The importance of supporting everyone involved with music - shout-out to the writers, DJs, stations, publishers and more
Hi friends - hope all good :)
If you read my posts regularly, you’ll know I always shout-out and share links to anyone that supports our music - reviews, radio plays or anything else. I think it’s incredibly important to show appreciation for people that take the time to recognise what you do, especially in the endless sea of wonderful new music coming out all the time.
So wanted to do a post to talk about this specifically and the essential part in music culture these people, organisations and publications play. That won’t be new information to most of you, but I think it’s worth saying again and continuing to do my small part in helping spread their word, as they do with ours.
In this world of algorithmic and creeping AI writing and curation, we need real people, that put the time and effort into honing their craft, more than ever.
This came up after a particularly lovely couple of reviews for my music as fields we found, one in print and one online.
The first, published in this month’s Electronic Sound magazine for qd32 in your hands, was especially nice to see. I’ve been reading ES for a long time, and been a subscriber to their print mag for years - growing up at a time where physical media was everything, music magazines were a vital lifeline into what was happening - the excitement of waiting for a new edition and the carefully curated content remains an integral part of my life.
They’ve been a great supporter of quiet details and published numerous reviews of our releases, this one was very special as it was my own music and, as I’ve talked about before, means a great deal to me - the words, written by the ultra-talented reviews editor Claire Francis, were very moving to read.
Just like many of you, my shelves are still lined with CDs, records and tapes, along with books, magazines, leaflets and the rest - the section of ES mags provides an incredible archive and it’s a joy to randomly pick one out and spend some time with it.
Physical things work so well for me as it allows me to focus - be it a book or a record or whatever - it does one thing, very well, and lets me really take it all in.
So I’ll keep subscribing and deeply enjoy Electronic Sound (especially as it comes with an exclusive 7”) - highly recommend you check it out too.
https://www.electronicsound.co.uk
The second was from long-standing online music magazine, Igloo Mag. Opening in December 2000, they’ve been champions of independent music in many forms and have carved out a unique place in the journalistic landscape.
They’ve also been wonderful supporters of quiet details and fields we found - this month’s publishing a very kind review of the first in my monthly long-form deep-listening pieces - resolve / relate 01
Timing was perfect to coincide with ES as the release was a direct continuation from in your hands, so it’s fascinating to read two such experienced writers’ take on the music (thanks to Robin B. James for this one).
Well-curated online music sites and blogs are of extreme importance - there’s almost unlimited music and opinion out there, so finding places we can really trust to sift through and bring us what they really love is invaluable.
Igloo Mag is firmly one of these, and one of the select places I go to read and discover music - so huge thanks thank to Pietro and the team! Please read and support.
Here’s an excerpt from Robin’s resolve / relate 01 review:
This sonic exploration series is the product of many durational and deep-listening sessions, unfolding gradually over time and in constant flux, texturally and spatially—made to take your time with and see how your experience shifts across multiple listens. For me, each time I listen to something I try to lose myself in the soundscape and to see what happens in my mind’s eye, based on what my ears are telling me.
The first twenty or fifty-some odd times I listened, I lost count, I was starting to hear subtle new patterns in the background here and there. If I turn it up loud enough I discover that I can’t hear the dogs barking or the neighbor’s mellifluous shouts. I am in the sound, for the present moment, at this time. The sound carries me away, a free-form evolving soundscape, deep and emotive to help find connections and space. Naturally I play it as loud as I can, whenever I can.
and a link to the whole thing
https://igloomag.com/reviews/fields-we-found-resolve-relate-01-quiet-details
I also need to give a special shout-out to Neil Mason, regular ES Contributor (ex-commissioning editor) and the man behind the excellent
online and print mag - he’s been probably our loudest supporter from the beginning of quiet details, never missing a chance to support our work and my personal fwf music.Brilliant music news every week - please do check out Moonbuilding and support him, fantastic guy doing top drawer work.
Here are the latest mentions, covering qd33 Ian Hawgood
Excerpt:
And it’s a beautiful record, of course it is. Where he is now is “light seeping through the porous darkness and focusing on that” and that’s how this release sounds. There is joy here, which is great to hear. As Alex so neatly puts it, “electro-acoustics, field recordings, low-fidelity whispers and unknowable wisps fill this gorgeous world Ian’s created”. I’ll be out of job soon if people carry on like that. With all this in mind, the track titles are the sort of thing you’ll pick through for a while – ‘And You Were Gone’, ‘Where I Went’, ‘Yes, We Bleed’. It is really great stuff, but when isn’t it on this mighty label.
Excerpt:
Fields We Found’s latest outing, the fourth, in their ‘Resolve / Relate’ series is, like Jo’s work, building into an interesting catalogue, even though I don’t think that is the intention here. These tracks, just to remind you, are long-form takes designed for “deep and close listening” by quiet details big chief Alex Gold. They are performed live in one go directly to tape from his modular system/ARP 2600m/effects. There’s also a shorter “stasis dub” version of the track too. They are made for listening to. Properly listening to. We all need a bit more time for doing that, right.
So many more I could mention, please check out my regular shout-outs in each newsletter - here are a few regular supporters.
These are just a few examples - please listen, read and support however you can!
Thanks for reading and so looking forward to sharing qd34 Pye Corner Audio with you next week!
Much love
Alex
quietdetails.com
quiet details Bandcamp
quiet details Substack
quiet details studios - mastering and audio services
my music as fields we found - individual works, and subscription with exclusives and more
Thanks Alex, shoutouts are massively appreciated, as always!
gratitude is a necessary part of this journey ♥️ keep shining, al.