Breathtaking is the thought that enters the mind when this beautiful EP fades out after nine heavenly minutes, leaving a prominent silence. Beautifully open and warm ambience surrounds Maastunnel/Mt. Mitake. Nine minutes might seem but a photographic flash, but there’s more substance and ambient activity in its span that many struggle to attain over a longer period. Celer (Will Long), and Machinefabriek (Rutger Zuydervelt) celebrate their Spring European tour with the birth of this debut release, and it acts as a perfect taste for what they are capable of creating; the music is effortlessly warm and fluid, awash in ambience. For this record, audio was taken from multiple sources and sent across Tokyo and Rotterdam over Ethernet airspace. Rotterdam’s industrial setting of the opener, and the peaceful Japanese mountains of the closer, beautifully contrast one another; they revel in the appreciable differences of East and West while mirroring both artists’ worlds. On opener “Maastunnel,” fluid ripples of water act as traffic, trickling into the ears on serene, yet active, waves. Coupled with a feathery drone, it puts the ghostly, transitory nature of human construction into focus, the only audible presence being a high pitched squeak recorded from the tunnel’s wooden escalators. Acting as the rush hour, the aquatic feel is reminiscent of William Basinski’s Vivian & Ondine, and the transparent, oceanic tranquility of Dolphins Into The Future. “Mt. Mitake” closes by diving into the inspiring vistas of the Japanese peaks, through a rainstorm of slowly released static, representing the mountainous cycle of life. Eventually, lower drones enter and cast an ominous mood, showing they are just as capable of turning the atmosphere a shade darker if they so wish. Deeply inviting, the music feels reassuring and exploratory, similar to the meditative mantra of Ambient Temple of Imagination. We’re left with something to cherish, and a realization that beauty is often found in fleeting moments; impressive lengths aren’t required to leave emotional imprints. In our world, music such as this is a refreshing pause for breath when one is all too frequently needed.