Want to go on an extremely niche and charming adventure? Go venture out to Wales and put Samana's album on your headphones. Somewhere within the deluxe edition of the LP, somehow, if you decode it correctly, are the instructions on how to find a hidden obelisk, presumably somewhere in the middle of Nowhere, Wales, UK, Europe, Earth, which I have yet to find on Google Maps. The instructions are a bit cryptic, presumably, but navigable. If you're one for a side quest with a rhythmic, meditative and meandering soundtrack, this might just be the journey for you.
The music itself is modern folk rock, engaging easy listening for sitting with your legs folded up to your chest and staring out at the grand, sweeping landscape in front of you and thinking about what it all means. Too specific? Let me elaborate. To continue the scene, after sitting a spell, you'll later feel compelled to abruptly stand up, grab your rucksack and meander across the plains. Then, reaching into your bag of all your worldly possessions, one of which is the Ascension LP, map within, the quest really begins.
The band's ethos aligns very well with journeying.
Samana was realised in the heart of a mountainous forest, during a year-long journey Rebecca Rose and Franklin Mockett undertook across the natural wilderness and distant cities of Eastern Europe. Lending their instincts solely to the road, and to the embodiment of freedom, their first creations were written in the vast isolation of nature and performed on the streets of the towns and villages they passed through. As two multi-disciplinary artists, Samana weave together their distinct poetry, music, striking photography and fine-art into one unique project. Crafting every element of creation themselves, the process the pair adopt in the creation of their work is one of strong ritualistic devotion and is produced in their analogue recording studio 'The Road Records' and darkroom in the remote regions of Wales.
from Samanaroad.com
Listening to the music, it makes sense that the band draws so much influence from ancient symbols.
The obelisk is wreathed in mystery, a shape that bears great weight and significance throughout ancient history. The Ancient Egyptians used the obelisk as a symbol for the unknown, highlighting notions of eternity, consciousness and transcendence. Thousands of years later, such monumental cairns remain, as do their associations with the divine; a symbol we took great inspiration from in conducting and writing this album.
Rebecca Rose Harris, Bandcamp
Happy trails!
