Genre: Ambient / IDM

01 Hush
02 Ybe 76
03 One Step Before the Exit
04 Howl
05 Away
06 Hollow
07 Stranded
08 Intact
09 Voces Perdidas
10 Hollow [rmx by Mobthrow]
11 One Step Before the Exit [reconstructed by Flaque]

Subheim’s “Approach” became one of the first CDs issued by Timpanik Audio, a new born Chicago-based label that’s already managed to sign and issue many artists and give the way out for their individual visions. Subheim is Kostas K., an electronic music composer and a visual artist, originating from Greece and entering the international music scene. Apart from “Approach”, Subheim’s discography includes appearances on Spectraliquid label and remixes issued on Tymlanik Audio and Spectraliquid as well.

Slow, captivating, picturesque, deeply personal and emotional. The artwork of the digipack gives a listener a fine hint on what he/she is going to hear. This album suggests you a journey through various landscapes, breathetaking scenery, gets your attention and makes you dive into the small world created by Kostas K. Taking IDM-influenced glitchy rhythms and tender ambient patterns in the background, soft melody lines performed on piano (as on track Ybe 76) and slight synth accents, deep, slow drum-sounds and ethereal vocals, performed by Katja, as a result we get a truly dreamy work for our consideration. All the tracks create their own atmosphere, some tracks continue each other. Here I would like to mark out the track Howl, which rhythmic patterns remind a bit of new age music, for the ethereal vocals with tribal influences and unexpected string lines closer to the end – generally this track gives you a feeling of a slow flight among the clouds over the vast forests and the dark-blue lakes while the sun is setting and the dusk is falling. The next track, Away, having a melancholic touch (due to high pitched piano notes) sounds like a continuation of the previous journey, something like floating over the endless ocean. Tracks like Hollow combine oriental influences (vocals, performed by Katja, and rather complicated rhythm structures including both usual drum-sounds and electronic glitches) and imagery of cosmic journeys (brought by the background and much reverberation). There’re also almost ambient tracks with a slight hint on rhythm, like Intact or Voces Perdidas.

This album includes two tracks performed by other musicians – slow, viscous, a bit surrealistic Hollow remix by Mobthrow, which is a technoid project of a person named Anhel and one of Spectraliquid label members, and a reconstructed One Step Before the Exit from Flaque, Florian Ziller’s project, who issued CD on Wycombe Music within 3 CD limited album set together with Concise and X Dynamics and also appeared on various compilations on different labels, Tympanik Audio included. His variant of the track turned out to be a bit darker in its mood due to intense background, but the initial idea is kept overall.