Dor Wand’s raison d’etre is deactivation through music. What does that mean in the modern world? Certainly more than just putting on some noise cancelling headphones and hoping for the best. How often do we get the time, or more importantly make the time, to listen, like, really listen, deeply, carefully, intentionally? Chances are, very rarely - but this is where his focus lies. Creating spaces and sounds designed for that very purpose.

Dor has some form here, his Dublab show is called ‘Open Heart Social Club’ and he is a founder of the Beacon of Light, a project that takes a fresh look at what a relaxation or if you want to use the C-word, chill out, spaces can be in dance culture of today. Dance floors are where the energy is focussed, but that is a finite resource, so it stands to reason there needs to be somewhere to allow it to return to its proper level. This doesn’t just mean musical background, but also the space itself, how it feels and is organised and even the smells that envelope it.

So pigeonholing the music on Dor’s latest album, ‘Alchemy of Being’ as simply ‘ambient’ feels a little reductive. If ambience is defined as the atmosphere, character or mood of a space of surroundings, that could imply it’s just a kind of secondary consideration, literally just a backdrop, not actually something that engages and encourages immersion. That’s not to say the music here is not atmospheric, far from it, but it’s much more than that.

Each track here stands on its own, but taken together they really do lead the listener along some distinctly cosmic highways. One seeps into another, ebbing and flowing, rising and falling effortlessly and providing a centre. It’s restorative, and provides re-energisation. Description is difficult and probably doesn’t do it justice, but there are multiple layers of beautifully crafted synth lines, interspersed with live percussion and sweeping soundscapes… It’s evocative and moving at times, and at its best, completely uplifting. Just relax, take a minute to play this through, and you’ll feel much better.

Alchemy of Being is available now via Bandcamp.