"Misty Memories"
New Album by From Overseas & City of Dawn
Kévin Sery, aka From Overseas, will always be one of my favourite artists from the ambient genre. The sound artist from La Réunion has now recorded a new album with City of Dawn. "Misty Memories" is the first collaboration between the two projects.
Kévin and his friend Damien from City of Dawn have created a wonderful collection of melodic songs based on nostalgic tape loops and dreamy guitar sounds. The layers of light and, at the same time, interwoven and playful guitar playing, samples and loops and their play with silence and calm have particularly impressed me.
Cynthia Bernard (marine eyes & awakened souls) enriched two of the eight songs with her vocals. "Weathering" and "Waves Vanished" are my favourites on the record, not just for that reason. The overall atmosphere of the two tracks makes me feel like I'm drifting far away – dreaming of hidden places of untouched nature.
Nature plays a leading role
Nature has always played a significant role in From Overseas' overall work. You can also hear this intimate connection in this collaboration with City of Dawn.
The sound of the sea, wind chimes and feet in the sand. Whether it's the samples getting flushed into my ears over the headphones, or whether these pictures are already created by my imagination getting stimulated by the enchanting sounds: I'll leave this open at this point.
One thing is for sure: songs like "Driftwood" (Track 2), "Fallen Leaves" (Track 3) or "Silent Friends" (Track 7) don't need words to tell their stories. They're starting to unfold as soon as the needle of the record player touches the vinyl.
Music for the dreamy seasons
For me, "Misty Memories" could become the soundtrack for the cold season – incredible ambient/drone sound made for writing, meditating, dreaming and relaxing. So please give it a listen. It's worth it.
Kévin and Damien released their album on Zakè's label Past Inside the Present. You can read my interview with Kévin Sery here. Moreover, you can find out more about Zakè's current album here.
If you're quick, you can still get your limited 160 g LP edition in Transparent Sepia Iron or Transparent Oxidized Iron (via Juno Records or Bandcamp). "Misty Memories" is, of course, also available on all music streaming platforms (from Friday, October 7, 2022).