Location: Portland, Oregon
Country; USA
Genre: Experimental
Full length: Secrets of a Krummholz Heart
Format: Digital, LP
Label: Grand Hand Records
Release date: July 10, 2026
Dave French, the drummer of the Oregon doom/stoner band Yob, compiled material for Semantron while traveling with a classical guitar, composing anywhere and everywhere: backstage at shows, hotel rooms, on the road, crossing water on ferries, and sometimes in remote, undisclosed locations. In isolation, and even in the company of others, he wrote at least fifteen songs through a slow, patient process, unconcerned with the presence or absence of an audience. His songs were vibrant, somber, and meditative, resonating with deep contemplation.
What grew from that process was as firmly rooted as the krummholz, trees thriving in subarctic mountains and wind-smacked coastlines. Shaped by these harsh elements. Krummholz trees teem with life and remain connected to the ground. To metaphorically reflect that resilience on “Secrets of a Krummholz Heart,” French recorded acoustic guitars as the foundation for his material in a solitary Mount Adams cabin in Washington. Off the grid and surrounded by nature, he maintained the sense of privacy he wrote his songs with, drawing from his surroundings so the acoustic guitars sounded absorbed by them.
After completing those tracks, French recorded vocals, guitars, bass, and drums at Yob’s rehearsal space and his home studio. Choosing six cuts and collaborating with mixer Nathan Yaccino and mastering engineer Tad Doyle, French added field recordings of wildlife, wind, rivers, percussion on trees and stone, and melting glaciers to evoke the natural ambience he wanted. The material he so diligently crafted, described as a fusion of Dead Can Dance and Pink Floyd have to present itself patiently, spreading outward with a tenacious, resolute presence to occupy your thoughts with its elemental atmosphere and engage you in its meditative essence.
“Secrets of a Krummholz Heart” overflows with rough-edged guitars, generous reverb, and a polished sound. Interacting with bass lines that complement the drum tracks, the guitar layers gradually accumulate, rendering the songs more complete, balancing rawness with clarity. The overall picture formed by this, the additional sounds described earlier and an increasing amount of psychedelic sounds ensures the mournful vocals are as profound as the poetic, deeply personal lyrics.
The acoustic guitars French recorded in his isolated habitat not only realize the landscape he spent his time in but also capture pictures of fall preparing for the coming of winter, or winter waning in preparation for spring. “Secrets of a Krummholz Heart” travels far beyond French’s work with Yob; while reminding us of his experience with doom and stoner rock it demonstrates with he can achieve by exclusive introspection. For its bleak, doomy tendencies this album pulses with life, and its effect is all the more profound if you sit back and allow each song to grow on you. –Dave Wolff
Lineup:
Dave French: Vocals, all instruments
Track list:
1. Primary Planets
2. Prisoner of the Sun
3. At the Feet of Friendship
4. Piha
5. Dry Falls
6. Krummholz Heart
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