Ambient Home by Makebelief is the newest tape from western MA’s Gray Cake Tapes. Makebelief is the ambient-rock solo project of Shuyler Peterson from Minneapolis. Ambient Home employs a number of different sounds in the fields of ambient and electronic music, including noise, (synth) drone, breakcore, glitch, pop-rock, and even something approaching trip hop. While forming part of a cohesive whole, each track has a distinct feel. The opener, “Life,” sounds like it could be Merriweather Post Pavilion–era Animal Collective after huffing ether. “Life” does establish the vocal approach, probably the most consistent element of Makebelief’s sound. The vocals take on an ethereal quality akin to bands like Pocahaunted, at times using simple repetitive drum beats to emphasize their presence. “Before Sunrise” evolves into something that could’ve come off a Venetian Snares album, at its most laid-back and with the drumbeat mixed low. Overall, Ambient Home would fit right in on the Bridgetown Records roster and displays the continued sonic expansion of Gray Cake Tapes.
“DSM” showcases the many individual styles of Brockton’s Van Buren Records
It has been a fruitful 18 months for the Brockton super-collective Van Buren Records. Their two 2021 records, Bad For Press and Black Wall…