tau contrib - encode (2021)

Another strong, if elusive, entrant to the burgeoning neo-ambient mass, ‘Encode’ marks the birth of a new alias for the artist formerly known as Otilo, chasing up their 2019 release for Berlin’s Infinite Drift, ’6402’ with a shape-shifting collection of dematerialised, anaesthetising sound designs. In the process tau contrib reveals themselves as a skilled sandman, generating sound environments that are blessed with a level of organic detail and mercurial character whose sublime nature effortlessly encourages the listener to slip into lounging states. Anecdotal evidence suggests their strong efficacy for insomniacs and easing anxiety, and it ain’t hard to tell for yourself; this stuff’s comfier than airspun cashmere.

By now, ambient users’ trust in sferic should be unshakeable, and tau contrib lives up to expectations with ample sensuality where it matters. Like vaporous afterthoughts from the label’s Perila, Echium, or Space Afrika sides, the seven pieces of ‘Encode’ are weft from thizzing effervescence and poetic small sounds, inverting the ear to perceive a filigree of spirits smudged into a quietly restless gauze.