Nashville’s Hammock follows up 2017’s critically-acclaimed Mysterium with Universalis, the second installment of a planned three-album series. While Mysterium took listeners down a horizontal path that explored themes of death and grief, Universalis begins a vertical, upward movement back toward the light.
At times, Universalis calls back to Hammock’s 2006 album Raising Your Voice… Trying to Stop an Echo, while also retaining Mysterium’s deep ambient, neoclassical style. The band also finds itself rediscovering some of its earliest influences, including Low and Red House Painters. With Universalis, Hammock invites listeners to lose themselves within its layers of sound, while also embracing the beauty in its raw openness and silence.
To achieve the sound of Universalis, Hammock brought on Francesco Donadello (A Winged Victory for the Sullen, Olafur Arnalds, Johann Johannsson) and Peter Katis (Interpol, Jonsi, The National), who each mixed portions of the album. The album artwork was curated by The Fuel and Lumber Company with drawings by Pete Schulte, and Matt Kidd (Slow Meadow) returned to play piano and provide additional engineering.
credits
releases December 7, 2018
Produced by Marc Byrd & Andrew Thompson
All songs written by Marc Byrd & Andrew Thompson
Recorded at Studio 37 in Nashville, TN and Breathturn in Franklin, TN
Except as noted below
Tracks 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10 and 11 Mixed by Francesco Donadello at Vox-Ton in Berlin, Germany
Tracks 2, 4, 6 and 9 Mixed by Peter Katis at Tarquin Studios, Bridgeport, CT
Mastered by Francesco Donadello at Calyx, Berlin, Germany
String transcriptions with additional arrangements by Baeho “Bobby” Shin
Strings recorded at The Library Studios, Nashville, TN
Strings performed by Nashville Recording Orchestra
Art Direction by The Fuel And Lumber Company
Drawings by Pete Schulte
Layout by Ben Walker
Artwork photographed by Jonathan Purvis
Management: Johnny Pleasant
Angelic vocals by Christine Glass Byrd
Additional keys on tracks 4 & 8 by Matt Kidd
Additional editing on tracks 2, 4 & 6 by Matt Kidd
Drums and percussion on tracks 2, 4, 6 and 9 by Ken Lewis
Engineered by Billy Whittington in Nashville, TN
Published by Blue Raft Music (BMI) / Celestial Sphere (ASCAP)