Mountain Soundsystems

Mountain Soundsystems is a Seattle Washington based, “electronic music producer, livetronica performer, and event curator. Fusing elements of electronic music, natural organics, and the rave underground.”

The track is Forest Bathing focusing on breathing in terpenes from forest air. Have you heard of Terpenes? I hadn’t. Turns out they’re “a large and diverse class of hydrocarbons, produced by a variety of plants, particularly conifers. They often have a strong odor and may protect their hosts by deterring herbivores and by attracting predators and parasites of herbivores.” Thanks Wiki.

The track is a 90s style psychedelic ambient of the type produced by Amorphous Androgynous. It’s full of swirling synths and tribal beats. It’s as intoxicating as the title suggests. A big day-glo parachute waving up and down. It’s painted faces and dungarees. It’s woodsmoke and pine resin. Synths have an acid smear and ethereal vocals hover on the edges. This is big. Huge. Drink it in. - Acid Ted Blog

When Your EDM debuted Mountain Soundsystems early last year, he was calling himself the Cool Moonmist Mountain Band and he was hitting some seriously interesting beats as a one-man touring band and creating said beats live onstage. Now with a streamlined name and a slightly different focus, this Seattle-based artist is coming for the leftfield crowd with his new track, “ORMUS.”

“Ormus” is an acronym used in the ancient practice of alchemy, standing for Orbitally Rearranged Monoatomic Elements. The track could have also been named after the Kingdom of Ormus (Hormuz), which existed from 11th to 17th centuries, but given the seemingly random arrangement of the elements in the track, it seems Mountain Soundsystems was more likely referring to the alchemical definition.

Of course the arrangement in “Ormus” is not random at all but it does seem to have magical properties. The various synths are on different syncopation paths and the first build/drop sequence lands not in a heavy, ravey beat but an analog keyboard synth. Mountain Soundsystems is a multi-instrumentalist on top of everything else and he folded these into his work as Cool Moonmist so it makes sense that he will be doing the same going forward.



The track is mostly funk and leftfield/trip hop vibes until the last minute, where it surprisingly goes full-on rave dubstep, with only a few of the funk and jazz flourishes left. It cuts off suddenly, and since Mountain Soundsystems uses his tracks normally for live mixes and performances, it’s likely that this track rolls into another.

As of now, Mountain Soundsystems stuff isn’t available for purchase but fans would do well to keep an eye on him. With such a unique leftfield/dubstep hybrid sound, it won’y be long before he’s hitting the Beatport charts. - Your EDM

"... a combination between chilled-out dubstep, trip hop, and jazz." "9/10" - DJ Mag

The Cool Moonmist Mountain Band comprises of a variety of seasoned human beings who are composing works of musical art in a way that is compelling, dynamic and fulfilling to hear for the well-worn listener. Even if you aren’t necessarily inclined to travel down the road of expansion when it comes to your musical palette, if ‘Live in Studio – 11/4’ by The Cool Moonmist Mountain Band is simply playing in the background where you’re located, curiosity will spark and you will be intrigued. If you’re a fan of fellow musicians such as Boards of Canada, Four Tet and Tycho, then keep an eye on the ride ahead for The Cool Moonmist Mountain Band on Soundcloud. - Life Beyond Music

"...Acid works throughout the entire mix and you’ll find yourself on a sonic journey through breaks, tech house, hip hop, trip hop, and ambient"
Johnathan Wan Global Dance Electronic - Global Dance Electronic

"...will keep you coming back for more listens, as the multi-layered tracks give the listener a unique experience each time" Vinyl Chapters - Vinyl Chapters

Infrequently does a live recording of a session-cum-release evoke the need for revisiting, especially within the trance genre, but the aptly titled “11/14” from The Cool Moonmist Mountain Band (so named because of the date the session occurred) is a spectacular in and of itself. The upbeat, celestial, and frenzied release may not come off as an improvised take, but it still retains the energy of a jam that has come full circle. - Moxipop

Interview and monthly feature focus. - Homecooking Share

The ‘group’ is a solo live, improvised electronic music project performed and produced by Jared Sand, who sends you down a road with this collection of tunes heavily fueled by Trip-Hop-Electronic Dance music with dense psychedelic layers. - City Beats UK

Unlike other albums, “Live in Studio – 11/14” is a long stream of consciousness. The entire session is improvised, lasting for twenty-two minutes without any vocals, only the electronic synths that hone in on different genres of music such as tech house, hip hop, ambient, and instrumentation from drums and bass. - Audible Addixion