what is the most beautiful label in the world? used to be 4AD and factory, subrosa, mille plateaux but, but, but they are not the most beautiful label in the world anymore. atmoworks is, without a simple shadow of a doubt.
In the winter of 2001, AtmoWorks was founded by Ambient-Electronic musicians Vir Unis & James Johnson. The idea and vision from the beginning was to create a way in which music could be released for these two artists outside the existing model of the corporate business structure that most labels, even those that deemed themselves "independent", adopted. The label was formed with the intent that music could be released at will, whether that be 1 release a year or any number. Over the course of the next several years, AtmoWorks grew to include a few more artists and started streaming live performances from the studios of well known and respected artists, such as Vidna Obmana, Saul Stokes, Sarana, and The Ministry of Inside Things. Building a solid fan-base that was small but loyal, open minded, and receptive to a wider definition of "ambient" music, AtmoWorks came to be a widely known and respected purveyor of eclectic electronic music. Today, AtmoWorks continues to work hard on releasing quality music from a growing list of various artists around the globe. In the Spring of 2008, James Johnson decided to leave to pursue personal interests and other projects. With the help of longtime friends John Koch-Northrup and Matt McDonough and more recent addition Steve Brand, AtmoWorks has been reworked and has evolved to include an even wider range of quality music. AtmoWorks invites people of all walks of life to join this growing community. We respect and work to foster the growth and enjoyment for each of our members. "Dark Rites Of Mesmer" was created as a kind of darker brother to mystified's 2010 Hypnos Secret Sounds release, "Primal Mystification". Where "Primal" tended to lighter, more ethereal sounds and rhythm patterns, "Mesmer" is deeper and more hypnotic. It is a beautiful kind of music, with washes of background drones that entrance and looped sequences adding texture. It presents a continuous interplay between immediate and distant, allowing the listener to cycle mentally between these layers. Three pieces were written with Yogic meditation specifically in mind. One was inspired by internet cyber comic "Manmachine". The longest piece, "Critical Dark", is a mid-length journey into ominous moods and tones. 
Many of the sounds in "Dark Rites Of Mesmer" were created using a special technique that transforms field recordings into bell drones.
Many of the sounds in "Dark Rites Of Mesmer" were created using a special technique that transforms field recordings into bell drones. "Sunprints was begun in the early Spring of 2008 as an expression of yearning for the first signs of Spring after a long, cold Winter. As I began to work on Sunprints, I could gradually see the first stirrings of life: grass greening again, buds forming on the trees, animal life becoming more active—life was literally welling up from the Earth to re-animate and start the cycle all over again. I could really feel this energy of growth, expansion, gentle warmth and hope infusing the work, informing every note, every sound choice. Listening to Sunprints now, on the cusp of the Spring energy of 2010, it almost seems necessary to listen to and sit in the field that Sunprints creates. It occurs to me how symbolic this is, that after a challenging time in our lives, how important it is to feel hope, a sense of renewal, and time in suspension, no matter what season it is where you live, and I’m excited to share this with listeners. 
Timing in at just over an hour, Sunprints features the sounds of nature (streams, wind, rain, thunder, etc.), insect and animal life, various flutes, conch, bells, zither, kora, prayer bowls, gongs, didg, voice, harmonium and subtle keyboard textures. My pal Jonathan Benham contributed some of the environmental recordings, and the harmonium and plucked gutterphone. Track 2, “Honoring the Beautiful Spirit,” is a tribute to the work of Stefano Musso (Alio Die), whose work has often inspired my own.
Here is what Dean has to say about "With This Night":
"This album was recorded live in my "hotel", studio in Zephyrhills, Florida using two reel to reel tape recorders and an electric guitar with effects. This is a technique I've used many times on both solo and collaborative albums. I began including this technique into the way I make music in early 1977, and through the years have applied it to many and varied instruments as well as voice,pedal harmonium,percussion and found sounds.
Having said all that, I must add, this has to be one of the most unrefined and unglamorous ways of working you'll ever find...there's nothing pretty about this technique, it has a mind of it's own..if it works, it's a miracle. Mind, body and machines have to be at one with each other. Through the years I've coaxed some decent sounds and some serious flubs outta this system...on this occasion, it worked and I made "With This Night".
AtmoWorks is pleased to announce the return of one of 2009's break-out artists, Vladimir Kozlov. Following up on the success of his debut album "Nanoclock", Vlad is back with "Gates of Atlantida", a new six-song set of mind-bending rhythms and swirling synths. Vlad had this to say about his latest release.
"The 'Gates of Atlantida' is my second release for Atmoworks. It is dedicated to all people who are trying to know themselves and learn from others. Ambient sound is a great instrument to focus on the internal world; to explore it and clean it. I hope you all find this album useful."
Vlad's signature style is on quick display, combining pulsing rhythms and asynchronous glitches with broad pads and drones. The album is technically 6 songs, but works equally well as a single piece - moving effortlessly from track to track, frame to frame. Fans of Nanoclock will find much to love on "Gates".
“"If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?”
AtmoWorks is proud to announce the release of Rabbit Hole Radio's first volume of session edits, “Language of Forms, volume 1”. Rabbit Hole Radio is a weekly radio show hosted by Vir Unis and currently streamed by StillStream.com. This show promotes the music of Vir Unis and AtmoWorks artists with album streams, excerpts of longform pieces, remixes, and mashups of different pieces from various AtmoWorks artists coming together in real time direct from the Bubble Studio. The Language of Forms is a series of edits from those archived sessions on Rabbit Hole Radio, representing a confluence of artists ranging from Disturbed Earth to Steve Brand to Vir Unis to Mark Tamea and MjDawn, to name a few. There's also music from Subseason, Mike Radice, Vladimir Kozlov, Exuviae, OVDK, BunkData, Phobos, and many more. Check with AtmoWorks.com for Rabbit Hole Radio air times and schedules, as it also covers live events and guest djs! Join us now as we tumble down the rabbit hole and into a strange world in which sound and inner-vision is mutable and language is communicated in pure form.
"Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop." - Alice in Wonderland
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