High Plains / Cinderland
Artist High Plains
Album Title: Cinderland
Album Cover:
Primary Genre Alternative & Punk: Ambient/Dream Pop
Format CD
Released 03/10/2017
Label Kranky
Catalog No KRANK206
Bar Code No 7 96441 82062 7
Packaging Jewelcase
Tracks
1. Cinderland (3:03)
2. Blood That Ran the Rapids (3:30)
3. The Dusk Pines (6:31)
4. A White Truck (2:48)
5. Ten Sleep (3:21)
6. Black Shimmer (4:05)
7. Hypoxia (4:53)
8. Rushlight (2:53)
9. Song for a Last Night (5:15)
Date Acquired 12/01/2023
Personal Rating
Acquired from Bandcamp Artist Website
Purchase Price 20.59

Web Links

All Music Guide Entry:
Bandcamp entry:
Discogs Entry:
MusicBrainz entry:

Notes

Notes:
Copyright : Mark Bridges & Scott Morgan

High Plains is the duo of Scott Morgan and Mark Bridges. Morgan, based in the Canadian Pacific Northwest, is predominantly known for his drifting, textured soundscapes released under the pseudonym loscil. Bridges is an accomplished, classically-trained cellist residing in Madison, Wisconsin. The two met in Banff, Alberta while they were simultaneously there on residencies at the Banff Centre for the Arts in 2014.

They first collaborated when Bridges contributed cello parts to Morgan’s generative music app ADRIFT, recorded in Seattle in 2015.

In early 2016, the duo embarked on a collaborative set of compositions in the oxygen thin air of Wyoming, spending two weeks holed up in a refurbished school house in the town of Saratoga,
where this album was recorded. Inspired by Schubert’s Die Winterreise and the rolling landscapes of their surroundings, the collaboration culminated in a collection of recordings that evoke a shadowy, introspective and dizzying winter journey. Cinderland takes cues from classical, electronic and cinematic musical traditions but is mostly a product of the rugged, mythic landscape; vast and sprawling with a wild, uncertain edge.

The recording was made with a portable studio and all sounds were sourced on site, most notably from Bridges’ cello, the resident Steinway D piano, and field recordings collected from the local soundscape.
The results are a site specific, wide scope view of the high valley terrain the duo worked in, a mix of analog and digital, neoclassical and modern electronic sounds, a complemental series of tracks to become absorbed in, a truly deep listening experience.

The cover art for Cinderland was created by London-based artist, Peter Liversidge.

Credits:
Cello – Mark Bridges
Composed By, Producer – Mark Bridges, Scott Morgan
Cover – Peter Liversidge
Electronics – Scott Morgan
Mastered By – Rafael Anton Irisarri

Companies, etc.:
Mastered At – Black Knoll Studio

Barcode and other Identifiers:
Barcode: 7 96441 82062 7

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Analyzed Folder: High Plains - Cinderland_dr.txt
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DR         Peak         RMS       Filename            
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DR08   -0.16 dB   -10.73 dB   01 - Cinderland.aiff    
DR08   -0.15 dB   -09.67 dB   02 - Blood that Ran the Rapids.aiff
DR10   -0.15 dB   -14.63 dB   03 - The Dusk Pines.aiff      
DR04   -0.15 dB   -08.82 dB   04 - A White Truck.aiff      
DR07   -0.16 dB   -11.02 dB   05 - Ten Sleep.aiff      
DR07   -0.15 dB   -10.22 dB   06 - Black Shimmer.aiff      
DR09   -0.15 dB   -13.42 dB   07 - Hypoxia.aiff        
DR09   -0.16 dB   -12.05 dB   08 - Rushlight.aiff      
DR06   -0.15 dB   -09.92 dB   09 - Song for a Last Night.aiff
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of Files: 9
Official DR Value: DR8
-----------------------------------------------------------------------


Reviews
All Music Guide Review by Paul Simpson:

Cinderland is the first collaboration between ambient producer Scott Morgan (Loscil) and classically trained cellist Mark Bridges under the name High Plains, although Bridges had previously contributed to Morgan's generative music app Adrift. The duo recorded the album in the small town of Saratoga, Wyoming at the beginning of 2016, where they brought a portable recording studio, took up residence in a revamped school house, and captured sounds from the surrounding environment. The music is appropriately sparse and wintry, and bears little resemblance to the shimmering, submerged dub-techno usually associated with Loscil. It also doesn't quite sound like the typical "field recordings plus droning synths" album one might expect. The pieces are generally short, and are often driven by Bridges' sorrowful cello playing, although Morgan's ominous synthesizers and piano play a huge part in shaping the mood of the album. The pair typically go for a subtle approach rather than overwhelming with dread, but there are still a few alarming moments fit for a horror film score. The tension slowly builds during "A White Truck," until a burst of sour horn-like synths attack. "Ten Sleep" is appropriately gentle, with plucked strings drifting in ether and a gorgeous, understated melody, but it's not quite as sweet and pleasant as one might expect. A few tracks are propelled by slow, percussive bumps (but not electronic kick drums or pulses), such as the dragged thump that anchors the rippling waves of "Blood That Ran the Rapids." Other than "Song for a Last Night," which seems to have been recorded on a creaking porch, the album feels intimate and delicate without sounding rustic. The album always maintains an undercurrent of fear or despondency, but it never gets too overbearing, and stays intriguing throughout.
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