Astral folk artist Pantaleimon’s latest release is a dreamy minimalist ambient soundscape that is as soothing as it is enchanting.

Pantaleimon is English artist and musician, Andria Degens, of whom graced the first two decades of this century with some of the most gorgeously ethereal records this side of TwinSisterMoon. After a lengthy pause between full-length albums, Up With the Moon takes listeners back to her elegant sonic realm, which is as tranquil and alluring as ever. Once you’re only a couple of minutes into the opening track, “The Conversation,” it becomes clear that the wait was indeed worth it.

Throughout the album, you’ll find meditative sound baths rich with glassy Appalachian dulcimers, wandering cosmic guitars and droning Indian harmoniums. It’s a hushed and patient set of pieces that at once feels both comforting and transcendent. Absorbing this record in one sitting brings the same sort of peace that one might get after resting under a forest canopy full of birdsongs. With this impression in mind, it is perhaps of no surprise that the sweetly melancholic piano ballad that the album gets its name from is dedicated to the late composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, of whom excelled at creating moods like this with his own music.

This is an album to escape into that can wash away all stress and worries, like a purifying rain shower. Close your eyes and drift into its sonic seas. Click here to pick it up on CD or digital today, if you’re a fan of Buck Curran, the Powers/Rolin Duo or Matt LaJoie.

-KH