Happy 20th to Eluvium's first album, Lambent Material, released on May 6 2003. I was heavily into Temporary Residence (label) back then and always browsing their catalog. I remember hearing a track on a sampler and liking it a lot, so I ended up buying the CD which I promptly fell in love with. To me, listening to it is like watching something beautiful slowly unfolding. And even though there are now like a million Eluvium releases, I feel like that sensibility provides the foundation in all of them. Nothing seems rushed and it happens on its own time. If you're an impatient person, Eluvium will either annoy you or it might get you to slow down or pause for a bit. My favorite track on this album is Zerthis Was a Shivering Human Image. I still have no idea what that means, but I love this near-16 minute epic. Kinda makes me think of the sea, but instead of ocean waves crashing on the shore, it's like you're adrift on gentle waves of distortion while a fog of static gets thicker, then it all starts to subside. So happy birthday to the one that started it all. He actually has a new album coming in a few weeks, (Whirring Marvels In) Consensus Reality. I've been very much looking forward to that. Check out all of the Eluvium releases over on Bandcamp if you're so inclined.