Hammock is an American

ambient Ambient or Ambiance or Ambience may refer to: Music and sound * Ambience (sound recording), also known as atmospheres or backgrounds * Ambient music, a genre of music that puts an emphasis on tone and atmosphere * ''Ambient'' (album), by Moby * ...

post-rock Post-rock is a form of experimental rock characterized by a focus on exploring textures and timbre over traditional rock song structures, chords, or riffs. Post-rock artists are often instrumental, typically combining rock instrumentation with ...

duo formed in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

in 2005 by

Marc Byrd Carey Marcus "Marc" Byrd (born 1970) is an American musician, writer, and producer best known as one-half of the post-rock/ ambient duo Hammock with Andrew Thompson. Since its formation in 2005, Hammock has released ten full-length albums and fi ...

and Andrew Thompson. Hammock have released 10 albums and five EPs since 2005, mostly on their own label,

Hammock Music Hammock Music, based in Nashville, Tennessee, is the label imprint owned and operated by the band Hammock. The label is distributed by Secretly Distribution. In 2015, Hammock Music signed Slow Meadow, an ambient music project by Matt Kidd, to ...

, which is distributed through

Secretly Distribution Secretly Group is a family of American independent record labels based in Bloomington, Indiana. The group is made up of Secretly Canadian, Jagjaguwar, and Dead Oceans. Secretly Canadian, the first of the labels, was formed in 1996 by brothers Ch ...

, and have garnered favorable reviews from critics, including ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...

'' and

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

History

Formation and first releases

Hammock was formed in

and Andrew Thompson, both former members of the

alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...

band

Common Children Common Children was an alternative rock band composed of Marc Byrd, Drew Powell, and Hampton Taliaferro. The band recorded three studio albums between 1996 and 2001. The first two, ''Skywire'' and ''Delicate Fade'', were released on the now-defu ...

. After the band split in 2001, the pair continued to write, record, and produce together in their free time. Byrd was a songwriter for

EMI Records EMI Records (formerly EMI Records Ltd.) is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British flagship label by the music company of the same name in 1972, and launched in January 1973 as the succ ...

, a job which he disliked and left him feeling burned out creatively. He started to visit Thompson at his house, where they started "messing around" with

ambient music Ambient music is a genre of music that emphasizes tone and atmosphere over traditional musical structure or rhythm. It may lack net composition, beat, or structured melody.The Ambient Century by Mark Prendergast, Bloomsbury, London, 2003. It u ...

that they had wanted to produce for some time at his basement studio named Studio 37. The style of music was similar to the music the pair were listening to for pleasure, and "so far removed" from what they were used to working on which provided a refreshing and new direction. Byrd said: "We didn't really see it turning into anything other than just good musical therapy." Before long the pair had recorded between 20 and 40 tracks from these informal sessions which prompted them to release the material, thinking others might enjoy the music. In March 2005, music written and recorded from these initial sessions over a two-and-a-half period was released on Hammock's debut album, ''

Kenotic In Christian theology, ''kenosis'' () is the 'self-emptying' of Jesus. The word () is used in Philippians 2:7: " made himself nothing" ( NIV), or " eemptied himself" ( NRSV), using the verb form (), meaning "to empty". The exact meaning vari ...

''. The record was written and recorded intermittently across a two-and-a-half year period, and self-released by the band. The enthusiastic response to the album took them by surprise. This was followed by the EP ''

Stranded Under Endless Sky ''Stranded Under Endless Sky'' is the first extended play by American ambient band Hammock. A follow-up to the band's first studio album, ''Kenotic'', ''Stranded Under Endless Sky'' was released on compact disc through the band's own label, Hammock ...

'' four months later. The band published their website with quotes, poems, and external links to content that they thought fit with their music. At the end of 2005, the

webzine An online magazine is a magazine published on the Internet, through bulletin board systems and other forms of public computer networks. One of the first magazines to convert from a print magazine format to being online only was the computer magaz ...

''Somewhere Cold'' voted Hammock Artist of the Year on their 2005 Somewhere Cold Awards Hall of Fame list. Hammock's debut live performance was at Chuck Dodson's Gallery@404B in

Hot Springs, Arkansas Hot Springs is a resort city in the state of Arkansas and the county seat of Garland County. The city is located in the Ouachita Mountains among the U.S. Interior Highlands, and is set among several natural hot springs for which the city is n ...

on August 3, 2007, at the after-party of an event to honor the Icelandic artistic duo

Jónsi & Alex Jónsi & Alex is an artistic collaboration between Jónsi and Alex Somers. They create ambient music as well as visual art. The music tends to be more ethereal and experimental than that of Sigur Rós, Jónsi's primary musical project. Visual ar ...

. The band wrote all new music purposely for the gig, and used loop pedals so the two could perform alone. The material was the basis of their third studio album '' Maybe They Will Sing for Us Tomorrow'', named after a piece of art by Jónsi & Alex who agreed to produce the cover art for it. The album was recorded live in its entirety, save for a few overdubs. In 2008, Hammock performed at the Wordless Music Series in New York City with fellow ambient duo

Stars of the Lid Stars of the Lid is an American ambient music duo consisting of Brian McBride and Adam Wiltzie. The duo formed in Austin, Texas in 1993. They have been acclaimed for their music incorporating droning, effects-treated guitars along with piano, st ...

2010–2016

In May 2010, Hammock released their fourth album '' Chasing After Shadows...Living with the Ghosts''. The group wanted a change in musical direction as they developed a new fanbase with the previous album, so they incorporated orchestral arrangements and fuller instrumentation on their new material. Hammock said the change was "a natural progression ... that's the voice you have to follow". They amassed 50 potential tracks for the record, using what fit its overall mood the best. That December, Hammock released their fourth EP, '' Longest Year'', a beatless and wordless mini-album that was born out of the difficulty the band faced in 2010, including the near-total destruction of Byrd's home in the

2010 Tennessee floods The 2010 Tennessee floods were 1,000-year floods in Middle Tennessee, West Tennessee, south-central and western Kentucky and northern Mississippi areas of the United States of America as the result of torrential rains on May 1 and 2, 2010. Flo ...

. By the end of that year, Hammock had performed just twice in Nashville. Over the next few years, Hammock expanded their musical horizons with a variety of collaborations and the addition of more of an

orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...

l aspect to their music. Hammock collaborated with singer-songwriter Matthew Ryan on the single "Like New Year's Day", released on January 1, 2011. On March 8, 2011, the band issued a cover of

Catherine Wheel Catherine wheel may refer to: * wheel or breaking wheel, an instrument of torturous execution originally associated with Saint Catherine of Alexandria * Catherine wheel (firework), a firework that rotates when lit Arts and entertainment * Cather ...

's "

Black Metallic "Black Metallic" is the debut single by English alternative rock band Catherine Wheel, released on 11 November 1991 by Fontana Records. It was later included on the band's 1992 debut studio album ''Ferment''. The song "broke, and betrothed Cathe ...

" as a digital single, featuring vocals by Byrd's wife,

Christine Glass Christine Glass is an American singer-songwriter, married to Marc Byrd (of Hammock and Common Children fame). She has released two solo albums, ''Human'' (1997 on Tattoo Records) and ''Love & Poverty'' (1999 on Rustproof Records). She formed a duo ...

(the couple had previously collaborated as a duo, GlassByrd). On October 5, 2011, they released a four-song collaboration EP with

Steve Kilbey Steven John Kilbey (born 13 September 1954) is an English Australians, English-Australian singer-songwriter and bass guitarist for the rock band The Church (band), the Church. He is also a music producer, poet, and painter. As of 2020, Kilbey h ...

and

Tim Powles Timothy Guy Gerard Powles (born 21 December 1959) is a New Zealand music producer and artist. Also known as "timEbandit" Powles, his main instrument and first love was the drums and percussion in general, though over time he's become a dab han ...

of the Church called ''Asleep in the Downlights''. On July 6, 2012, Hammock announced that mastering had started for their sixth LP and first

double album A double album (or double record) is an audio album that spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically either records or compact disc. A double album is usually, though not always, released as such because the recording i ...

, ''

Departure Songs ''Departure Songs'' is the fifth studio album (and first double album) by American ambient/post-rock band Hammock. It was released on October 2, 2012 by the band's own label, Hammock Music. Reception ''Departure Songs'' was met with positive cri ...

''. It was released on October 2, 2012. On May 10, 2013, they announced that they had begun mixing a new record, ''

Oblivion Hymns ''Oblivion Hymns'' is the sixth studio album by American ambient/post-rock band Hammock. It was released on November 26, 2013 by the band's own label, Hammock Music. The album cover for ''Oblivion Hymns'' was created as a commissioned piece by art ...

''. The album was released on November 26, 2013, and was a notable departure from their previously guitar-focused sound, adding a neoclassical element with a full orchestra,

children's choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...

, and vocals from Timothy Showalter (

Strand of Oaks Strand of Oaks is the rock project by songwriter and producer Timothy Showalter. Originally from Indiana, he currently resides in Austin, Texas. His music has been classified as rock and folk, as well as folk rock. Showalter has released seven st ...

). On July 1, 2014, Hammock reissued their fully ambient 2005 album ''The Sleep-Over Series (Volume 1)'', following it up with a sequel, ''The Sleepover Series, Volume 2'', on September 23, 2014. Hammock's ninth album, ''Everything and Nothing'', was released on April 1, 2016. Irish music and politics magazine ''

Hot Press ''Hot Press'' is a fortnightly music and politics magazine based in Dublin, Ireland, founded in June 1977. The magazine has been edited since its inception by Niall Stokes. History ''Hot Press'' was founded in June 1977 by Niall Stokes, who co ...

'' said in its review that the album is "the aural equivalent of a flotation tank... an album to lose yourself in completely". Haydon Spenceley, reviewing for ''

Drowned in Sound ''Drowned in Sound'', sometimes abbreviated to ''DiS'', is a UK-based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway. Founded by editor Sean Adams, the site features reviews, news, interviews, and discussion forums. History ''D ...

'', stated that the album has "clarity, purpose, drivenness, even, not words that would necessarily be associated with this stellar band's earlier work... This is music of transcendent beauty, but with an added level of dissonance that grabs the attention in a way that hasn't ever seemed to be Hammock's stock in trade before". Spenceley also claimed that ''Everything and Nothing'' is Hammock's "most immediate, most sonorous and beautiful album to date".

2017–present

On June 21, 2017, Hammock announced via their

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...

page that their 10th album, ''Mysterium'', would be released on August 25, 2017. They also released a video of the first single, "Things of Beauty Burn". In 2018, Hammock released the follow-up to 2017's ''Mysterium'' with the album, ''Universalis''. In 2019, Hammock released the follow-up to 2019's ''Universalis'' with the album, ''Silencia'', thus concluding their self proclaimed "trilogy" In 2017, Hammock composed the score for Kogonada's critically acclaimed film ''

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio Columbus may also refer to: Places ...

'', which premiered at the

2017 Sundance Film Festival The 2017 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 19 to January 29, 2017. The first lineup of competition films was announced November 30, 2016. Awards The following awards were presented: * Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic – ''I Don't Feel at ...

. In 2018, Hammock released an album, ''We Will Rise Again'', that "reimagined" work composed by

Dan Romer Dan Romer is an American film composer, music producer and songwriter based in Los Angeles. Career As a film composer, Romer's scores include four-time Oscar-nominated ''Beasts of the Southern Wild'', ''Beasts of No Nation'', ''Chasing Coral'', ...

for the 2017 videogame, ''

Far Cry 5 ''Far Cry 5'' is a 2018 first-person shooter, developed by Ubisoft Montreal and Ubisoft Toronto and published by Ubisoft. It is the successor to 2014's ''Far Cry 4'', and the fifth main installment in the ''Far Cry'' series. Set in Hope County, ...

''. In 2020, Hammock released a remaster of their 2010 EP, ''Longest Year'', with a physical release as well as new album artwork

Other projects

Since 2005, Byrd has occasionally recorded as a member of the band the Choir. Hammock guested on the track "Melting the Frozen Sea Within Us" by Amman/Josh, which appeared on that band's 2010 EP ''Places''. Hammock collaborated with

Matthew Perryman Jones Matthew Perryman Jones (born 1973) is an American singer and songwriter. Career Jones began his music career in 1997, playing his first public performances at Eddie's Attic in Decatur, Georgia. In 2000, Jones issued his first solo release, ' ...

in 2013 on the song "Unknown", released as part of the ''Nashville Indie Spotlight 2014'' compilation album. Building on their 2011 collaboration with Matthew Ryan, Hammock announced a side project named the Summer Kills in March 2018. After seven years of work, the trio's first album, ''Last Night We Became Swans'' (mixed by

Peter Katis Peter Katis is an American Grammy Award-winning record producer, audio engineer, mixer, and musician. Katis is best known for working with alternative and indie rock bands. He works primarily out of his own residential studio, Tarquin Studios, ...

) was released on April 27, 2018.

Discography

Studio albums

* ''

'' (2005, Hammock Music; reissued digitally 2015 with session outtakes) * '' Raising Your Voice...Trying to Stop an Echo'' (2006,

Darla Records Darla Records is an independent record label founded by James Agren in October 1993 while he was in New York. Darla's first release was a 7-inch by Grifters, an indie rock/lo-fi band from Memphis. Background The music of the artists on the ...

; reissued 2011, Hammock Music) * '' Maybe They Will Sing for Us Tomorrow'' (2008, Darla Records; reissued 2013, Hammock Music) * '' Chasing After Shadows... Living with the Ghosts'' (2010, Hammock Music; reissued 2013 as a 2-CD set with session outtakes) * ''

'' (2012, Hammock Music) * ''

'' (2013, Hammock Music) * ''Everything and Nothing'' (2016, Hammock Music) * ''Mysterium'' (2017, Hammock Music) * ''Universalis'' (2018, Hammock Music) * ''Silencia'' (2019, Hammock Music) * ''Elsewhere'' (2021, Hammock Music) * ''Love in the Void'' (2023, Hammock Music)

EPs

* ''

'' (2005, Hammock Music/Republic of Texas Recordings/

Somewherecold Records Somewherecold Records (formerly Somewhere Cold Records) is an American independent record label established in late 2004 by Jason T. Lamoreaux. The record company was founded in Lexington, Kentucky, but is currently headquartered in Shelbyville ...

) * ''North West East South'' (2010, Hammock Music) * ''Chasing After Shadows... Living With the Ghosts (Outtakes)'' (2010, Hammock Music) * '' Longest Year'' (2010, Hammock Music) * ''Asleep in the Downlights'' (2011, Hammock Music) * ''Repeat / Texture'' (2018, Hammock Music)

Singles

* "Like New Year's Day" with Matthew Ryan (2011, Hammock Music) * "

" feat.

(

cover) (2011, Hammock Music) * "Borrowing the Past (Hammock Remix)" (2012, Hammock Music) * "From the Dust... We Ran to Greet the Dawn" (2013, Hammock Music) * "Baritone Recovery" (2014, Hammock Music) * "Sleepover 1 • Sleepover.FM" (2014, self-released) * "10.08.14 (Blood Moon)" (2014, self-released) * "04.04.15 (Moon Blood)" (2015, self-released) * "09.28.15 (Blood Moon)" (2015, self-released) * "04.15.14 (Moon Blood)" (2015, self-released) * "The Night You Caught Fire / Clinging" (2018, self-released) * "Floating World / Snowburn" (2018, self-released) * "Moon Blood (01.20.2019)" (2019, self-released) * "Into the Blank / Madi" (2020, self-released) * "Spinning Through Us" (2020, self-released)

Compilation albums

* ''The Sleepover Series, Volume One'' (2005, Hammock Music; reissued 2014) * ''EPs, Singles and Remixes'' (2013, self-released) * ''An Introduction to Hammock'' (2013, self-released) * ''The Sleepover Series, Volume Two'' (2014, Hammock Music) * ''An Introduction to Hammock, Volume 2'' (2015, self-released)

Soundtracks

* '' Columbus (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)'' (2017, Hammock Music) * '' Far Cry 5 Presents: We Will Rise Again (Original Game Soundtrack)'' (2018, Ubisoft Music)

Selected compilation appearances

* "Black Metallic" on ''Never Lose That Feeling Volume Two'' (2006, Club AC30) * "Sora" on ''For Nihon'' (2011, Unseen Records) * "The More You Drink From the Well...The Higher the Waters Will Rise" on ''... And Darkness Came'' (2012, Headphone Commute) * "In the Shape of Longing" on ''Disquiet, Vol.1'' (2017, Unseen Music)

Music videos

* "Mono No Aware" (2008) * "Breathturn" (2010) * "Longest Year" (2010) * "Dark Beyond the Blue" (2010) * "One Another" (2012) * "Tape Recorder" (2012) * "Cold Front" (2012) * "Tornado Warning" (2012) * "Mute Angels" (2012) * "In the Middle of This Nowhere" (2013) * "I Could Hear the Water at the Edge of All Things" (2013) * "Sinking Inside Yourself" (2014) * "Blankets of Night" (2015) * "Things of Beauty Burn" (2017) * "Circular As Our Way" (2019) * "Afraid to Forget" (2019) * "I Can Almost See You" (2021)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hammock American post-rock groups American space rock musical groups Rock music groups from Tennessee American experimental musical groups American ambient music groups Musical groups from Nashville, Tennessee Dream pop musical groups Shoegazing musical groups American art rock groups Darla Records artists Somewherecold Records artists