Echo Omen’s new album Belonging is peppered with stunning sounds, from the percussive crackle of opened pomegranates to Himalayan snowfall.
The term ‘atmospheric’ gets thrown around a lot in music, but perhaps nowhere is the descriptor more fitting than on Belonging, the second album from WA multi-hyphenate Echo Omen.
Arriving today (February 9), the 12-track project traces Echo Omen — known offstage as Matthew Bracknell — from stripped back folk to ethereal rhythms, as bound by the musician’s ear for ambience.
The project, a follow-up to last year’s New Moon, Ancient Eye, boasts the most collaborations of Bracknell’s career, from the Jackson Brown-assisted hip hop cut Cuppa Cosmic to the acoustic warmth of Death Gracefully Sitting In The Corner with Wren Bethan.
Through it all, Bracknell’s penchant for natural sound flourishes shines through, situating listeners squarely in the kind of sonic oasis that’s the stuff of daydreams.
In celebration of Belonging, Echo Omen swung by Happy Mag to sort through the top field recordings that feature on the album, including the Himalayan snowfall samples of Seduced By My Shadow and the percussive sounds of a pomegranate cracking open on Bosom.
Catch Echo Omen’s list of top field recording notes below, and scroll down to listen to his new album Belonging.
Himalayan Snow Fall
High in the Himalayan mountains of Nepal I collected some real gems with the field recorder. For this particular sound I wedged the microphone into the snow beside a tree heavily laden with snow fall and wacked the branches with a big stick.
The sample itself is the moment the snow hit the ground and I use it as a snare sound in the song ‘Seduced By My Shadow.’
Echo’s Last Breath
Echo was my best friend for over 11 years. We shared many incredible adventures and she stood by my side through some huge life storms. She was a sweet and wise dog.
The recording is of her breathing as she peacefully passed away in my lounge room and it features in the track ‘Snore Me To Slumber.’
Crack the Pomegranate
Twas the season for ripe pomegranates hanging over fences through the streets of East Fremantle.
I collected a couple of reachable fruit and upon returning home, I found the field recorder and caught a sample of a whole pomegranate being cracked open. I use it as percussion in the song ‘Bosom.’
Karijini Stone Wobble
I used to teach music out in the communities of the Pilbara and on a day off I was able to visit Karijini for the first time. Hiking through the gorges I stumbled upon all sorts of delicious samples.
This one is of me stepping on a wobbly rock. Again I use this as percussion, and It features in the song ‘Dappled Shade.’
Koolbardi Song
Down on my home country in the Great Southern of Western Australia, The Koolbardi (Magpie) is the sort of singer that I look up to. Rising before even the sun, the intricacies of its song really pluck my heart strings.
I woke early and sat the field recorder on the dog couch in my backyard. The sample features in the song ’Snore Me To Slumber.’
