Winter Notes

A quiet season of releases

Mar 11, 2026

Winter is finally beginning to loosen its grip.

Back in December, zakè seemed to foreshadow the season with Low Harmonics, a work steeped in quiet depth and long shadows. Soon after, Markus Guentner opened the snow-covered days with On Brutal Soil, We Grow. In many ways, the title felt strangely fitting - this winter, at times, proved harsher than I would have wished for.

Still, the colder months also brought a number of beautiful musical moments. Several releases found their way into the world during this time, accompanied by thoughtful reviews and generous responses from listeners.

Looking back now, these works feel closely tied to the atmosphere of the season - music shaped by stillness, distance, and the quiet introspection that winter often invites.

zakè - Low Harmonics

Released in December, Low Harmonics set a contemplative tone for the closing weeks of the year. Its deep, resonant textures move slowly, hovering somewhere between dub-infused atmospheres and suspended ambient spaces. The music invites the listener to pause and immerse in the quiet, almost meditative moods that winter often brings.

press reviews

“…That’s exactly what music is: extremely minimalist, flowing slowly, with a majestic sound…” (Nowamuzyka.pl)

“…His fascination with minimalism is always palpable in his productions, creating a steady flow of sound, sometimes static, sometimes verbose, but always functional, to describe a sound that gains form and life with every minute….” (Radioaktiv.it)

visualizer by Markus Guentner

Markus Guentner - On Brutal Soil, We Grow

Arriving in the heart of winter, Markus Guentner’s On Brutal Soil, We Grow accompanied the season’s coldest and most introspective days. Fragile, distant textures unfold gradually, creating a landscape of sound that feels at once vast and intimate. The album carries a quiet resilience - melodies and subtle harmonics emerge from stillness, like traces of life persisting beneath a snowy surface.

press reviews

“…The album's message, that growth continues despite the hurdles encountered, is inspiring, as its embrace of resilience over resignation…” (Textura)

“… There is a narrative to follow on this album, one that evokes the exploration of human grief and hope, but as it exists across our species rather than as experienced by a single person…” (Inverted Audio)

“… He stretches notes until they almost become transparent, stacking layer-upon-layer to create a sonic carpet consisting of overlapping filigrees…” (Here Comes The Flood)

“… Guentner continues to challenge himself, and On Brutal Soil, We Grow stands as evidence of an artist who refuses to rest on reputation, but is determined to express himself through sound, and also visuals with the accompanying artwork…” (Chain D.L.K.)

visualizer by Markus Guentner

Joachim Spieth - Vestige

Vestige marks the culmination of this winter season - a work shaped by reflection, patience, and careful attention to sound. The album explores memory and the traces left behind, moving through layered ambient textures, dub-influenced structures, and subtle field recordings. Each piece unfolds slowly, inviting listeners to inhabit the quiet spaces between notes and sounds.

It feels like a document of winter itself - a collection of fragments and atmospheres that linger, persist, and quietly evolve over time. In many ways, Vestige is both a closing chapter of the cold months and a bridge toward the light returning with spring.

press reviews

“…Vestige a prime illustration [of Spieth’s] particularly artful take on [ambient dub‑techno]…” (Textura)

“…From the darker depths inhabited by unwinding drones to higher, more exalted heights, the music is unafraid to stand on its own terms, embracing its unique mindset…” (Magazine Sixty)

“…Guided by the question of the presence that a simple, minimal sound particle can contain, Vestige examines the tension between form and dissolution. Layers of resonance emerge and fade, tracing the moment when sound becomes space and movement transforms into stillness. A subtle, feverish energy runs through the album – rhythmic elements that seem to advance even in their restraint, capturing the quiet euphoria of movement itself…” (Culture Dub)

“…Vestige reveals itself as a complex and layered work, capable of resonating internally and stimulating ongoing reflection on the nature of sound and space. It’s a listening experience that rewards patience and concentration, leaving a lasting impression on the hearts of those who embark on this sonic journey….” (Radioaktiv.it)

visualizer by Markus Guentner

Looking Ahead - Spring 2026

As winter slowly recedes, the first signs of a new season begin to appear. In early April, a particularly beautiful collaboration between Yui Onodera and Arovane will mark the beginning of our spring releases with Stillform.

The album is a meeting of kinesthetic restraint and sonic precision, its aesthetic built around reduction. Sparse motifs are carved out with care, micro-rhythms and attenuated textures bloom and dissolve with measured control. Onodera’s spatial sensibilities and Arovane’s melodic structuring converge to create soundscapes that feel both intimate and expansive - music that invites the listener to slow down and inhabit every carefully shaped pause.

Across Stillform, every tone is accentuated rather than overcrowded, subtle movements draw attention to the material presence of sound, and silences function like thoughtful breaths. It is not music of insistence, but of invitation - a work perfectly attuned to the gradual unfolding of spring, when the light returns and the world slowly opens again.