Hilgrove Kenrick and Nick Norton-Smith aren’t chasing the indie charts or trying to be the next big TikTok soundtrack – with “Sylph”, they’ve built something far more patient and strangely intoxicating. This four-track EP drifts somewhere between classical composition, chillout ambience and cinematic electronics, the kind of thing that doesn’t shout for your attention but ends up swallowing the whole room if you let it.
The opening track “Sylph” is pure slow-burn. An Oboe arcs over hybrid orchestration, stretched out into glistening synth washes that seem to hang in the air long after the notes fade. There’s a weightlessness to it, the kind of sound you’d expect from Sigur Rós if they traded guitars for chamber instruments and sat themselves in an IMAX theatre, an invitation to pause for a minute and let it untangle your nerves.
“Nymph” moves with a little more shape, textures bubbling underneath like a stream catching sunlight. The balance between acoustic warmth and electronic haze is clever – neither side dominates, instead they blur into something that feels both ancient and futuristic. It’s beautifully produced, the sort of piece where every tiny shift in tone has been obsessed over.
By the time “Salamander” arrives, the EP starts to flex. The rhythms are more present here, still subtle but with an undercurrent of movement that stops the project from floating entirely off into the ether. The interplay between the saxophone and synths is particularly striking, sometimes colliding, sometimes gliding together in a way that feels organic rather than programmed. It’s the most dynamic track of the set, and it hints at a bolder direction the duo could lean into if they wanted to push the envelope further.
Closing with “Undine”, the record eases back into something soft and expansive, like the afterglow once the fire’s gone out. It’s a gorgeous ending, though perhaps a little too safe – by this point, you half-wish Kenrick and Norton-Smith had given themselves permission to disrupt their own tranquillity, even just for a moment. The consistency is admirable, but a little more unpredictability might have taken “Sylph” from impressive to unforgettable.
What’s clear, though, is that this isn’t background filler – it’s meticulously crafted, balancing the warmth of human performance with the cool precision of electronic production. It works for meditation and stillness, sure, but it’s also the kind of record that makes sense in big headphones, walking through a city at night, or even as a cinematic score waiting for visuals to match it.
There’s enough detail woven into every layer to reward close listening. As a collaboration between two seasoned composers, it feels like the start of something that could grow bigger, bolder, and stranger if they choose to push further. For now, though, it’s a beautiful and calming piece of work that proves not every release needs to shout to be heard.
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