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...Northern Valentine inhabit an astral space that moves beyond the eardrum and sets its controls for the heart of the cerebral cortex. Their music goes beyond the temporal to peak at the eternal. Despite the psychedelic tinges of collective nostalgia, the experience of listening to a Northern Valentine record is deeply personal. You can hear the memories carved into each track and relate them to your own as well... ~ Timothy Gabriele, Origivation Magazine

a brief introduction to northern valentine
Northern Valentine is a Philadelphia based ambient/drone collective anchored by husband & wife, Robert & Amy Brown, Jeffrey Bumiller & Matthew Primak. Coaxing sounds from electric & acoustic sources, they weave meditative drones & soundscapes with “barely there” post-rock instrumentation to create a tapestry that Phil McMullen (Terrascope Online) refers to as “minimalist ambiance at its best. Heartfelt, soulful & affecting, like gazing into a scrapbook of memories”. The music they create is largely improvisational & is often performed along with films or visuals that the collective has created.

Writing about their 2008 Silber Records debut, The Distance Brings Us Closer, Jeff Penczak (Foxy Digitalis) stated...”Northern Valentine’s music delivers a sense of floating in space or a communion with nature where the listener is enveloped in clouds of billowing sonics. The listener’s imagination can run wild creating images to accompany this ambient soundtrack...In sum, an awesomely hypnotic listening experience.”

They have drawn comparisons to a wide range of artists; from Labradford, Windy & Carl, Flying Saucer Attack, Fennesz & Eluvium, to Mogwai & Godspeed You! Black Emperor. They have been performing live since 2006, having toured periodically throughout the Eastern/Southern US, as well as in Iceland in 2008.

They have also been known to make “field trips,” showing up to record or perform with portable equipment in natural & unusual settings; ranging from abandoned buildings & ruins to forests & fields. If you’d like to suggest a unique location, they would be happy to hear from you.


northern valentine discography
Northern Valentine - Juno Juno
MP3 EP 2012 | Silber 124
5 tracks, 5 minutes
$1 download

listen on Silber
In only five brief minutes Northern Valentine manages to create a particularly memorable nightmare.
~ Beach Sloth

Known for their long form slow building minimalist soundscapes, Northern Valentine faces the challenge of five songs in five minutes.


: Listen to the track Juno
: Press Release
: Reviews
Northern Valentine - Fin de Siecle fin de siecle
CD 2012 | Silber 110
7 tracks, 45 minutes
$12 ($18 international, $5 download (320 kbps, ~76 megs))
Since 1998 Northern Valentine has been perfecting their version of drone music - based on improvisation & the emotions of the performers reacting to their physical environment & to each other at that moment, feeding off of & amplifying each other’s energies.  Here they collect more of the unique drones that have made them a staple of the genre.

: Listen to the track The White Mountains
: Press release
: Reviews
northern valentine: ribbons ribbons
MP3 EP 2012 | Baresound
3 tracks, 21 minutes
download on Bandcamp

This Ep is a companion recording to Northern Valentine's 2012 album, Fin de siècle.
It features an older song, "Ribbons", which is an incredibly sublime, improvised moment that was recorded on battery powered gear during a massive storm that knocked out power for a few days, and two pieces that have been major themes of 2010-2011 Northern Valentine performances; including a version of the song "Night Bloom" which was culled from several performances, and the drifting epic "Last Train, 3:00 AM", which was improvised and recorded live at the Pocono Skies Festival in 2010.

slicnaton/remora/northern valentine - clear field northern valentine / slicnaton / remora
clear field
MP3 Album 2008 | Silber 072
3 tracks, 44 minutes
download zip file | Archive.org page

The clear field recordings are a unique combination of elements of all three projects. You hear the loops & aggression of Remora’s guitar work, Northern Valentine’s ambient shimmering glacial guitars, & slicnaton’s orchestrated glitch & deep bass tones. While hearing all three individual musicians, it still is clearly a collaboration of the three rather than one of the projects with two special guests; it is a unique sound of its own.

: Press release
Northern Valentine: stars whisper stars whisper
MP3 EP 2008 | Silber 070
3 tracks, 21 minutes
download zip file | Archive.org page

Stars Whisper is a collection of three live songs from Northern Valentine, recorded in their hometown of Philadelphia with a line-up of Robert Brown, Amy Brown, Jeffrey Bumiller, & Marc Carazo. The individual tracks were recorded at The Fire & The Rotunda (as part of “Gate”, an experimental music series).

: Press release
: Reviews


the distance brings us closer
CD 2008 | Silber 068
5 tracks, 46 minutes
$12 ($18 international, $5 download (256 kbps, ~135 megs))

This recording features improvised, dark drones & gentle noises drifting over a psychedelic journey, in collaboration with their friend and newest sound collaborator to the northern valentine "family", Ben Fleury-Steiner.
: Listen to the track Dimanche
: Press release
: Reviews


Rusted Gates (Volume 1) "Leopard's Mouth"
CD-R 2005/2008 | Baresound 04 / Gears of Sand
13 tracks, 60 minutes

This is the first release in their "Rusted Gates" field recording series. The material on this release is from several 2004-2005 sessions in basements, hallways and an abandoned sanitarium. The story of the music centers around an everyman, named Leopard.  This was re-released in 2008 on Gears of Sand Recordings in a limited run of 100 copies, with recycled chipboard packaging & some new, beautiful artwork that was created using hand engraved dies & a genuine letter press.

Available through Bandcamp


Adrift (Live 2007-2008)
CD-R 2008 | Baresound 008
10 tracks, 50 minutes

Adrift contains live recordings from some sessions & shows in 2007-2008. This recording was performed by Amy, Robert, Marc, &, for the first time, Jeffrey. It was released in an edition of 50 hand-stamped cd-rs in recycled chipboard packaging.  Adrift was only available only in March 2008 in the US, & in June 2008 in Iceland, in honor of their tour with the Icelandic band, For a Minor Reflection. 

Out of print.


Arasapha (Live 2006-2007) 
CD-R 2007 | Baresound 07
7 tracks, 58 minutes

Arasapha features live recordings from their Winter Tour 2007 & some live material from 2006.  It features Amy, Robert, & Matt in fine form; performing two live versions of songs from previous albums, some new songs, & a few improvisations, including the 21-minute title track, "arasapha".  This recording documents their live sound very well and catches some fine moments in time.

Out of print.


The Unblinking Eye
CD-R 2006 | Baresound 06
2 tracks, 61 minutes

Recorded over two days in the summer of 2006, The Unblinking Eye features two solo guitar explorations by Robert. Layers of electric guitar, echo, & ebow give way to ambient & natural sounds.

Out of print. 


Forest In the Sky
CD-R 2005 | Baresound 03
10 tracks, 48 minutes

This is a combination of their first two eps (both out of print). It features material that was recorded in their home studio between 2003-2005, as well as some earlier works from 1998-2000. This release features distinct musical segments that share tribal, natural, & Native American themes. It features 48 minutes of instrumental music (as well as a few voices here & there).

Out of print.


Pictures From The Lake
CD-R 2003 | Baresound 01
6 tracks, 46 minutes

Their debut album, which features ambitious pieces from their first recording sessions at their home studio, as well as some of their early "dialogue music", which provides instrumentation to conversations, & a few old recordings from the early days of the group, recorded between 1997-2003.

Out of print.


northern valentine links
official website
northern valentine on facebook
northern valentine on bandcamp
northern valentine on myspace