Raw Silk Uncut Wood

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
Laurel Halo
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

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
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
Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
The A.V. Club Best Electronic Albums of 2018
N/A
[11]
The Vinyl Factory Top 50 Albums of 2018
20
[12]
The Wire Top 50 Albums of 2018
33
[13]
Tiny Mix Tapes Top 50 Albums of 2018
33
[14]

Track listing

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

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
  1. Copperman, Joshua (July 13, 2018). "Stream Laurel Halo's New "Mini-Album" Raw Silk Uncut Wood". Spin. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  2. 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. Posner, Nina (July 12, 2018). "RA Reviews: Laurel Halo – Raw Silk Uncut Wood on Latency". Resident Advisor. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  5. "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. Geffen, Sasha (July 17, 2018). "Laurel Halo: Raw Silk Uncut Wood Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  8. 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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