The violinist Laura Cannell and cellist Kate Ellis wind down These Feral Lands by stepping inside the Glasgow University Chapel, whose choir recite a thoroughly reworked version of the sixteenth-century Coventry Carol while the rain beats against the stained glass windows and the wooden door atop the tower sways in the blustering wind. Over the course of the past year, Cannell and Ellis have have produced twelve extended plays for a total of 48 songs, finally taking some well earned respite inside the chapel where they corralled 32 voices for their version of the carol, eschewing the Byronic lament or rueful folk ballad for an ode in tandem, together fare thee well.
The Spanish ambient composer Suso Sáiz conjures the ripple and warmth of bodies in vibration as he readies his seventh studio album, while the beat scientist Makaya McCraven takes on A Night in Tunisia by Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, reshaping their rendition of the standard ‘When Your Lover Has Gone’. Laura Gibson reminisces on the coffee shops and weathered complexions of Portland with a wobbly cover of ‘Curs in the Weeds’ by Horse Feathers, and Moonbyul takes a silky sojourn from her starring role in MAMAMOO.
From Barcelona, the duo of Marta Torrella and Helena Ros lay a cappella vocal harmonies over electronic beats as Tarta Relena, describing their sound as ‘two voices travelling through centuries of tradition seeking for cyclicity and permanence’. From Tromsø, the downtempo synth duo Röyksopp tease ‘profound mysteries’ as they make their welcome return. Guapdad 4000, The Musalini & 9th Wonder, Christonia5, and Babyxsosa also feature, while Daniel Bachman strives to slough off some pandemic fatigue while embracing the spirit of the new year, seeking comfort in the bars of the ‘Lonesome Weary Blues’.
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Laura Cannell & Kate Ellis – ‘Fare Thee Well Together’
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Moonbyul – ‘Shutdown’ (feat. Seori)
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Suso Sáiz – ‘Floating Into The Avalanche’
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Christonia5 – ‘Frequencies’
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Röyksopp – ‘(Nothing But) Ashes…’
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The Musalini & 9th Wonder – ‘Sincerely’ (feat. Swank & King Draft)
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Guapdad 4000 – ‘Got Me Bent’ (feat. Jace & Nate Curry)
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Makaya McCraven – ‘When Your Lover Has Gone’
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Laura Gibson – ‘Curs in the Weeds’
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