Fennesz - "Endless Summer" (2006)

Noisy as it is chill, Endless Summer is the soundtrack to your far-off memories -- a cut-up version of your favorite nostalgia. Acoustic guitar melodies blow over sandy synth sounds. The digital manipulation creates a slew of ambiguous blips, yet a faint Ducktails-esque tune can be heard underlying the mess. It's like a wet day at the beach. The sunshine shares the atmosphere with rain-clouds, and somehow, it works. Electronic patterns drizzle down; sunny strokes evaporate the salty puddles. Together with the cover art and the title itself, the sound swells with humidity. Aesthetically, Endless Summer is rather homemade, but like family home videos, you will be returning to this again and again because of the past emotions it invokes.

HOT, HOT, HOT.

Guam River - "The New Maps Of Hell" (2005)

Guam River's The New Maps Of Hell is not as intimidating of a listen as the title perhaps insinuates. Do not dismiss this though; from noise mastermind, John Olson, Hell hisses + groans and actually leaves the listener hanging in something more akin to a Purgatory for 15 minutes. Whether you are a fan of Olson's other material or weird music in general, do yourself the favor of listening to this.

The New Maps Of Hell

Black Eagle Child / Thoughts On Air - "Split" (2010)

Black Eagle Child and Thoughts On Air celebrate all that is D R O N E music with unpolished production, acoustic guitars, and sparse tribal percussion. The sounds found here have ritualistic leanings and are at times, pure bliss with Black Eagle Child's side resounding beautifully and proudly. And Thoughts On Air plays true to his moniker creating breathtaking, meandering vibrations of silky psychedelic fuzz. Do not miss out on this one.

Split

Various Artists - "Dronography Mixtape" (2011)

I'm blessed to have friends and colleagues in the underground music scene that were able to contribute to this compilation. Feast your ears in this whirlpool of textures. Become engulfed in the calming atmosphere, and allow yourself to escape the trivial stress of the day. Drones vary on this one: from airy ambient, to spaced-out U.F.O. signals, to turbulent earthquake rumblings. Each hugs your auditory canals (especially with a giant pair of headphones) and soothes the soul. Make like the Soundscapes Channel and throw this mixtape on your iPod -- then go watch a sunset. Or perhaps you are more a fan of seeing CEVs. Meditate or let the mix-tape accompany your work. Regardless, the instrumental aesthetic suits the broadest demographic -- even if only used for background music.

Just relax...