In this program, I have two new albums from artists that I cannot stop raving about, and simply cannot get enough of. My first featured artist is Yorkshire-based electronic musician Craven Faults with an inspired album that masterfully reflects the post-industrial landscape of northern England; and later on in the program Rotating Tapes is back with his third full-length album, and it’s positively sublime from start to finish.
Plus new music from Swoop and Cross, The Volume Settings Folder, Rhucle & Arbee, Ulises Labaronnie and more. Strap in and make yourself comfortable. Join us for the next hour for global ambient music, on The Relay Station.
Artist information
Craven Faults
Following the 2020 debut of Erratics & Unconformities and their 2023 release Standers, Craven Faults is back with their third full-length, double LP release — and it’s an absolute banger of an album that quite instantly made my list of essential albums for 2026. “Sidings” is an eight-song album from Yorkshire-based electronic artist Craven Faults that has an unambiguous thematic posture, vividly capturing the post-industrial landscapes of northern England — beautiful rolling hills and rocky outcroppings, ravaged and despoiled by England’s mid-20th century engineering aspirations. Each track is a slow-sprawling tapestry of richly layered analog electronic synthesis, drawing on influences from the global underground music and arts scene, tracing its roots back to the old mills of Yorkshire where Craven Faults calls home. Every generative note, every unfurling sequence, every evolving phrase builds upon itself and heaps more upon the landscape of the album, mirroring the industrial ambitions of steel production, railway development, and precision manufacturing in the north of England. The album is a masterful time capsule capturing this revolution in engineering in Yorkshire’s history, a masterpiece that deserves a spot in your music library. From the album “Sidings” here’s Craven Faults with the track “Incline Huttes”, here on The Relay Station.
https://cravenfaults.bandcamp.com/https://theleaflabel.bandcamp.com/
Rotating Tapes
Rotating Tapes is an ambient artist from the north of Ireland that I’ve come to know over the past couple years and have been watching his evolution closely ever since the debut of his album “1” on Bandcamp in February of 2024. When I received word from him that he was releasing his third album, you’d think that it was Christmas all over again, rushing right out to reserve my copy. Though I’m sure he’d be content for the album to remain understated, I can’t help but to boast about its beauty. “3” is a dreamy ambient meandering through the mind and musical esthetic of Rotating Tapes. The entire album is thoughtful and sincere, richly layered with starry-eyed dreams carried aloft with a lightly opaque, mist-like veneer of soft noise, and ornately peppered with minimalist felted piano that gracefully dots the landscape with its warmth and subdued edges. Every time I listen to the album, there’s this feeling of emotional weightlessness, drifting at the slow pace of a gently lifting fog. I want a vinyl copy of this album more than you know — but for now I’ll have to settle for the digital album on Bandcamp, and I highly encourage you to check out the album for yourself. From his album “3”, here’s Rotating Tapes with the track “Du är min värld”, here on The Relay Station.
https://rotatingtapes.bandcamp.com
Playlist
* [0:00] INTRODUCTION
* [01:32] “Fenestra” by Swoop and Cross from “On the Grounds of Indecency” (Perceptual Tapes, 2025)
* [05:11] “Burning Waters Pt 2” by The Volume Settings Folder from “Corporate Shamanism” (WhiteLabRecs, 2025)
* [10:50] “Mournful Sky” by Rhucle & Arbee from “Plain” (No Ray Records, 2026)
* [13:14] Featured Artist Segment
* [15:16] “Incline Huttes” by Craven Faults from “Sidings” (Craven Faults / The Leaf Label, 2026)
* [21:32] “A deep green” by Ulises Labaronnie from “Cycles de Mémoire” (Cyclical Dreams, 2026)
* [24:24] “Awakening of the Hollow One” by Piscean Daydreams and Michael D. Tidwell from “Ghost, Vol. 2” (Independent, 2026)
* [27:30] “The Sound Leaves (excerpt)” by Brad Rose from “The Sound Leaves” (Room 40, 2026)
* [33:04] Featured Artist Segment
* [35:08] “Du är min värld” by Rotating Tapes from “3” (Independent, 2026)
* [44:40] “Ultraviolet” by Dionisaf from “Fractals” (Ambient Cat Records, 2026)
* [53:21] “Invisible Lightning” by Robert Rich & Markus Reuter from “Incubation” (Robert Rich, Markus Reuter, Amoeba Music, and All Matter In The Universe,, 2025)
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In other news in the ambient world
Clarice Jensen on tour, stops at Minneapolis at The Cedar
This past Monday evening, Clarice stopped by The Cedar Cultural Center on her tour and gave us the performance of a lifetime — it was absolutely sublime and a masterful performance of live-looped cello. If you’re able to see her on the remainder of her tour, make it a priority! Upcoming dates include Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, plus a tour with My Chemical Romance through the US, UK, and the EU. You can find more details at claricejensen.com and read about my reflections on her performance, plus view a few photos and a video clip of her improvisational performance. She really was stunning!
Dobrawa Czocher’s “State of Matter” now out
In the running theme of ambient cello, Dobrawa Czocher has released her LP “State of Matter” through FatCat Records, and it’s absolutely stunning — in fact I’d love to see a Czocher and Jensen collab…and while we’re at it get Isabel Pine in the mix, too. Czocher has collaborated with Hania Rani, one of my first exposures to her music and found her to be a captivating cellist.
Tristan Allen’s “Osni the Flare” now available
Available on limited edition vinyl and CD, Tristan Allen’s imaginative LP “Osni the Flare” is out now, an album that helps paint the mystical world they create through puppetry, creative set design, and mystique-filled lighting. You can listen to their album here:
Inner Spaces — the music of Amir ElSaffar and Lorenzo Bianchi Hoesch
The Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis brings about some of the most unique and inventive artists from around the globe. Coming this summer is the amazing collaboration between Amir ElSaffar (trumpet, hammered dulcimer, and vocals) and electronic artist Lorenzo Bianchi Hoesch. I found a video of a performance between the two of them and was absolutely blown away. Set aside some time and watch this stunning performance from this duo, blending the traditional sounds of the Middle East and modern electronic sensibilities.
The Relay Station Mix Tape Vol. 003 dropping March 31st
The third volume in the Relay Station ambient mix tape series drops this week, and I think you’re going to love what I’ve got in store for you. Watch your email for the new volume publishing out later this week!
https://therelaystation.substack.com/p/mix-tape-vol-003
