Blackest Ever Black welcome Barnett + Coloccia to their coven with the desolate scapes of 'Retrieval'. Whilst both artists have a background alloying metal and experimental modes - Faith Coloccia with Mammifer, Pyramids and Everlovely Lighteningheart, and Alex Barnett in Oakeater or more recently, solo for the likes of Catholic Tapes and Nihilist - their introspective 'Retrieval' collaboration is perhaps best defined in terms of their palette: tape-manipulated recordings of acoustic instruments layered with synths and AM radio sounds. Recording sessions for the album with legendary engineer/producer Randall Dunn (Earth, Boris, Sun City Girls) at his Avast! facilities in Seattle, the results are, as the label puts it, "pastoral in essence but cosmic in scope", a sound that lies on mossy, sodden textures whilst projecting into slate gray skies and beyond. Its atmosphere lies somewhere between the wistful neo-folk ambience of early Eyeless In Gaza and the sort of liminal post-techno/doom zones of recent exploits from Barn Owl, segueing from depressed synth minimalism to windswept, wooded scenes and clouded widescreen vistas. It's by turns one of the label's quietest releases thus far, and one of its most subtly effective, a real slow burner for the long nights ahead.