Solitary Hymns by Various Artists
Update (April 2021):
A year has passed since, and yet Solitary Hymns anxious tension and optimistic foresight feels as poignant now as they did then.
Now on its anniversary and with the pandemic still ongoing, the album getʼs its first physical release, including an additional piece by Winnipeg based Adara Moreau, aka Body of Intrigue, which is exclusive to the physical version.
Original Text:
Solitary Hymns is an assemblage of ambient compositions which have been sourced and compiled by the label over the last 7 days.
Each artist on this compilation originates from a different part of the globe, and while some of the featured works are direct, sonic responses to the occurrences of the past days, others are unreleased recordings, that take on an entirely new context in the current, unprecedented situation we all see ourselves in.
The compilation itself is presented in form of an aural chronical, starting with the buoyantly optimistic string arrangements of Theodore Cale Schafer's ‘Mansfield’ and the tranquil reverberations of Anthéne’s ‘Light Years’.
Solitary Hymns then moves into a triptych of adjourning, emotionally laden tape loops from Benoît Pioulard. øjeRum and Stijn Hüwels, prompting a wave of reminiscences and reconciliation.
Moving on, Forest Management’s piece basks the listener into an auditory shroud of heavy fog, before ‘March 28th’ by Hakubone plunges oneself into the depths of bleak, unwavering seclusion.
On Solitary Hymns final moments, Zen Zsigo dispenses a sonic spell, bordering between serenity and angst, before Oberlin showcases a last, musing rumination, recalling opaque windows and old charcoal dust.
‘Solitary Hymns’ is for free, and while every donation is deeply appreciated, it is our intention that the work is accessible to anyone who might currently be looking for a brief escape from feelings of uncertainty, lonesomeness or anxiety.
