Northern Irish atmospheric project Domhain and German dark folk trio Ephemeral will release a two-song split EP, Of Pine And Oak, on 16th May via Italian label These Hands Melt.
This special collaboration sees each act contribute one brand new track, both exploring vividly naturalistic, acoustic soundscapes that evoke an extraordinary sense of quiet and ethereal melancholy. Listeners can anticipate a unique blend of Domhain‘s signature emotional intensity and Ephemeral’s rich, immersive atmospheres.
Ephemeral shared their excitement, stating: “We couldn’t be happier about this collaboration with our dear label mates Domhain who share our passion for mythical, melancholic and meaningful music, lyrics and visual art. It’s been a great honour for us and an absolute pleasure to join forces for this special release!”
Domhain echoed this sentiment, commenting: “We are over the moon to share the news of our collaboration with our friends and wonderful musicians from Ephemeral. We are so proud to see these two tracks side by side on this EP, and we hope you will enjoy listening to them together as much as we do. Of Pine And Oak is an ode to nature, to our connection to it, and to the inspiration it may bring… which we think will resonate with many of you. A million thanks to our common label These Hands Melt for facilitating this split and for always being so encouraging and excited with our music.”
Hailing from Northern Ireland, Domhain is a new project formed by four experienced musicians from the Irish metal scene. Their sound is an emotional blend of post-black, blackgaze, and atmospheric black metal. Their debut mini-album Nimue, released in October 2023 by These Hands Melt, featured guest cello by Jo Quail and was recorded at Foel Studio with Chris Fielding (Conan, Primordial). Each of the three tracks on Nimue was accompanied by a conceptual music video created by the band’s drummer and visual director, Anaïs Chareyre-Méjan.
Ephemeral is a dark folk trio from Würzburg, Germany, formed in 2019 by Ella Zlotos, Nikolaus Jira, and Patrick Maiwald. Their music creates a unique blend of melancholic folk with progressive elements, incorporating flutes, whistles, guitars, keyboard instruments, percussion, and strings, all topped with sung and spoken-word vocals. Their lyrics draw inspiration from English literature, exploring themes of longing, growth, transience, and new beginnings.
Of Pine And Oak will be available digitally and as a limited edition (200 copies) 12” single-sided colour vinyl, and can be ordered via the record label’s webstore here.
