Songs from the Free House/Orange Vinyl

Description

For Smote, going further means digging deeper. Their music is not an escape into the cosmic, but a descent into the earth, where it merges with roots, vibrations, and repetition. Forged with a mantric intensity, Songs From The Free House – their fifth release on Rocket Recordings – continues their tradition of building a monumental sound from primordial forces. The megalithic power of A Grand Stream (2024) had set a strong precedent, reinforced by concerts where Smote established itself as a creator of visionary soundscapes, between amplified ritual and trance atmosphere. This new album brings together five gnostic incantations that open new portals. While founding member Daniel Foggin plays and sings almost everything again, the recording made at Blank Studios with Sam Grant (Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs) brings a broader and airier approach. Contributions from Sally Mason (a member of Smote's live band) on vocals and Ian Lynch (Lankum) on Uilleann pipes further enrich the texture. The result is a work where the boundaries between ancient and modern, primal and eternal blur – a sound monument transmitted as a living tradition.