artist: Rhian Sheehan country of origin: New Zealand style(s): Ambient breakbeat, ambient rock/pop, cinematic, cosmic, drone music essential releases: Tiny Blue Biosphere (2004, Loop Recordings) Standing In Silence (2008, Loop Recordings)

These difficult-to-define second and third albums from New Zealander Rhian Sheehan are bittersweet and beguiling works of art. Heartfelt without being sentimental, intelligent without being cold, they demand repeated listening before their true depths are revealed.

Tiny Blue Biosphere traverses a varied landscape of cosmic ambient strings and chorales, acoustic folk and loungey breakbeats. There's some inspired sampling too - the lazy electro of "Phobos" ends with a somber church choir hovering above the famous anti-war speech from the end of the film The Day The Earth Stood Still. The album's pristine surfaces and liquid sound design are clearly the result of hard work in the studio, polishing compositions to sound the best they possibly can without overcooking them. With one-third songs and two-thirds instrumentals the mix feels just right, meaning the soulful vocals of guests like NZ singer Jess Chambers sound like a welcome dimension in the music rather than a pitch for commercial ears. The album is a wonderful, mysterious and tender piece of work.

The cinematic Standing In Silence is very beautiful and almost entirely instrumental. It goes deeper than its predecessor, infused with a palpable feeling of solitude and a gentle sadness. The 14-part suite features processed guitars, bells, chimes, lush strings, keyboards and location recordings. Sheehan expertly shapes the elements into pretty arcs of ambient sound, spacey piano melodies, and occasional strong beats and shuffles. Fans of Decoder Ring, Ulrich Schnauss and Sigur Ros should find plenty to like here without finding it at all derivative. Rich in emotion, harmonies and texture, Standing In Silence is a deeply felt statement from the composer.

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