Hilary Woods is sharing new single ‘The Mouth’ ahead of her new album release. Birthmarks is due March 13 via Sacred Bones. Woods said of the track - "The impulse to write 'The Mouth' came from a longing to articulate feelings aloud that I failed to express til the moment had passed. Braiding together harmonies of distorted vocals and heavy drone woven with saxophone and strings was my own way of exorcising the demise of a relationship that could no longer be resuscitated. 'The Mouth', the threshold of expression and healing."

Hilary Woods’ Birthmarks has been a labour of intensity and intuition, written over the course of two years. Recorded whilst heavily pregnant between Galway and Oslo in the winter of 2019, Woods explores the oscillating and volatile processes of selfhood and becoming, hidden gestational growth, and the birthing of the Self, amidst continuous social and personal change.

Birthmarks is a record that hunts for ways in which to revisit and caress wounds left by the memory of their scars. In its mystery and attentiveness to the art of alchemy and the world of the unseen, it is a journey through textural fog and feral density that gives way to passages of voracious sonic exorcism and poetic healing.  Its eight songs traverse planes of visceral physicality, stark tender space, and breathtaking introspective beauty.

Spurred on and crafted by the impulse to create a more corporeal sonic tendon for her songs to inhabit, Woods took her vision and home recordings to Norwegian experimental noise producer and filmmaker Lasse Marhaug. The collaboration proved rare and fruitful and lies at the heart of this record. Field recordings, analogue bass synthesizers, hushed vocals, and the breath are underpinned with heavy noise processing, fierce and wide cello, rich percussion, sable saxophone, and electronics.

Birthmarks is inspired and informed by ideas of inner transmutation in the face of anxiety, post-war Japanese and wet-plate photography, early music, the secret life of trees, wolves, drone, the drawings of Francis Bacon, the images of Francesca Woodman, the films of Chris Marker, the experiential collapse of community, and the power of the lone human voice. Itis a deeply powerful and enigmatic record that ultimately transcends its disquiet roots

Birthmarks track list:

1. Tongues of Wild Boar

2. Orange Tree

3. Through the Dark, Love

4. Lay Bare

5. Mud and Stones

6. The Mouth

7. Cleansing Ritual

8. There Is No Moon

German indie three-piece KOJ share their new single ‘Thunder’ along with a music video. It's the third single from the bands Long Branch Records label debut album Home coming April 24. ‘Thunder’ talks about those sudden changes in life that you didn’t anticipate. It’s the feeling of being completely fine one minute and next thing you know, you feel like your whole world is collapsing. Those moments that feel like a storm that is rolling in so quickly that you didn’t even have the time to prepare yourself for what’s to come. Almost mockingly and in stark contrast to the theme of the song, the music feels very light and up-tempo and more like a dance track. ‘Thunder’ thrives on the interplay of these two opposing forces.

KOJ comments on new single, "The song was written at the end of the recording process in a collaborative process with the producer Beray Habip. We wanted to add an uptempo track while staying true to the core elements of the KOJ sound. The chorus features a western style guitar lick similar to the intro of the first single ‘Home’. However, the almost techno like drum beat adds a new dimension to the atmospheric and thick sound palette."

KOJ share a strong common musical vision in addition to their roots as a family. As a closely interwoven trio they create dark, emotional soundscapes that captivate the listener. KOJ are children of the ‘90s and love the rock music of that time, which is reflected in the raw emotionality of their songs. KOJ wrap their musical essence in minimalistic and fine sound garments, which remind of triphop in some places and let the feeling lead the listener. The band shows itself sometimes unbending, sometimes fragile, sometimes self-confident. KOJ don't gloss over their songs, they are raw and to the point. In countless songwriting and recording sessions KOJ have worked on their sound world and created their musical home together with engineer and producer Beray Habip. An intimate and personal image of the soul life of three people has been created in the process. KOJ want to understand where they come from, where they are going and how they can exist in this world.

Tracklist;

1 Stars

2 Home

3 Pamela

4 Jenny

5 Human Love

6 Thunder

7 Unscarred

8 Scarlett