Love Streams (album)

Love Streams is the third studio album by Canadian musician Tim Hecker, released on April 8, 2016, by 4AD. The album is characterized by its abstract, ambient, and often dissonant soundscapes. It departs from Hecker's earlier work by incorporating choral elements and exploring themes of artificial intelligence and the sublime.

The album's title is a reference to the 1984 John Cassavetes film of the same name. Hecker drew inspiration from 15th-century choral scores and the work of Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson, particularly Jóhannsson's score for the film Sicario.

Love Streams was created through a process of live improvisation and recording, followed by extensive digital manipulation and processing. The choral vocals, performed by the Icelandic Choir Ensemble, were heavily treated with effects and electronics, transforming them into textured and ethereal sounds. The album also incorporates synthesizers, organ, and other instruments, which are often distorted and layered to create dense and complex sonic environments.

The album received widespread critical acclaim upon its release, with many reviewers praising its innovative sound design, emotional depth, and conceptual ambition. It is considered a significant work in Hecker's discography and a notable contribution to the ambient music genre. Common descriptors used for the album include: drone, ambient, experimental, avant-garde, and modern classical.