OPM: 100 Artist Achievement Unlock!

(That’s right, friends — with this entry, we have officially covered more than 100 artists in this series!)

Alex Mein Smith – Necessity’s Flame

The heart of this is industrial boiled down to its very essence, cooking off every unnecessary indulgence and flourish. That base is then infused with bits of ambient, krautrock and techno, supercharging the core vibe without losing its essence. 

Focused on rhythmic elements, and not afraid to embrace the distorted drum sounds and heavy beats of its mother genre, these tracks make maximum impact with minimal elements. Eerie and hypnotic, adding and evolving elements over their runtime, these tracks are sonically fascinating from beginning to end, and a bold argument for exploring the outer realms of neglected genres.

(Listened to tracks 4 thru 7)

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Hermetic Abyss – Plague Ambience

Two tracks of gritty, distorted drone, noise and weird harmonic relationships that the creator calls “ambient grindcore.” The first leans into the drone, working its way around a slowly shifting, thoroughly blown-out timbre for almost five minutes, getting progressively denser and heavier as it goes. 

The second showcases a horror-score aesthetic, with shifting, cascading sheets of weird, almost atonal harmonics that will put you on edge and have you waiting for the jump scare. Together, they map out an intriguing soundscape that’s a treat for adventurous ears.

(Listened to both tracks)

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The Tired Horizon – “Fg774Ub4”

Seven minutes of deep and engrossing space ambient that borrows from the best of the genre. You might catch hints of everything from Klaus Schulze to the quieter moments of the Orb’s catalog in this, depending on your set of references. 

This one leans heavily into its excellent synthesizer-based sound design – rippling filter sweeps, shifting bell tones, mellow pads – and a deliberate, measured pace that lets you savor each element as it comes in and out. Take your time and let this unfold, it’s definitely worth the ride.

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And More – “Amrita”

Warm and fuzzy instrumental ambient pop that sounds like an outtake from Eno’s Another Green World. Seriously, this would sit nicely alongside any of that feted album’s instrumental tracks, with its shifting chords, subdued atmosphere and melancholic guitar line.

Considering that’s one of my favorite albums of all time, that’s no small praise! The whole thing clocks in at just over 2 minutes, so you’ll have to listen a bunch to get maximum effect – and there’s lots more from the artist if it inspires you to dig deeper.

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Rickenharp – “Dreams of You”

Mellow synthwave with just a touch of classic New Romantic/synth pop vibes to keep things interesting. Honestly, this could have been the B-side of an early Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark or Human League track and no one would have blinked an eye.

Standout elements include some delightfully chilly arpeggios and big synth-tom fills, adding a little spice to the solid, straightforward core of the tune. It’s probably a little on the laidback side for most synthwaver’s tastes, but it’s a refreshing change of pace from the usual relentless in-your-face aesthetic I associate with the genre.