bvdub - 13 (2025) [Hi-Res]

For its inaugural release of 2025, Past Inside The Present proudly offers a powerful set of new pieces from experimental ambient veteran bvdub (aka Brock Van Wey), simply titled 13. Across its duration, spacious arrangements nest in clouds of reverb, underscored by granular details and entrancing synth arpeggiations. According to Van Wey – a long time scholar of Eastern ideas and literature – every section represents one edict or idea from chapter 13 of the Tao Te Ching, the foundational text of Taoist doctrine, which promotes humility and freedom from desire as the core elements of a peaceful existence.

On opening track, “宠”, constellations of flickering melodies dapple a backdrop of airy, slowly shifting harmonies, while “辱” (track 2) introduces bubbling keys and a maelstrom of pulsing low-end, warping and yowling as they whip across the stereo field. At times, we hear echoes of the hardware-based works of pioneers like Global Communication and The Orb, with shades of sci-fi futurism balanced by organic complexity and human vulnerability.