Samatha has been appearing in TSMM's playlists for a while now, and his latest single, "Wings of the Setting Sun" is yet another in a long line of great ambient releases that have seen him achieve a solid streaming following in the five years he's been in the game. Not bad for a doctor named, Gert Stockmans from small town Belgium; although considering the palliative power of ambient music, and the fact that Samatha means tranquility of the mind in Sanskrit, it's perhaps not as far fetched as it seems.
"Wings of the Setting Sun" eases its way into your consciousness with Stockman's usual patient approach to building composition. The mood is low lit but there is a warmth in the dark, even though you can't quite put your finger on the source. Tape is toyed with, further obscuring the view and giving the recording pleasingly decayed air, but just before the gloom and sense of faced glory becomes unsettling some minimal piano samples enter the room, shedding some flickering light onto the scene and putting a reassuring arm around your subconscious fears.
Whether Stockman is flying solo like today's single, or inviting musician friends to augment his soundscape craftsmanship, there's a consistent quality and refinement, almost stateliness to his recordings. Give him a follow, he's one of the good ones.
Playlist Companion
Find this single and other great horizontally inclined artists in the Slow Ambient Playlist.
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