Australian-based producer Laeter immerses throughout his new album dreaming of something nice, where ambient and electronic textures span from sun-drenched serenity to rain-set introspection. An emotional, and at times cinematic, sound fully consumes. With a blend of glimmering synths, ethereal introspection, and atmospheric depth, the album evokes the diversity of the natural world and inner landscapes in equal measure. From the tranquil warmth of “he’s in the garden” to the glacial pulse of “looking into the sky, i see it,” Laeter crafts an immersive listening experience that feels both deeply personal and expansively atmospheric.
Conceptually, dreaming of something nice presents a fragmented, deeply personal reflection of Laeter’s evolving identity over nearly a decade. The album serves as a sonic journal — disjointed, meandering, and emotionally raw in mirroring the unpredictable nature of memory and self-perception. Through ambient textures and shifting moods, Laeter explores the imperfect process of self-discovery.
The album’s title track opens with serene entrancement, as twinkling keys flow with a mellow spontaneity alongside ethereal wordless vocal backings. “it’s comforting to know” ensues with sustained keys that capture a similarly enchanting lushness, particularly upon the two-minute turn’s understated serenity. Vague burrowing-like effects linger sporadically in the background. “he’s in the garden” furthers that outdoors-y feeling, in both its namesake and bursting synth pads — resembling sunshine effervescence in its enveloping warmness.
The sunny skies of “he’s in the garden” shifts seamlessly into a rain-laden calmness with “raining outside,” where fragmented synth illuminate alongside bubbly sound effects and glitchy electronic intrigue. Somber piano stylings within “only just beginning” continue to traverse in this more rainy-day, nocturnal realm — understated though beautifully impactful. “drainage” feels like a cathartic culmination of this mid-point section in the album, following the opening trio of tracks’ summer-y embrace with a moody, aquatic-friendly immersion.
Another highlight, “looking into the sky, i see it” achieves a wintry glow in its glimmering keys and steady synth pulsations — crafting a soundscape that reminds fondly of Boards of Canada’s Tomorrow’s Harvest. The subsequent “you’ve come a long way” invokes a cinematic mystique in its caressing strings, feeling Lynchian as the melodic traversal concludes with chilling sentiments.
The album concludes with two triumphant-sounding tracks in “up at mount lofty” and “giskard.” The former travels on warming synth pad buzzing and an overall spacious captivation, while “giskard” plays as a riveting finale in its soaring invigoration — intertwining blaring synth elements with replications of strings and brass-like energy. dreaming of something nice is a consistently enveloping listening experience from Laeter, whose ability to craft moving soundscapes is on consistent display throughout these 11 memorable tracks.
