. Many of the tracks are too weird to fit in the classic Hearts of Space new age mold, thanks to subterranean rhythm loops, creeping atonal tendencies, and weird little echoing noises. Artists include Rhomb, eM, Thermal, Sketch, and Kim Cascone. "Viscous Space," by Jonathan Hughes, sucked me in with its glurpy background scoundscape.
a review of Spa.rk's EP2 from boomkat.com Spain’s lovely Spa.rk label return with their second compilation bringing together an endearingly inspired selection of tracks from artists both known and unknown, namely: Tennis, Artificial Duck Flavour (Lux Nigra’s Zorn and Engelhardt), Mitchell Akiyama, Jonathan Hughes, Memorabilia and Phluidbox. Jonathan Hughes kicks us off with the delicate ‘kemi’ , opening with a rotating digital drift that sounds like Bola’s textural backdrops for the recent ‘Fyuti’ full length, before a sugar-coated melody and accoustic overlays make the track sparkle into full being. Benge and Si-Cut-db, aka Tennis, have never put a foot wrong, and this is no exception : a jazz sample breathes in and out enveloped by digital glitch that soon takes over with a Skam-esque emphasis on the crunch . Zorn and ADF keep on the original and different track with a slowed down take on Zorn’s own unique fusion of blue moods and neon glows -- a slight dub echo and tinkering melodies that sound perfect to these ears with these headphones. Spain’s Memorabilia come over all bubblebath rave with an Aphex-alike charmer complete with a blues-vocal sample reminiscent of the classic ‘Wunder’ album on Karaoke Kalk, while Canada’s Mitchell Akiyama dubs out in moonlight style with another emotive and scrunchy micro-burner. Phluidbox end proceedings with a broken hip hop break and destroyed vocal smaples, all sleeved in classic IDM melodies. 6 tracks, gently growing, lovely throughout.
an
excerpt of a review
of Spa.rk's EP2 from etherreal.com Installing a whirling texture first of all, Jonathan Hughes develops then Kemi using rhythmic discrete and of a sweetened and childish melody coming from a toy-piano, before agreements of guitar and decorated tablecloths of delay do not come to sound the marriage between electronic and organic elements magistralement.
an excerpt of a review of Mollusk's from ampersand etcetera In 'Argonautica: three' (with Jonathan Hughes) we realise that the nautilus are communicating: there is a chirping sound throughout the track, supported by softer ringing, metallic and drifting tones which keep us submerged. more reviews of Accretions can be found here.
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