Sometimes I think about what would happen to the planet if we succeed in our accidental extinction of species like ants and bees. I think we would see that unlike a human extinction that would allow the creatures of this planet to thrive, bees and ants are actually vital to the ecosystems that make up our planet. And both of these essential species rely on their females to lead their colonies and ensure their survival.
INNERWOUD stepped into the hive mind of the male bee, dreaming about the drive to breed, and the loneliness of being put out to die in the fall and winter because they aren’t worth the hive effort to feed. And yet, their fertilization is coveted every spring, and the cycle of requisition and rejection starts again. INNERWOUD has woven these nightmarish dreams into breathtaking experimental opus called DRAN. The depth of sound that comes from the double bass on these two songs is astounding and abyssal. Mournful and cavernous, sonics that reach deep into my chest cavity and remind my heart to keep beating. The DRAN EP celebrates 10 years of Innerwoud, and comes out April 12th, Record Store Day, via Consouling Sounds โ get your hands on a limited vinyl here on the 12th. The two-track EP is composed of a new track “Dran,” featuring a poem written and performed by Colin H. Van Eeckhout, and an older track, “Dar II,” reimagined and entirely re-recorded with the help of Dave French (YOB), visual artist Lydia Hannah Debeer, and Gowaart Vandenbossche (yadayn). Today we’re lucky to be sharing it in full below.
The central theme of this release is the male bee (the song titles are old Germanic words, which also gave rise to the term “drone”). Solitary and at times powerless, yet indispensable, these creatures of the hive are not immune to the accelerating mass extinction of life on Earth.
photography: Karmen Ayvazyan
artwork en design: Bram Bentein
featuring: Dave French (drums), Colin H. Van Eeckhout (poetry), Lydia Hannah Debeer (vocals) & Gowaart Vandenbossche (guitars)
produced, recorded & mixed by Tim De Gieter at Much Luv Studio
mastered by Jens Larsson at Larsson Mastering
Released by Consouling Sounds
Limited to 250 copies
Black vinyl, 12”, 45 RPM
Total length: 21m44s
