Excerpt - “The vast, luxuriant soundscapes can transport you to another world… Every single track provides an alluring listen and Willenbring’s meticulous attention to detail catapults this album ahead of its peers… Somewhere Someone Else raises the bar and offers something new to the ambient world. A tremendous affair of restrained, multi-layered and hypnotic soundscapes.”
Excerpt - “Somewhere Someone Else is the latest release from Hidden Shoal Recordings, as well as the debut album from the U.S. based Wes Willenbring. Willenbring is another fine example of the label’s rise in the ambient electronica field, as they continually showcase new, innovative artists to the masses…As the album progresses, more sounds are introduced to the formula; echoing melodies of string-like guitars, a trembling piano part, smooth subtle bass, and other components all add up during the length of Somewhere Someone Else to produce an intoxicating atmosphere…Considering this is his first release, it is surprising how mature and well-crafted this album is. Somewhere Someone Else is a definite success, and Wes Willenbring is a name we’ll be hearing much about in the future.”
Excerpt - “Also new from Hidden Shoal is Somewhere Someone Else by Wes Willenbring. Of the three HSR albums reviewed here this is the most landscaped in an ambient sense and also the most sombre. He uses ringing drones and hovering strings to good effect on “Lost Illusions” and “As You Fade Away”, over which he sprinkles some lovely electric guitar figures. The overall picture is a fairly monochrome one, with some lonely piano poking through the gloom on “Aperture” and “In A Quiet Dark Room”. As the album’s title suggests there is an overall sense of alienation and loss in these instrumentals, even death on “While My Lungs Fill With Water”. Intelligent music, unquestionably dark, and not for the easily distracted.”
Excerpt - “With only a guitar and a piano, this San Francisco composer creates somber ambient music that demands attention. Alternating between modified washes of minimalism and neo-classical fragility, Willenbring’s arsenal of simplicity both soothes and tenses up the ears. What’s even better is that Willenbring is just one of many fantastic instrumental artists we just found out about on the international label Hidden Shoal.”
