Engravings seems the culmination of the sound that, it’s now apparent, Barnes was only developing on 2010’s Dagger Paths EP, bringing to that darkness a maturity that consists in a paradoxical expansion of space and in the introduction of depth perception through fog0like tendrils of white infecting that flat black panorama
Engravings stands as a significant work. It’s an album that has facets from across the spectrum of experimental electronic music but, in the hands of the masterful sonic auteur Matthew Barnes, Forest Swords’ music sounds triumphantly singular.
It’s like a walk in the woods on an autumn day – it might be vast, yet it’s also pleasingly intimate, and while there’s a definite chill in the air, it’s still a nourishing experience
Forest Swords’ debut long-player is electronic mastery at its very finest, because ‘Engravings’ manages to make electronic music feel tactile, organic, and alive.
What Barnes has done here is give us a full tour of a hidden place he only let us peek at before, a place that's even more breathtaking than Dagger Paths made it out to be.
Unrestricted by words or verse-chorus structures, Barnes’ songs reflect the way life can feel like an endless loop, growing and building without ever losing its cyclical nature.
All across the UK at the moment there's an incredible number of talented solo producers/musicians working to provide us with fantastic music - right now though, there can be few projects better or more ambitious than Forest Swords.
It’s a sonic exploration that, not unlike graphic design, takes physical elements and visualises them in another manner. And it sounds incredible.
With references to house, dub, and instrumental rock all stitched together into a looping, building tapestry that manages to be both visually and emotionally evocative, this is certainly an album that will keep your interest long into the next fad.
Engravings suggests that Barnes’ staying power has outlasted whatever witch house or chillwave subgenres he was initially lumped into.
Engravings, isn’t solely inspired by present aspects like today’s weather; instead, it’s a blend of the modern prevalence of dub and the harsh mysteries of Norse invasions in England’s distant past.
The result is a set of remarkable electronic rituals with an endearing, mystical quality.
A good ambient dub project that at times falls into genre cliches and predictability but never gets hard on the ears. It is a pleasent listen but a little to pleasent for my taste in ambient music at times. The album still feels like a solid starting point, I will likely check out more of his music.
Forest Swords' 2013 release, Engravings, is a very good ambient dub record mixed with elements of Neo-Psychedelia, Downtempo and Tribal Ambient for an hypnotic listen. One which teleports you in a strange forest filled with is psychedelic soundscape for a captivating and mysterious listen
Track Review
Ljoss 9/10
Thor's Stone 9/10
Irby Tremor 7.5/10.
Onward 7/10
The Weight of Gold 8.5/10.
Anneka's Battle 8/10
An Hour 8/10
Gathering 7/10
The Plumes 7/10
Friend, You Will Never Learn ... read more
A good ambient dub project that at times falls into genre cliches and predictability but never gets hard on the ears. It is a pleasent listen but a little to pleasent for my taste in ambient music at times. The album still feels like a solid starting point, I will likely check out more of his music.
1 | Ljoss 5:18 | 77 |
2 | Thor's Stone 4:31 | 71 |
3 | Irby Tremor 4:11 | 72 |
4 | Onward 5:40 | 60 |
5 | The Weight of Gold 5:04 | 67 |
6 | An Hour 5:01 | 76 |
7 | Anneka's Battle 4:09 | 78 |
8 | Gathering 4:58 | 73 |
9 | The Plumes 3:39 | 75 |
10 | Friend, You Will Never Learn 8:12 | 77 |
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