>>EAR006 - Skytree - The Dagda EP
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Skytree - The Dagda EP (named after a Celtic god), released on Earstroke, continues Skytree’s exploration of slick beats and acoustic sounds.

The first track, 1000 Miles from Everywhere, has a delicately cut-up guitar with tasteful reverse effects and delays, something Four Tet fans will enjoy. Choric Lumina features vocals from Monicha Ulrich, which have been chopped and sequenced in a similar way to Orbital’s trademark sound (remember Alison Goldfrapp and Kirsty Hawkshaw vocals on some of their best records?)

Stranger in a Strange Land sounds more medieval, again with cut up drums and guitars. Cellos reinforce the chord progressions, and there’s an excellent drum solo towards the middle. If you’ve read much about Four Tet, you may know that he sampled a lot of folk records for Rounds. I’m not entirely sure where Evan Snyder gets his samples, but I’m assuming he plays his own instruments or uses multi-samples, which somehow gives his work an edge I enjoy considering it’s a netlabel release.

The last track, Sauntrai, seems to drift between an ancient Celtic fantasy and asian music. It’s consistent with the rest of the EP, but it highlights my general feeling of the release: there’s definitely something enjoyable in the subtle ambiguities you find as Skytree drifts between influences, styles and genres.

- Alex Young, Milieu
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Trabalho com motivos medievais, bucólico, emocional, a meio caminho entre Four Tet e Boards Of Canada, com um piscar de olho ao velho e bom shoegazing. Chega a ser pop, mas sempre com muitos motivos de interesse, nas melodias viciantes, nos ritmos “partidos”, nos sintetizadores espaciais. 23 minutos de puro prazer.

- Quantum Ducks

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