Rudy Adrian – Beyond the Sleepy Hills (Spotted Peccary, 2024)
New Zealand-based electronic music artist Rudy Adrian has unveiled his latest album, Beyond the Sleepy Hills, an evocative collection of atmospheric soundscapes designed to transport listeners to serene mental phases. While crafted as a soundtrack to the dream state, the album’s intricate layers of sound reward close, conscious listening. Across nine movements, Adrian masterfully weaves gentle drones, atonal bells, and soft piano into a cohesive sound.
As with his earlier works, Adrian draws deeply from the natural world, immersing the listener in rich ambient environments. On Track 3, shimmering textures suggest sunlight filtering through branches, complemented by chime-like tones evoking distant birdcalls. On the other hand, track 4 conjures a nocturnal scene, where bell-like notes symbolize a cloud-veiled moon, while low drones and burbling streams paint a windswept landscape. Track 8 achieves a cinematic quality, with warm, symphonic chords rising and falling like ocean tides.
Beyond the Sleepy Hills offers tranquility without artifice. Rather than idealized escapism, Adrian’s compositions echo the familiar beauty of lived moments: leaning against a sunlit tree, walking through wind-swept forests, or contemplating the rhythmic pull of the sea.
Adrian’s connection to nature runs deep, having begun his journey into electronic music during his studies in Forestry Science and Botany at the University of Canterbury and the University of Otago. His academic foundation informs his sonic landscapes, where melody and rhythm take a backseat to rich textural explorations, often incorporating synthesizers, wood flutes, and human voice.
Beyond the Sleepy Hills marks Adrian’s ninth release on the Spotted Peccary label, joining his acclaimed catalog, including MoonWater, Desert Realms, Atmospheres, and As Dusk Becomes Night.