Dan Pound continues to churn out albums at a significant rate. The latest of these is Drift which is a welcome foray by the artist into more spacey realms than previously, but the mixture of “natural” instruments such as didgeridoo and singing bowls combined with synths and his chanty vocals is familiar.

Over the album there's an oppressive quality too many of the tracks. Not in a bad way though, it's kind of like seeing the world through a glass darkly or peering beyond the surface to unseen forces. This is true even of the title track “Drift” with its sonorous tones delicately undulating in the same way that the surface of a calm sea is pleasing yet hides mysterious depths. Discreet bell tinkles and restrained throaty chants add further interest to this marvellous opening piece.

What I found most rewarding is Dan's deft construction of sonic elements regardless of how heavy or light the atmosphere is. And when he does resort to rhythms, as on “Canyon Corridor”, they're not obtrusive. One of my favourites is “Liquid Cavern” where various hued and pitched washes resonate and reverb to subconsciously immerse our imagination in a cavernous underwater space.

The most beautiful piece is the longest and closing track “Adrift” which includes a guitar sequence inspired and recorded by Steve Roach. Warm, ever so gently fluttering jewelled drones rise onto the soundscape like a sonic sunrise. This pattern is repeated by various drones rising and falling in slow motion as if they're waves made sluggish by massive gravity. Later in the guitar glides angelically in aching, almost heartrending, tones reminiscent of Jeff Pearce or Pete Kelly.

Drift shows that Dan is able to weave his magic in ambient and spacey mode as well as his trademark rhythmic shamanistic offerings. Yet again he's released another unique work, one that any ambient music listener is highly recommended to get hold of.

This release from 2008 offers 70 minutes of dreamy electronic music.

Pound plays digital and analog synthesizers, guitar, didgeridoo, Native American flutes, Indonesian bell and singing bowl, shamanic vocal chants, frame drum, ocarina, processors and samplers, mixers and effects, various software and plugins. He is joined by ambient pioneer Steve Roach who inspired and recorded the guitar sequence on the final track.

This music superbly injects a melodic presence into textural flows, enriching an atmospheric sound with crystalline definition and delightful character.

Expansive tonalities generate widespread foundations that drift overhead, while additional electronics establish languid embellishment, fleshing out the harmonic structures with engaging auxiliary depth. The tone is generally kept sedate and gentle, evoking vast panoramas of vaporous sound.

Some pieces feature delicate percussives, utilized in understated layers which act as moody punctuations rather than any driving rhythmic force. A fragility is displayed by these soft pitters, mirroring the music’s overall solemnity.

Flutes provide periodic feathery decoration, breathy wisps that waft like elusive breezes through the already zephyr-like nature of the music.

Vocal chants introduce a humanity to some pieces, giving nonverbal elucidation to the haunting tuneage.

The album’s final track, “Adrift,” is an 18 minute epic (compared to the 3-6 minute models that comprise most of the songs), allowing Pound’s gentle stylings ample opportunity to flourish and evolve into a masterpiece of serene distinction. Ghostly guitar sustains wander through the pulsating mix, establishing a deportment of arid air currents.

These compositions convey an aerial disposition that displays subliminal power and imbues the listener with a congenial touch of inspiration. The gentility of the tunes is flavored with a stately presence that is easily mistaken for space music, although its roots are deeply terrestrial in their emotional content.