gaussian curve: clouds

ltd repress. Music from Memory's fourth release sees the Amsterdam-based label taking an exciting sidestep with the release of Clouds. It's the debut album from Gaussian Curve, a collaboration between Italian ambient pioneer Gigi Masin, Land of Light's Jonny Nash, and Marco Sterk (also known as Young Marco). The trio came together during a weekend-long recording session in April, 2014, with no preconceived ideas. Developed around improvised jams, the eight tracks on the album are all single-take live recordings. The three musicians succeed in developing a musical language all of their own, with Gigi Masin on Rhodes and piano; Jonny Nash on guitar, melodica, synths, and trumpet; and Marco Sterk on synths, rhythmic structures, and production duties. Recorded in the heart of Amsterdam's red-light district, the album reflects the unusually warm spring and the buzz from the open windows that filled the derelict downtown studio space during that particular weekend. And on the more introverted late-night compositions, the music quietly soars, reflecting the brooding melancholy of an evening in that particular part of the city. Clouds is a simple, heartfelt record of an inspired meeting of unique souls in unique surroundings.