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You may not remember our coverage of Josh “Darkhalo” Barnett in the past. We covered his release Phase Shift [2] in addition to hosting a lengthy interview [3] with the demoscene legend (he hates being called that, which makes it all the more fun), and he’s just put out an brand new album titled A Million Drops. While the million reasons to check it out may be an exaggeration, the I can think of at least thirteen reasons (hint: there are thirteen tracks), and an additional one is that it’s entirely free.
Interestingly, Barnett calls the album more of a compilation of tracks written around the same time as opposed to an album with any sort of theme, but I think the pieces all fit together pretty well. A brief ambient opener titled “Nightfall” eases you into another dimension where dreamy soundscapes are paired with funky basslines and subdued drum ‘n’ bass-style percussion. Many of tracks including the funky “Lost Memory” and the aptly titled “Another Rainy Saturday” with raindrop-like percussion make great use of repetition, mesmerizing and weaving dream-like atmospheres while you’ll chill out with “Rei” and “Low Light Affection,” bop your head to “Fading Inexorably,” and smile to with the incredibly playful “TMGC Carabiner.” Darkhalo also gets back into the drum ‘n’ bass that the’s known for, but still retains the overall atmosphere with the dark and lengthy “Ash Rain,” the highly electronic “Neuromancer,” and the icy “Wintermute.” And it’s all wonderfully produced; it’s unfair just how multi-talented some people are (Barnett is also a talented graphic artist and web designer as you can see from his website [4]).
The album’s available for free on the aforementioned website [4] along with lots of other music, so check it out and let us know what you think. Is this the perfect music for a cold rainy day, or perhaps for any time?