The scorching summer is upon us in the Northern Hemisphere again. Constantly worsening heat waves and drought intertwined with generally more upbeat and positive people sounds like a bit of a lapse in better judgment, but is the case at least here in Northern Europe, where the above mentioned effects vary quite drastically, almost on a day-to-day basis. While I personally enjoy the sun, I’m not a fan of not being able to do anything without sweating, let alone losing the last remnants of whatever sleep I’m able to muster at this stage. There is still something very cozy and, dare I say, magical in the late summer evenings where light and temperature generally hit optimal stages, and that’s a time I prefer to waste pondering shit of varying randomness as well as listening to music on my porch. The past few evenings I’ve spent with something pretty great, that I’m happy to be able to speak more of and share with you today!
SEMANTRON is a new artistic outlet for the veteran musician Dave French, also known as the drummer of YOB and Brothers of the Sonic Cloth, and having collaborated with Steve Von Till’s Harvestman, alongside a multitude of other things. The project’s debut has been cultivating for decades, coming into being in a concrete fashion at an off-grid cabin at the foot of Mount Adams in Washington State during the winter of 2023. Now, Secrets of a Krummholz Heart will see the light of day on July 10. Today, we’re glad to present to you a new single from said album, titled “Prisoner of the Sun”, available below;
Before digging deeper into the music, visuals, and overall concept at hand, French had the following insight about the song to share;
‘Not everything we hear in our heads is true. “Prisoner of the Sun” explores the pitfalls of unconscious devotion. The chasing of a dream, a carrot, or a debilitating affliction — each wears a rut into the world around us, to the exclusion of whatever else might have been.‘
Having performed all of the instruments on the record in addition to handling the compositions in solitude, it is immediately clear that SEMANTRON is led by a force of nature with a singular vision. Even if the song runs for only a hair over two and a half minutes, it encases a world of its own within itself. Musically a mixture of folk, droning post-rock, and ambient with a selection of other distinct hues, “Prisoner of the Sun” is an effective exciter for Secrets of a Krummholz Heart as whole. If a single track like this is enough to capture one’s attention, you can just imagine what’s waiting around the corner in terms of the six-track full-length.
The video explores some grounding and natural themes while emphasizing on the core concept of the record and its title. Krummholz is a type of twisted and deformed vegetation, especially trees, encountered in the subarctic and subalpine landscapes. Fierce, freezing wind and all-round hostile weather bends and shapes the trees, that remain firm and alive despite appearing almost exactly the opposite. This metaphor is not only integral to French and SEMANTRON, but something equally identifiable for every single one of us. At the end of the day, what are we but beings perpetually altered and shaped by our surroundings, some for better and some for worse?
Be sure to book in your next immersion, and follow SEMANTRON on Facebook and Instagram, as well as pre-order Secrets of the Krummholz Heart through Bandcamp (where a previously released track “At the Feet of Friendship” is also streamable) or Evil Greed. The wait won’t be long, and I can guarantee you want to be there once the secrets begin to unfold themselves.
