Review quotes:

"... too epic to be merely ambient, subtly mutates and evolves into a massive cloud of tuned air mixed with chord-rush to occupy a space not far removed from Roach's Magnificent Void ..." - i/o by Alan Lockett

"... evoke imagery of gray, cold and barren spaces. This is not dark ambience! It is totally ambivalent. It seeks neither to soothe nor to provoke. Rather, it seeks to isolate and abandon..." - Jim Brenholts

"... doggedly minimalistic, monochrome, existing in a state of near stasis, almost sacral. Far from intimate, it is rather desolate, seeming to take in huge stretches of featureless geography at close range..." - sonumu by stephen fruitman

Hello, I’m Matthew Florianz also known as Liquid Morphine. I'm an ambient music producer, game audio professional and have taken inspiration from both to create the immersive, dynamic and layered soundscapes for this project.

The opening track starts with a peaceful field recording before erupting into a massive sub-bass sound. It is a thunderous start for an ambient project: Dynamic, intense and setting the tone for the second half, which mellows into a serene space. The final track signifies a new state of being, emerged from the descent before.

This feeling of descending (philosophical, emotional and physical) has been a fascination while creating A River Buried in Sand. I’ve thought of it as a soundtrack for an exploration into the underworld, an ambience for an imaginary game and also as a reflection on the five stages of grief.

The enveloping soundscapes and the images brought about are achieved through carefully chosen recording techniques that blend field recordings, analogue synthesizers, sound design and post-processing effects. This release is mastered for headphones and best enjoyed in a comfortable position, like lying down. For me, it can induce a feeling of falling, while simultaneously lying still.

Recently, a sequence accompanied these moody images of misty streetlights:
Video - You Tube

When re-acquainted with the source material, rearranged and re-imagined, a recording for release was hiding in the material all along!

I’ve shared one track which showcases the nosier aspects, the mastering and also how beauty springs from the distortions. As the album progresses beyond that moment, it will become more introspective and perhaps a little less angry.

If you appreciate music to be “physical” – bonus materials include full colour artwork to be printed and applied onto a CD-R backup of the uncompressed download.