Wellington-based Andrew Thomas went and got himself on German label Kompakt back in 2003, after some interesting CDRs and things you might not find online. He has become a regular on that label’s annual “Pop Ambient” series.
His sound is often glitchy piano loops, but also often with pretty tonalities among the clicks and pops, in the same way you might find in the Big Names™ of the era like Fennesz or Oval. While elements are sometimes rhythmic, it also feels like events are happening without adherence to the grid of a machine keeping things in time. Clicks and pops have faded away progressively over the years.
In recent years he has had a couple of collaborations come out, one as Feeling Flying with New Zealander Bevan Smith (Signer) and one with German Joachim Spieth, Nocturna (2025). Spieth is another Kompakt regular, often showing up on those same “Pop Ambient” compilations that Thomas is on.
These new releases generally follow the sound of a couple of tracks that Thomas put online in September 2020, which have a softer sound with the pops and clicks of earlier material completely absent. Song 9a is a beautiful meandering piano piece, but which I’d guess is not played by a person.
Links
Andrew Thomas artist page on Kompakt’s website
Fearsome Jewel (2003)
Hushhh (2004)
Between Buildings And Trees (2010)