Various

Loscil and Rafael Anton Irisarri curate this two-disc compilation of ambient, avant-garde and experimental sounds. Loscil's selections are dominated by droning ambient collages, combining diverse elements of space and abrasion across his ten works. Loscil's "Else" stands out on the first half of his selections, creating a multi-colour atmosphere of heaven-like textures. The release's softer pieces are contrasted against one of the strongest tracks: Mitchell Akiyama's "Dirge for the Cannon," which breaks from quiet drones into a church-organ fugue of massive proportions. On the second disc, highlights from Irisarri's selections include a dreamy piano work called "Sleeper" from Eluvium, whose melancholic attitude strikes a chord deeper than many of the less directed works on Volume II, as well as the string and piano duet of Irisarri's "Black Days Follow Me Around." Air Texture Volume II is dominated by existential contemplation, but it expresses an aspect of humanity for which music might be the only medicine. It's an important alternative remedy in a world dominated by pill-popping and short-term gains.