Elskavon & John Hayes - Du Nord (2020) Hi-Res

Chris Bartels (appearing here under his instrumental moniker Elskavon) and pianist John Hayes found their way to one another through a common interest in ambient-classical composition, and shared influences spanning Chopin to Eno, both in genre and chronology. On their debut collaborative LP Du Nord, the pair work in a modern framework draped in classical textures, adding up to a moving and tranquil outcome that sonically describes their mutually beloved home state Minnesota, particularly as it is during its overlong winter months. Using cassette tape, and both in and out-of-the-box effects processing, to wring every last drop of sincerity out of a small array of acoustic timbres, Hayes and Bartels manage to lure electronic composition away from its oft-accused sterility into a deeply human, empathic realm.