BirdWorld’s latest album ‘Nurture’

Based between London and Oslo, duo BirdWorld conjure a sound through a fusion of organic and electronic elements, forging immersive compositions that transport listeners into new sonic spheres. Formed by the talents of Gregor Riddell and Adam Teixeira, the project was born out of creative residencies at the Banff Centre for the Arts, where the two musicians first began developing their highly original shared sonic vision.

Combining cello, kit, kalimbas and hand percussion with carefully layered field recordings and electronic textures, their musical output presents an atmospheric listening experience filtered through an avant-garde lens. Their creative endeavour has seen them collaborate with a range of artists across various disciplines, including video artist Ioana Sisea and musicians such as Sanskriti Shrestha, Streifenjunko, Harpreet Bansal, James Kitchman and Alex Stuart. Their live performances are just as striking, having delivered sets at venues like Union Chapel, where they were filmed and recorded by NTS Radio and contributed an electronic film score commissioned by the London Contemporary Orchestra.

BirdWorld officially introduced their studio sound in 2019 with the release of their debut album UNDA via Focused Silence, which was followed two years later by UNDA Reworks which saw a host of artists including Qasim Naqvi, Francesca Ter-Berg, Olefonken and Robert Ames reinterpret and expand upon their compositions. During the pandemic, the duo found themselves developing material for their second album, Nurture, in an entirely new way. Both members became fathers during this period, an experience that profoundly shaped their creative approach.

To further develop their ideas, they took part in the Seanse artist residency in Volda, Norway, in 2022, before heading into Flerbruket Studio in early 2023 to record the album with Øyvind Røsrud. Having built anticipation with a trio of singles over the last year, BirdWorld are now set to release Nurture through Norwegian label Dugnad, unveiling an exciting new chapter in their artistic adventure. This latest record sees them expanding their sound with contributions from guest musicians, including Harpreet Bansal on violin, Maria Dybbroe on saxophone and Sara Övinge on violin.

The twelve-track release opens with “Coroico,” where the chirps of birds and childlike vocalisation gives way to the flutter of strings between softly sweeping textures and the rustle of percussion sets the track in motion. With staccato string plucks adding playful energy and off-kilter piano notes gliding above the rise and fall of the shuffling drums, a jazz-inflected jam gradually swells with lively rolls to capture an in-the-moment, improvised feel of loose structure and engaging twists and turns.

On “Opposite Hinges,” BirdWorld link up with Sara Övinge to cast a mesmeric arrangement of intricate instrumental loops and drifting string textures, grounded by the steady patter of drums. With a subtly eerie aesthetic built on a hypnotic rhythmic pattern, the track presents an intriguing piece that builds with stretched underlying tones before fading with ominous, ambient textures.

“Pinball Flare Lights” sees Maria Dybbroe add warm sax flourishes on a moody jam that builds from an elegant string arrangement to a groove-driven vibe of snapping beats and lilting basslines capped by sweeping sax leads. The musicianship panache of Gregor and Adam are put on full display on the following two outings, “Lay of the Land” and At “Her Whim,” an animated solo drum piece and delicate cello performance respectively.

Other highlights on the record include tracks like “Til Liv” where violinist Harpreet Bansal joins BirdWorld for a mellow composition grounded by a soft rhythmic anchor while layers of guitar plucks and drifting string lines make for a hypnotic listening experience. Closing the album with “Should You Ever Listen,” the pair serve up a vocal-led song of blissful lead melodies floating above gentle guitar notes, gradually building with rhythmic strums and downtempo drum patterns to present an intimate and compelling finale to their sensational new LP. With a European and Scandinavian tour lined up to support the release, BirdWorld are set to take their immersive musical world to an even wider audience and we can’t wait to see what they’ve got in store next.

Following a live performance at Reference Point in London on Thursday, Nurture is set to be released on Friday March 28th via the Dugnad imprint.