Audiopile Review: Our toxic trait is that we gravitate towards musicians who are driven by an unhealthy level of obsessiveness. The Discogs page for ambient project Celer lists 329 releases, although it could easily be more by the time you read this newsletter. That might indicate an unhealthy level of obsessiveness. But the music itself is so deeply healing that it seems mean-spirited to associate Celer with our shameful toxicity. This is empathetic electronic music that simply must exist. The newly reissued ‘Engaged Touches’ is particularly poignant as it dates from 2009, the year that Celer co-founder Danielle Baquet-Long died (Celer has since been a solo project of her husband Will Long). It would be trite and insensitive to rationalize the obsessive, healing nature of Celer’s music as a response to Baquet-Long’s tragic passing. ‘Engaged Touches’, a duo recording, proves that these aspects were essential to the Celer project from the very beginning. And, as an absolute ambient masterpiece, it also disproves the belief that prolific artists necessarily lack quality control. ‘Engaged Touches’ sounds distinctly focussed and unhurried. This is minimal, drifting music, built on lush, heavenly loops. But it is also beautifully structured and intensely human.

Originally released on CD in 2009, Engaged Touches has been expanded from the original recordings for a 3LP edition, spanning 5 sides of vinyl, and a 3CD edition of the same expanded version, as well as the original single disc version. All have been remastered by Stephan Mathieu for this special limited edition.