The track by the Monk by the Sea is lush and peaceful, in a manner both literal and figurative. The literal aspect is the birdsong, heard overhead, at times flying right across the stereo spectrum. What the unseen bird is flying through isn’t merely the listener’s headspace; it’s that figurative peace, a drifting, cloud-like sonic softness. The music has the sense of something stretched to achieve density and texture. “Song from the Forest” is a testament to the Monk by the Sea’s abilities that the explicitly natural element of the bird meshes so well with the more surreal element of the slowly unfurling, sumptuous ether. The title suggests several readings. The birdsong is itself a song from the forest, while the finished track — a mix of recording and impression, artfully conjoined — is also a song from the forest.
Track originally posted at soundcloud.com/themonkbythesea. The Monk by the Sea is Ivan Ujevic of Zagreb, Croatia. More at twitter.com/UjevicIvan, youtube.com, and themonkbythesea.bandcamp.com.