Music For Empty Ears

Seán Mac Erlaine · woodwinds, electronics, wurlitzer // Jan Bang · live sampling, samples // Eivind Aarset · guitar, electronics

A new trio configuration of Seán's music featuring two of the leading lights in contemporary music, broadening his soundworld and embracing a collaborative approach. Norwegian musicians Eivind Aarset on guitars and effects, and live sampling pioneer Jan Bang bring an expansive, detailed palette to the fore. It is music that plays with the balance of shifts between dark, brooding electronics and light-filled moments. Mac Erlaine's individual voice on woodwinds combines seamlessly with his nuanced understanding of live electronics and meets the signature Norwegian soundworld of Bang and Aarset. Their 2018 album on Ergodos solidifies Mac Erlaine's status as a singular and visionary musician. It's an album that reveals more and more with each listen and, with a bespoke design and print by Dublin design studio Distinctive Repetition, the heavyweight vinyl of Music for Empty Ears is a beautiful and sumptious object to hold as well as to hear.

Buy direct from Ergodos label



“A set of lavish tonal pieces, honed to luxuriate in their ensemble sound rather than individual display. Through a hall of mirrors, a search is on for beauty… Music for Empty Ears is a seductive listen, with a distinctive voice all its own.”

~ The Wire, June 2018

“A sonic story that will play with your perceptions of time and space, and make your ears beat with pleasure. A world of wonders, surprises, haunted melodies and melancholic impressions. This album is a gem.”

~ The Whole Note

“Norwegian Eivind Aarset is in a class of his own proving that lyricism and raw noise aren’t contradictory.”

~ The Guardian

“[Jan Bang is] defying all misconceptions about the vast potential of electronic composition.”

~ All About Jazz