Described as a dark electronic folk band Hem Netjer recently released their debut album The Song Of Trees
I`m always intrigued by artists who blend spiritual ideas into their art, be it music or otherwise. Hem Netjer spent the lockdowns of the not-too-distant past doing exactly this. With their debut album The Song Of Trees they`ve crafted a journey through the elements in the form of seven songs that could be just as fitting as a soundtrack to guided meditation sessions.
The dark electronic folk music description certainly piqued my interest as often folk music projects rely more on traditional and older, unsual instruments to evoke a certain aura that electronics might seem to contradict but I would argue that this release has a perfect blend and balance that masterfully serves the intended purpose.
Void is the opening track, the state of nothingness from which creation springs forth, a fitting introduction that sets the mood and is continued with Salt & Tears which introduces slightly heavier electronic elements but still manages to keep the mood and ambiance right where it should be. What appears to be throat singing is pumping away throughout the track and I`d be interested to know if this is a sample or something performed by one of the groups members, either way it works wonderfully and is quite fitting.
Note: Upon further inspection the throat singing is performed by Jesse Elyt
Production wise its sleek and clean but not sterile or overpolished. A little snooping on the groups Bandcamp site lets me know the release is recorded at Jacknife Sound operated by none othen than Jason Corbett of ACTORS with production duties handled by iVardensphere`s Scott Fox
Track number 3, Eldur, features soaring, beautiful vocal work fit for riding into battle, in this case of course the battle takes place within as we dive deeper into our Selves and work through each stage of our journey.
Some may say the woods of Norway is the perfect setting for music of this particular style, while I could see the point in such a statement I take a look at what I myself tend to listen to in my daily life, the music I myself create and I find my surroundings have very little influence and therefore I believe there is no such limitatiions on what setting or enviorment best suits this music, it would be just as effective for someone living in a busy city and perhaps have even stronger of an effect in what could be perceived as a contrast of settings.
It appears the album has been truly crafted as one piece, a journey, a continual aural adventure. This is definetly one of those albums that require you to listen from start to end for maximum effect. The way each track blends into the next and the stage it represents going from the opening track all the way to the middle sections with Freedom and Connect leading into the end stages of Elemental Cry and Otherworld I urge any potential listener to give up the just over 30 miinutes of playtime to be able to fully appreciate this as the body of work it clearly was intended to be.
Each element ranging from the synth and strings to percussion and vocals blend perfectly together where nothing feels out of place or as if it doesn`t belong, everything is there for a reason and works in unison to birth a complete and whole picture.
If you wish to explore Hem Netjer further our wonderful overlord, Ken, The Duchess conducted an interview with them a while back which you can view here:
The Song Trees is availble for streaming/purchase here: https://hemnetjer.bandcamp.com/album/the-song-of-trees
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