Aarktica - Or You Could Just Go Through Your Whole Life And Be Happy Anyway: Bliss Out, Vol. 18

Jon DeRosa aka Aarktica is composer, programmer, and does vocals, guitars, harmonium and glockenspiel. Jon has also enlisted the help of friends Lorraine Lelis (of Mahogany) on vocals and one of the most innovative downtempo, ambient, IDM DJs in NYC, Aaron Spectre, on programming for a couple of tracks. Using orchestrated guitar drones and altered beats, Jon Aarktica continues his effort to break down the wall between experimental/drone and modern classical. The result is an update on the sounds of Durutti Column, Slowdive and Caberet Voltaire, as well as Ingram Marshall, Stephen Vitiello, and Pauline Oliveros. Aarktica has previous releases: ‘Morning One’ Ochre (UK) and ‘No Solace In Sleep’ Silber (US) and appeared on last year’s Rocket Girl (UK) compilation. Jon DeRosa has also worked with Flare and records melancholy, country music as Pale Horse And Rider. Jon DeRosa is a recent graduate of the Music Technology program at NYU, where he studied composition with mentor Kenneth Valitsky, a former student of Karlheinz Stockhausen, in addition to working extensively in electronic music synthesis. DeRosa has currently undertaken graduate studies in Psychology of Music and Composition at NYU.

“Experimental soundscapes with nods to Flying Saucer Attack, Windy & Carl, Mogwai, & Labradford. Beautiful.” -- Stinkweeds.

“Excellent and gently lulling ambient/drone frequencies from Jon DeRosa, who combines guitars & electronics into a distinctly unified sound ala Seefeel but minus the beats & vocals. The icy, melodic aural terrain has a soft, introspective feel that conjures images of slowly enveloping fields of snow and trees swaying in a cold wintry wind. Just gorgeous work that’s well recommended.” -- Godsend.