As this brand new year rolls around (greeted by snow as I type today), I’ve found myself back in a familiar January ritual: opening up the stock cupboard to do some organising and taking note of what's left. It’s something I’ve tended to do in recent years - once an album has had a good run and we’ve turned the page into a new year, I like to give those records a second moment in the light. So, the albums below, each released in 2024, are now available for £5 each while copies last.

2024 was a packed and very formative year for me and for Whitelabrecs. There was a lot of movement behind the scenes, plenty of learning curves, and a steady stream of music from both familiar names returning and others completely new to the label. I’m very aware that it’s easy for things to slip past in the flow of a busy year, particularly at the rate I release on Whitelabrecs. This feels like a nice opportunity to pause, reflect and revisit them again, perhaps when you may have a little more space to listen in the quiet stuttering start that January is often known for.

Below is a run-through of the remaining physical titles from 2024. I’ve noted where stock is running low, shared a few personal reflections and included the odd press quote along the way. If any of these albums passed you by first time around, or if you’ve been meaning to pick up a physical copy, this might be the perfect moment before some of these sell out.

David Cordero - Restless Nature
Last few

I've followed the work of the talented and industrious Spanish artist David Cordero for many years, initially through his collaborations with Miguel Otero. He's done some great records with Ian Hawgood's Home Normal imprint in particular and so in 2024 I was thrilled when David reached out and sent me Restless Nature. He also introduced me to the wonderful George Korunov for cover artwork, whom I've become pretty acquainted with with a few artwork collaborations. David's collab with Anthéne 'Let One Bird Sing' did well this year and has sold out at source! Still a few final copies left of Restless Nature, which is a beautiful electronic-leaning Ambient suite.

"A minimalist synth excursion, its reverberations amplified like the the echoes of winter woods"
◼️A Closer Listen

Luis Miehlich - Re-Cartographies
Last few

Luis Miehlich's 'Timecuts' a few years back was one of the early printed editions in the WLR catalog and I did a remix for him as Glåsbird. That album did really well and it's a personal favourite. After a little break, in 2024 Luis returned with some music he'd been making as part of his studies with several fellow students performing various instruments. It was instantly an absolute must-release, bridging carefully between the minimalist Ambient and Modern Classical styles that I love to release. The album is deliberately minimal and rewards those who afford themself the time to listen for a while. Last few copies of these are in the cupboard waiting to ship!

"Luis Mielich explores hypnagogic states with the help of his fellow music students via Whitelabrecs, by taking conceptual recordings, then rearranging & augmenting the classical sounds into thoughtful, abstract ambient & modern classical compositions - real or dreamt, & at times using uncomfortably long silences, to relaxing, almost terminal minimal effect. Sometimes less is more."
◼️Slow Music Movement

Henrik Meierkord - Proscenium
Last few

Swedish cellist Henrik Meierkord is a regular on Whitelabrecs following his eRecord debut 'Cello Improvisations'. For 'Proscenium' we worked together on selecting some tracks from a much bigger collection and through themes of nostalgia and Ancient Greek theatrical culture, I enjoyed putting together the artwork for this one. The album blends viola, violin, piano, and of course, Henrik's signature cello sound, recorded in his Stockholm studio. Henrik is quite a prolific, and very talented cellist, composer and collaborator - last year I released 'The Book Of Dreams' which was really well received, and Henrik will crop up again soon on another Whitelabrecs release. For now though, literally down to the last couple of copies of this beauty.

"His cello is never far away and is often the composition’s foundation. But Meierkord embeds the instrument in dream-like orchestrations created with piano, double bass, violin, synths, and whatever else is needed. His music thus borders on neo-classical and atmospheric ambient."
◼️Ambient Music Blog

Simon McCorry & Wodwo - Every Creeping Thing
Last few

It was great to welcome back another cellist and composer Simon McCorry in 2024, who has released a few records on Whitelabrecs down the years. For this one, Simon collaborated with Wodwo, an artist who had previously released 'Veils' in the eRecord series and who went on to release an album last year as JARR, alongside Jon Attwood. Between Simon and Ray, there's a wonderful mix of cello and guitar, introducing me to the capabilities of the Microcosm. This record is a joy to listen to, rounded off by exquisite artwork by Christopher Crouch and Cherish Marrington - it'll sound nice as the delights of Spring start to emerge. Watch out for a new solo record by Simon McCorry in March.

"With so much music immediately buried under the relentless release deluge, this wonderful collaboration from Wodwo & Simon McCory from April, definitely deserves a second wind. Both prolific artists, it's a slowly fermented project, giving the complex folkloric, modern classical & questing ambient electronic flavours time to deepen & round. The strings dig deep into ancient lore & nature's essence, whilst the somehow complimentary electronic frequencies voyage up and out to unravel the mysteries of the cosmic dark ages & join the universal dots."
◼️Slow Music Movement

Giannis Gogos - Linger
Copies available

A new name to me when he got in touch, I was instantly mesmerised by the sound of Giannis Gogos' album 'Linger'. His artwork was right up my street too and he's also done some amazing cinematic film work which can be seen on the Bandcamp page. I also enjoyed checking out Giannis' YouTube videos of live performances he did during the pandemic. You can check these out HERE. Since Linger, Giannis did a remix for Andrew Heath's Signals and Codes, and released a superb solo 12" LP on Greek label SAOS. And, just round the corner, we'll have a new eRecord on the way later this month.

"If you're going to craft an ambient LP around a word then you could do a lot worse than "linger" - an inspired choice by Giannis Gogo for his new LP on Whitelabrecs. I've certainly been reluctant to leave it's reflective electronica, gentle haze, unhurried instrumentation & aura of calm. Well recommended for all your meditative moments."
◼️Slow Music Movement

Xu & Francis Gri - Valley Of Languages
Copies available

This collab released in 2024 was by two Italian artists whom I've worked with for many years. Nicola was part of a duo called La Petite Vague who released on my old netlabel Audio Gourmet. Then Krysalisound label founder Francis Gri released 'Apart' here way back in 2018 followed by a Home Diaries contribution and a collab with Grotta Veterano. 'Valley Of Languages' is a collaboration between these compatriots, who had actually never met at the time.

"The sonic dialogue gradually transforms into an aural sculpture, as if phonemes were reshaped without caring for any meaning, instead looking for harmonies within their textures and combinations."
◼️A Closer Listen

Slow Heart Music - Hope
Last few

In 2024 there seemed to be a bit of a theme as I'd worked with some artists who had released with the label a while back. Ben Rath had released 'This Body Is Not Me' as Slow Heart Music on Whitelabrecs in the early days, followed up by 'Any Given Moment' under his own name. 'Hope' was his follow-up to his debut classical-guitar led album as Slow Heart Music, a beautifully performed collection of compositions rounded off my the unseasonal Autumn artwork provided by George Korunov. This brings back some fond memories of the summer of '24.

"As has been the case since the beginning of the project, the sound is stripped down to the bare essentials, allowing the warmth and emotive eloquence of the central instrument to resonate."
◼️Stationary Travels

Braulio Lam - Redscale
Copies available

Speaking of summer memories, this album by Braulio Lam, an artist on the Mexico/US border, also takes me right back to warm days in 2024. It is the artwork which evokes these hazy memories of walking through the fields close to my home. These Ambient pieces all feel like long, faded summer days and Braulio's photography looks really impressive for the cover image. He shared some further images and a short film in a blog post we put together. You can take a look at this HERE.

"Many of Rescale's tracks follow a pattern of sticking to a similar emotional range — there are no abrupt changes in chord or key. This gives the music a lilting, introspective dimension, but there are flecks of sounds and details that reward repeated listening."
◼️Ambalek

Daou - Bluebird
Copies available

Georges Daou known for his multidisciplinary artistry and architectural background, brought his deeply personal project Bluebird to Whitelabrecs in the summer of 2024. Daou’s music builds on a foundation of lofi aesthetics, with tape loops, crackling hiss and shortwave radio interwoven with Ambient drones and intricate layers of found sound. The album reflects on the beauty in flaws and the nostalgia of simpler times, drawing inspiration from a fictional tale of longing, memory, and the pursuit of hope. The artist followed 'Bluebird' up with a well-received album for Ruptured Records, called 'Blue Ghost' which you can check out HERE.

"Love daou. It's really good to finally have a cd album of this very intriguing artist and on a great label."
◼️Chris Coote, Bandcamp review

Circa Alto - Faint Structures
Copies available

As much as the summer months are ripe for beautiful Ambient music, it can sometimes be a little quiet in terms of releasing music, presumably as people are more likely to be outdoors rather than at home or glued to a screen. I had high hopes for this incredible electro-acoustic record by Danish artist Mathias Lystbæk, but I think in the quiet of the season it seemed to go under the radar a little. Mathias went on to release with the legendary 12k label under the alias MM Works alongside Mads Lassen. So if this one escaped you in 2024, do take a listen and you can grab a CD copy for just a fiver.

"Circa Alto’s ‘Faint Structures’ finds Copenhagen-based Mathias Lystbæk “getting across the calm and unhurried sensations felt when it was created”. It is an incredibly calm piece of work with each piece coming from no more than two core sound sources."
◼️Moonbuilding Weekly

Paper Relics - Time To Start
Copies available

In 2024 after a break of a couple of years, I worked alongside my brother Stuart who is a guitarist and bass player. We've been recording as Paper Relics since our debut album on Time Released Sound back in 2011. Stuart is the musician of the family, as I can't actually play any instruments properly! We've been making Ambient music experiments for many years, from back when we both lived with our parents. To celebrate the album release, we went all out and created a logo and some branded merch. I used our Paper Relics project as an experiment, to see how I could possibly build a brand around an artist. That said, Stuart was involved with some superb input into every decision of course. There are a few copies of our album 'Time To Start' which is about fatherhood and growing up.

"Brothers Harry and Stuart Towell AKA Paper Relics return with Time To Start, their third full-length studio offering. Layers of guitars meander and bob, while distant synth pads resonate. The odd vocal part might drift through a piece like a ghost. This is an album to get lost in. Gorgeous album sleeve, too."
◼️Norman Records

Gregory Paul Mineeff - I Knew You Once
Copies available

After the success of his eRecord 'So Many, Diminishes' I welcomed back Aussie composer Gregory Paul Mineeff after he sent me an amazing record called 'I Knew You Once'. This felt like a perfect fit to release alongside the Paper Relics album, as in August 2024 I focused on Post Rock influenced music. Not just down to Greg's cover artwork, this record has such a wonderful late night feel to it. Greg shared that a big theme around the album was about the loss of an old friend and so there's a sense of nostalgia, and loss, throughout with some incredible musicianship. Greg also did an interview with Kevin Press's Moderns Blog, which you can watch HERE.

Henrik Meierkord & Knivtid - I ett annat land
Last few

After the release of the aforementioned 'Proscenium', Henrik was back with a new record and a collaboration with his compatriot Knivtid, whose work I was familiar from elsewhere in the scene. These guys combined to make an album inspired by a book by Mare Kandre, borrowing the title which translates to 'In Another Country'. The cinematic feel to this album led to cinematographer Ralf Moussa collaborating, with the production of a film shot in Beirut during the war. You can see a short trailer of this HERE. Last few copies remaining on this one.

"Henrik Meierkord and Knivtid collaborate on an LP of rich, moving, expansive compositions with beautiful melodies that unfold slowly."
◼️Bandcamp

Glacis - This Darkness From Which We Cannot Run
Last few

Euan Millar-McMeeken is someone I've been chatting to for what seems like donkeys years. He's always so busy writing beautiful solo music and as a keen collaborator. He sent me a demo of his solo work towards the end of 2023, which I simply had to go for. His work usually places an intimate piano sound at the forefront but in 'This Darkness...' he experimented with more of an Ambient soundscaping approach. It was rounded off by yet more impressive artwork from George Korunov. Euan's got a new record on the way in March, featuring some strings from someone we know well... Final couple of copies left on this one.

Feeling Flying - Spirit Level
Last few

I got sent a record from New Zealand duo Feeling Flying, whose work I admire from earlier in the year, from Tim Diagram's Handstitched imprint. That was an immediate endorsement that had me checking it out and then I realised that one half of the project is Andrew Thomas, whose work I've admired for many years after discovering him through Kompakt's much-loved Pop Ambient series. His collab with Bevan Smith here is a wonderfully immersive collection, which at first glance appears minimal. But it's full of detail, of depth and power and it's something that's easy to soak into. The cover artwork by Philip Kelly for me, has an iconic feel to it, as well as being really suggestive, without projecting a clear theme. Got a few left in the cupboard for those who want to grab one before they go.