Altus - 2006-2018 (27 releases), MP3, 320 kbps

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Altus

27 релизов

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=||Жанр: Electronic, Space Ambient || Год выпуска дисков: 2006-2018 || Страна: Canada ||
||Аудио кодек: MP3 || Тип рипа: tracks || Битрейт аудио: 320 kbps, CBR || Продолжительность: 29:03:46 ||Источник: Web ||=

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[spoiler="2006-Winter Embrace II (1:00:42)"]
1.Winter Embrace II (60:42)
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Label: Blue Water Records
Catalog#: BWR036

Composed December 2006
Photo: Tym Ex
[/spoiler]
[spoiler="2007-Excursion One (50:18)"]
1.Evergrow (20:12)
2.The Long Way Back (30:06)
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Label: Earth Mantra
Catalog#: earman016

Written-By, Recorded By, Producer – Altus
Composed May to June 2007
Photos: CICLOPS (Cassini) and Mike Carss
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[spoiler="2008-Rapid Eye Movements (1:06:41)"]
1.Rapid Eye Movements - Part I (3:58)
2.Rapid Eye Movements - Part II (11:29)
3.Rapid Eye Movements - Part III (8:06)
4.Rapid Eye Movements - Part IV (8:41)
5.Rapid Eye Movements - Part V (7:57)
6.Rapid Eye Movements - Part VI (10:35)
7.Rapid Eye Movements - Part VII (15:55)
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Label: Rain
Catalog#: rain025

Photography – Mike Carss
Composed December 2007 to March 2008.
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[spoiler="2009-Coma Cluster (1:13:05)"]
1.Accessing the Coma (14:50)
2.Cluster of Galaxies (23:12)
3.Floating Free (18:38)
4.For All Time (16:25)
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Label: Endless Ascent
Catalog#: ea008

Composed from September to October 2009.
Special thanks to Tange.
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[spoiler="2009-Falling Out Of Orbit /with Mister Vapor/ (52:03)"]
1.Sparse Reaches (25:52)
2.Immense Revolutions (26:11)
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Label: Just Not Normal
Catalog#: JNN072

Altus remixed 2 original tracks by Mister Vapor.
Composed Fall 2009
Space Photo: Joint Astronomy Centre
Image Processing by C. Davis, W. Varricatt
Planet Photo: NASA, Johns Hopkins U. APL,
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[spoiler="2010-Black Trees Among Amber Skies (59:10)"]
1.Welcoming the Dead Days (15:23)
2.Waiting for the Cover of White (12:57)
3.Dormant Skeletons (8:35)
4.Sodium Glow (8:21)
5.Darker Skies Toward the Horizon (13:54)
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Label: Not On Label
Catalog#: none

Composed November 2009 to March 2010
Thanks to Dynamicell for wind sample
Photography: Mike Carss
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[spoiler="2010-Crossroads /with Trx/ (1:08:16)"]
1.Beginning of the End (5:46)
2.A Matter of Perspective (6:09)
3.Neglected Consciousness (7:44)
4.Unknowing or Unwilling (6:48)
5.The Human Condition (5:52)
6.Passive (6:38)
7.Pulse Check (5:56)
8.Are You Aware (8:28)
9.A World Through New Eyes (5:57)
10.Escape (8:58)
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Label: Kahvi Collective
Catalog#: #300

Composed April - November 2010
Cityscape Photo: Ville Miettinen (wili_hybrid)
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[spoiler="2011-ECOTONE (1:04:28)"]
1.Prologue (1:32)
2.Land of the Grey (6:34)
3.Such Fleeting Advancement (6:03)
4.Catching a Glimpse (5:07)
5.Respite (1:43)
6.Crossing That Vast Boundary (9:11)
7.Remnants (17:36)
8.The Awe and Wonder (7:12)
9.Solitude (9:30)
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Label: Not On Label
Catalog#: none

Composed August to November 2011
Photo: Mike Carss
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[spoiler="2011-Sleep Theory Volume 1 (1:02:15)"]
1.Session 1 (19:39)
2.Session 2 (22:29)
3.Session 3 (20:07)
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Label: Not On Label
Catalog#: none

Composed December 2010 to March 2011.
Dedicated to Lucette Bourdin (1954-2011).
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[spoiler="2011-Symmetry and Shadow: Singles Collection Volume 2 (1:20:33)"]
1.Rainmaker (6:48)
2.An Atmosphere of Silence (7:51)
3.Shine (8:11)
4.Umbra (8:14)
5.Shinrin-yoku (7:15)
6.Regret (3:48)
7.Toward a Better Future (3:47)
8.In the Company of Clouds (6:54)
9.Trying to Elude that Dark Place (7:01)
10.Failing Light (7:28)
11.Shadowlands (13:16)
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Label: Not On Label
Catalog#: none

Singles Collection Volume 2
Composed July 2006 to June 2011
Photo: Mike Carss
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[spoiler="2012-Complex Silence 22 (51:43)"]
1.In Search Of (8:30)
2.The Unattainable (9:41)
3.Lay Still and Listen (9:44)
4.To the Urban Silence (5:07)
5.Conticent (3:41)
6.At Peace (9:22)
7.Yet Still in Search Of (5:38)
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Label: Treetrunk Records
Catalog#: treetrunk 205

Composed December 2011 to January 2012.
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[spoiler="2012-The Sidereal Cycle 1 (51:28)"]
1.Cygnus (51:28)
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Label: Free Floating Music
Catalog#: FFM-011

Released 27 June 2012
All instruments and sounds by Altus (Mike Carss)

Cover design by Brad Ross-MacLeod
Photography by Mike Carss

The Sidereal Cycle is a four-part suite of long-form ambient works created by Altus to reflect the earth’s annual cycles as we make our way around the sun each year.
Each release is set to coincide with the Solstices and Equinoxes, beginning with the summer solstice of 2012. The title of each track pays homage to dominant constellations in the northern sky during each of the seasons.
Releases:
The Sidereal Cycle 1 (Cygnus) June 2012
The Sidereal Cycle 2 (Andromeda) September 2012
The Sidereal Cycle 3 (Orion) December 2012
The Sidereal Cycle 4 (Virgo) March 2013
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[spoiler="2012-Shadow District /with Har/ (1:10:34)"]
1.Descent to Street Level (12:50)
2.Abandoned Playground (7:51)
3.Borough of Shadows (10:52)
4.Victims of a System (7:49)
5.Burning While They Watched (8:13)
6.Along The Shattered Waterfront (8:49)
7.Betrayal at Twilight (14:10)
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Label: Earth Mantra
Catalog#: earman198

Released 20 August 2012

An album by either one of these artists would be cause for celebration, but together the results simply astonish. A full seventy minutes of transcendent music await the listener, somewhere in the netherworld between dark ambience, melodic ambience, and pure electronic space music. As one would expect, the compositions themselves are near peerless, with point, counterpoint, interlude, and response all easily identifiable to those listening closely. And, also as expected, the sound design is lush and three dimensional, the performance inspirational, and the production immaculate. Attention to detail is certainly among the many strengths these artists possess.

What really does it for us, though, is the raw emotion barely held at bay in this powerful music, the palpable sense of despair and determination, of pain and hope, of disastrous loss and hard-won victory. One can picture the grit and grime of this dark underworld, of this merciless street that punishes so many and allows so few to escape to the light of day. And yet one can also sense the moments of triumph amid the ruins, when the human spirit rises above its miserable surroundings to fly free despite all odds. The duality in this music both inspires and awes the listener, with something for fans of nearly all ambient traditions to love. Truly magnificent work.

So it is our distinct honor to announce the availability of Shadow District, an album that we think is destined to be a classic of the genre, surely one of the top ambient releases of 2012. And nothing less than music for the ages.
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[spoiler="2012-The Sidereal Cycle 2 (54:50)"]
1.Andromeda (54:50)
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Label: Free Floating Music
Catalog#: FFM-013

Released 22 September 2012

Cover design by Brad Ross-MacLeod
Photography by Mike Carss

All instruments and sounds by Altus (Mike Carss)

The plans for what would become The Sidereal Cycle took place without any input from me. I first found out about the concept from a post on the Altus blog. As soon as I read it I reached out to Mike (Carss, AKA Altus) with a resounding, “Yes, please!” Fans of Free Floating and ambient I’m sure will understand my enthusiasm.

Simply put, Mike Carss is a master of ambient music, there can be no doubt about that. Of the ambient artists that I listen to and love, I feel that Altus music is the most ‘composed’. While much of it is decidedly cinematic in structure, even the more minimal and abstract pieces seem to have deeper structures and themes that resonate throughout.

With its focus on thematic elements, the music of Altus is also decidedly painterly in that the melodies and structures help to draw mental images, especially since each release usually contains a specific topical reference (time, sleep, fire, water, etc.).

And so it is fitting that Altus turns his hand once again to the grand theme of time and the seasons with The Sidereal Cycle.

In this collection, Mike reflects on the transformation of the verdant summer into the dormant browns, oranges, and golds of autumn. Andromeda is really a two-part suite, I would say. The first part explores the gradual changes in color while the second part reflects leaves falling to the ground and the eventually dormant landscape of the impending winter.

The music is at once placid and dramatic, a perfect reflection of the changing season of autumn itself.

Please enjoy this second installation in The Sidereal Cycle and come back in a few months to hibernate with part 3.
[/spoiler]
[spoiler="2012-The Sidereal Cycle 3 (55:28)"]
1.Orion (55:28)
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Label: Free Floating Music
Catalog#: FFM-017

Released 21 December 2012
All instruments and sounds by Altus (Mike Carss)

Cover design by Brad Ross-MacLeod
Photography by Mike Carss
[/spoiler]
[spoiler="2013-The Sidereal Cycle 4 (56:53)"]
1.Virgo (56:53)
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Label: Free Floating Music
Catalog#: FFM-019

Released 20 March 2013
All instruments and sounds by Altus (Mike Carss)

Cover design by Brad Ross-MacLeod
Photography by Jennifer Nish

The Sidereal Cycle is a four-part suite of long-form ambient works created by Altus to reflect the earth’s annual cycles as we make our way around the sun each year.
Each release is set to coincide with the Solstices and Equinoxes, beginning with the summer solstice of 2012. The title of each track pays homage to dominant constellations in the northern sky during each of the seasons.
Releases:
The Sidereal Cycle 1 (Cygnus) July 2012
The Sidereal Cycle 2 (Andromeda) September 2012
The Sidereal Cycle 3 (Orion) December 2012
The Sidereal Cycle 4 (Virgo) March 2013
[/spoiler]
[spoiler="2013-Sleep Theory Volume 2 (59:50)"]
1.Session 4 (16:52)
2.Session 5 (22:05)
3.Session 6 (20:53)
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Label: Not On Label
Catalog#: none

Continuing from the highly popular first volume, Sleep Theory Volume 2 provides three new sessions to experience. While similar in style, the mood is decidely darker, especially Session 5.
This release can be enjoyed in any setting, however low volume listening is encouraged.
Merry Christmas and happy holidays from Altus!
[/spoiler]
[spoiler="2014-Excursion Three (1:01:36)"]
1.Journey's End (10:35)
2.Gathering the Moments (20:35)
3.Silver Shores (30:26)
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Label: Earth Mantra Netlabel
Catalog#: eM2006
Released: May 23, 2014

Composed February to May 2014
Photography: Mike Carss & NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute
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[spoiler="2015-Komorebi (1:08:38)"]
1.Cerulean Skies (9:26)
2.Slow Breath (11:15)
3.Hypnotize (12:50)
4.Sun-dappled (11:48)
5.Waver (10:24)
6.Wander (8:54)
7.Touch (4:01)
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Label: Not On Label
Catalog#: none
Released: 20 Nov 2015

Komorebi / 木漏れ日 - a japanese word describing sunlight filtering through foliage.
Composed August to October 2015
Photography: Mike Carss
[/spoiler]
[spoiler="2015-The Time Collection Part I: Ghost of Time (1:17:28)"]
1.Illusionary Progression (14:43)
2.Like Sand Through Fingers (13:26)
3.Absolve the Past (11:14)
4.Live for the Now (13:48)
5.Brave the Future (13:02)
6.Aetas (11:15)
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Label: Not On Label
Catalog#: none
Released: 20 Feb 2015

Composed July to October 2014
Photography: Mike Carss
[/spoiler]
[spoiler="2015-The Time Collection Part II: Time Forgotten (1:14:50)"]
1.The Patience of Eternity (13:46)
2.Memory Thief (16:23)
3.What You Leave Behind (14:40)
4.Walk with Oblivion (30:01)
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Label: Not On Label
Catalog#: none
Released: 20 Feb 2015

Composed September to November 2014
Photography: Mike Carss
[/spoiler]
[spoiler="2016-Innerspace (1:12:35)"]
1.Let Every Doubt Pass By (12:54)
2.Vast Yet Insignificant (11:16)
3.A Universe Within the Atom (11:04)
4.Reflection (9:09)
5.Release (6:44)
6.Innerspace Outermind (21:28)
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Label: Not On Label
Catalog#: none
Released: 12 Sep 2016

Composed July to September 2016
Beach Photography: Mike Carss
Galaxy Photography: Hubble Legacy Archive; Adrian Zsilavec, Michelle Qualls, Adam Block / NOAO / AURA / NSF
Galaxy Processing: André van der Hoeven
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[spoiler="2016-The Sun Will Rise Tomorrow: Singles Collection Volume 3 (1:18:06)"]
1.Such Fleeting Advancement (Stoic Mix) (6:26)
2.Tornel Keep (9:20)
3.Phantasm (9:39)
4.Dulcet (6:34)
5.The Spontaneous Overflow of Powerful Feelings (3:59)
6.Fading Comfort (12:41)
7.Nearly Forgotten (13:11)
8.Holding the Moment (6:20)
9.Pinegrove (9:56)
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Label: Not On Label
Catalog#: none
Released: 26 Jun 2016

Composed November 2011 to March 2016
Photography: Alexander Pappas
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[spoiler="2017-Below The Root (1:19:05)"]
1.Mortal Soil (17:13)
2.Grotto (7:14)
3.Cathedral (11:34)
4.Pense (7:25)
5.Trencher (10:40)
6.Elixir (8:40)
7.Spirit Lamp (7:41)
8.The Root (8:38)
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Label: Not On Label
Catalog#: none
Released: 07 Jan 2017

Composed June to November 2016
Cover Art: Craig Pineo
[/spoiler]
[spoiler="2017-Sleep Theory Volume 3 (1:03:31)"]
1.Session 7 (21:20)
2.Session 8 (21:41)
3.Session 9 (20:30)
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Label: Not On Label
Catalog#: none
Released: 09 May 2017

Composed February to April 2017
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[spoiler="2017-Winter Embrace (15th Anniversary Edition) (1:02:43)"]
1.Winter Embrace - Part I (5:10)
2.Winter Embrace - Part II (10:15)
3.Winter Embrace - Part III (14:28)
4.Winter Embrace - Part IV (18:23)
5.Winter Embrace - Part V (14:27)
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Label: Not On Label
Catalog#: none

Original composition written in 2002. Rearrangement and remaster May to August 2017.
Field recordings by daveincamas and lwdickens (freesounds.org)
Photography and design by Mike Carss.
Thanks to Pyracantha.
[/spoiler]
[spoiler="2018-Pioneer (1:06:57)"]
1.Last Goodbye (5:25)
2.Blazing Departure (5:54)
3.Slingshot (9:30)
4.The Void Between (22:20)
5.Luminous Greeting (8:04)
6.Final Approach (6:52)
7.Pioneer (8:52)
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Label: Not On Label
Catalog#: none
Released: 13 Jun 2018

Composed February to May 2018
Photo elements: Hubble Heritage Team, D. Gouliermis (MPI Heidelberg) et al., | (STScI/AURA), ESA, NASA | JPL/University of Arizona
[/spoiler]
[spoiler="Об исполнителе (eng)"]

Those out there who like the free floating ambient music of Liquid Mind or Thom Brennan should certainly listen to the output of Altus, aka Mike Carss, who hails from Ottawa, Canada.

In 1999 he got his first tastes of ambient music as he heard Pete Namlook’s "Silence III" which completely blew him away. Later, the music of Steve Roach would make an even bigger impression.

Right from the beginning as he started composing his own music, Mike was never interested in getting signed to a record label. He had heard so many horror stories about people getting screwed by record labels. It also angered him to have people making money from an artist's hard work while the artist was getting only a small percentage. Also, he wrote music for his own pleasure, not to satisfy a crowd, so he figured that attitude would make most labels shy away from him. At the same time, Mike wanted to share his music with more than just family and friends. The internet, on which he offers all his music for free, was the obvious solution.

Before 2000 he made techno music using the moniker Goon. He wrote some music like "Perpetual Wonder", Ode to Bambi (with Blair Vermette) and "Horizon" but by the third album Mike got rather tired of the beats. The Goon albums weren’t made available to the public as they were part of Mike’s learning process. For his next music "Moonlight" he experimented with much slower tempos and beats. The outcome really surprised him. He totally enjoyed the process of writing music where the beat didn’t lead the direction of the song.

One thing led to the other, as he composed his Altus’ debut album "24 Hours", inspired by a train journey in 2000 during a time Mike Carss was "finding himself". It The concept album consists of four contemplative tracks of approximately 13 minutes following the cycle of an entire day. The album starts nicely with the engaging awakening soundings of "Daybreak" before moving into the warm, meandering soundscapes of "Midday", followed by the lofty "Nightfall" and quiet sonics of "Midnight". This great relaxing music to enjoy the wonders and beauty of nature and let you mind settle down.

Carss only uses a pc to compose his music. He has no use for expensive hardware that can, in most cases, be emulated on a pc. For his host of his various VST’s he applies FruityLoops.

After "24 Hours" Carss absolutely loved the idea of writing a series of tracks based on an overall concept. He states that listening to a concept album feels like a journey instead of formerly just throwing a bunch of tracks together to fill a cd. This also has to do with his love for long-play albums. Altus 2nd album "Winter Embrace" was originally a 25 minute piece written after walking in a moonlit forest after a heavy snowfall. A few months after, Mike decided to extend it and expand on the theme to complete the 62 minute version. On the 2005 re-mastered version he used different string samples.

For his next project Mike Carss initiated the Elements series, in which he attempted to create images in the mind’s eye to the listener, using the track names as a catalyst. The four album cycle featuring the recordings "Fire", "Water", "Earth" and "Air" as such was a real challenge from the beginning as Mike wasn’t sure he would have the ability to finish it. For half the tracks of "Fire" he used old sampling sets he built himself. After getting some new tools and sample sets Mike wrote the 2nd Elements cd "Water".

Mike Carss’ interest in astronomy and space exploration next to the idea of a possible alternate universe, e.g. being able to travel to it through a wormhole, led to the music of "Black Hole".

The album "Autumn Breeze" was planned on being a fluffy, happy release, but turned out quite the opposite. Although melodramatic like his other albums, it’s overall sound and impact was much darker. Mike even felt it was riding the edge of depression. The album itself is also much shorter in length (45 minutes) compared to his former albums that made up for at least 60 minutes. Mike decided not to write a fifth track. A filler in the same style would be too much for one sitting, and next to that he felt he had told his story.

Altus’ release "Lullaby" is a collaboration with Silvercord, aka Geoff Nostrant, on which both musicians have created a lush and haunting album for drifting to sleep and exploring one's dreams.
Mike: "Geoff led the show on this release, and included two space-pop tracks (that) I wasn't expecting, but (that) sound great. It'll be interesting to see what people think of it. The rest of the album is a very interesting blend of our ambient styles and worked out beautifully. Those who know our styles well should be able to pick them out easily. We're both very excited to get this album released, and of course it will be available free to download".
Although Mike says the project was an excellent experience, he does prefer working solo. If he will do another collaboration, it won’t be for many years.

Summer 2006, Altus’ next sonic excursion "The Wanderer" saw the light of day, featuring six beautiful soundscapes carrying his typical trademark. "Winter’s Embrace II" was the first, and probably only release that was not be available to download for free. All proceeds from purchasing this release were donated to the continued success of StillStream.com, a free ambient online radio site run by Darrell Wade Burgan.
With the concept album "Only One Earth to Destroy" Mike took quite a big step into the deep, as it is by far his darkest release to date. The dark overtones on it talk about this serious subject that concerns us all, pointing to the various ways the human race has been damaging and destroying the globe until now, the only planet we know until now that can sustain life as we know it. Mike didn’t get much response on it, aside from the few who are into darker ambient. But he didn’t think many people understood the ending (the screaming), which is unfortunate since it was his whole focus for the album.

With "Excursion One", Altus returned to his usual, accessible melodic ambient style.It contains two long tracks that are very free, slow-moving, relaxing and having a overall positive theme. It was also his first release of a new series from Altus to be distributed freely at the Earth Mantra Netlabel.
"Singulus" is a compilation of Altus’ single tracks from various multi-artist releases in former years. However, it does contain a few oddities which probably haven't been heard by many people, such as the tracks "Frequency Junction" and "Voice in the Machine" which reveal another side from his musicianship.

"The Grand Expanse" is Mike’s first foray into teaching himself to create a more symphonic/soundtrack sound. The outcome indeed contains lots of classic, orchestral elements blending with his distinct style.
In November 2007, Mike spread the word was aiming for new directions while not changing his sound completely, as he felt he was dangerously close to future releases being old hat, in that he was not trying anything new.

On December 1, 2007, Mike Carss performed his first live concert on Darrel Burgan’s internet radio show StillStream,com. The 57-minute concert was called "Toward the Winter Solstice"

Mike Carrs was offered the opportunity to performed a second live concert on January 26, 2008 on StillStream.com,
The concert was aptly named "The Grey Horizon" by Hannah Shapero (Altocumulus), as the music is in a melodic melancholy vein.

On April 13, 2008, "Rapid Eye Movements" was released exclusively through the Rain-net label. The music treads the darker territory between "Artifacts of Distant Memory" and "Only One Earth to Destroy. Mike Carss didn’t write the music as a sleeping aid, but more as a sonic voyage through one's dreams and the secrets they can reveal.

"Macro" is the outcome of noodling around with different sounds, which after all were not appropriate to the project that’s been worked on. These "behind the scenes" sounds allow the listener to hear some of the things Mike ends up with. They aren't simply raw ideas, as they have been expanded on the initial sound or idea and polished up for a enjoyable listening experience. The outcome on the album are a series of 22 short tracks covering a broad range of sounds, from melodic ambient to atonal soundscapes, and a few oddities inbetween. As Mike puts I, the music in the spirit of Aphex’s Twin’s "Selected Ambient Works II" and Palancar’s "Precis"

On August 22, 2008, Altus played his third live concert on StillStream.com: "Cinema Fantastique: Four scenes for a virtual film".
Shortly after that, Mike took a break to do a complete overhaul of his music system, adding some new upgrades and software.

At the end of 2008, "Winter Embrace III" saw the light of day. It’s a long-form symphonic/minimalist ambient journey through white wilderness, and discovery of hidden vistas. The album marks the final chapter to the "Winter Embrace" series. Mike Carss originally had only planned on doing two, but in 2007 a number of people were asking when part three was coming. This made him decide to do one more.
Sonically, the music of "Winter Embrace III" is similar in style and theme, especially comparing it to part one, but this time Mike "limited" himself using only real instruments and the human voice. There are no synthesizers in this one. It's still ambient in style, but there are a couple symphonic outbursts that would remind of the piece "Towards the Galactic Centre" (from "The Grand Expanse").
As with the previous releases, the gracious music "speaks" for itself, reflecting the composers thoughts and emotions much more clearly than expressed through words.
Keeping in theme with the previous volume, "Excursion Two" offers two more long-play lush melodic ambient tracks to sooth the mind and make it wander. The album was released in february 2009 through the Earth Mantra Netlabel.

Mike's next project was "City of Ashes", which premiered on June 26th at StillStream.com for the Ambitar radio show, hosted by Allan Goodman. "City of Ashes", an audio/visual project pairing the music of Mike Carss and the photography of Shawn Sintzel, features a mix of ambient and orchestral works. According to Mike, it’s by far his most cinematic music released to date, acting as a film-like soundtrack to Sintzel’s stark and austere photography. The music, meant for active listening, is a fascinating mix of ambient, orchestral and minimalism, having its lighter and darker moments.

End of July, Mike delivered the track "Trying to elude that dark place" to Mark Stolk’s Just Not Normal internet-compilation project "no-R-mal", which presented the finest in what is available in experimental music these days.
Mike’s first reaction was he felt his music wasn't appropriate for "Just Not Normal", but Mark replied to Mike he had produced a bunch of more experimental music in previous albums, and something like that would be fine.
But things turned out otherwise when Mike started making music, a process in which he lost sight of the actual goal. While finishing "Trying to elude that dark place", Mike realized the elegant, free form outcome was not experimental at all. The deadline didn't allow to start another track, so Mike sent in the track saying he wouldn't be offended if the piece was not included on the 4-disc compilation, but it did.

In the meantime, Mike also started to slowly release his entire catalogue in FLAC-format, the first being the 2004-release "Black Hole". September 2009 saw Mike contributing the track "In the Company of Clouds" to the sampler "The Serene Files: Part One" by the net-label The Ambient Collective.
Shortly after that, Altus contributed the track "Rainmaker" to EarthMantra's online compilation "The Hundredth Mantra". Next to the music, Mike also put up a promo video on YouTube featuring some nice timelapse photography next to the music.
End of October, "Coma Cluster was released, a full-length release offering 74 minutes of soothing space music.

The next project Altus was involved in was Mister Vapor’s album "Falling Out of Orbit", for which Mike remixed two original tracks. The outcome features the wonderful string-drones of Altus blending with the dark drones of Mister Vapor (aka Thomas Park).

On March 27, 2010 Mike Carss returned with "Black Trees Among Amber Skies". Originally, it was planned to be released in early January of that year, but the album was put aside for other projects, hence the reason it’s an out-of-season theme. Nonetheless, "Black Trees Among Amber Skies" offers beautiful classic Altus music, ambient music for night-time winter walks in the city.
The next project Mike was involved in was the "Sonic Strata 2" compilation by The Ambient Collective, in which three different teams of four musicians were involved. This ambient album contains three tracks of 20 each each, of which the first layer of each track was created by the first person in the team. His output was then emailed to the next member who added his part and so on.

After this release, Mike finally focussed on something he wanted to do for a long time: Mike had been wanting to compose a beat-oriented album as he wrote them in the 90s, but he considered his beat programming was always lack-luster. Through the internet, he knew the output of Bulgarian musician trx (also known as TeeRexX), which had become his favourite IDM producer. Both parties agreed on a collaborative release, which ended up as "Crossroads". For the clean and fresh sounding outcome, Altus provided the melodies, while trx was in charge of the beats. The long, drawn out leads combined with deep basses and addictive melodies featured on "Crossroads" takes inspirations from Planet Boelex and Esem and mixes them with the sound of legends such as Jean Michel Jarre and Vangelis.
The album was released in December 2010 through the Kahvi Collective netlabel.

At the end of March 2011, Mike introduced "Sleep Theory Vol. 1", the first release in a new series delving into deep ambient, overall sounding similar in nature to "Coma Cluster". The goal of this new series was to fill the void of drone and texture-style ambient, without the foreboding/creepy elements usually prevalent in these music genres. Originally, Mike envisioned this to be a warm drone-style kind of release, a comforting blanket of smooth sounds to lull the listener to sleep. But after completing the first pass of the three tracks, he considered scrapping the entire project as the outcome created turned out to be overall tedious and boring.
Instead, he decided to re-purpose and re-design the existing elements of "Sleep Theory Vol. 1", which is dedicated to Lucette Boudin, into tonally active yet hypnotic soundscapes. This head-phone music is best experienced at lower listening levels, and will require multiple listens to get the most use out of them.
On September 5th 2011, Altus released "Symmetry and Shadow: Singles Collection Volume 2" to tide his music fans over until November, when his album "Ecotone" is published. "Symmetry and Shadow" is a compilation of single tracks from Altus covering the time between 2006 and 2011, including five unreleased tracks. "Ecotone" was released on November 10th, 2011. It’s another highly textural work of art, utilizing rhythm, epic chords and gentle soundscapes. Alltogether, they transport the listener to an imaginary place far away from everything, a land where man can’t ruin.
On December 15, 2011, Brad Ross-MacLeod’s Free Floating netlabel put out its second annual seasonal celebration: "All is Calm". Mike Carrs also contributed to this fine scintillating backdrop to end of year celebrations and meditations by means of the unreleased piece "Pinegrove".
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Mike Carss
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Доп. информация: Видео на youtube
Crossroads (Promo)
ECOTONE (Promo)
Symmetry and Shadow: Singles Collection Volume 2 (Promo)
Sleep Theory Volume 1 (Promo)
Black Trees Among Amber Skies (Promo)
Complex Silence 22 (Promo)
Shadow District (Promo)
Altus (2002-2010) lossless
Altus (2011-2013) lossless