Nah und Fern by GAS

Nah und Fern is a reissue of the 4 albums by GAS, the alter ego of Wolfgang Voigt, one of the founders of the German Kompakt label.
The 4 albums, GAS (1996), Zauberberg (1997), Königsforst (1999), Pop (2000), were originally released on Mille Plateaux and have been out-of-print for years and the re-issue comes at just the right time, with Field's success with "From Here We Go Sublime" (a clear pointer towards GAS' music).

According to resident advirsor's Joshua Meggitt, "the aim was to produce ambient/experimental tracks by running German cultural history - from Schlager to Wagner - through a sampler."
Voigt would sample these strings or brass from vinyls, leaving the crackles in there, and would go and create these amorphous sound textures. Though they come from vinyl, there is a certain haunting "coldness" in the textures, due to the reverbs and effects processors that creates this poignant atmosphere, there is something of a yearning or craving. Voigt himself describes this technique as ""loop, zoom, and alienation." Underneath these textures there is this low bass drum 4x4, which steadily chugs onwards, keeping this 'mass' in focus.
There is a very slow evolution apparent from the first release, GAS, to 2000's Pop, Pop being the most different release. But what's more important is the evolution inside each single, specific track. Elements ease in and out, suddenly you hear something only to notice that it has been there all along, there's this high note that sounds like a vocal, and something that sounds like brass there, but it's marginalized from it's original context, set in this icy world, and thus becomes something beautiful in itself.
Voigt has often cited Germany's Schwarzwald as an inspiration, and it fits beautifully with the music. Images of starry night skies, dark hues of green, traces of animal steps in the snow, breathing in the cold air.
Get this release, it's a masterpiece.