Hidden Shoal Recordings have announced the release of Nothing, But Death, the new album from English ambient drone architect Stray Ghost.
Nothing, But Death is the epic full-length reply to Stray Ghost’s widely acclaimed 2008 album Losthilde. On this immersive new release, Anthony Saggers mines the rich depths of melancholy and longing, crafting a slow, sad drift of distant melodies, cloaked in smoky ambience. The album signals further development in Saggers’ masterful handling of drone, minimalism, shoegaze, ambient and electro-acoustic music, leading the listener through highly emotive soundscapes, rich in cinematic sound design. This is music of almost unbearable poignancy and colossal scope that rewards deep listening.
True to its song titles, comprising ‘Part 1’ through to ‘Part 8’, including the single ‘Part 4’, Nothing, But Death is a complete yet perpetually shifting experience, taking the listener through half-remembered landscapes with slow, descending lump-in-the-throat melodies. Each rise and fall feels like a slow-motion chapter in some narcoleptic romance. And while the album is melodically rich, it never compromises its larger ideals and its over-arching sense of movement.
“Things just sort of came to a standstill when I began listening to Stray Ghost’s three-piece offering, Each Paradise Is A Lost Paradise. Anthony Staggers’ work will set you floating, relaxed and completely trusting, in the deeper waters of his slow, hushed drifts and dimly described environments…. Nothing is wasted here; every sound, musical or otherwise, is crucial and placed just so—and the attention to detail shows in how well the music stands up to a deep listen.” – Hypnagogue on the Each Paradise is a Lost Paradise EP
Nothing, But Death is available in CD and digital format through Hidden Shoal Recordings. Head to the Hidden Shoal Store for all CD and digital distribution info.
Stray Ghost – Part 4 Stray Ghost – Part 4
Stray Ghost’s latest Nothing, But Death has been piquing interest all over the blogosphere. A recent review on Music Musings and Miscellany draws on the old wisdom of ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’. While the title is grim, Anthony Saggers draws the listener into a breathtakingly joyous musical landscape. Don’t take our word for it, you can take a read of the review here. Deer Diary also took a moment last week to have a listen, so have a read here.
