bahía mansa / Yama Yuki - Cartas N​á​uticas

Released: August 11

Cartas N​á​uticas is a unique collaboration between two ambient artists exploring the proverbial depths of the oceans which they reside near or have resided near in the past. Composed of four distinct parts that comprise two larger movements, bahía mansa and Yama Yuki take their inspiration from these mysterious depths in the form of real and imagined sounds. The sounds of waves lapping, the gentle roar of the tides, and the soft droplets of water hitting firm surfaces take prominent positions throughout the album alongside unique synth textures and faint melodies. 

The two major movements of this album are Carta Atlá​ntica and Carta Pacifica respectively. For the first half of the experience, we ebb along through Carta Atlá​ntica parts I and II, which present a seemingly cool atmosphere as if we are bathed in an aura of cyan brushstroke all around. The sound of the waves is ever present through both parts as somewhat random yet delightful soft tones swirl slowly around us in part I. We then move through part two in a similar fashion though with much more ambiance surrounding us, including the lightly perceptible sounds of wildlife and watery percussive tones. As we move to Carta Pacifica, we hear a definite tonal change, as if the cyan tones we experienced were washed aside by a gentle flow of sepia and citrine. It marks a beautiful, yet subtle contrast from the first movement, as if we only had to turn around to see the other side of the world. Overall, it makes for a calm and introspective journey that allows the mind to wander aimlessly.