“I had an unpleasant dream. I was a big black bird flying westward over a thick jungle. I was badly wounded, my feathers caked with black blood. Ominous dark clouds were gathering in the western sky, and there was a whiff of rain in the air.”
-Haruki Murakami
In 2017, Amethyst decided to make a life changing decision, he moved from Germany to the great unknown - the captivating island of New Zealand.
Upon arriving he basked in the sensations of the foreign land; the swaying of palm trees, the lush outdoors, the thunderstorms and summer showers. Yet after a few months, just as he was starting to acclimatize to his new environment, tragedy struck.
What was meant to be a new beginning, became a journey of trepidation and anguish, ultimately forcing him to return home.
Back in Germany, and after a long stint spent in recovery, Amethyst decided to filter these experiences into 8 sequential pieces, each recalling his journey from a different point in time; from preliminary optimism and acclimatisation to grave agony and in its final moments, new-found resolutions.
In the end, The Journey presents itself as an auditory testimony, a series of personal recollections that make up one of the most enduring and defining periods of the artist’s life, thus referring to Amethyst’s album as a personal endeavor would be a grave understatement, The Journey is Amethyst – as both, the enchantment as well as the trepidation he subsisted during his time in New Zealand continue to define him to this day, both in, and outside of music.
Blending the natural & artificial transporting you to the "hidden terraces" both real and imagined. Do you see & hear the rainforest while someone is creates music beside you? Do you have windows open and the radio or TV turned down/up just enough so indoors and outdoors are in collaboration not competition? Are you in your own room but can clearly see (hear) a better tomorrow? Do you have strategies for being in a soul-draining box yet never feel separate from nature? Yes. Thank you, Sofie. Anthony Childs
Taken from the personal archives of the late Trish Keenan, these recordings and sketches shed new light on the beloved UK psychedelic band. Bandcamp New & Notable May 9, 2024
Blissful, tuneful indie rock with Portuguese lyrics and influences from a Lisbon multi-instrumentalist with creative ties to Panda Bear. Bandcamp New & Notable May 9, 2024