A warm, experimental ambient collaboration born in Berlin between August 2023 and March 2024, Pastoral Blend combines N Kramer’s improvisational production techniques with Magnus Bang Olsen’s evocative pedal steel guitar. Captured phrases and patterns on steel guitar are reshaped—reversed, layered, and refined—to reveal organic foundational motifs that evolve into subtly asynchronous compositions. Drawing inspiration from instrumental Americana and glitchy textures reminiscent of Fennesz and Alva Noto, the album masterfully balances analog intimacy with digital fragmentation.
With evocative track titles like “Harvest,” “Agrarian Dawn,” “Grasslands,” and “Weathered,” the music conjures rural atmospheres, memory, and tradition through gently drifting, textural soundscapes. The result is a richly immersive ambient listening experience that embodies the essence of its pastoral title.
Designed by Michael Willis, the LP maintains a delicate equilibrium between warmth and abstraction, delivering a serene yet richly detailed sonic journey.