Raw Silk Uncut Wood
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Raw Silk Uncut Wood
| type = album
| artist = Laurel Halo
| cover = Raw Silk Uncut Wood.jpg
| released = {{Start date|2018|07|13}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| genre = * Ambient
| length = 32:26
| label = Latency
| producer = Laurel Halo
| prev_title = Dust
| prev_year = 2017
| next_title = Atlas
| next_year = 2023
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Raw Silk Uncut Wood
| type = studio album
| single1 = Raw Silk Uncut Wood
| single1date = July 13, 2018
}}
}}
Raw Silk Uncut Wood is a mini-album by Berlin-based American electronic musician Laurel Halo, released on July 13, 2018, through Latency Recordings. It consists of six ambient instrumental tracks.{{cite web |last=Copperman |first=Joshua |url=https://www.spin.com/2018/07/laurel-halo-raw-silk-uncut-wood-stream |title=Stream Laurel Halo's New "Mini-Album" Raw Silk Uncut Wood |work=Spin |date=July 13, 2018 |access-date=July 20, 2018 |archive-date=July 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180720225613/https://www.spin.com/2018/07/laurel-halo-raw-silk-uncut-wood-stream/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last=Gray |first=Julia |url=https://www.stereogum.com/2001488/laurel-halo-raw-silk-uncut-wood/music |title=Laurel Halo – "Raw Silk Uncut Wood" |work=Stereogum |date=June 13, 2018 |access-date=July 20, 2018 |archive-date=July 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180720225246/https://www.stereogum.com/2001488/laurel-halo-raw-silk-uncut-wood/music/ |url-status=live }}
Release
Halo announced the release of a "mini-LP" titled Raw Silk Uncut Wood on June 13, 2018, alongside the release of the title track. In a press release, Halo stated that the album was inspired by her work on the 2018 documentary film, Possessed. The album features contributions from cellist Oliver Coates and percussionist Eli Keszler.{{cite web |last=Cush |first=Andy |url=https://www.spin.com/2018/06/laurel-halo-raw-silk-uncut-wood-new-album |title=Laurel Halo Announces "Mini Album" Raw Silk Uncut Wood, Releases Title Track |work=Spin |date=June 13, 2018 |access-date=July 20, 2018}} It was described as "a meditative, cinematic listening experience."
The title is derived from Ursula Le Guin's translation of the Tao Te Ching.
Critical reception
{{Music ratings
| MC = 84/100{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/raw-silk-uncut-wood/laurel-halo/critic-reviews |title=Critic Reviews for Raw Silk Uncut Wood |work=Metacritic |access-date=July 20, 2018 |archive-date=July 17, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180717210249/http://www.metacritic.com/music/raw-silk-uncut-wood/laurel-halo/critic-reviews |url-status=live }}
| rev1 = NME
| rev1score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite web |last=Bassett |first=Jordan |url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/album/laurel-halo-raw-silk-uncut-wood-review |title=Laurel Halo – 'Raw Silk Uncut Wood' review |work=NME |date=July 11, 2018 |access-date=July 20, 2018}}
| rev2 = Pitchfork
| rev2score = 8.0/10{{cite web |last=Geffen |first=Sasha |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/laurel-halo-raw-silk-uncut-wood |title=Laurel Halo: Raw Silk Uncut Wood Album Review |work=Pitchfork |date=July 17, 2018 |access-date=July 20, 2018 |archive-date=July 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180720225705/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/laurel-halo-raw-silk-uncut-wood/ |url-status=live }}
| rev3 = PopMatters
| rev3score = {{rating|8|10}}{{cite web |last=Kim |first=Hans |url=https://www.popmatters.com/laurel-halo-raw-silk-uncut-wood-2588009784.html |title=Laurel Halo: Raw Silk Uncut Wood (album review) |work=PopMatters |date=July 19, 2018 |access-date=July 20, 2018 |archive-date=July 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180720230740/https://www.popmatters.com/laurel-halo-raw-silk-uncut-wood-2588009784.html |url-status=live }}
| rev4 = Resident Advisor
| rev4score = 4.1/5{{cite web |last=Posner |first=Nina |url=https://www.residentadvisor.net/reviews/22774 |title=RA Reviews: Laurel Halo – Raw Silk Uncut Wood on Latency |work=Resident Advisor |date=July 12, 2018 |access-date=July 20, 2018}}
| rev5 = Tiny Mix Tapes
| rev5score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite web |last=Coral |first=Evan |url=https://www.tinymixtapes.com/music-review/laurel-halo-raw-silk-uncut-wood |title=Laurel Halo - Raw Silk Uncut Wood {{!}} Music Review |work=Tiny Mix Tapes |access-date=July 20, 2018 |archive-date=July 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180720195201/https://www.tinymixtapes.com/music-review/laurel-halo-raw-silk-uncut-wood |url-status=live }}
| rev6 = The Wire
| rev6score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite journal |title=Laurel Halo: Raw Silk Uncut Wood |journal=The Wire |issue=414 |date=August 2018 |page=67}}
}}
Raw Silk Uncut Wood received acclaim from music critics upon release, with a Metacritic weighed aggregate score of 84 out of 100 based on seven reviews. Writing for Pitchfork, Sasha Geffen said "Raw Silk Uncut Wood marks a departure from her usual mode of thorny, cerebral electronic compositions, but as her most ambient record to date, it also boasts some of her most unabashedly beautiful music." Hans Kim of PopMatters said, "Whether Raw Silk Uncut Wood is the precursor to a forthcoming ambient full-length or just another stint of experimentation, Laurel Halo continues to break expectations in the most bemusing way. The mini-album is a beautiful practice of minimalism that also maintains her intricate perspective." Resident Advisor{{'}}s Nina Posner wrote, "Inspired by this sentiment, as well as Halo's time scoring a film for the Dutch art collective Metahaven, the more abstract aspects of Raw Silk Uncut Wood allow her to establish moods that are at once non-prescriptive and immediately visceral."
Accolades
| class="sortable wikitable" |
| Publication
! Accolade ! Rank ! class="unsortable"|{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |
|---|
| The A.V. Club
| Best Electronic Albums of 2018 | {{center|N/A}} |
| The Vinyl Factory
| Top 50 Albums of 2018 | {{center|20}} |
| The Wire
| Top 50 Albums of 2018 | {{center|33}} | {{center|{{cite web |title=Listen to The Wire's Top 50 releases of 2018 |url=https://www.thewire.co.uk/audio/tracks/listen-to-the-wire-top-50-releases-2018 |publisher=The Wire |date=December 2018 |access-date=May 3, 2021 |archive-date=January 17, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240117211341/https://www.thewire.co.uk/audio/tracks/listen-to-the-wire-top-50-releases-2018 |url-status=live }}}} |
| Tiny Mix Tapes
| Top 50 Albums of 2018 | {{center|33}} |
Track listing
{{Track listing
| all_writing = Laurel Halo
| total_length = 32:26
| title1 = Raw Silk Uncut Wood
| length1 = 10:00
| title2 = Mercury
| length2 = 3:56
| title3 = Quietude
| length3 = 2:32
| title4 = The Sick Mind
| length4 = 4:24
| title5 = Supine
| length5 = 1:27
| title6 = Nahbarkeit
| length6 = 10:07
}}
Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Raw Silk Uncut Wood.{{cite AV media notes |title=Raw Silk Uncut Wood |others=Laurel Halo |publisher=Latency Recordings |year=2018 |id=LTNC014 |type=LP liner notes}}
- Laurel Halo – production
- Oliver Coates – cello {{small|(tracks 1, 6)}}
- Eli Keszler – percussion {{small|(tracks 2, 6)}}
- Jill Mulleady – artwork
- Hugo Blanzat – design
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.latency.fr/catalogue/raw-silk-uncut-wood Raw Silk Uncut Wood] at Latency
{{Laurel Halo}}
{{Authority control}}