Forest Swords - Engravings (2025 Remastered) (2013) [Hi-Res]

“𝘈 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘤” - 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘠𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴
“𝘉𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨” - 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘈𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘳

'Engravings' is back in print on vinyl, CD and digital for the first time in years, remastered by Rashad Becker with previously unheard bonus tracks exclusive to this edition.

Created by electronic producer and composer Matthew Barnes, and originally released via Tri Angle Records, 'Engravings' received instant critical acclaim and saw Barnes take his hypnotic live show across festivals like Sonar, Glastonbury, Unsound and Le Guess Who.

While much of British electronica is defined by its inner cities, 'Engravings' was recorded in Barnes' hometown on the banks of an ancient river in Merseyside, the album's earthy, organic soundscape reflected the landscape and climate: all silt and sandstone, woodlands and wind, with the ghosts of Liverpool's pop and clubbing history echoing in close distance and filtering into the soundscape.

The album was a prototype for a sonic vocabulary Barnes has expanded on over the next few years: in critically acclaimed studio albums ('Compassion' and 'Bolted' via Ninja Tune), collaborations with Massive Attack and Neneh Cherry, remixes for the likes of Bjork, as well as commissions for video games, ballet and film scores - of which he has carved a career as an in-demand composer and sound designer.

'Engravings' is a snapshot of an artist confidently defining their own language: a piece of work that distills influences like electronica, ambient, dub, rave, post-rock and psychedelia into an ancient-futurist musical vision that feels timeless and vital.

“𝘏𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘵, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘴” - 𝘖𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘳
"𝘈 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘤 𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘴” - 𝘕𝘔𝘌
“𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳 - 𝘉𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘤” - 𝘗𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘬