On May 14th, Energy Hum made its return with a LA-based ambient trio consisting of Blu~ish (Samira Winter of “WINTER”), Dream Crease (Marina Aguerre of KXLU’s “The Witching Hours”), and Enchanted Forest (Ash Allard of “HOTT MT”), with a new ambient compilation “Energy Hum Vol. 2”, available as a three-piece cassette set and for digital download, courtesy of Mutation Records.
This beautifully immersive compilation highlights some of the best ambient sounds I’ve heard. Consisting of 25 tracks, Energy Hum Vol. 2 compiles the perfect sounds for grounding, escapism, relaxation and focus. Starting with a series of 10 morning tracks, known as ☽★☉Juno Mornings☽★☉, artist Blu~ish says that she “made this series as a morning practice. During 10 days I woke up, improvised, and recorded a track playing only my Juno-60 and using my pedal board at times”.
Each track of the Juno Mornings paints a nice picture of a quiet, dewey morning–perfect for one’s morning rituals. As someone who considers my mornings sacred and an important period to set the day, these tracks work as a perfect soundtrack for the process of slowly stretching out of bed, opening the blinds, and sipping on some morning tea. If I had to describe the Juno Mornings, it would be the musical embodiment of slight morning sunshine seeping through the cracks of the blinds, serving as nature’s alarm. It’s subtle, but serves its purpose, and is a rather beautiful awakening compared to the abrasiveness of one’s alarm clock.
Throughout Juno Mornings, Blu~ish’s goal was to capture the morning freshness. “Every morning you feel differently…So many times I didn’t know what would come out or even how I was feeling that day. These sketches were a way to connect and reconnect and I hope they can help you the way they helped me”.
Of this portion of the Energy Hum Vol. 2 compilation, I highly recommend turning on Morning 1 and 2 for all your AM ritual needs.
Tracks 11-19 consist of ambient works from Dream Crease, titled “Andim”, “Contact”, “Strange Landing”, “Shimmmersion”, Nocturne Chalice”, “Lament”, “Opal Pools”, “Cosmic Return”, and “Midna”. Dream Crease’s selections take you to another universe, with a sound that surrounds you in an immersive escapism experience. Tracks such as “Contact” and “Strange Landing” transport you to a far away galaxy scattered with shimmering stars; in orbit to your next destination in another realm. Tracks like “Opal Pools” transport you to a far away fantasy world, feeling as if you’re floating in a shallow pond within glistening crystal caverns.
“With her debut release Nocturne Chalice, she creates a world of magical proportions and depth, layering shimmering synths over ambient incantations. The Nocturne Chalice awaits, will you reach out and grasp it out of thin air?”…
The last portion of the ambient compilation includes 6 tracks by Enchanted Forest, titled “Enchanted Forest”, “The Well”, “The Starting Pool”, “The Field”, “Helicopter”, and “After Church”. Ash Allard (Enchanted Forest) takes lots of inspiration from the Japanese Anime genre, “Iyashikei”, and uses her synths to convey similar feelings found within the genre. Enchanted Forest elaborates, “Iyashikei is my favorite genre of anime, simply translated it means healing. I want my album to fall into this genre, I want the people who listen to it to feel good. So I put a lot of bass in it to give everyone’s heart a massage and the old soul a good shake.”
Enchanted Forest’s portion of the compilation serves as a calming soundtrack that evokes deep focus and concentration. The droning tones and beautifully layered synths sweep you away into a trance, causing you to really ground yourself and process your surroundings. With its more somber tones, listening to Enchanted Forest’s portion of Energy Hum Vol. 2 gives me a sense of reflection and nostalgia—emotional, yet something very human and beautiful. Some of my favorite tracks include “The Starting Pool” and “Helicopter”.
Energy Hum: Volume 2 is the perfect blend of ambient styles, as it really immerses you into life and energy that surrounds you. The imaginative sounds also serve as a perfect escape, painting vivid pictures of galaxies, pools, and dreamscapes beyond our realm. If you’re in need of grounding music that provides a whimsical element, I highly recommend this release.
Cassette Pre-orders and digital downloads of Energy Hum: Volume 2 are available on Bandcamp, courtesy of Mutation Records.
Listen to Blu~ish, Dream Crease, and Enchanted Forest.
Written By: Alexa Terry