Ben Walker - Banish Air From Air [CD]

FOLKROOM RECORDS

£10.80

Cat. no: FRR2301CD
Format: CD
Barcode: 5070000159065
Release Date: 24 Feb 2023
Genre: Folk

It's probably unusual to open a record with a passionate modern madrigal to the physics of gases

You wouldn't expect to fnd the work of NASA's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory on the long- awaited new record by a BBC Folk Award winning guitarist. It's unexpected, too, that a broadside ballad from the 1700s would work brilliantly as a trip hop track. But then, Ben Walker has always been quietly full of
surprises.

One of UK folk's true time travellers, he is an acute observer of patterns - in language, in history, in people. Reviewers of Ben's frst solo album Echo called it exceptional (Folk Radio UK); a profound statement connecting past and present (fRoots), ambitious, distinctive and brilliantly achieved (Songlines) and, quite simply, stunning (The Guardian).

Ben's second album Banish Air From Air hits no lower, exploring the relationship between mankind and nature. He draws together folk tales, ghost stories, philosophy, alchemy and science with a characteristically eclectic musical palette. Exquisite instrumentals, traditional material and reimagined poems sit alongside Ben's frst forays into songwriting, featuring an enviable list of guest vocalists. These include Mercury Music Prize nominee Sam Lee and fellow BBC Folk Award winner Nancy Kerr alongside some newer voices - indie- folk songwriter Sophie Jamieson's dreamlike vocals, Emily Mae Winters' dramatic storytelling, Louis Brennan's bleak growl, Lucy Alexander's post-punk swagger, as well as Ben's most recent tourmate, acclaimed singer-songwriter Kirsty Merryn.

Ben's famed fngerstyle guitar weaves a path through found sounds and subtle electronica. Orchestral strings swoop from the sky to the forest, from the ocean to the edge of space. You won't know what's coming next, but it doesn't matter; just close your eyes and let this record take you away with it.

Second single 'Banish Air from Air' featuring Sophie Jamieson release 1 February 2022, with paid social media promotion and PR, supported by music video Third single 'The Way Through the Woods' featuring Nancy Kerr release 24 February with paid social media promotion and PR, supported by music video. Featured Album on Folk Radio UK from 24 February - 24 March.

Tracks: Banish Air from Air (feat. Sophie Jamieson) / Starlings / The Way Through The Woods (feat. Nancy Kerr) / The Yews of Borrowdale (feat. Emily Mae Winters) / Eggshells (feat. Louis Brennan) / Neptune / King Storm (feat. Lucy Alexander) / Showers on Ascension Day / There Will Come Soft Rains (feat. Sam Lee) / Northern Lights Kepler and Sol (feat. Kirsty Merryn)