On their second album, fittingly titled Cartoon Forest II (Crash Symbols), ambient trio Cartoon Forest meld computer sounds with nature sounds to hypnotic effect.
Recorded in a cabin way up north in Harborcreek, CFII contains eight tracks full of drifting, faded tones augmented by squelches, clicks, gurgles, and the occasional birdcall. The atmosphere is muffled, and has a biotic quality, as if somebody swallowed the album and you’re using a stethoscope to listen through layers of flesh and blood. “The Unknown” feels like strolling through the woods and out into the city while encased in a giant bubble. Chirps both avian and digital introduce the track, which builds from a placid meander to a bustling soundscape complete with mechanical drones and whooshing white noise. It’s calming and slightly eerie at the same time.
Artwork by Wouter Vanhaelemeesch
Check out more from Cartoon Forest and purchase the album here
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