Riven means to be torn apart. Beauty and tragedy, hope and despair, light and dark.
Christian ambient artists We Dream of Eden (Kirk Smith) and Dear Gravity (Mike Graff) met in 2019 through the Hong Kong based record label Echoes Blue Music (Salt of the Sound, Narrow Skies, Antarctic Wastelands), when Smith created a remix for one of Dear Gravity's tracks. Both were so pleased with the process and the outcome that they started talking about the idea of co-writing. "The process was quite simple," says Smith, "we would each send song snippets and sketches to each other over the internet and Mike would add his flavour to my ideas and I would add my flavours to his. Mike’s sound design with guitars and pads made it easy for me to write to with pianos and vocal textures. We were both very open handed with the compositions and I think that helped to create a really tender and beautiful project."
Both artists have independently been featured in a variety of official Spotify playlists (including Stress Relief, Lava Lamp and Mind & Body), and have received praise from critics and listeners alike.
"Simply breathtaking"
(Louder Than The Music review of Dear Gravity - The Pilgrimage Series: Arrival)
"This music creates a place to think, a place to breathe, a place to dream."
(Rural Sounds review of We Dream of Eden - Walk on Water)
Smith concludes, "we tried to stay in that 'Riven' tension and I believe when you create through that place, beautiful things come out of it."
Riven will be released on 14th August 2020 on Echoes Blue Music.
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