We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

The Witch Box

by We Are the Wooden Houses

supported by
Kevin Chown
Kevin Chown thumbnail
cavestrummer
cavestrummer thumbnail
RobMRowe
RobMRowe thumbnail
/

  • Streaming + Download

    Includes high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more. Paying supporters also get unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app.

    Download comes with artwork for each separate disc and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      name your price

     

  • Extremely Limited Three Disc Box Set
    Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Three discs with original artwork by Hudson Gardner, Sissi and Alastair Popple. Housed in black hard card box.

    Includes unlimited streaming of The Witch Box via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

    Sold Out
1.
Midnight 07:03
buy track
2.
Face to the Sun 05:42
buy track
3.
Hideout 07:47
buy track
4.
Sunday Song 02:23
buy track
5.
I Saw You Through the Window 05:30
buy track
6.
Now I Know 06:27
buy track
7.
Tsanterak 13:49
buy track
8.
Katie's Chinese Bunker 18:21
buy track
9.
Spleen I & II 09:52
buy track
10.
Spleen III & IV 10:58
buy track

about

In early 2013, Alastair and I started recording tracks for what would become 'The Witch Box'. We had no real concept or theme, so we began archiving the tracks, keeping safe finished mixes in a folder labelled 'The Witch Project'. The thinking was that a theme would emerge or inspiration would run dry, then we would compile what we had; but neither really happened.

The music over these three discs represents a years worth of writing and recording activity. It's not even all contained here; some tracks found their way onto the last record by The Dead West ('Cold Bound Heart' and 'Your Love is Like a Grizzly Bear'), a couple onto the next Wooden Houses album ('The Headland of the Demon Haunted Castle') and other projects were also being simultaneously being recorded ('Improvisations' and 'The Love of Ruins'). Songs, jams, field recordings, primitive guitar tunes, experiments...

Once we felt we should compile what we had, we realised there was too much material for one disc, and that some of the songs sat together nicely, others did not.

The solution was to have all of this music packaged together, but separated onto themed discs with a more digestible running time.

'Midnight' has six songs, five of them with a vocal (Marc Gillen and Sarah Ruddy provided lyrics). These songs are more traditional in structure, although it's still strung out, heavy, downer psych folk.

'Tseraken' has two 'songs', both long, exploratory instrumentals. Both are studies of texture within sound and are a bit of a departure sonically. Loop based, Eastern inspired progressive alternative.

'Spleen' sees a continuation of music begun in 'The Litanies of Satan', set to the reading of the poetry of Charles Baudelaire. This time, longer poems were chosen and the music more closely shaped with the words.

The artwork for the box was designed by Hudson Gardner, the 'Tseraken' sleeve and disc was designed by Sissi, and Alastair provided art for 'Midnight' and 'Spleen'.

This set can be taken whole, or as three separate entities. They all come from the same place, they just go in different directions; it depends where you want to go. - Stephen Benson.

credits

released December 25, 2014

Disc One: "Midnight" (Tracks 01-06)

Sarah Ruddy - Vocals on "Midnight", "Face to the Sun", "I Saw You Through the Window" and Vocals and xylophone on "Now I Know".

Disc Two: "Tseraken" (Tracks 07-08)

Sarah Ruddy - Vocals on "Tsanterak".
Katie Smith - Vocals and percussion on "Katie's Chinese Bunker".

Disc Three: "Spleen" (Tracks 09-10)

Words by Charles Baudelaire.

"Spleen I & II" read by Sarah Ruddy.
"Spleen III & IV" read by Hannah Johnson.

All music written, performed and produced by
Stephen Benson and Alastair Popple.

Made at Home.

TOR046.

www.hudsongardner.com

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Treehouse Orchestra Recordings image

Treehouse Orchestra Recordings Cumbria, UK

Collective of artists and musicians based in Carlisle, Cumbria. Alt. rock, ambient, folk, avant garde, pop and more.

contact / help

Contact Treehouse Orchestra Recordings

Streaming and
Download help

Report this album or account

If you like The Witch Box, you may also like:

Bandcamp Daily  your guide to the world of Bandcamp

On Bandcamp Radio

Beans joins the show to discuss his album release, "ZWAARD".

listen now