I first listened to Formations by Lake Night early in the morning. My office window was open, letting in the sounds of birds and the rustling of leaves from a large tree outside. The album’s first track filled the room with lush guitar tones and deep reverb, blending perfectly with the outdoor sounds. Right away, it felt like the music was made for this kind of setting—quiet, natural, and immersive.
Lake Night, a UK-born artist based in Tokyo, recorded Formations over the summer of 2024. The album combines guitars, modular synths, and electronic layers, all filtered through pedals and effects, to create a detailed and evolving soundscape. The music is sparse but carefully crafted, balancing organic instruments with smooth synth pads and strings. It’s the fine guitar work that stood out most to me, adding a real warmth to each track.
One of the eleven tracks is a remix of “I Gave Up An Ocean” by Japanese ambient artist Chihei Hatakeyama, who also mastered the album. Hatakeyama’s remix adds a layer of soft, drone-like tones that fit well with the rest of the album’s ambient feel. The fourth track, “Seabirds,” was a highlight for me. Just as it played, an Macaw landed in the tree outside, as if it had joined in to listen.
Overall, Formations by Lake Night is a relaxed, well-produced album that creates a calming, almost immersive environment. It’s a great listen for anyone who enjoys ambient music that can blend into its surroundings, enhancing the space around it without overpowering it. Lake Night is an artist I hadn’t heard before, but after this, I’ll definitely be keeping an ear out for more.