With a half-dozen releases under its belt, Silk Digital Records' ambient division, Silk Sofa, commemorates its first year in existence with a full sampler of brand new tracks. It begins with SECTR 24's "Golden Heart Symphony," a string and piano-backed, cinematic piece, with deeply sentimental overtones  (as the name implies). Elfsong, a Silk Sofa veteran, follows with "Illusions Fall Apart," a sharp rebuttal to the opener, with its jungle effects and chaotic piano arpeggios. Robert Grant tells a much "darker" tale with "History of Night" - a soothing after-hours track centered on celestial glitches and atmospheric pads. Next in line, progressive sensation Mango has graced us with a rare (though characteristically uplifting) chill-out piece, "Tokyo 7am," inspired by his travels in Japan. Liluca, who is also better known for his more upbeat work (Sick Watona, Anjunadeep, etc.), has contributed the deep, yet funky "Deeper Electronica." With influences as far reaching as Tangerine Dream & Yaz to Christopher Goze & Enigma, be sure not to miss this downtempo gem. And the buoyant "Illusion on Air" (Deep in Calm)" rounds out the first half of the release, an extremely relaxing journey, reminiscent of the famed Cafe del Mar compilations. Exoplanet opens the latter half of the sampler with the outer-worldly "Stasis," a perfect soundtrack piece to the Apollo missions. BNG follows suit, with the techy "Rewiring," backed by soft breaks and robotic vocal effects. Bambaat's "Plucked Flower," which features breaks and edgy synths, is much more aggressive than the name implies. Yet, just when you feel the energy spiraling a bit too deep into the cosmos, Schodt brings the mood back down to Earth with "White Rabbit." This is the first of a series of down-tempo / deep house tracks on the sampler and a definite standout, as Schodt has broken through this year as a veritable master of rhythmic progression and sound design. Evren Ulusoy provides a funkier house take with "Vessel" - a marine voyage with seaside effects, including the cries of distant gulls. Finally, Styler Steel brings it home with "Deep Blue Sky," a sexy groove with a classic end-of-the-night house vibe.

Virtuoso french downtempo (and progressive) artist Faskil returns to Silk Sofa for another stunning release, "Rezi." The Original Mix begins with soft breaks and glitches, soon followed by a series of ethereal vocal samples. As the percussion and effects continue to build, an aggressive and extremely edgy bass enters the picture. Is this Heaven, as suggested by the swirling vocals and pads, or Hell, depicted by the increasingly confrontational percussion and bass? The haunting outro suggests a narrow victory by the former. UK duo Coalesced, a frequent Silk contributor, has retained the gorgeous vocal samples of the original, while adding a stunning orchestral section. Finally, Cantus' completely ambient take centers on the moody aura of the original, as dark pads and swooshes create a crescendoing energy that does not resolve until the track's final moments.

On the heels of Silk Digital's massive 9-track "Aeron is Coming" EP, Silk Sofa is proud to serve up three more atmospheric interpretations of Aeron Aether's b-side track, "Lake in the Well." The original artist himself has provided the first "downtempo" rendering in this new package: although (a much lighter) breakbeat rhythm section has been retained, the overall industrial sound of the original has been replaced by a more naturalistic vibe, backed by open-air effects, light guitar strums, and, ultimately, a blissful flute-tinged pad. UK duo Coalesced, who also provided a remix on the original package, allow the lead melodies to really soar in their string-dominant interpretation. Finally, newcomer on Silk, but already well-known by his amazing earlier releases on Blue Plasma recordings, Emissary stays true to the original flavor: although the track is fully chilled, it just as easily serves as a soundtrack piece to a more "sci-fi" themed visual experience, with its swirling bells, laser effects, and haunting choir pads.

Silk's Sofa is proud to introduce the new ambient artist Gridlocked, with the brilliant debut, "Balancing Act."  The Original Mix begins with a sweeping introduction -- swirling pads and ethereal vocal stabs create a dream-like soundscape, truly evoking the feeling of "balancing" on a cloud.  Suddenly, the listener is propelled forward by an explosive rhythm section and added synths, which continue until the last quarter, when the beats are released and the euphoric pads return.  Alex Maragos provides a steadier, down-tempo interpretation:  gentle beats and sparse piano hits push the track along, while soaring sweeps and vocal stabs reinforce the sensation of weightlessness.  Seasoned veteran Retroid rounds out the release, with a hard-hitting, but equally emotional breakbeat remix.  The energy of the electro-infused arpeggios of the original are highlighted here, as well as newly added glitches and robotic effects.  This stunning debut from Gridlocked will resonate with anyone striving to find emotional balance in a an increasingly anxious world. 

Dear friends! We would like to represent an unusual and really amazing work of Dynamic Illusion... you could probably think of some new tune from this well-known artist of Silk, but no! It's a videoclip made by him on an outstanding track released on Silk Sofa recently: Dynamic Illusion - Alone in the space (original mix). It's not a professional clip, but a nice thing to enjoy - fits the best way to the atmosphere of this tune!

A lot of time passed since "Silk Digital records" label got its first breath of life... Many things happened since then and the label keeps developing and growing; becomes better-known and more respectable on progressive music scene. As far as our music tastes do not end with progressive house & breaks, we are happy to introduce Silk Digital's younger brother - "Silk Sofa music"! Here we represent the other side of quality electronic music: more calm, relaxing, chilling. Silk Sofa covers a wide area of genres: from chillout and downtempo to ambient and experimental music. So keep an ear on it lying on your sofa in moments of relaxation...