dean mcphee: witch's ladder

Witch's Ladder is the fourth full-length album from UK guitarist Dean McPhee, whose last LP Four Stones (2018) introduced a kick drum pulse, hypnotic loops and synth-like Ebow lines to his sparsely meditative, echo-laden solo guitar music. On this new album he uses his Telecaster, valve amp and effects to weave an even deeper spell, as fingerpicked melodies soar over hypnotic riffs, looped basslines and cosmic reverb trails. Recorded live with no overdubs and inspired by folklore, mysticism and the landscapes of the North of England, Witch's Ladder represents a significant evolution in his sound, while also retaining the unique sense of depth and space that has drawn comparison with the likes of Loren Connors, Dylan Carlson, and Popul Vuh. The cover art to Witch's Ladder features the stunning 1933 painting "The Primal Wing" by Agnes Pelton, a visionary symbolist who was not widely known during her lifetime but is now being recognized as a pioneer of spiritual abstract art alongside the likes of Hilma Af Klimt and Wassily Kandinsky. Witch's Ladder is the twelfth release on the Hood Faire label, a venture overseen by Sam McLoughlin (Samandtheplants/Tongues of Light), David Chatton Barker (Folklore Tapes), and Dean McPhee.