- The term "folk-metal" has been bandied around in reference to Snow Ghosts, and if those words melded together strike the same kind of panic into you as they do me, you might be put off ever actually listening to the group. Fear not, though: the piercing, ethereal product of this collaboration between Ross Tones and Hannah Cartwright (AKA Throwing Snow and Augustus Ghost respectively) bears a far greater resemblance to The xx than to anything inspired by Viking mythology.
"And The World Was Gone" pairs Cartwright's haunting vocal about loss ("You said you'd wait forever / But I blinked and the world was gone") with Tones' crashing, thunderstorm bass and a folkish guitar line. Roly Porter pairs Cartwright's vocal with brutalist walls of noise on his remix. The results are a revelation, dolloping yet more menace into an already ominous brew. Calibre's remix is straightforward drum & bass, a skittering breakbeat underpinning the original's vocal and plaintive guitar. Closing out the package is a beautiful acoustic cover version by Kahn, which suggests the Bristol artist's talents extend well beyond the bass music for which he is currently known.
Tracklist A1 Snow Ghosts - And The World Was Gone
A2 Snow Ghosts - And The World Was Gone (Roly Porter Remix)
B1 Snow Ghosts - And The World Was Gone (Calibre Remix)
B2 Kahn - And The World Was Gone