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Review: Erland Cooper's latest album, Carve the Runes Then Be Content With Silence, is a unique and innovative project. The three-movement composition for solo violin and string ensemble commemorates the centenary of Orkney poet George Mackay Brown. Inspired by natural landscapes, the work reflects on themes of time, hope, community, and patience. The recording of the composition was made on 14 inch magnetic tape, with the digital files then permanently deleted. The tape has been planted to be "recomposed" by the earth, to be exhumed and released in three years' time. Cooper's decision to let the composition evolve naturally and be discovered later reflects a deeper appreciation for the passage of time and the process of creation. This project not only celebrates a significant milestone but also challenges the conventional approach to releasing music, making it a truly remarkable and thought-provoking endeavour.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Record slightly warped, creased outer sleeve corners, split inner sleeve***


Erland Cooper has always been concerned with the world around him, the Guardian dubbing him "nature's songwriter" as a result of his focus on trying to interpret Mother Earth through sound. Of course, she's not in the best shape right now, and even stopping to appreciate the smallest details of her mastery can often make us fill with dread and regret.
The fact that it's still not too late to change the future we've been ruining for ourselves over the past 200 or so years is also important to note. And it's this juxtaposition, between hope and hopelessness, dystopia and utopia, that seem to define this incredible collaboration between Cooper and the Scottish Ensemble - a live recording from a concert that really shows off the emotional power of classical strings in their most contemporary form.