I love ambient music, especially when the artist brings something else to the table. The debut from Of Mountains and Seas immediately grabbed my attention for various reasons, and it’s such a powerful experience. The self-titled album released on October 10th.
Of Mountains and Seas is a project from Aurélien Regert of First Came the Shadow. He hails from France. He handles all the music here using “old and new gear”, though I can hear guitar on some tracks, which is odd for ambient music.
The music here is ambient and electronic. Aurélien wanted to create vast ambient soundscapes that still have texture, and I think that is why it stands out for me. The music floats and hovers upon a wisp, upon a cloud, but it’s the subtle rhythms, accents, colors, and even melodies that transform the album into something special.
I also appreciate the theme, though there are no lyrics. The emotional arc is about his son experiencing and discovering the universe, so there are relatable feelings of parenthood, wonder, and impossible questions. It’s about curiosity and awe, time spent together, and the years as they fly by without slowing down. Most importantly, this album is about love, and it is about disconnection from all the distractions that keep us from noticing each other, from appreciating each other in the moment.
So the music is absolutely gorgeous, warm, inviting. I love the flecks of texture that seem like musings and introspection. The album feels like taking in the gravity and power of the Earth itself, but trekking even further, deeper into this grand reality that is both close as a breath and as distant as starlight. And best of all? After all the adventure and unfettered awe, home is the still the place to which we return, still the place that knows us best.
The album has nine tracks and lasts about forty minutes. In the first half, we get tracks like the opener “Departure”, full of light and spectacle and presence; “Cygnus”, a strangely wondrous piece that absolutely requires you to detach from your toils and close your eyes; and “The Traveller 1”, maybe my favorite for its filtering, fuzzing haze, like leaping between dimensions.
In the second half, my favorites are “Andromeda”, a truly peaceful, spacious piece that ends up with a beat at one point. It almost gives me Interstellar feelings, or maybe I’m injecting those myself. I love “Dad, are we alone”, another filtering piece with questions and abstract voices. The closer “Home” is pure serenity; layers of warmth and light slowly add to the cosmic brew, and the end of the album is like achieving peace in the most familiar of places.
I know ambient isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but this is a great example of it. It has character and personality, but also recognizable emotions that will leave you smiling and pondering. Of Mountains and Seas is imbued with expressions that anyone can appreciate. One must only put on their headphones and float away.
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Find Of Mountains and Seas online:
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