This is a big update,
but I encourage you to take a few minutes to read through it. Thanks!
but I encourage you to take a few minutes to read through it. Thanks!
New Direction for Altus
The music of Altus has evolved over the past 17 years (since 2001), and it's always been difficult to narrow down the genre it belonged under. Ambient covers most of what I do but has never been a perfect fit.
Recently, the music has become “more ambient”, in that it could easily become aural wallpaper. That's not a slight against the music. Many others—myself included—enjoy ambient music in its “true form”, but it's been a nagging concern for me. I question if those who've been long-time listeners may not enjoy every album due to this shift.
Recently, the music has become “more ambient”, in that it could easily become aural wallpaper. That's not a slight against the music. Many others—myself included—enjoy ambient music in its “true form”, but it's been a nagging concern for me. I question if those who've been long-time listeners may not enjoy every album due to this shift.
Introducing Loneward
To rectify that, I present the new project: Loneward
and its first release: Protection.
and its first release: Protection.
This new project will exist alongside Altus, however from this point on, Loneward will be the source of my purer ambient and drone works. Recent examples would be Innerspace, Komorebi, as well as the ever-elusive Coma Cluster (to which I might be able to surpass one day).
Altus will return to the more active form of its past—Pioneer being the first album to begin that trend. Of course, there'll always be overlap of styles between the two projects, but my ultimate goal is to create a cohesive and consistent experience for both of them.
Rediscovering Burlorke
My third project, which is likely unknown to most of you, is Burlorke. This explores a completely different style of music. The first release With You, Without was released in 2016, however I didn’t do much to advertise it, and was separate from the Altus project which didn’t help with its exposure. In hindsight, trying to keep the two projects separate produced more work than I wanted, so to simplify things, it’s now available on my site for free download. I encourage you to check it out! If it's not to your liking, don't fret. This project will always take a backseat to Altus and Loneward.
Continued Updates & Where to Listen
News for all three projects will be available wherever you currently receive updates for Altus, and the home base for all my music will be https://altusmusic.ca. The landing page will now feature the latest release for each project, and the discography section will keep track of all albums.
And in case you weren’t aware, Altus, Loneward, and Burlorke are also available on Spotify, iTunes/Apple Music, Google Music, YouTube, Amazon, and of course, Bandcamp. While the complete Altus discography is not available on the major platforms, you’ll likely find your favourites there. If there’s an Altus album you’d like made available, don’t hesitate to let me know, but be aware that some albums won’t pass muster in the approval process for various reasons.
Finally, I’d like to say "thank you" to all those who’ve supported my work on Bandcamp, as well as through PayPal donations and purchasing/streaming on the various platforms. I'd also like to say "you're most welcome" to those who appreciate the option to download the music for free.
It’s been an amazing ride (24 Hours was released 17 years ago), and I hope that you’ll stay with me for many more years of aural adventures.
- Mike
And in case you weren’t aware, Altus, Loneward, and Burlorke are also available on Spotify, iTunes/Apple Music, Google Music, YouTube, Amazon, and of course, Bandcamp. While the complete Altus discography is not available on the major platforms, you’ll likely find your favourites there. If there’s an Altus album you’d like made available, don’t hesitate to let me know, but be aware that some albums won’t pass muster in the approval process for various reasons.
Finally, I’d like to say "thank you" to all those who’ve supported my work on Bandcamp, as well as through PayPal donations and purchasing/streaming on the various platforms. I'd also like to say "you're most welcome" to those who appreciate the option to download the music for free.
It’s been an amazing ride (24 Hours was released 17 years ago), and I hope that you’ll stay with me for many more years of aural adventures.
- Mike