BEST OF 2021 BY OBJECTS & SOUNDS

We asked some of our residents and guests a list of their favourite releases, labels or covers during 2021. During the last week of December we will post them here in our news section. Enjoy!

Resident: Objects & Sounds (Ghent)

Objects & Sounds started in August 2020 with a humble mission of inspiring a different yet more intuitive way of discovering and enjoying music. By focusing on moods instead of genres, we invite listeners to tune in to how they feel. More than just sharing objects & sounds we love, we love to share the stories of the artists, creatives, labels and makers that inspire us day in day out. Starting August 2021, you can browse objects & sounds to love for years to come at their physical location in Ghent. Located at Gewad 34, they are open from Thursdays to Saturdays at 11:00 to 18:00 or any day of the week by appointment.

Their monthly radio show at Het Bos is a showcase of their personal taste and discoveries

Music for Living Spaces is the debut LP by Los Angeles-based artist Green-House (Olive Ardizoni). Though recorded during a pandemic, the transporting nature of Music For Living Spaces offers a remedy for dreariness. Soothing, sun-kissed lullabies for children and grown-ups alike.

‘Elements of Nature’ is the fruit of a two-week residency at Buitenplaats Doornburgh, a former monastery on the outskirts of Utrecht. Felbm embalms the natural splendor and sense of tranquility found in the creative residency into a collection of gentle, meditative recordings. The cassette is accompanied by a riso-printed book with photos and drawings by long-time collaborator Joost Stokhof.

Loops & Pieces features a beautiful collection of sounds Jason Kolar has been working on during the period of 2017-2020. Kolar never fails to pave the way to get to that hidden place between science and magic. This beautiful collection of pieces is an invitation to float in imaginary pristine waters and dream away.

This three-cassette album features 52 tracks, 3hr 44 mins of bliss. A quietly triumphant suite built on layers of smouldering tones that ooze comfort and warmth.

BAG x Behrens is a collaborative project by BAG members Jody DeSchutter and Dan Allison and visual artist and designer, Charlie Behrens. The tape evokes the feeling of sitting in an empty warehouse, where sounds glow like phosphorescent lights, dense and bouncing before evaporating into an expansive space. An engrossing listen that challenges perceptions of near and far.

Francesco Covarino combines field recordings and drum solos without emphasizing one more than the other. It results in an invigorating symbiosis between percussion and nature. Sounds move organically from one form to the next, creating a lively listening experience.

A nostalgic release that begs to soundtrack a long, winding road trip through rural scenery. Spacey, billowing synths paired with warm guitars and banjo create an equally otherworldly, yet familiar sound. Warmly recommended!

Earlier this year, we met Nicoletta Favari and Christopher Salvito, who make music together as Passepartout Duo. They love to travel far and wild, and build their own unique instruments along the way. Daylighting is their first cassette release and it never ceases to amaze us how they always come up with new ideas to keep dissecting and reimagining sound in enchanting and inventive ways.

Noemi Büchi is a Swiss composer searching for musical structures that evoke both emotional and intellectual euphoria. Her music always takes us on an adventure, and this moody tape is no exception. In Prismic Passages, she took inspiration from the drones she experienced in various places and from the cold, dark and vast Swedish winter landscape. A respite for the colder months.

Last but certainly not the least, we can’t talk about cassettes without mentioning our first cassette release as a label. More than just a cassette release, this multi-disciplinary project brought together musicians Baal & Mortimer, Cate Kennan, Cucina Povera, and Morita Vargas for an intimate, collaborative process with ceramicist Camila Apaez. Four handmade, one-of-a-kind ceramic sculptures were co-created alongside the music with the limited-edition cassette set featuring 12 collages designed by artist and florist Mayken Craenen. A heartwarming and rewarding experience!