by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

Erland Cooper always has his eye on future projects…so it is no surprise to see him following up his Orcadian odyssey Carve The Runes… with a new ambient EP. Composed as a sister piece to Do Birds Dream?, it renews his close link to bird life – and the weightless release of flight.

The piece is divided into five sections, and there is a shorter edit, but Asleep On The Wing works best as a one-off experience.

What’s the music like?

Immensely restful. What is noticeable is how at ease Erland Cooper is with longer form compositions – and as a result Asleep On The Wing evolves at a natural pace.

With comforting surrounds of ambience, the music grows around a central, sonorous drones, with piano flicks and harp-like sonorities drifting in and out of consciousness, musical images that gain focus for a while before becoming blurred again.

Around the seven minute-mark in the full version the ambient fuzz descends, as though in a deeper sleep, but still there is a depiction of a longer, restful time on the wing – like the murmuration depicted in the sleep visualiser on YouTube but similarly evoking a big bird of prey, a condor in the Andes for instance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLkNWWVXJLY As ever, Cooper’s orchestration is thoughtfully crafted, for while Freya Goldmark is credited as a featured artist her violin is rarely in the foreground – yet there are signs of colouring before the bird calls at the end, which suggest a gradual awakening. Meanwhile human voices occasionally appear in the distance.

Does it all work?

It does indeed…and makes for a very calming 22 minutes.

Is it recommended?

Yes. Once again Erland Cooper has made a lovely score that rewards close inspection while forming a blissful backdrop.

For fans of… Tim Hecker, Biosphere, Stars of the Lid, A Winged Victory for the Sullen

Listen / Buy

For streaming and purchase details, visit the Mercury KX website

Published post no.2,479 – Thursday 20 March 2025