NORMIL HAWAIIANS - Empires Into Sand LP

Empires into Sand is the first album of new material in 40 years. The group first refined their sound during the early '80s, hitting on a pastoral experimentalism that drew on ambient drone, motorik impulse and post-punk pep.

Empires into Sand came together in the familiar manner of their original three albums, with improvisation and nuance informing the blueprint of the tracks. It was with the official release of this last record Return of the Ranters (originally recorded in 1984/85, but then unconsciously shelved) in 2015 by Upset The Rhythm that led to the group reconnecting with the intention of playing music together again.

The quaint weirdness of folk song, the humanity of communal practice and the group's ecological mindedness have all found a place in Normil Hawaiians' current sound world.

Normil Hawaiians took their time to develop these threads at their own pace, allowing songs to mutate and settle over months. Simon Marchant deftly produced and recorded the album whilst also performing in the band, this marked the first time the band had total control of their own sound. Empires into Sand incorporates samples from old rehearsals and live music into the new finished pieces, this is in continuum with their previous records. Snippets of sound from the static of short-wave radio and satellite transmissions also embellish the work. In fact, the whole album is stitched together with interludes, creating an acutely immersive 45 minutes.

The album's title is derived from a poem by band member Mark Tyler, who sadly passed away during the recording process and the transience of life is felt heavily throughout. Noel best coins the group's wish for the album: "We wanted to create an album that acknowledges our history and also reflects who we are today. We remained true to ourselves and we wanted to make something beautiful without removing the edges."

Empires into Sand certainly does that, it's an echo from the past, an echo from the future.