Ambient: Chris Weeks - Con·sol·i·data (2021)

74 / 100

Here is a futuristic-and-spacey-leaning ambient/dark ambient record, at times noisy but with moments of emotional brilliance.

The cubist-style face on the cover, with its odd expression and abstract vibe, sets the stage for Chris Weeks’ ambient/dark ambient album. It subtly reflects the artist himself, whose presence feels low-profile and almost elusive—though a few of his projects do mention the UK. Beyond that, his Bandcamp page offers little detail.

Con·sol·i·data was first released independently in 2021, later added to Chris’s own collective label Odd John Records, and eventually joined Neotantra’s catalog in July 2024. The album contains ten tracks with no written description, but its foundations are clear: ambient/dark ambient with a futuristic, atmospheric, spacey, and emotional soundtrack-like character.

That futuristic feel emerges through layers of synths, keyboards, and ambient textures, often blended with noise. This is most evident in Portrait, To Forget, and the closing sessions—particularly Landscape with audio sample at the end and RAMbler that marked by its strongest noise streak. By contrast, Across the Pond emphasizes emotional piano playing, surrounded by ambient textures at the beginning and end.

The album alternates between two dominant approaches—ambient and dark ambient—with noise acting as a defining trait for many tracks. Yet there are moments when each style stands more purely on its own: Breath(e)asy leaning toward the lighter ambient side, and Haunted Glass Teeth embodying dark ambient.

Overall, Con·sol·i·data offers ambient music that sometimes grows noisy and paranoid, yet still delivers emotionally rich segments suitable for relaxation. It’s an album clearly recommended for fans of Steve Roach, Aarktica, and Rojinski—and yes, it feels impossible not to mention Steve Roach here, lol.

Outstanding tracks: Portrait, Test Pattern, Across the Pond, Breath(e)asy, and Landscape.