zakè and City of Dawn : Ash

There’s a kind of musical alchemy when Zach Frizzell (zakè) and Damien Duque (City Of Dawn) come together. I first heard these two back in 2020 as Dawn Chorus and the Infallible Sea(along with Marc Ertel.) Their Azure Vista Records debut Liberamente was a breath of fresh air; blankets of sonic warmth and sublime tones […]

zakè : Orchestral Tape Studies II

I’m always enthralled by the work of zakè. The ambient/new age composer has spent the last several years building a catalog of forward-thinking, thoughtful, and intellectual albums. Records that accumulate beautifully orchestrated sound collages and sonic realms that put you, the listener, in a state of contemplative and meditative bliss. Using electronics to create both […]

zakè, Marc Ertel, James Bernard, From Overseas : Live At The Gothic chapel

The last place you’d think would be the home base of one of the most prolific and forward-thinking ambient/new age music record labels is Indianapolis, Indiana. But then again, why not? Past Inside The Present has proven to be a most prolific home to the world’s finest purveyors of ambient/new age, putting out music by […]

Long Story Short : Thiago Desant, Mike Lazarev, zake/Markus Guentner/James Bernard, solemnland

The year is getting off to a damn good start, musically speaking. Between real world schtuff like work, schedules, and just the general malaise of our existence in general I find it hard to sit and write individual reviews. Thats why these ‘Long Story Short’ posts are so important to me. I feel like I […]

36 & zakè’s ‘Stasis Sounds For Long-Distance Space Travel I & II’

I’ve recently discovered a gorgeous and all-encompassing slice of ambient heaven in the form of two albums, titled Stasis Sounds For Long-Distance Space Travel I & II. The artists are 36 and zakè. 36 is the musical project of UK musician Dennis Huddleston, while zakè is, well, zakè. His work has been talked about and […]

zake, Marc Ertel, James Bernard : Hearkeneth

The world of ambient/new age music seems to have gotten a bit of a boost thanks to artists like Jonas Munk, Dawn Chorus and the Infallible Sea, Billow Observatory, Marine Eyes and City Of Dawn. The manipulation of guitar and keys with the help of modular synthesis, echo, and maybe even a touch of cosmic […]

zake and Ossa : Syntheticopia

Maybe it’s just me and my own overactive imagination, but when I’m deep in it with some heady ambient and new age music I often imagine floating in space. The deep and healing tones of heavily-effected guitar, the warm buzz of analog synths, the wash of digital pads like static rain, and just the overwhelming […]

Long Story Short : Steve Hadfield, Cinchel, zake, Coral Club zakè

Greetings fellow space travelers, time bandits, and cosmic riders, welcome to another exciting edition of Complex Distractions’ Long Story Short. Here’s where I chat up an album I’m digging in a paragraph or three. I’m getting caught up on some amazing records that have been released over the course of the last three or so […]