Slow Dancing Society
The Sound of Lights When Dim
Hidden Shoal Recordings

With this release, Hidden Shoal Recordings continues to cement itself in my consciousness as the label to watch for gorgeous new music. First Glassacre, then My Majestic Star and Dilatazione, and now Slow Dancing Society, all on repeat play, dancing around my head like bright, sparkling galaxies of rich, life-affirming sound.

I'm no authority on ambient music, but The Sound of Lights When Dim (perfect title) sounds pretty much how ambient music should be done: slowly shifting washes of sound that maintain your interest without too much distraction from surfing the web for ingenious new ways to carry an iPod.

My favourite songs are the ones that steer more towards the 'ambient electronica' end of the spectrum. Discernible melodies seep through the gauzy synths and nag at your brain until serotonin is gradually carried throughout your body and you realise you're floating an inch below the ceiling. "The Delicate Sound of Silence", "A Song That Will Help You Remember To Forget" and "The Warm Familiar Smell of September" (again, great titles) in particular are stunning.

Slow Dancing Society makes music that is uplifting and loved-up enough to be a deeply satisfying listen, without drifting into the nauseating realm of New Age. For anyone who thinks that ambient music is for hippies, healers and music theorists, this album will convince you that it's possible to craft beautiful background music that you just can't quite keep in the background...

Copyright © 2006 Tim Clarke