Harris’s analog mastery has created an inhabitable space of intense clarity, so that the silences become suggestions of the room she made them in, a sustained window. The affective work of Ruins is to translate with heartfelt precision the time and space of its recording, to collapse the world of its making and its consumption.
It stands as both a fascinating new direction, and a heartbreaking memoir of a period now sinking into the past.
Ruins is one of her finest works, full to the brim with emotion in spite of the aching space at its heart.
What we're left with is achingly beautiful and ... almost unnervingly direct.
Grouper tenderly and quietly beckons you nearer, allowing the sadness to seep into your bloodstream. Lyrics are distant and difficult to decipher, however it isn't hard to comprehend the emotional weight of each track
The memories that Harris explores on Ruins are to us what those physical Portuguese ruins were to her - decontextualised mysteries, distant waves whose ripple hints at some past trauma we’re locked out of.
At once soothing and devastating, Ruins suggests Harris' power and versatility are only growing.
Whereas Harris has often used drones, fuzz, white noise and feedback to overwhelm the humanity her music, here she is exposed and unadorned.
Ruins is what its name suggests: spacious, haunting, and delicate.
Sitting in the cold alone: The Album
So honestly, I’m a bit two sided with this album. There’s so much about this that I absolutely love, and some stuff that I feel like is a bit underwhelming. If I was outside during a dim cloudy day walking through a forest or climbing up a mountain, this album would be a 100. But as is, I feel like it’s just pretty decent. This feels like a very situational album for me and that’s why it’s not higher, but even then there is ... read more
"You only wanted holding
And I let my structure fail you"
"I'm in love with being peacefully depressed" or "Ruins" by Grouper, is without a doubt one of my favorite ambient albums of all time. That may ruffle some feathers, but I say keep your Brian Enos and your Tim Heckers, and leave me to float upon the strings and wisps of Liz Harris's angelic timbre.
"Ruins" was released in 2014 and quickly garnered acclaim for the spacious minimalism, beautiful ... read more
Where I grew up there was a pond about half a mile from my house. There was a little dock sitting over the water, just tall enough that your feet didn't touch the water. I would sometimes walk there and sit at night, not doing much of anything.
This album somehow transports you to one of the calmest places you've ever been. Delicate and direct, Grouper delivers a touching release that utilizes sound just as much as it does its instrumentation and vocalization. The hushed crackle behind the ... read more
Escuche este disco hoy mientras hacia tareas mientras la lluvia caia de nuevo en donde vivo despues de meses y mi taza de te de manzanilla al lado mio. Me dejo entrar a un estado tan cansado y tranquilo. Que buena experiencia.
1 | Made of Metal 1:38 | 81 |
2 | Clearing 4:41 | 95 |
3 | Call Across Rooms 2:59 | 90 |
4 | Labyrinth 3:47 | 90 |
5 | Lighthouse 5:44 | 95 |
6 | Holofernes 1:32 | 87 |
7 | Holding 7:56 | 94 |
8 | Made of Air 11:24 | 90 |
#2 | / | Gorilla vs. Bear |
#2 | / | Tiny Mix Tapes |
#4 | / | Noisey |
#5 | / | Pitchfork |
#6 | / | Flavorwire |
#11 | / | FACT Magazine |
#13 | / | The Wire |
#15 | / | No Ripcord |
#19 | / | Crack Magazine |
#19 | / | The Quietus |