Here I Am Where I Must Be by Alula Down

Before global capitalism tightened its grip on social conventions, European folk cultures contained significantly more ambiguity than modern messaging may suggest. Alula Down dissects this gray area on Here I Am Where I Must Be, demonstrating the ways in which those who were marginalized in medieval society used music to immortalize their struggles. Each song examines a character reckoning with the onset of colonialism and capitalism, from a woman who feels more similar to the men who sail the world than the women they leave behind to an artisan whose priceless handiwork falls by the wayside as machines replace human hands. Sonically, a palette of dark minimalism paints deep landscapes of abrasive vocal harmonies, isolated acoustic strings, and warped field recordings, enhancing the speaker’s isolation as society rapidly sheds its compassion. Magic falls first to God and then to science, joining as an arm of the machine that systemically squashes ambiguity until only orphan songs remain.