Raw Silk Uncut Wood is a mini-album by Berlin-based American electronic musician Laurel Halo, released on July 13, 2018, through Latency Recordings. It consists of six ambient instrumental tracks.[1][2]
| Raw Silk Uncut Wood | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 13, 2018 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 32:26 | |||
| Label | Latency | |||
| Producer | Laurel Halo | |||
| Laurel Halo chronology | ||||
| ||||
Release
editHalo announced the release of a "mini-LP" titled Raw Silk Uncut Wood on June 13, 2018, alongside the release of the title track. In a press release, Halo stated that the album was inspired by her work on the 2018 documentary film, Possessed. The album features contributions from cellist Oliver Coates and percussionist Eli Keszler.[3] It was described as "a meditative, cinematic listening experience."[2]
The title is derived from Ursula Le Guin's translation of the Tao Te Ching.[4]
Critical reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 84/100[5] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| NME |   [6] |
| Pitchfork | 8.0/10[7] |
| PopMatters |   [8] |
| Resident Advisor | 4.1/5[4] |
| Tiny Mix Tapes | [9] |
| The Wire | [10] |
Raw Silk Uncut Wood received acclaim from music critics upon release, with a Metacritic weighed aggregate score of 84 out of 100 based on seven reviews.[5] Writing for Pitchfork, Sasha Geffen said "Raw Silk Uncut Wood marks a departure from her usual mode of thorny, cerebral electronic compositions, but as her most ambient record to date, it also boasts some of her most unabashedly beautiful music."[7] Hans Kim of PopMatters said, "Whether Raw Silk Uncut Wood is the precursor to a forthcoming ambient full-length or just another stint of experimentation, Laurel Halo continues to break expectations in the most bemusing way. The mini-album is a beautiful practice of minimalism that also maintains her intricate perspective."[8] Resident Advisor's Nina Posner wrote, "Inspired by this sentiment, as well as Halo's time scoring a film for the Dutch art collective Metahaven, the more abstract aspects of Raw Silk Uncut Wood allow her to establish moods that are at once non-prescriptive and immediately visceral."[4]
Accolades
edit| Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| The A.V. Club | Best Electronic Albums of 2018 | N/A
|
|
| The Vinyl Factory | Top 50 Albums of 2018 | 20
|
|
| The Wire | Top 50 Albums of 2018 | 33
|
|
| Tiny Mix Tapes | Top 50 Albums of 2018 | 33
|
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Laurel Halo
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Raw Silk Uncut Wood" | 10:00 |
| 2. | "Mercury" | 3:56 |
| 3. | "Quietude" | 2:32 |
| 4. | "The Sick Mind" | 4:24 |
| 5. | "Supine" | 1:27 |
| 6. | "Nahbarkeit" | 10:07 |
| Total length: | 32:26 | |
Personnel
editCredits adapted from the liner notes of Raw Silk Uncut Wood.[15]
- Laurel Halo – production
- Oliver Coates – cello (tracks 1, 6)
- Eli Keszler – percussion (tracks 2, 6)
- Jill Mulleady – artwork
- Hugo Blanzat – design
References
edit- ^ Copperman, Joshua (July 13, 2018). "Stream Laurel Halo's New "Mini-Album" Raw Silk Uncut Wood". Spin. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
- ^ a b Gray, Julia (June 13, 2018). "Laurel Halo – "Raw Silk Uncut Wood"". Stereogum. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
- ^ Cush, Andy (June 13, 2018). "Laurel Halo Announces "Mini Album" Raw Silk Uncut Wood, Releases Title Track". Spin. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
- ^ a b c Posner, Nina (July 12, 2018). "RA Reviews: Laurel Halo – Raw Silk Uncut Wood on Latency". Resident Advisor. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
- ^ a b "Critic Reviews for Raw Silk Uncut Wood". Metacritic. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
- ^ Bassett, Jordan (July 11, 2018). "Laurel Halo – 'Raw Silk Uncut Wood' review". NME. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
- ^ a b Geffen, Sasha (July 17, 2018). "Laurel Halo: Raw Silk Uncut Wood Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
- ^ a b Kim, Hans (July 19, 2018). "Laurel Halo: Raw Silk Uncut Wood (album review)". PopMatters. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
- ^ Coral, Evan. "Laurel Halo - Raw Silk Uncut Wood | Music Review". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
- ^ "Laurel Halo: Raw Silk Uncut Wood". The Wire (414): 67. August 2018.
- ^ Purdom, Clayton (8 December 2018). "The Best Electronic Albums of 2018". Music.avclub.com. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
- ^ "Our 50 Favourite Albums of 2018". Thevinylfactory.com. 6 December 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
- ^ "Listen to The Wire's Top 50 releases of 2018". The Wire. December 2018.
- ^ "Favorite 50 Music Releases". Tinymixtapes.com. 17 December 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
- ^ Raw Silk Uncut Wood (LP liner notes). Laurel Halo. Latency Recordings. 2018. LTNC014.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
External links
edit- Raw Silk Uncut Wood at Latency