Gifts From Crows, the stage name of Richard Laurence, returns with his first single from his forthcoming album ‘Stories in Slow Light’ today. The track is called ‘Beyond the Frame’ and is as elegant as it is mystical. The neoclassical composer works with piano, noise synths, drums, strings and this time around photography too. His new album is a collaborative effort with photographer Helena Whitten. Helena uses slow-shutter speed techniques to capture the movement of time and so the photos can feel like they are telling a story between two frames of time. It can be quite haunting.
Gifts From Crows was inspired by Whitten’s work and describes them as “simultaneously timeless but also contemporary. They convey the fragility of the planet, the transience of life, loneliness and mental health.” This collaboration has led to a change in the sound palette. The album expands into dark ambient textures smearing across the canvass of neoclassical music. Each track on the new album will tell the stories of Helen Whitten’s photography and I’m expecting it to be an excellent audio-visual collection. Below is a visualiser of the photos that inspired tracks that will be part of the upcoming album.
The single ‘Beyond the Frame’ (pretty apt title if ever there was one) is out now. You can enjoy the music video below, created by Timon Mahony. The album ‘Stories in Slow Light’ is currently scheduled for release on the 25th February 2022. You can follow Gifts For Crows on Instagram to get a great visual representation of the project.
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