Ghostly International
began their
SMM
series inconspicuously with
Panes
, a late 2002 EP from
Tadd Mullinix
. The label issued a pair of various-artist
EPs in 2003 and 2004. By mid-2012, there were at least 20
releases. The all-exclusives
SMM: Opiate
follows 2011's
SMM: Context
as the second full-length compilation in the series, unless one counts a digital-only survey of previously released material compiled in 2009.
Ghostly
has never divulged what SMM stands for, but it's evidently another way of saying "ambient." Unlike
Context
, which featured the likes of
Jacaszek
and
Rafael Anton Irisarri
(aka
the Sight Below
),
Opiate
's cast of contributors is strictly from outside the label's roster. At 44 minutes in length, it's considerably shorter, but it's still generous, highlighted by compact and spirit-lifting pieces by
Stars of the Lid
offshoot
A Winged Victory for the Sullen
and the prolific
Celer
. The remainder is either relatively somber or even slightly unsettling in tone.
Jim Haynes
' "This Is Radio Sweden" sounds like it is transmitted from a sunken freighter, while "Dorsk," from Norwegian duo
Pjusk
, is one of the most striking selections despite being the most delicate and closest to minimalist of all.
Simon Scott
, who remixed a
Sight Below
track for
in 2009, puts the acid in placid with the set-opening "Water Shadow." ~ Andy Kellman