“Recorded using a Sidrassi Qin,” reads the note on Asteroid Anxiety’s Bandcamp page. If I take that as written, that Sedna II was made using only this small handcrafted synth from Meng Qi Music, then I’m doubly impressed with both the instrument and this album. Sedna II moves from deep darkness to enveloping drifts over the course of an hour. It has its challenging stretches where thick skeins of noise aggress against the listener’s ear, but that makes for a smooth balance in contrast to stretches where the sound simply runs deep and quiet. That balance is something of a saving grace for me with this album. While I get the whole noise concept, I tend to have only a moderate tolerance for it. But here, Asteroid Anxiety makes it work; the noise is functional and not overpowering. It never feels like “let’s twist this knob and see what comes out.” Rather, it’s a judicious application of texture designed to augment this sonic story. Given my own personal tastes, I’m more involved in Sedna II during the long quiet stretches, such as in “Sedna XXXVI,” and the way they at first quiet my mind and then build out of their docility into something richer and more active. “Sedna XXXIV” reaches points of near-stasis, long exhalations infused with pure patience. From there, Asteroid Anxiety slowly folds in edge-of-feedback sounds and a darkening atmosphere that never quite completely closes around us.

For a largely experimental work, I find that I enjoyed Sedna II more than I thought I would. There is an underlying deliberateness to it, the feel of a slowly executed scheme being laid out before us. Yet it also holds an air of being of the moment, the semi-certainty of sound that comes with hands-on synths like the Qin. Sound development can happen on the fly and it lends that elegant sense of imperfection adjusted into perfection. The work here is sparse and a little dark and won’t appeal to everyone, but the ride is very deep and nicely constructed, with solid dynamics that catch hold and keep your attention. Take a chance on this one.

Available from Bandcamp.

Although I must admit that I am not familiar with Robert Davies’ work, despite his being a recognized and prolific name in ambient, I have been a fan of Blake Gibson’s music as Broken Harbour over the last few years. That appreciation continues upon listening to Quiraing, the first collaboration between these two artists. This is a very deep, very immersive drone-based release, shadowy and lush. The basic chemistry at play is to match whispering, sometimes gritty low end sounds—I assume from Gibson, for whom it’s something of a signature—with softer ambient washes and the occasional field recording. This is another of those albums that never raises its voice, relying instead on its skillful layering and the interplay between sounds to carry the changes in intensity. This is most definitely a headphone listen. The detail work runs very deep, whether it’s the well-tempered use of nature sounds, from the chirps of small birds to the full-on cry of gulls in “Lochs Obscured,” or just the inclusion of small, vital sounds that add dimension to an evolving set of layers. Gibson and Davies also keep a careful eye on the dynamics. They guide it skillfully up and down the scale, moving, for example, from the big, dramatic tones of the title track to the spacey, floating feel of “Seaside Surreal.” “Moorlands” pours on the density again, building itself into a broad, hissing wall of sound, to be followed by the lighter “Stone Circle” with its appropriate air of mystique. Best of all, both sides of all the equations in play—the light and heavy, the dark and less dark, the rough and the smooth—are played equally well, and nothing in the several changes of tone disrupts the voyage. It flows sensibly and organically, and once it’s got its hold on you, you’re in for the whole ride. Gibson and Davies close out Quiraing by taking a bit of a risk—one that I feel pays off. Coming out of the brightness of “Sunshowers,” the last track, “Only Rain,” is five and a half minutes of exactly that. Rain. Like a classic environmental background tape, Quiraing winds to its close giving you an opportunity to just be soothed by nature. Strangely enough, it’s not hokey. It’s not out of place. It’s just…relaxing.

I have given many hours over to Quiraing, gladly, and I keep finding more to hear. It’s a beautiful piece of work that captures its theme perfectly and draws us fully into the vision. This is one to let loop, and it’s as good at low volume as it is up close. One of my favorite releases this year. Get this.

Available from Databloem.