Every now and again it is worth taking a look at an album cover to get a closer idea of the musician’s artistic vision: In the case of Melbourne-based **Alex Albrecht** and his label Analog Attic, it is easy to see where the journey is going. The cover of _**»Allambie«**_, the fifth solo LP written by the ambient musician, shows a female figure carved out of light-coloured stone, armed with a basket, standing in front of a wall of maidenhair ferns. The body in motion, the shoulders pushed forward: eyes closed and off we go. The music behind it does not immediately reflect this tension, with tracks like the opening piece »Rail Bridge« being more mellow—yet the same excitement can still be found here, subcutaneously. This comes from the difficult task of reconciling culture and nature, of reconciling technological progress with unfettered flora and fauna. Alex Albrecht’s impressionistic sounds, modelled on natural melodies and resembling breathing, meet the rattle of a locomotive. Underscored by field recordings of sea spray and tides, this makes even the mightiest railway sound like a clattering beetle or similar creature. »Allambie« is Alex Albrecht’s most consistent album to date, once again combining beautifully sad melodies with carefree field recordings.
Allambie
