How often do you get cassette tapes in the mail from an experimental xylophonist? I know that for me, personally, it’s only happened one time, and that time was last week. This particular experimental xylophonist’s name is Rod Hamilton and his music is as meek and stripped-down as his unassuming pitch to me was. I’ve since found out that Rod is a fixture of the vibrant and diverse Baltimore music scene and in addition to releasing his own music, he also runs the DIY venue Soft House.

Fastened right in the middle of Rod’s latest album, Atitlán, is a track called “Treppe 4.” For being based in Baltimore, tracks like “Treppe 4″ have an uncanny ability to transport the listener to places a little more… exotic. Establishing a tribal flair by looping different rhythms on top of each other, Rod has given the track a sense of percussion, melody, and flow, all with just the xylophone. The result is something in-between ambient, new age, and maybe even moody exotica that is best suited to quiet moments. There is a lot of intricacy on display here that could easily get buried beneath background noise, so do yourself a favor and find a quiet spot and let the beauty of Rod’s music wash over you.