Julianna Barwick The Magic Place

It comes as no surprise that Julianna Barwick spent time in church growing up. Combining basic ooh-ing and ahh-ing vocals and electronic instrumentation with a strong, simple point of view, it's as if Barwick has a direct tap on pure religious faith expressed throughout her spindling tunes. The lady originally from Louisiana, now living in Brooklyn, creates an undeniably unique, transcendental and lucid experience.

Ambient doesn't even begin to describe the sheer, fluid, humble style of The Magic Place for which Barwick has created a choir out of her own voice using a guitar pedal. The distant, looped vapid vocals ebb back and forth as each delicate note silently builds upon it's predecessor. The title track seems as if it could make atheists drop to their knees and sing the word of god for all eternity.

Creating basic, fundamental music is incredibly difficult but Barwick pulls it off seemingly effortlessly, like Brian Boitano throwing down a triple Salchow at the Olympics. It it organized (yet subdued) chaos at it's best, which could go awry quite quickly if not for the intelligent design of her ambient/minimalist sound.

Barwick also did an ahhhhhmazing, breathy remix of Radiohead's "Reckoner" which I highly recommend. True to her style, it's heavenly and ethereal. Check out this nugget of goodness here.