Richard Skelton - Landings

RICHARD SKELTON - LANDINGS

(Type)

UK artist and multi-instrumentalist Richard Skelton is known for his experimental and improvisational recordings that blend drones with organic instrumentation. “Landings,” produced on the Type label, is his latest work and the product of four years of effort. It is a finely crafted and delicately layered album. The album’s 12 tracks—which run a total of 70 minutes long—blend modern classical and drone music to evoke a sense of the beauty of nature.  

Skelton’s musical style is in many ways comparable to that of Hildur Guðnadóttir’s most recent album, “Without Sinking.” Both feature modern classical and experimental music that derive their inspiration from imagery of nature. Guðnadóttir looked to clouds for inspiration. And Skelton found his inspiration by traveling across northern England, seeking spots—like the West Pennine moors of Lancashire—that evince a powerful, calming, or melancholic mood. On the whole, Guðnadóttir’s latest album is more intense and emotionally gripping. But with “Landings,” Skelton provides a more varied musical tapestry, with warm soundscapes that incorporate a broader variety of sounds—from violins and guitars to pianos and various types of ambient drones. There is a sense of great depth to “Landings,” and Skelton has done a nice job of weaving natural landscapes into a pleasing aural tapestry.     

“Landings” consists of pieces that shift between true melancholy and calming and mellow. Skelton also interweaves a number of field recordings—from babbling brooks to chirping birds. At times, his melancholic tracks evoke a heartrending akin to feelings from the passing of the seasons or the withering of seasonal flowers. The scraping of the bow against the stringed instrumentation in “Noon Hill Wood,” the interplay of ambient noises and strings in “Threads Across the River,” and the overlapping tremolo in “Of the Last Generation” all combine to create such somber and pensive moods. Other tracks stand out for their calm, bringing to mind images like a rolling meadow or a quiet, peaceful field. “Undertow” and “Voice of the Book” utilize slowly shifting drones to create a serene atmosphere. And the ambient noises in “Green within Brook” evoke for the listener images of a still meadow with a small stream running through it.     

“Landings” is a well-produced and engaging album that provides a nice, easy listen. At times tranquil and at other times gloomy, Richard Skelton has done a great job creating an album evokes a sense of space, depth, and gorgeous natural surroundings. Further, there are no weak tracks in the whole album. While I wonder whether this album has long-term appeal, I am certainly enjoying it now, and recommend it to those who enjoy layered and thoughtful modern classical music. 

Jeremy Yellen