We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

The Watchers

by A Year In The Country

/
  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      £4.95 GBP  or more

     

  • Dawn Light Edition in fold-out sleeve
    Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Hand-finished white/black CD album in textured recycled fold out sleeve with fold-out insert and badge:

    1) Custom printed using archival giclée pigment ink.
    2) Includes 2.5 cm badge, secured with removable glue on string bound tag.
    3) 1 x folded sheet of accompanying notes, hand numbered on back.

    Includes unlimited streaming of The Watchers via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

    Sold Out

  • Nightfall edition boxset
    Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Hand-finished box-set contains: album on all black CD, 2 x sheets of accompanying notes, 2 x prints, 3 x stickers and 3 x badges:

    1) Cover, notes and prints custom printed using archival giclée pigment ink.
    2) Contained in a matchbox style sliding two-part rigid matt card box with cover print.
    3) Fully black CD (black on top, black on playable side).
    4) 2 x folded sheets of accompanying notes, printed on textured laid paper - one sheet hand numbered on back.
    5) 2 x prints on textured fine art cotton rag paper.
    5) 2 x 2.5 cm badge, 1 x 4.5 cm badge.
    6) 1 x 5.6 cm sticker, 1 x 3.5 cm sticker, 1 x 12cm sticker.

    Includes unlimited streaming of The Watchers via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

    Sold Out

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.

about

Amongst Britain’s trees there are thought to be over 3,000 ancient oaks - those which date back 400 years or more - and of those trees more than 115 are 800 to 1,000 years old or more. They are part of a tree population that also includes ash trees that have lived for hundreds of years and a yew that is estimated to be between 2000-3000 years old or possibly many thousands of years older and that some consider to be the oldest living thing in Europe.

These are living organisms which could be seen to be undertaking a very stately, still form of time travel, to be watchers and observers over the passing of the years, centuries and even millennia.

Some of them have lived through invasions of their island home undertaken by wooden ships, sword and arrow, the final days and passing of the old ways and the times of magic and witchcraft, the coming of the industrial revolution and the dawning of the digital era.

Throughout it all they have stood by and watched the endeavours of humans and the encroaching of their lands as the tales passed through traditional folklore evolved into the sometimes dizzying swathes of today’s cultural landscape, with these “mighty oaks” and their companions now coming to be living amongst the invisible hubbub of modern day wirelessly transmitted communications.

The numbers of these longstanding inhabitants of this once largely green and unpaved land have dwindled due to the march of progress but a few stalwartly continue their journeys through time. The Watchers reflects on those journeys and these ancient trees’ residing over growing layers of history.

credits

released June 7, 2019

Artwork/packaging design and fabrication by AYITC Ocular Signals Department

Artifact #12a
Library Reference Nunbers: A017TWDL / A017TWN

Released by A Year In The Country
www.ayearinthecountry.co.uk


“A Year In The Country continue to release their sumptuous CDs… ‘A Thousand Autumns’ by Field Lines Cartographer celebrates an ancient oak, its cyclical shedding of thousands of leaves providing nutrients for next year’s leaves. The twinkling synth sounds like the falling leaves in the shafts of Autumnal sunlight… Sproatly Smith arrive with ‘Watching You’ another song from the point of view of these ancient trees, bird song, female voice, synth and acoustic guitar. Tracing the journey from acorn to mighty hollowed oak, a bucolic folk tune… Vic Mars is next with ‘The Test Of Time’ this song takes its inspiration from the great Eardisley oak tree, one of the oldest in Britain. A purely electronic piece of music which is both cathartic and gentle in nature, it’s stately and develops into a bucolic pastoral piece… This could be the label’s finest release yet.” Andrew Young, Terrascope

“The music portrays a gentle patience, from the field recordings sprinkled throughout the album to delicate chimes and folksong.” Richard Allen, A Closer Listen

“A Year in the Country’s latest uncanny release is The Watchers, a celebration of Britain’s trees that mixes electronica with eerie folk…” Jude Rogers, The Guardian

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

A Year In The Country UK

The A Year In The Country project is a set of year-long journeys through spectral fields - explorations of an otherly pastoralism, the outer reaches of folk culture & the spectres of hauntology.

As a project it has included a website featuring writing, artwork & music which stems from that otherly pastoral/spectral hauntological intertwining, alongside a growing number of book & album releases.
... more

contact / help

Contact A Year In The Country

Streaming and
Download help

Shipping and returns

Redeem code

Report this album or account

If you like A Year In The Country, you may also like: