There would be a lot to say about Lilly Schwartz. The mastermind behind Polarcoaster is also a photographer, an illustrator, and on top of that she runs a really great YouTube channel. I won’t go into too much detail, but that channel brings together all her creative endeavours and pairs them with a very hands-on, helpful DIY approach. A few days ago, Lilly released a new album with her (dark?) ambient project Polarcoaster.
I could keep this short:
Remember the feeling Tim Hecker gave you with the opener of Ravedeath, 1972?
Combine that with ever-evolving, reverb-drenched atmospheres and a lot of field recordings, and you get a good idea of what awaits you on „dreams long forgotten„. Great album. Listen to it.
But there’s more to say.
Long, evolving drones, pads and textures are layered and mangled over loops and field recordings. Depending on the track, those field recordings can be very dominant. The tracklist is thoughtfully arranged. The A-Side presents all the ingredients which will set the tone for the coming 45 minutes.
“Oceans above”, the shortest song, feels like a pivot point in the middle of the record. Once you cross that point, things start to change and a few surprises await. This is clearly a record meant to be heard in its entirety (hence the tape release).
At the same time, three tracks really stand out for me:
- waiting for you – great loop, beautiful tape textures.
- mareas vivas – slightly menacing, eerie aura, with field recordings mixed very far to the front. You can practically feel the tide and the animals around you.
- lost memories – bells playing over an almost Vangelis-style synth.
I repeat: Great album. Listen to it.
The digital Bandcamp download is available as „name your price“-option at the moment.