Announced over a year ago, this new 7" recorded in collaboration with Matt Howden (Sieben) and Ian Read (Fire & Ice) was released by Eis & Licht a few weeks ago. Considering the quality of all those involved on these two songs, it is needless to say that 'dygel' was awaited with much curiosity in these quarters.

Sonne Hagal are no doubt the most experimental-minded German neofolk band, and this quality is displayed on the first track "To The Muses". Oliver's acoustic guitar and vocals weave in and out of a drawn-out ambient soundscape created by a droning, rumbling bass, swathes of keyboards and Matt's swirling, soaring violin.

The flip side features "The Horse With No Name", a song that I had already heard live some time ago. Its structure is a bit more conventional as it is based around the acoustic guitar and the violin with a restrained, exploding bass that is reminiscent of the best Sol Invictus. This gripping song is enhanced by Ian Read's inspired interpretation of this tragic traditional-sounding saga penned by Oliver. A neofolk classic in the making...

The alchemy between the different artists works perfectly and the resulting songs are both very good. What more can you ask from a single?