Dakota Suite & Emanuele Errante: The North Green Down

Chris Hooson of Dakota Suite composed all 79 minutes of The North Green Down in dedication to his sister-in-law Hannah who recently died of cancer. Hooson enlisted the help of ambient composer Emanuele Errante to carry out the difficult task of writing and performing music in memory of a lost loved one. Given the usual silver-lining sentiments of other memorial pieces, titles like “A Loveless Moment” and “A Worn Out Life” make it all the sadder. The web woven by these 18 tracks offer us a head-hanging experience driven by organic elements of ambient music, specifically, cyclical, rubato piano, acoustic guitar and cello. Because The North Green Down is largely a family affair, some listeners may find themselves on the outside looking in when it comes to the roots of its sorrow and its search for something to ease the pain.