Structure and constructs are subjective entities at the very core. The universe itself is not static, everything shifts and changes according to sciences that have yet to be discovered. All order as we know it stems from the schools of documented evidence, theorem and thought that becomes applied and imposed upon what is otherwise an incredible anarchy of chaos cultivated by everything that falls short of our own understanding. In attempts to document these things by way of creative compositions, the standards of these rudimentary systems and applied methodologies must be completely reworked and approached from new angles of inquiry, experimentation and open spirited willingness to adhere to the deepest levels of intuition. Only then once an individual has freed themselves from the restrictive confines of convention can a new and natural realm of discovery, splendor, renewal, reckoning and reflection be fully embarked upon.

Thus sets the stage for the latest release from Richmond, VA pop polymath Past Palms as we bring you the first listen to Portraits. Standing as one of today’s most profound and prolific artists in the realm of ambient arts — Portraits follows up a string of releases that instinctively grows more and more organic and ethereal in ways that are as mysterious as the communication and communion between the flora and fauna. From lauded releases like Ambient Music for Watering Plants, Summer Prayer, Empyrean, Senescence and more; Past Palms has arrived as one of the foremost institutions for breaking new grounds in the fields of finding new atmospheric arts that imitate, emulate and are intertwined with the air, ether and atmospheres that embody the environments of our lives.

The sentiment of searching for a place of peace, an abode of unfettered and undisturbed solitude abounds on the ambient eye and mind opening beauty of "Looking for a Home". From bustling field recorded sounds, subdued strings and glimmering synths; Past Palms creates a sound and sense of discovering that feeling and place of absolute belonging. "Open Window" rises like the morning's sleepy sun to greet the atmosphere in a ceremony that signals the tides of a new beginning and dawning of unlimited possibility. The track blooms like the stages of the day that span from morning, to noon, the gentle tranquility of midday meditations that guides the audience to the onset of dusk.

The saintly "Stained Glass" is produced with an antiquated air, like the wonder one has whilst witnessing a historical marvel out in the wild, or a classic work of art placed on display under the auspices of an art gallery or museum-like institute of cultural import. Past Palms historically has always shined on tracks that are centered around motifs that pertain to the elements and "Running Water" is no exception. Arpeggios of strings gallantly cascade, descending and ascending as sustained notes create a sense of sovereignty like the interior of a temple during a sacred and esoteric holy holiday. Notes rise up like evaporating water turned into vapor mist, as sounds of nature, replete with chirping birds connects the points where the organic and synthetic intersect in a distinct hymn of intrinsic harmony.

Portraits arrives full circle with "Light Falling Everywhere" that burns like the wick of a candle entering the threshold foyer of night. "Light" blazes like the sublime magic and majesty of witnessing a borealis break the sky and clouds into a barrage of colors and hues that defies simple descriptors. Portraits is an ambient gaze into the world we inhabit. The world curated by both humankind and the universe itself. Portraits moves the scope and scale of the landscapes that become our communities and examines our relationship with the earth, the foliage, the elements of water, air, fire, the sediment and granules of dirt that lay beneath our feat and get caught in our nails. Portraits is a view of us and the expanses of nature that we are but caretakers and humble inhabitants of.

Past Palms provided some expansive reflections on Portraits and so much more in the following exchange of thoughts:

Meditations on the evolution and growth of Past Palms.

I have always had a deep affection for ambient music for the role it played in my adolescence. I remember discovering the bands Hammock and Sigur Ros as a teenager, and feeling so deeply connected to their music without ever having truly experienced the genre before. It was like an intimate memory I couldn’t recall until that moment. Having started my musical journey on guitar and playing in rock bands, I couldn’t quite find an outlet for me to make ambient music, and it took many years until I began experimenting with my own interpretation of the genre.

Insights on how the horticulture realm informs the creative process.

With Past Palms, I set out to create music inspired by plants and nature, which at first included drums and percussion. It wasn’t until my Brian Eno-inspired EP Ambient Music for Watering Plants that I felt confident enough to abandon drums and embrace the full potential of ambience. My newest EP Portraits is even more bare, more spacious, and more nonlinear. The foundation of the EP was inspired by artists like Claire Rousay and Burial, who have songs in their catalog where they completely abandon structure and embrace a series of dream-like sequences where multiple themes and ideas evolve throughout a composition, and even take abrupt turns into polarizing directions.

From lavish ambient landscapes to Portraits — reflections on the creative process for this latest release.

This style of composing is antithetical to the traditional structure we expect in a song, and that’s what I love so much about it. To me, ambient music is meant to feel like a dream, a hazy walk through somewhere surreal and ethereal. By removing traditional song structure, that experience becomes even more otherworldly. Writing Portraits was a freeing experience, as I was completely open to any sound or placement of noise without regard for following a guideline. The opening song is seven and a half minutes long, starting with layers of flautando strings that bloom into a sound bath of ambient textures and everyday foley samples before diffusing into a swarm of unmelodic noises that eventually resolve with erhu melodies and washed-out piano chords. There are no boundaries other than the ones I set for myself.

Meditations on the next plans, projects and inspirations for Past Palms. 

The EP is titled Portraits from a conversation I had with my partner, where I was previewing the songs on a car ride, and noting that they had no real coherence to them. My partner then pointed out that they felt like little portraits rather than songs. This led me to the idea of creating ambient portraits of everyday life. “Looking for a Home” was written when I had just moved from Brooklyn back to my hometown of Richmond, VA, and was in a temporary living situation, searching obsessively for a new place to call home. “Open Window,” “Stained Glass,” and “Running Water” all depict simple yet moving moments where you feel the wind from outside blow through the room, stare at the sunlight pouring through colorful stained glass, or feel the warmth of hot water pouring on your body. However, these songs can capture any moment, however big or small. It’s up to the listener to create their own portrait.

Past Palms’ Portraits EP will be available September 22.