Science tells us that our ability to remember the past and our ability to imagine the future are deeply intertwined. Trick Mist’s second full-length The Hedge Maze and The Spade sees him remember and imagine in equal measure. Catapulted into a period of forced introspection after the death of his 96 year old grandmother with whom he shared a remarkably close relationship. The album's initial impulse was a quest to explore and understand this relationship as it passed into a new phase.
‘I was always wrecking her head asking her about things in her life and old ways of living. She was always very insightful about what felt like another world to me. When she died I thought I needed to continue the exploration and figure out what lessons can I take from our experience together and how can I implement them into my future. In the face of big challenges like the climate crisis maybe we can learn something from older generations.'
Sonically the album is strikingly ambient and mediative and sees more relied use of space and melody. Trade mark experimentalism is plain to see in organic-sample laden electronic productions but also finds new expression lyrically and in the more traditional realm of folk singing. Oddity and accessibility share a harmonious platform.
The Hedge Maze and The Spade is a layered tapestry, a therapeutic space, a travel log of an inner journey with many universal truths along the way.