Eight Dutch Dronescapes by Bas van Huizen (MP3s)

If the classic rock band the Who told us to Play It Loud, a lot of netlabels request listeners to do the opposite, to don headphones and focus on the near silence of their often ambient electronic releases. This is what the Resting Bell netlabel did with the new record Wegwerpwee by Netherlands-based musician Bas van Huizen. The reasoning behind the instructions is self-evident on even a cursory listen. The eight tracks on Wegwerpwee aren’t drones, per se, but more like gentle paroxysms of sound. Many of the pieces have the density and friction of something urgent and tumultuous, but the pace of each composition — from the slurring throbs of “Geneescheer” (MP3) to the anxiety-tinged bristling of “Vergnoegd” (MP3) — is patient and steady, more than slow enough to favor tonal eloquence over visceral impact.

Get the full release at restingbell.net. More on the musician at myspace.com/basvanhuizen.