Benoît Pioulard, Viul, From Overseas, zakè, Marc Ertel, Wayne Robert Thomas : Koselig

Zakè Drone Recordings was born out of a time of unknowns and uncertainties five years ago in 2020. While the world was isolating and social distancing, musician and label head Zach Frizzel(zakè) started an offshoot of his home label Past Inside The Present, a label built on a community of like-minded creatives. Zakè Drone Recordings feels less like a different record label and more so an elegant, dream-like cathedral within the world of PITP.

Both labels started out to be a home to thoughtful musicians wanting to put light into the world as opposed to cluttering it with white noise. Zakè Drone Recordings’ output tends to work within more longform pieces; orchestral in scope with touches of the cosmic, ethereal, and meditative. I’ve said this before and I’m saying it again, Zakè Drone Recordings gives us aural salve for our worried psyches.

To celebrate the label’s 5 year anniversary, we have the deep and heady Koselig. It’s a collaborative LP between label luminaries Benoît Pioulard, Viul, From Overseas, zakè, Marc Ertel, and Wayne Robert Thomas. Four works, three of which are longform pieces for deep contemplation; designed to enlighten, comfort, and offer a sound world worth your time and your attention.

We’ll start with track two, the sublime and dream-like “Canaan”. It is the shortest song here at just under four minutes. A collaboration between Benoît Pioulard and Viul, what it lacks in length it makes up for in mood and a kind of resigned grace. The bell-like notes float just over the proceedings as the melody wavers in almost church organ tones. A sacred melancholy persists and illuminates. This is in stark contrast to Pioulard and Viul’s album opener “Kinderness”, which pulsates in malleable drones like the work of the late great composer Johann Johannsson. Over it’s 18-minute runtime we are treated to a sense of both peace and wonder. If you close your eyes you can see clouds passing by at a clip as they reveal the blue haze of a summer day.

“A Whisper” sees From Overseas and zakè building sonic worlds within their wavering drones and gauzy visions of cosmic proportions. I often find these pieces to be like slow-moving shapes and shifts. Amorphous sounds that when you close your eyes you can almost see emotions in color. I don’t know how to fully describe it, but what you’re going thru in the moment of listening seems to come together behind tightly shut eyelids. It’s quite revealing as to where these musical works take you on a very emotionally visceral level.

Marc Ertel and Wayne Robert Thomas’ “Coronation Ring” finish this epic musical journey. It morphs and wanes over over 12 minutes of epic bliss. As the piece moves along the heavily-effected sonics take on an almost “celestial choir” feel. It’s so incredibly emotive and at times emotionally overwhelming. Just a stunning bit of work here.

If ever there was a perfect celebration of five years of emotional and intellectually-rich ambient music, Koselig is most definitely it. Another stunning release from Zakè Drone Recordings and some of the absolute best musicians and creatives working in the realm of ambient/new age music.

Buy ‘Koselig’ via Zakè Drone Recordings here.