Somewhere between the sombre, darker moods, the brighter, mellifluous and the more meditative--resides Agencies, an ambient project whose key ingredient are, but not limited to, drones. Rather, Drones features billowing ambient and dense mist that form a kind of canvas where field recording fragments and bass tones fleetingly materialize and then dissolve into the ether. The listening experience is akin to dreams where moments come from and disappear into nothingness. While each track is fresh, they are not without touchstones. Tracks like "Ghost Mittens" are akin to Ghosts on Magnetic Tape by Bass Communion, for they share eerie, long, drawn-out tones with low end tremors and rather spooky melodic overtones. "Lullaby for the Blind" too is on the darker end of the spectrum with a similar gloomy mood, yet with a bit of an experimental Teutonic edge that channels Thomas Koner. In contrast, "Undercurrent" and "Landmarks of Nothing" are gently uplifting and serene with hints of secret joy that recalls the ambient-drone project, Celer. "Follow Me" has a cyclical sound that could be a bicycle or perhaps even a prayer wheel from a Tibetan Buddhist monastery while the long drawn tones evoke the dusty villages of Nepal or India where monks sit patiently before empty alms bowls. "The Secrets of Your Mind" suggests the same for the sustained bell-like tones accompanied with rushing noises that could be the wind or a series of prayer wheels in unison. While Celer has a connection with Tibetan Buddhism, it is not clear what connections Agencies has, so listener are free to draw their own analogies. "Good Morning Heartache" and Tarwater" has a more cinematic bent wherein ambient washes are layered like billowing silk scarves that set the canvas for sharper bass tones that give overall shape and emotion to the piece. Track by track, this release engages in a spectrum of emotions and textures that lead to a rich and varied listening experience. Drones is not so much an album to listen to as immerse and submit fully, like a dream state.