Last week saw the release of Retold, the debut LP from Nest. I’ve been sitting on this for a while now and it’s great to finally be posting the info and sample tracks below.

From the Serein website…

“‘Retold’ is an apt title for this body of work, at times light and serene, other times dark, brooding and sinister – Nest are expert storytellers. Taking cues from film soundtracks and contemporary classical music, the story is woven using a myriad of instrumentation. Dulcet piano tones are backed by string and horn arrangements, unidentifiable plucked instruments and the sound of the Welsh harp; often heavily processed, Retold is an album that has as much in common with experimental electronic music as it does with modern classical composition.”

“Nest is the collaborative project of Otto Totland and Huw Roberts. The first six tracks on this album were originally released in 2007 on the eponymously titled Nest EP; they are presented here again having been remastered alongside five new pieces composed in 2009. A revised edition of the track ‘Cad Goddeu’ was created especially for this release.”

Huw has been a good friend for a number of years now. Along with a handful of others who populate the contact list of my chat client on a daily basis, he’s the closest thing I have to any real work colleagues right now. Always on hand for discussion and feedback, his consistent high standards and objectivity are a real asset when I’m stuck procrastinating on a project that’s not progressing as I’d like it too.

You may remember seeing my original post on this blog when the Nest EP was released back in 2007. Huw had played me material he’d worked on previously but when it arrived back then the EP really blew me away and became an all time favourite that I’d go back to again and again. It’s one of those rare gems that’s so immediately accessible but also manages to reveal more depth with every listen.

Huw also runs the Serein label and when he explained his plans to make the transition from a back catalogue of digital mp3s to manufacturing and distributing physical product my first thought was how much I wanted a well crafted Nest release and in this regard ‘Retold’ delivers on every level.

An update to something with which you already have a strong relationship is often a cause for concern but the results here are very welcome. The new material sits beautifully alongside remastered tracks from the original EP adding new layers of depth and fidelity. I’m won’t say anything more about the music itself, you have the sample tracks above for that.

I’ve taken a batch from Huw that are available direct from our new online shop and although things may seem a little quiet around here from the outside, I’m working hard to get Multilink moving again at a proper pace. Purchasing products here is a great way you can help speed up the process and support the artists behind each project.

Buy Nest ‘Retold’ from the Multilink online shop (£7.99)