Fourth volume of Library Music miniatures by Daniel O’Sullivan (Ulver, Æthenor, This is Not This Heat, etc) for VHF, this time commissioned by the legendary German Music Library, Sonoton. Another sampling of O’Sullivan’s versatility and brilliance as a composer, performer, and sound designer, the focus on The Pastoral Machine is more “electronic” compared to the three previous albums O’Sullivan recorded for KPM (also issued on LP by VHF), with simpler arrangements and a focus on gentle and emotive synthesised soundworlds. Even without as many full ensemble arrangements, there’s still a wealth of diversity—“Empathogen” opens the record with latticed arpeggiating sequences recalling Japanese “environmental music” or Persian Surgery-era Terry Riley, “Fruit Of Stream Entry” burbles with gentle ripples evoking the album’s title, while “The Silversmith Of Space” mines a simple chord sequence evoking Eno’s ’70s classic short instrumentals. “Superstrings” is a series of hypnotic overlapping guitar patterns, like a lost Ash Ra or Achim Reichel track. The brief “Star Lore” is a heavy highlight with deep bass washes and grainy, tape-laminated melodies, followed immediately by Rose Keeler Schaffeler’s vocal feature on “The Oscillating Love” recalling futurist new-age pop in the vein of Enya or Virginia Astley. Housed in a jacket and heavy euro-style inner featuring collages by O’Sullivan, soon to be the subject of an art book published by Timeless Editions in mid-2024.
Release date:
August 16, 2024
Label:
Install our app to receive notifications when new upcoming releases are added.

Recommended equipment and accessories
-
Vevor Ultrasonic Cleaner
Thoroughly clean and restore your vinyl records, removing dust, dirt, and grime from every groove without damaging the surface
-
Ortofon 2M Blue Premounted
Mounted on the SH-4 Black Headshell, this setup delivers exceptional clarity, dynamic range, and accurate sound reproduction.
-
Edifier R1280DB Powered Speakers
Combining classic design with modern Bluetooth connectivity, built-in amplification and versatile inputs, these speakers deliver rich, balanced sound.
-
Pro-Ject Phono Box DC Pre-Amp
Compact, high-performance phono preamplifier for both MM and MC cartridges, delivering a clean, detailed signal with minimal noise.
-
Denon DP-400
Featuring a high-precision, belt-driven mechanism and an adjustable tonearm that ensures optimal tracking and minimal resonance
Featured Upcoming Vinyl
-
Nick Leon A Tropical Entropy
Tra Tra Trax
July 25, 2025 -
CODY JINKS IN MY BLOOD [2xLP]
Late August Records, LLC
July 25, 2025 -
Baest Colossal
Century Media
August 15, 2025 -
Introspekt Moving The Center [2xLP]
Tempa
June 27, 2025 -
Olafur Arnalds/Talos A Dawning
Mercury Kx
July 18, 2025 -
Frank Blackfire Back on Fire - Oxblood
High Roller
June 27, 2025 -
Strange Boutique Let The Lonely Heart Sing (Transparent Marbled Turquoise & Black)
The Circle Music
August 8, 2025 -
Botch 61524 [2xLP]
Sargent House
June 27, 2025 -
Various Artists Antones: 50 Years of The Blues (Purple, Blue And Red) [4xLP]
Antone's Records
August 22, 2025 -
Bloc Party Silent Alarm (Box Set)
Pias America
September 26, 2025 -
Bruce Springsteen Lost And Found: Selections From The Lost Albums [2xLP]
Legacy Recordings
June 27, 2025 -
La Dispute No One Was Driving the Car [2xLP]
Epitaph
September 5, 2025 -
Paradise Lost Lost Paradise 35th Anniversary
Peaceville
July 18, 2025 -
Tatsuro Yamashita Big Wave 2025 Edition
Wea Japan
July 4, 2025