Hammock – Undercurrent 10 (Halloween Is of the Devil)

Sweeping instrumentalists Hammock are set to release their full-length album Silencia in mid-November. It’s certain to be a collection of grand, lush, meditative compositions and it’s an impressive testament to the bands consistent output – as it follows 2018’s Universalis and 2017’s Mysterium. One new full-length album a year is no small feat.

What up’s the ante even more is the fact that every month during 2019 the band has been releasing long-form pieces as part of a living album entitled Undercurrents. Each track on the album averages about 20 minutes in length, giving plenty of time for the ambient scores to drift along and pace themselves as they swell and compound on themselves over time.

The tenth installment is, appropriately, entitled Undercurrent 10 (Halloween Is of the Devil). An airy guitar repeats itself over a bed of lumbering drums and dark resonating tones while various mysterious flourishes weave in and out, eventually culminating in . As with all of the offerings of Undercurrents (and most of Hammock’s catalog in general), the pace is intentional metered, asking the listener to have patience and immerse yourself in the slow changes.

It’s unclear if the track title is meant to directly tie with the music itself or if it’s just a clever nod to the fact that it was released in October but the sprawling nature of the song paired with the dark elements works quite well as a soundtrack for your All Hallow’s Eve activities.