On Elektronische Musik - Interkontinental, the Cologne based label Traum collects, as the title suggests, unreleased tracks by a world base of artists such as: Anton Kubikov (Moscow/RUS), Tomas Jirku (Montreal/CAN), Miss Dinky (USA/CHILE), Fairmont/Jacob Farley (Toronto/CAN), Philippe Cam ( Le Havre/F), Process (Brighton/UK), Akufen (Montreal/CAN), Waki, (Tokyo/JAP), Oxtongue (Torino/I), Broker/Dealer (San Francisco/USA), and M.I.A. (Cologne/GER). I think these artists can all fit under the umbrella sound of ambient or perhaps minimal.

Track 1. disp by Process is static ambient, with a constant wooshing rhythm and relaxing voice-like whirls from outer space.
Track 2. traum by Fairmont contains minimal beats w/ echoed voices.
Track 3. unicef christmas card by Phillipe Cam is minimally expanding beats like a repetitive merry go round through modulation.
Track 4. distance by Miss Dinky reminds me of Tangerine Dream.
Track 5. de-frost by M.i.a. has a toned-forming rhythm structure, echoed melody, and a light keyboard on top.
Track 6. train to Barcelona by Akufen has plucked sampled acoustic instruments echoed and colliding with static rhythms building up to a useful beat in a piece with somewhat of a middle european feel.
Track 7. elba life by Oxtongue has subdued rhythms mixed with pitched bird-like tones which brings to mind the first rays of day break.
Track 8. end of space by Anton Kubikov is a spacey, ambient mews, with gentle strokes of keyboards tastefully placed throughout.
Track 9. stormy by Broker/Dealer is the stuff of deep night ambient walks - slowly entranced step by step.
Track 10. sen by Tomas Jirku is like quietly bouncing coins in a bowl first thing in the morning.
Track 11. woods by Waki is repetitively manipulated bird-like sounds set in a rhythmic structure.

All in all this Traum spotlight disc is a relaxing listen - well worth checking out for a fine chill. There's not a clinker in the bunch and I have to say Traum really have it going on.

Faves: 1, 3, 6, 8, 9