handspan

I promise, this’ll be the last dark outside related posting this missive (he says with fingers crossed). But while we were trying to locate sound files or details on a limited cassette they have in the offing called ‘music from the dark outside – volume 1’, we stumbled upon this here trailer for another release they have planned for next year by the name ‘the dark is rising’ by Handspan. Inspired by Susan Cooper’s children’s book of the same name originally published in 1973. This excerpt features not only snippets of the sounds within but a commentary by Handspan himself talking about the book, its mythology and the making of the album and the musical dialects utilised to bring it to life. Truth be told he writes the review for you. Soundwise, Handspan applies all the nostalgic tropes, for here there be enchantment, a lush overture ripples with heraldic motifs, mysticism and a regal charm, it’s something that sits between the BBC Radiophonic Workshop and the retro worlds of Ghost Box drawing a close kinship with the much admired the Heartwood Institute. Readings from the book are due to be aired in a series of specially commissioned recordings that feature the sounds of Headspan from Wednesday 20^th December via the dark outside’s twitter listening group. https://soundcloud.com/handspan/coming-soon-the-dark-is-rising