This is a Random Album Generator.
One album a day.
From the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Norther

Ex-Easter Island Head

2024

Norther

Album Summary

This album has been submitted by a user and is not included in any edition of the book.

Norther is the sixth album by the English band Ex-Easter Island Head, released on 17 May 2024. It is the band's first studio album in eight years, following Twenty-Two Strings (2016). The album marks the first appearance of Andrew PM Hunt as a permanent member, who also served as its producer and mixing engineer, alongside Benjamin Duvall, Benjamin Fair, and Jonathan Hering. The album was recorded at the band's home studio The Consulate in Liverpool and released by Rocket Recordings. The album takes its title from the meteorological term norther, which refers to a cold wind from the north. It explores themes of nature, "controlled randomness," and the interaction between technologies. Musically, the band has cited influences from Rhys Chatham and Glenn Branca, known for their experimental guitar compositions, as well as minimalism and extended instrumental forms. They describe the album as incorporating both structured composition and freeform elements, drawing comparisons to the evolving dynamics of The Necks and the rhythmic precision of artists on Kompakt. Hunt described the band's creative direction, emphasising their desire to make music that is engaging and enjoyable: "It's important to us that it's accessible and fun, that it's not too cerebral." While acknowledging their influences from academic minimalism and late 20th-century avant-garde, he characterised their style as "experimental music presented as entertainment," paraphrasing Stewart Lee's description of the band. Norther received positive reviews from critics and appeared in several year-end album rankings, topping The Quietus' list and placing fourth in Loud and Quiet's. Some critics described it as the band’s strongest work to date.

Wikipedia

Rating

2.73

Votes

64

Submitter

View

Reviews

Like a review? Give it a thumb up to help us display relevant reviews!
Sort by: Top Date
Jul 05 2025
4

When I first heard the tinkling vibraphone come in I was dreading a long, frustrating contemporary art piece. Once the thrumming bass line appeared, I realized this was a more concentrated attempt at making experimental music that wasn’t just bland ambient. Loved how creative and expressive this LP managed to be with a minimal toolset, crafting novel sounds out of familiar synths and showing some heavy artistic depth. I let the suggested tracks run for a few hours after this album concluded and felt pretty immersed in a genre l usually shunned, so thanks for the opening the door to some awesome new (to me) music

👍
Jul 04 2025
4

After reading up on this, how I would feel about it was a real coin toss. Terms like avant garde and experimental can be harbingers that you're about to get a whacked with the Art stick. But I ended up liking this pretty well. For me reminiscent of some aspects of Laurie Anderson, Brian Eno, Meredith Monk - not bad company in my book. The very analog starting point of the sound gave it some interesting texture in a genre that tends these days to the pure electronica. A little on the fence on the score as I didn't feel like it all held up - never offensive but some of it just faded into the background - but I'll slip it an extra, possibly over-generous point just for being a real lft field inclusion.

👍
Jul 04 2025
4

Accessible experimental music. Relaxing to listen to

👍
Jul 06 2025
4

I never heard of Ex-Easter Island Head before, but this is a nice addition to the user list. Minimal electronica with a lot of songs with sounds that are slightly off-tone and/or off-beat. Songs like Easter make you irritated and interested at the same time.

👍
Jul 05 2025
2

kept waiting for it to start.. .and waiting and waiting

👍
Jul 06 2025
5

Wow this was fantastic! Catchy, experimental in a very accessible way… I loved it.

👍
Jul 04 2025
4

This chill album reminds me a lot of The Field

👍
Jul 05 2025
4

Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Norther, Magnetic language

👍
Jul 06 2025
4

Reminds me of K. K. Slider in Animal Crossing.

👍
Jul 10 2025
4

Listened to this a few times & enjoyed it. Weather especially moved me. I was motivated to listen during some stormy summer weather & I def recommend that vibe

👍
Jul 04 2025
3

Minimalism, ambient, experimental. Ni fu ni fa.

👍
Jul 06 2025
3

I thought this might be a good one in the car with my 83-year-old mother, as she generally likes ambient instrumental music. Her take was that at least one track sounded like a cat walking on a keyboard. I liked it more than than that, but I probably appreciated the description of the recording techniques involved rather than the listening itself.

👍
Jul 17 2025
3

Intellectually, I found this to be an interesting enough listen. But I think it lacks a certain warmth that it really needs to be effective. I don't really feel a thing when I listen to this. Fave Songs: Weather, Easter, Norther

👍
Jul 04 2025
2

A bit heavy on the wind chime it seems. Overall this classical/ambient album is a pretty laid back album that is decent background music and can be reading. It was somewhat cohesive but a few songs felt disjointed overall. It’s an interesting concept and unique overall but nothing I’d revisit again. 5.3/10

👍
Jul 09 2025
2

Are we running out of band names? Sounds like music for a documentary about fish. Treads a very fine line between "experimental music made accessible" and "experimental music made boring". Over all, nothing wrong with it, but I don't think I'd ever listen to this again when there's so many albums that do this sound but without holding back.

👍
Jul 15 2025
2

Na sorry this one just gave me a sore head.

👍