Raw Silk Uncut Wood is a mini-album by Berlin-based American electronic musician Laurel Halo, released on July 13, 2018, through Latency Recordings. It consists of six ambient instrumental tracks.[1][2]

Raw Silk Uncut Wood
Studio album by
ReleasedJuly 13, 2018 (2018-07-13)
Genre
Length32:26
LabelLatency
ProducerLaurel Halo
Laurel Halo chronology
Dust
(2017)
Raw Silk Uncut Wood
(2018)
Atlas
(2023)

Release

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Halo announced the release of a "mini-LP" titled Raw Silk Uncut Wood on June 13, 2018, alongside the release of the title track. In a press release, Halo stated that the album was inspired by her work on the 2018 documentary film, Possessed. The album features contributions from cellist Oliver Coates and percussionist Eli Keszler.[3] It was described as "a meditative, cinematic listening experience."[2]

The title is derived from Ursula Le Guin's translation of the Tao Te Ching.[4]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic84/100[5]
Review scores
SourceRating
NME     [6]
Pitchfork8.0/10[7]
PopMatters          [8]
Resident Advisor4.1/5[4]
Tiny Mix Tapes     [9]
The Wire     [10]

Raw Silk Uncut Wood received acclaim from music critics upon release, with a Metacritic weighed aggregate score of 84 out of 100 based on seven reviews.[5] Writing for Pitchfork, Sasha Geffen said "Raw Silk Uncut Wood marks a departure from her usual mode of thorny, cerebral electronic compositions, but as her most ambient record to date, it also boasts some of her most unabashedly beautiful music."[7] Hans Kim of PopMatters said, "Whether Raw Silk Uncut Wood is the precursor to a forthcoming ambient full-length or just another stint of experimentation, Laurel Halo continues to break expectations in the most bemusing way. The mini-album is a beautiful practice of minimalism that also maintains her intricate perspective."[8] Resident Advisor's Nina Posner wrote, "Inspired by this sentiment, as well as Halo's time scoring a film for the Dutch art collective Metahaven, the more abstract aspects of Raw Silk Uncut Wood allow her to establish moods that are at once non-prescriptive and immediately visceral."[4]

Accolades

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Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
The A.V. Club Best Electronic Albums of 2018
N/A
The Vinyl Factory Top 50 Albums of 2018
20
The Wire Top 50 Albums of 2018
33
Tiny Mix Tapes Top 50 Albums of 2018
33

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Laurel Halo

No.TitleLength
1."Raw Silk Uncut Wood"10:00
2."Mercury"3:56
3."Quietude"2:32
4."The Sick Mind"4:24
5."Supine"1:27
6."Nahbarkeit"10:07
Total length:32:26

Personnel

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Credits adapted from the liner notes of Raw Silk Uncut Wood.[15]

  • Laurel Halo – production
  • Oliver Coates – cello (tracks 1, 6)
  • Eli Keszler – percussion (tracks 2, 6)
  • Jill Mulleady – artwork
  • Hugo Blanzat – design

References

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  1. ^ Copperman, Joshua (July 13, 2018). "Stream Laurel Halo's New "Mini-Album" Raw Silk Uncut Wood". Spin. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  2. ^ a b Gray, Julia (June 13, 2018). "Laurel Halo – "Raw Silk Uncut Wood"". Stereogum. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  3. ^ Cush, Andy (June 13, 2018). "Laurel Halo Announces "Mini Album" Raw Silk Uncut Wood, Releases Title Track". Spin. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  4. ^ a b c Posner, Nina (July 12, 2018). "RA Reviews: Laurel Halo – Raw Silk Uncut Wood on Latency". Resident Advisor. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  5. ^ a b "Critic Reviews for Raw Silk Uncut Wood". Metacritic. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  6. ^ Bassett, Jordan (July 11, 2018). "Laurel Halo – 'Raw Silk Uncut Wood' review". NME. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  7. ^ a b Geffen, Sasha (July 17, 2018). "Laurel Halo: Raw Silk Uncut Wood Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  8. ^ a b Kim, Hans (July 19, 2018). "Laurel Halo: Raw Silk Uncut Wood (album review)". PopMatters. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  9. ^ Coral, Evan. "Laurel Halo - Raw Silk Uncut Wood | Music Review". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  10. ^ "Laurel Halo: Raw Silk Uncut Wood". The Wire (414): 67. August 2018.
  11. ^ Purdom, Clayton (8 December 2018). "The Best Electronic Albums of 2018". Music.avclub.com. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  12. ^ "Our 50 Favourite Albums of 2018". Thevinylfactory.com. 6 December 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  13. ^ "Listen to The Wire's Top 50 releases of 2018". The Wire. December 2018.
  14. ^ "Favorite 50 Music Releases". Tinymixtapes.com. 17 December 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  15. ^ Raw Silk Uncut Wood (LP liner notes). Laurel Halo. Latency Recordings. 2018. LTNC014.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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