Forest Swords

Wikipedia:

Matthew Barnes, known by his stage name Forest Swords, is an English music producer and artist.

Contents

Music career[edit]

Dagger Paths EP[edit]

Debut EP Dagger Paths was FACT Magazine's #1 album of the year, received an 8.4 rating on music website Pitchfork and was #48 on their 'Albums of the Year' list, was rated 9/10 on music website Drowned In Sound, called "one of 2010's finest underground records" by NME, and was chosen a 'Hidden Gem of 2010' in The Guardian.

Engravings LP[edit]

Debut album Engravings was released through Tri Angle Records on 26 August 2013.

New track "Thor's Stone" was posted to the act's Soundcloud account on 6 June 2013. A second track "The Weight Of Gold" followed on 18 July 2013, and was named Best New Track by Pitchfork Media

Response[edit]

Critical response[edit]

In November 2010, Pitchfork Media posted an article suggesting Barnes was part of a new generation of producer composers, alongside James Blake, Mount Kimbie, Bon Iver, Burial and Four Tet.

A June 2013 feature on The FADER website placed the Forest Swords project as a unique and contemporary strain of dub music, "worth endless listens, endless re-examinations, endless re-contextualizing", and stating it "exists in that sweet spot of musical influence between everything and nothing."

Other work[edit]

Barnes has stated that he is interested in working on production for hip-hop and R&B artists, soundtrack composition and sound installation.

Since Dagger Paths, Forest Swords has been commissioned to remix These New Puritans, Wild Beasts, Gold Panda and The Big Pink.

In 2012, Forest Swords co-produced and co-wrote the single "Cold Nites" for How To Dress Well.

Forest Swords produced Barbados hip-hop MC Haleek Maul's track "Lobo", which was posted online in August 2013.

Live performances[edit]

UK websites The Line Of Best Fit and The 405 both named Forest Swords as a highlight of The Great Escape Festival 2012 festival.Cite error: There are <ref> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist}} template (see the help page).

Art work[edit]

On 29 September 2011 at the Abandon Normal Devices festival, three specially commissioned Forest Swords pieces, as part of a site-specific sound art series called 'Ground Rhythms', were cut to 12" X-ray film and performed on turntables at an event at Liverpool's Static Gallery. The pieces were inspired by three architectural sites from Merseyside history which no longer exist, and the tracks on the brittle X-ray pressings were designed to be "played once only before degrading, never to be played again". A second performance in the series took place at the AV Festival in Newcastle in March 2012, inspired by demolished buildings in the north east.

Dyymond Of Durham, a collaborative project between Forest Swords and Bavarias fine artist Otto Baerst, released a track on No Pain In Pop's vinyl compilation The Bedroom Club II in January 2013.

Forest Swords is also a graphic designer, with work featured in Creative Review, Grafik, and Dazed & Confused. He has mentioned in interviews that design and visual art are key influencers to his music.

A special edition of the "Engravings" album is available with an additional 20 page booklet of Barnes' original photography.Cite error: There are <ref> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist}} template (see the help page).