The Sea of Trees (2015)

Ever since forming nearly 16 years ago, Irish quartet God Is an Astronaut has reigned as one of the premier post-rock groups. With its fusion of intense rock instrumentation, ethereal and emotional soundscapes, awe-inspiring dynamics, and transfixing melodies, it’s easy to hear why the band is constantly ranked alongside fellow genre champions like Sigur Rós, Explosions in the Sky, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Mogwai, and Maybeshewill. Each of their prior releases has offered a breathtaking sonic journey, and their opus, Helios | Erebus (2015), definitely earns its place alongside them.

Stephan Micus is a unique figure in music. In his numerous journeys all over the world he seeks to study and understand traditional instruments, the sounds that they produce and the cultures that brought them to life. He then composes original pieces for them, playing all the instruments himself and multi-tracking the compositions in many layers. In this way he combines instruments that would never normally be heard together, chosen from different cultures simply for their character, texture and sonic beauty. Micus’ music is profound, powerful and very original. Songlines magazine described his as “a one man universe of sound.” Nomad Songs is his 21st album for ECM.
While his last album Panagia was a meditative reflection around prayers to the Virgin Mary, this new one, Nomad Songs is more earthy and more vigorous.