Rachael Philip - Earth Fall (Wildfell) [Neoclassical]

There aren't many musicians who can play cello, guitar, bass, piano and clarinet, as well as find their way around music software and hardware, but Rachael Philip is one of them. She's a classically trained cellist, the rest self-taught, who resides up in Manchester. After releasing her classy, electroacoustic debut album in 2021, she's been keeping busy with some notable soundtrack work, the Mira EP in 2024, and now her forthcoming How To Live EP, the final track of which will be released on 6th November.

I often wonder why more artists aren't using their music platform to reflect on the Anthropocene, inequality, conflict and societal ills, and I think a lot of it is to do with fear of jeopardising their careers in some way, whereas I think the opposite would be true, as they'd be touching on collective nerves. Which makes Philip's, albeit instrumental, statement on her new EP even more vital.

The first single, "Ornamental Life," flew by, its hurried tempo perhaps reflecting the pace of current change in all aspects of our lives, leaving no time for reflection and time to consider the consequences. Well, "Earth Fall" is that moment. The tempo is lowered, the instruments initially allowed a bit more space and time to breathe and contemplate their existence, and affording the listener the same courtesy. The violin is tuned to melancholy, and I imagine there will be a few listeners sitting alone in an armchair, momentarily released from their phone-sized spell, who will be wondering what life is really all about whilst listening. The track then builds nicely with the electric guitar adding a passage of restrained post-rock drama, with even, if I'm not mistaken, a swiftly curtailed sample of a football crowd roaring thrown into the mix on occasion. Point made, the track then goes full circle and drifts off to wherever music goes to rest when it's not being played.

If you need some more soundtrack minded, neoclassical music then check out Piksel, she's great tool

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Playlist Companion

Find Philip in the Slow Neoclassical Playlist.