dakota suite: an almost silent life

This record is a collection of songs having come through a quite difficult period of my life, the trilogy of records that came before this one (The End of Trying, The North Green Down, and The Side of Her Inexhaustible Heart) documented a very sad time for me and my family. However this new record, while not exactly 'disco,' does, I hope, contain a more positive outlook in general. I do feel everyday is a painful struggle, but people bring me kindness and I wanted to reflect that also. The songs are once again a small window into specific cinematic moments I have lived through, but I also tried to think more about the different atmospheres I have been creating in isolation and to fuse them more sympathetically into one record. I had become tired of the conventional 'band' structure of these types of songs, I didn't want to revert to tried and tested methods but to push towards something a little bit more interesting to my ears. This record is an attempt to expose the core of the song as it was intended, so at times I recorded many versions of the same song but most often ended up using the stripped-down versions and exposing my voice and guitar as solo instruments more frequently. I have also historically avoided electronic instruments, but I find that I have always listened to synthesized music as far back as Brian Eno's early ambient series and more latterly with music from people like Four Tet, so on this record, I allowed David [Buxton] more freedom to inculcate the record with organic and generated sounds, if he felt it would enhance the song. I am glad that I did. I also had the pleasure to play with various people like Quentin [Sirjacq] again, John Shepard as always, but even new friends like Dag Rosenqvist. Everyone took it someplace I wouldn't have ended up alone. These songs once again are all small hymns to my trusted friend and partner for life, Johanna, she for whom all my songs are small gestures with which to thank her for her grace towards me, which is constant. She's a remarkable woman and without her I would truly live a silent life, it is she who saves me every morning from something much more bleak." --Chris Hooson

Dakota Suite - An Almost Silent Life - I see your tears (glitterhouse records)