The explosion of ambient cassette music continues to be a place for new artists and ideas to take shape and 80(sun), the solo project of Canadian Jonathan Scherk, is another worthwhile contributor to the burgeoning scene. “Spinning Bottle” is a six-minute excerpt from 80(sun)’s new cassette EP, Noam, comprised of two long sides of continuous music (side A clocks in at 26:47, side B at 17:15). The track has considerably less hiss than you would expect from an ambient cassette jam (possibly because it was originally recorded on a reel-to-reel deck); instead it is an expansively serene piece in which small, tumbling percussion gives way to distant vocals which then give way to gigantic chords, leaving you enveloped in a constantly expanding world of ambient magic. You can download the entire Noam EP for free over at 80(sun)’s Bandcamp or head over to the Red Cat Records online shop to pick up one of the 100 limited run cassettes. Either way, we suggest taking a deep breath before embarking into 80(sun)’s ambient landscapes or you might get caught unprepared for what he has to offer.

Spinning Bottle