1 Mile North: The Sunken Nest

Mutual Skies is proud to announce the latest full-length from 1 Mile North, whose debut album Glass Wars we released over twenty years ago (as Old Colony Recordings). The Sunken Nest is available now on compact disc, and will be live on streaming services as of December 13th. Interested reviewers may request advance digital copies from our website.

J Hills’ work as 1 Mile North began during the explosion of post-rock and ambient guitar typified by Kranky acts like Labradford and Stars of the Lid, with learned callbacks to Brian Eno and especially Vini Reilly’s Durutti Column. His sophomore effort Minor Shadows — broader in scope than the debut and augmented by vintage synths from Mark Bajuk — drew rave reviews, including a 9.0 rating from Pitchfork (care of yours truly).

As is often the case, life and responsibilities intruded, and 1 Mile North went into a decade-long hibernation following a pair of compilation appearances in the mid-2000s. Returning in 2016 with the ominous minimalism of Awakened by Decay, Hills showcased a newfound cinematic bent, earning placements in a handful of indie films and documentaries. With post-production and mastering care of Kramer at Noise Miami, Decay was an impressive return to form, and we hope to make it available on CD for the first time next year…stay tuned.

Recorded in isolation on Fire Island during lockdown (and as with Decay, mastered by Kramer), The Sunken Nest is a stunning collection of grand, syncretic epics, easily 1 Mile North’s most ambitious work to date. With its focused dedication to sonic and emotional continuity, and reverent nods to Morricone and Philip Glass, Hills marries his ever-expanding compositional skill with longtime inspirations like Seefeel, Earth, and Mogwai. His is an alchemy that rejects pretension while reflecting on the infinite, as redolent of his teenage years in the Boston hardcore scene as the midlife humanism borne of weathering life’s unyielding, punishing tides.