Stephan Mathieu + Caro Mikalef — Radioland (Panoramica)

Stephan Mathieu + Caro Mikalef's "Radioland (Panoramica)" is yet another highly enjoyable long form ambient work on the Line label.  Stylistically, this is "classic" ambient music: the track is a slowly evolving synth tone cluster in a massive reverberant soundspace, with similar timbres to the work of Steve Roach, and the same billowing, upper atmospheric feeling many of his albums have, though Mathieu and Mikalef seem to prefer a more minimal chordal framework.

At first, a whistling in the distance comes closer and closer.  There's a sense of calm and sedation not unlike waking up on an airplane at night to find everyone asleep, and darkness through the windows.  "Panoramica" already seems a fitting title; I feel as if I'm struggling to glimpse the ground below through layers and layers of clouds.

Then, a melancholy, longing chord, a possible loneliness, which soon submerges beneath a delirious oceanic murk of dissonant pitches, then re-emerges again around the 12 minute mark.  It's a painfully intense feeling of wanting, which is thankfully resolved later.

In its second half, the piece solidifies and strengthens into greater droning consonance as bass tones are added, and rises gradually into a clearer and more hopeful headspace.  The music becomes even more minimal at this point, with the primary changes being the slow but rhythmic undulations of sweeping filters and the patient growth of the drone.  The empowering feeling the music imparts prevents any boredom.

In the final minutes, the artists begin some melodic development again, and the emotional effect of these progressions is intense.  The sound recedes into the distance, beautiful and contented as a sunset.

This may not be a work of singular originality in the ambient realm, but it certainly has a profound effect on my emotions.  Mathieu and Mikalef have masterful paced this track's development of mood, and after listening one feels as if some negativity has been overcome.  Recommended for fans of synth ambience and drone.