De Moi is a Czech ambient artist who has just come to our attention through his innovative new album, Drifting Intervals.

By Graeme Smith

For the album, De Moi, real name Vojtech Vesely, deployed a novel technique. The music has been composed by merging musical intervals through decaying tape loops and deep reverberation, creating a sound that feels like a harmonious drone. It’s something that’s difficult to describe and definitely demands a listen.

There’s almost a ghostliness to its ambience with long, luxuriating notes layered upon each other creating a soundscape that’s rich and enveloping. Yet, the more you listen, the more you realise that it’s not one note you’re hearing, but tones that are subtly changing. It’s almost a sound bath. Headphones and a complete lack of distractions are highly recommended.

To create this unique sound, De Moi draws inspiration from William Basinski, Terry Riley, and Pauline Oliveros, adding his own take to the method of creating continuously evolving harmonic textures. Vesely likens his concept to “rubbing different colours of paint until they merge into a new shade.”

It’s a method that takes time unfolding over eleven movements, starting serene before building with some ponderous moments by part VI and eventually ending up gentle and lingering by part XI. I was impressed by how much the soundscape changed, almost imperceptibly as it went on. It’s both a relaxing and satisfyingly challenging listen.

Drifting Intervals is out now and you can give it a listen below.