SPLIT by ENNO VELTHUYS / PAUL RIEDL

A bridge between generations of ambient exploration, this split release unites two artists connected through mood, texture, and introspection: Enno Velthuys, the late Dutch composer and visual artist whose melancholic ambient works defined a quiet corner of the 1980s cassette underground and Paul Riedl, best known as the creative force behind visionary metal band Blood Incantation, who here reveals a parallel world of deep ambient sound .Together, these recordings form a contemplative journey across aesthetics: a meeting of two artists who, though separated by time, share a commitment to sound as emotional architecture.

Velthuys’s contributions are drawn from the EXART vaults and carefully selected by Hessel Veldman to serve as an appetizer for an upcoming LP of more unreleased material on Stroom Records. Across four cassettes, Velthuys crafted a deeply personal sound - minimal, dreamlike and steeped in solitude - that would later come to be recognized as a cornerstone of European ambient music. The pieces presented here continue that fragile lineage: meditative, intimate and quietly transcendent.

In contrast yet in harmony, Riedl’s side of the album offers archival recordings that extend his lifelong fascination with cosmic sound and inner space. While known for his work in Blood Incantation and related projects exploring the outer reaches of metal, Riedl has long been devoted to ambient and experimental composition. His selections for this release - curated to complement Velthuys’s music - trace a dialogue between decades and sensibilities, blending analog warmth and deep atmospherics with a sense of timeless drift.

CD comes in a 6-panel wallet and is limited to 200 copies. LP to be released soon.