Tetragram is the new album by one of the finest domestic ambient creators, Simon Šerc. Although the album was created entirely with analog instruments, it is accompanied by technically refined field recordings of natural sounds, with assistance from Martina Testen. Their research work in the Biodukt group was highlighted by a Guardian journalist four years ago, and Tetragram is similarly striking. “The seven tracks on the album form a complex narrative, blending field recordings and ambient textures into sonic landscapes that evoke transformation and fragility,” describes the label Pharmafabrik. “From the hypnotic calm of Slumber, where coastal waves and ethereal tones lull the listener into a dreamlike state, to the celestial presence of Metatron and the haunting resonance of Polynya, reflecting the melting of Arctic ice and its fleeting oases of life, the album captures moments of deep introspection.”
Behind the project PureH stands Simon Šerc, a Slovenian sound artist and pioneer of ambientcore, who takes his exploration of the boundaries between sound art and reflections on the human condition even further.
The album Tetragram, released by PureH under Pharmafabrik Recordings, stands as a unique sensory experience. Driven by the artistic vision of Simon Šerc, a key figure in the Slovenian electroacoustic scene, this musical journey delves into the depths of existence, questions nature, and explores temporality through seven rich and evocative compositions.
Each track on Tetragram serves as a gateway to dreamlike and introspective worlds. The album opens with Paracusia, a prelude that plays with the limits of the audible and the imaginary, before immersing the listener in Slumber, a waking dream where ethereal soundscapes merge with the gentle lapping of waves. With Tasukete, PureH introduces darker and more vibrant textures, evoking cries for help from a world in transformation.
The eponymous track, Tetragram, stands out for its symbolic power. Inspired by the image of a cumulonimbus cloud, it embodies the eternal cycles of creation, destruction, and rebirth. Within this sonic space, the ephemeral meets the eternal, reflecting the paradoxes of human existence.
PureH’s art lies at the intersection of the organic and the synthetic. Simon Šerc, a sound engineer and audiovisual artist, draws from field recordings and advanced sound design techniques to craft soundscapes of fascinating complexity. Polynya, the album’s final track, perfectly illustrates this approach: it captures the fragility of Arctic ice oases, a poignant metaphor for the impacts of climate change.
These compositions also reflect a deep contemplation of human perception and how sound can alter our experience of time. Through tracks that seem suspended between multiple dimensions, PureH invites the listener to explore a liminal state—a threshold where the boundaries between the real and the metaphysical blur.
Since the 1990s, PureH has played a key role in redefining the boundaries of ambient and electronic music. The concept of ambientcore, developed by Simon Šerc within his project, pushes the genre’s limits by integrating elements of noise, post-industrial sound, and cinematic immersion. Live performances, enhanced by the presence of drummer Vili Žigon, add a dynamic dimension, blending organic energy with electronic precision.
PureH’s legacy is also rooted in a transdisciplinary approach, where music interacts with visual arts and multimedia installations. Through international collaborations and bold experiments, the artist continues to push the boundaries of sound creation.
With this album, PureH delivers a work that is both contemporary and deeply introspective. By questioning humanity’s impact on nature and exploring the connections between the ephemeral and the eternal, this album resonates as a call to rethink our relationship with the world. In a saturated musical landscape, Tetragram emerges as a rarity—an auditory exploration that is both delicate and powerful. PureH reminds us that music, in its ability to transcend words, remains a vital tool for expressing the mysteries of existence and illuminating the shadowy corners of our perception. An experience to be fully embraced, with senses wide open.
Since the 1990s, PureH has established itself as a pioneer of the ambientcore genre, distinguished by international collaborations and innovative audiovisual productions. Through this project, Simon Šerc goes beyond musical conventions, integrating unconventional sounds and field recordings, bringing a cinematic dimension to his compositions.
LINK: https://solenopole.com/pureh-tetragram/
The sound sculptures of PureH are installations. The layers stretch out, suggesting the formation of a nature unfolding before your eyes. It is the film of a surrounding reality, a sublimation: the film unrolls as you walk, as you travel. The sound of waves takes over the entire ending of the opening track (Paracusia), as if a horizon were opening before you after a long nocturnal journey.
Slovenian artist Simon Šerc’s 2025 presentation moves through the dual prism of space and time. With gentle oscillations, this ambient craftwork shapes the presence of nature in our lives. Listen to it. The sound of waves returns on Slumber: perhaps you are on a small dock, rowing. Birds make their presence known on the superb Tetragram, a framework for an imagined cycle of existence.
PureH works through textural layering, but an organic, expressive percussion—subtly mixed and played by Vili Žigon—restores a muscular, physical fiber to the sound. This physical dimension is deliberately sought and recurs throughout the work. At times, its materialization flirts with trip-hop (Tasukete features sinuous basslines and an aqueous beat).
Šerc creates intimate music that simultaneously references the meta—the supreme dimension of the elements—while immersing us in the collective drama of environmental degradation (Polynya explicitly addresses the theme of melting ice). We are all part of biodiversity; and in this wordless music lies a concrete and profound personal inquiry into the meaning we give to our relationship with that which inherently surpasses us. That which will outlive us.
Clearly, this relationship does not consciously register in our sense of belonging to a greater whole. Do humans ever break free from the bubble of their desires? We are, in the words of chemist Jean-Emmanuel Gilbert, addicted to comfort. And in the music of PureH, which sketches the magnificence of the surrounding world, one finds the seconds of a night that falls—slowly or in jolts—upon our insatiable desires: our thirst, our appetites, our carefreeness.
LINK: https://www.obskure.com/pureh-tetragram-pharmafabrik-2025.html
After several years, the experimental electronic group PureH is back—bringing fresh energy to your playlist with their new album Tetragram. Known for their unique approach to sound manipulation, PureH blends ambient sequences with immersive sound textures, taking you on a transformative journey through deep, ever-shifting sonic landscapes.
With Tetragram, you embark on a multidimensional exploration of perception, nature, and the flow of time. The seven tracks—Paracusia, Slumber, Tasukete, Metatron, Keif, Tetragram, and Polynya—weave a complex narrative, merging field recordings and ambient textures into soundscapes that evoke transformation and fragility. From the hypnotic calm of Slumber, where coastal waves and ethereal tones lull you into a dreamlike state, to the celestial presence of Metatron, and the haunting resonance of Polynya, which reflects the melting Arctic ice and its fleeting oases of life—the album captures moments of profound introspection.
The title Tetragram, combined with the cumulonimbus cloud on the cover, symbolizes cycles of creation, decay, and renewal. Through its immersive sonic journey, Tetragram offers a meditation on humanity’s impact on the natural world and the transcendent connection between the ephemeral and the eternal. PureH creates a listening experience that invites you to confront the unknown, linger in the in-between, and discover your place within the vast, interconnected cosmos.
PureH – Tetragram is released by Pharmafabrik Recordings on CD and digital formats. The album was produced by Simon Šerc, with drums by Vili Žigon and mastering by Alexandr Vatagin and Simon Šerc. The photographs were contributed by Simon Šerc and Martina Testen.
Whether you’re a longtime fan or simply curious about an acoustic adventure, Tetragram delivers the perfect mix of disorientation and fascination—in true PureH fashion.
