Emerging like a dream from the ruins, Igor Mitoraj’s sculpture of Apollo looks down onto the Pompei valley, where few steps separate the ancient world from modern life. Could the artwork for 'Silvatica' auspiciously celebrate the transcendental nature of music ? Drifting further leftfield from the song form into cinematic soundscapes on Sweet Gum Tree's third full-length, Gallic multi-instrumentist Arno Sojo reasserts his natural inclination for nuance, mood and texture, cultivating his own aesthetic in a beautiful collision of the intimate sphere and the wide open space.

A summer trip to Italy's Amalfi Coast actually acted as a trigger for inspiration, when Sojo found the blessings of ancestral medicinal garden Giardino Della Minerva. Its ancient concept of harmony as the result of the balanced antagonism of opposing forces, in a continuous unstable equilibrium inherent in all things, permeated Sweet Gum Tree's new material. The artist named the album after the locally-made chilled herbal tea, nurturing the secret hope of translating its magical blend into sound. Recovering from Proustian shudders on reminiscing key moments of his life, he sends a love letter to London on one of his most personal songs to date, 'Lifelines', which in the wake of Brexit and the pandemic resonates even more deeply.

Taking his poetic material on a cinematic journey through Europe's art-rock lineage since the late noughties saw the demise of his former band Sojo Glider, the man behind Sweet Gum Tree has played over a hundred shows in eight countries, and released a handful of records, collaborating with such luminaries as Isobel Campbell, Heather Nova, Earl Harvin (Tindersticks), Marty Willson-Piper (The Church) and Ken Stringfellow (The Posies). With his smoky, sensual voice and romantic presence, Arno Sojo embodies a distinctive kind of elegance which has led critics to draw flattering comparisons, from Elliott Smith to David Sylvian or Nick Cave.

A true child of the seventies, Sojo wished to record and mix his new material straight to tape, using vintage analog equipment with according methods of work. This was made possible at Studio Kerwax, located in the heart of Brittany. A tight quintet gathered with sound engineer Christophe Chavanon to produce the warm timeless sounds of Silvatica, marking the welcome return of drummer Earl Harvin (Tindersticks, The The, Psychedelic Furs). New recruit Erik 'Raggy' Sevret (from French dub masters Zenzile) works his sax magic, breathing further life into Sweet Gum Tree's lush sonic forest. 

(photo credit : Anne Marzeliere)