Opening with what sounds like a foghorn—a familiar timbre to many who make their home near the Golden Gate—Observation of Transcendence is the latest ambient monument by SF artist Celestial Trails. Released in May, the album draws inspiration from “kankyō ongaku,” or Japanese “environmental music” pioneered in the 1980s by producers such as Haruomi Hosono, Hiroshi Yoshimura, and Takashi Kokubo. (For an introduction to the genre, check out this excellent 2019 compilation from Light in the Attic Records.)
Inspired by the Pacific Ocean, the Celestial Trails album blends synths, drones, and field recordings captured in Morro Bay, Santa Cruz, and O‘ahu. In the spirit of kankyō ongaku (and ambient music as a whole), the music here is as discreet as it is deeply relaxing. That is, it can slip into the background, unnoticed. Or, if you happen to give it close attention, you may discover depths in its billion shades of calm.
The album is available digitally and on CD through Taner Torun’s label Fluttery Records.
