In the last few months, I've spent a generous amount of time writing about ambient music, drone music, and generally music that doesn't have very much of a foothold in any kind of concrete rhythm. It's music I love to listen to, and music I devote quite a bit of time to thinking about—but writing about it provides a whole new set of challenges. How does stuff like Loscil’s "Coyote," removed from the context of the album it came from, work as an individual piece in a sea of music? Listening to it just once doesn't quite do it—Loscil's music is based on subtle patterns, muffled keys repeat gradually under layers of gauzy hums, which a single listen could never fully convey. But on repeat "Coyote" works like a choose your own adventure: different sounds branch out into these textural worlds endlessly. Sketches From New Brighton is out September 10th on Kranky.
Download: Loscil, "Coyote"