Chances are that the name Mathias Villard sounds familiar to you. But this probably means you are a family member, ór you live in or near Düsseldorf, Germany where you have seen him perform as a drummer in ‘projects shaped by atmospheric music’. But for most of us, I guess this is a new name.
Past Radiance is his debut album, and is released on Joachim Spieth’s Affin label. A fitting label for his music which resides somewhere between the sound of Joachim Spieth and Rafael Anton Irisarri: tracks that start relatively quiet, then unfold ‘through blurred melancholia, submerged low-end drones and decaying harmonies suspended in massive spatial depth’.
Or, in other words: ‘ambient/drone music with post-rock aesthetics’.
Overwhelmingly immersive, this music can best be heard in louder volumes. But it’s never ‘just’ loud: Mathias never forgets to add melodic lines, which adds a perfect – and indeed melancholic – human touch to the music.
This impressive debut is available on CD and as a digital download.
