Ambient: Bålsam - Flora y Fauna (2020)

80 / 100

A tender, heartfelt ambient album grounded in warmth and domestic tranquility.

Every album carries a personal meaning for its artist, and Flora y Fauna is no exception. Bålsam released this collection as a celebration of the birth of his child, Enna Asher Sajuan, at the end of 2020. Bålsam is the project of Anthony Asher-Yates, originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, who later moved to Colombia.

The first thing that stands out is the album cover — previously used by Neotantra for Circles of Pines – Dark Water Ponds, with only the label logo’s position changed. The second is that Bålsam offers 13 tracks built mainly from ambient, piano, and field recordings of rain, birds, and human chatter — seemingly captured live to create a sense of relaxation, setting it apart from Dark Water Ponds.

The only drone-based piece is the opener “Above the World,” which feels like the most contrasting track. The soothing journey begins from the second song onward, blending those three main elements. Metallic percussive textures appear in “Hermano Menor” and “Plasma Rain.” “Bug vs San Pedro” briefly gives a similar impression, though more like a piano pitched higher than the others. Meanwhile, “Golden Teacher” features a reverb-laden synth piano that’s slightly noisy but not distracting. The closing piece, “Bird Sun Piano (Extended),” presents the most prominent and minimal piano performance, simply as the melancholic one.

Simply put, I would choose this album over Dark Water Ponds, though perhaps I’ve grown too weary of relaxation-style ambient music — or maybe I just need a better rest. Still, Flora y Fauna is highly recommended for fans of Steve Roach, Brian Eno, The Green Kingdom, and similar artists.

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