Our Loving Sun To Disappear

Switzerland’s Mina Records turns to the new partnership of Our Loving Sun for its 12th release, and serves it up with a standout remix from countryman Ripperton. Our Loving Sun is a new band project that sees Swede Anders Ilar and American Chris Yard team up to create a melange of ambient, dub techno, acid, pop and synth wave music with plenty of orchestral additions and guest appearances. Opening track ‘To Disappear’ is a swelling electronic composition filled with subtle bass guitar riffs, soaring vocals and clouds of melody that all blissful blend into one another. Like Trentemoller but at his most warm and romantic, this is rich and ethereal music. The same track gets remixed by Tamed boss Ripperton off the back of his own latest full length. The result is a typically long – 8 minutes –track that is epic in ambition. It takes a while to unfold from just a kick drum, but by the time it’s in full flow is a dramatic concoction of frosty percussion, chilly icicle like melodies and a frazzled bassline that would fit perfectly into one of Ame’s most cultured sets. ‘Come Apart’ is more rooted to a steady and propulsive kick drum but again the soundscape above is awash with various guitar lines and celestial synths that light up the track from behind with a heavenly glow. There are shades of everything from Joy Division to Depeche Mode, Kraut rock to New Wave bottled up within, and it makes for absorbing listening. Finally, ‘One Source’ slows to a deep dub wise swagger. The vocals are haunting and ghostly – so too the lone guitar strings that get plucked – and the whole thing sounds like a huge underwater chamber with gentle currents churning and piercing beams of light shooting down through it all. Our Loving Sun manage to sound organic and electronic, old and new at exactly the same time. Is a clever tick masterfully pulled off, and recognition must go to Mina for unearthing this exciting pair in the first place.