The Urthona vs the Asterism album Murmurations (Further 05) has been popping up in strange places. An advertorial feature on eco-breaks in Somerset mentions it when describing the starling swarms that inspired the recording:
The starlings murmuration is the Somerset equivalent of the northern lights. Westhay Moor often plays centre stage. This phenomenon is based on one million birds playing by the same rule – don’t be the first to go down to roost. The result is a swirling mass of utter beauty. The sound is spectacular, too. It’s even sparked a “heavy rural” album by Urthona.
The album has also garnered a great review by Ectogram’s Alan Holmes over at Freq:
side one’s 24 minute “River Severn Bore” incarnates the relentless natural power of the said tidal current, layers of distorted guitar and analogue electronic drones melting into a fluid and enveloping rush of sound… By the end of the piece, the grainy sonic surfaces become so visceral, you can literally scratch them with your nails, like a feral snotty nephew of John Cale’s pre-Velvets drone experiments or perhaps Merzbow at his most ‘rock’.
Nice!
Listen to a snippet or buy the CD here: Murmurations