Swansither – Ronsack (Digital/Vinyl Album – Subexotic Records)
Tom ‘Swansither’ Kennedy drew inspiration for this album from a thousand-year-old oak tree near his home. Such a tree, one imagines, has a great deal to tell, and the British artist seems to weave those stories into his music.
Stylistically, the album sits somewhere between Electro and Cold-Wave. The strong presence of the 80s is partly due to the use of vintage sounds. While the overall production leans toward minimalism, it gradually reveals ‘harder’ tracks with subtle EBM influences. These moments shift the mood toward a more danceable feel, with cold, raw synth lines enhancing the effect. The vocal delivery carries a breathy, almost whispered quality, and in certain arrangements it has an undeniably sensual tone.
At times, this work brings to mind Linea Aspera—a comparison that, in my view, is more than a casual reference. (Rating:8).
Listen to “Monastic Remains”:
About Swansither
Swansither is the recording name of Tom Kennedy, an electronic composer and producer based in Shropshire, England, working with modular synthesizers. His album “Chance Mechanisms”, written, performed, and recorded entirely by Kennedy, was released on January 18, 2023, mastered by Thomas Ragsdale.
“Ronsack”, released on May 30, 2025 through Subexotic Records, takes its title and inspiration from an oak tree above Kennedy’s farm on a ridge in the Shropshire countryside, recorded in the Domesday Book and estimated at over a thousand years old. All music on the album was written, recorded, and produced by Kennedy, with artwork by Mick Coldwell and mastering by Dan Seville.
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