Anduin, Abandoned in Sleep (side A)

The most distinctive and unusual thing about 2009's Abandoned in Sleep might be how thick and murky it sounds.  Electronic music has always tended to emphasize modern highs and dance-y lows, but this album is full of rich low-mids.  Anduin's Jonathan Lee has released a collaborative LP with Jasper TX and he runs a small record label.  Abandoned in Sleep features cameos from many figures in the ambient/electronic/indie world.  It contains 10 short tracks that land structurally somewhere between Stars of the Lid's stasis and Machinefabriek's flowing evolution.  They feel like short, drifting sketches of ideas.  My favorite among them features a chorused bass sound reminiscent of the early 80s.  The obviously digital photo on the cover is softened by its dimness against the black background, and it's printed on super-thick and nice cardboard.  The LP comes with a CD of the same material for convenience.