The Loscil and Fieldhead collaboration ‘Fury and Hecla’ is named after a narrow straight of water in Canada, the title so chosen as it represented a near mid-point between the artists involved. Although the work is presented as collaboration between the two, the press release hints that the work was not developed in the conventional sense of the word, and further hints at a fragmentary “aural infusion” between the compositions.
Having then been described as a collection of fragments, the six tracks are surprisingly cohesive; the overall vibe of the EP is an arctic dub with a lot of submerged layers. The bottom end is lovely, pinning the tracks down well, and the sparse glassy shards that drop over the top have plenty of space to move in (“Helluland”). Minimal use of percussion and pulse gives the pieces faint menace, and the hissy analogue winds around the edges showcase the attentive mastering.
The track “Northumberland” is a particular highlight: melodic, driving and evocative. It collapses in upon itself in such an unexpected way that I found myself stopping and re-listening to it every time it came up.
Released early March on Gizeh Records, the split EP was released in an edition of 250 handmade and numbered CDs. Stock from the label’s website appears to have been exhausted, but of note: lossless downloads are offered, and some copies may still be available at online retailers.