About

Friendship Survival Guide brings together recordings by Adam Wiltzie and Jóhann Jóhannsson, born from their close artistic collaboration. The pieces were created during shared sessions between 2013 and 2017 and were sensitively continued and completed by Wiltzie following Jóhannsson’s passing.

The result is a richly layered soundscape that moves between orchestral expansiveness, electronic textures, and floating drones. The music preserves the original intimacy of their collaboration while integrating subtle additions that respect and expand the character of the material. Contributions from artists such as Tim Hecker, Francesco Donadello, and Steve Albini further enrich and deepen this sonic world.

Friendship Survival Guide is more than a posthumously completed release. It is a testament to an enduring friendship and creative bond — an album that continues Jóhann Jóhannsson’s musical legacy while opening new perspectives.

“Our friendship is the story here, (…) Jóhann’s not there anymore, but this artifact we created together, is alive and it's incredible. I could never have done it without him.“ – Adam Wiltzie        — (via Label)

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As with both of their output, they avoid obvious melodies, opting instead for sweeping strings on the opener, September Nineteen Sixty Nine (both their birth months).  Dazed and Reflective Glory comes in two parts, and the strings are accompanied by otherworldly sounds on a downcast melody, the second part being slightly noisier.

The tranquil Mourners Will Be Outcast has a title that seems like a last laugh for Johannsson, while Exceptional Proportions and Soft Favourites are even more becalmed.  These will appeal to anyone who favours the more Stars of the Lid type output, the latter approaching some sort of sonic nirvana (small n).  Give Into Gravity and White Gloves and Turtlenecks have great orchestral swells.  The final two tracks are possibly the high point of the album.  In Ever Decreasing Circles seems to dredge up sounds from the bottom of the ocean.  The noise level is dialled up on the final track, Where Are You Now Voyager, with what sounds like muffled static. — (via No More Workhorse)

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Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo
Released: 2026
Genre: Electronic, Classical
Style: Ambient, Experimental, Drone, Contemporary

File under: Ambient / Modern Classical
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