Foundation Hope was formed in 2003 by Joep Smaling. The main idea was to make dark cinematical soundscapes with a strong focus on the harshness and cruelty of everyday life. This instead of the more common ambient focus on a fantastical or subterranean world. Foundation Hope tries to reflect the sharp contrast between religious/illusory thought and the crudeness of everyday reality and mankind musically. Ironically presenting itself as a foundation, an institute that comforts seeking souls in times of distress, it is instead an attempt to confront the listener with moods of isolation, despair and sorrow. At the same time it is a question on what the fundaments of our hope are, in times when not only parts of the world are at war or otherwise suffering, but also wealthy individuals in western secularised civilisation seek relief in anti-depressants and are aware of the hollowness of consumerism and hedonism, living in a world gone mad without the belief in a purpose to it all. Foundation Hope is an aural arrow pointing to the spiritual sores of this modern civilisation. ‘To perceive evil in where it exists is in fact a form of optimism,’ to quote Rossellini. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.