Crafting a gorgeous sound that promotes a suitable space for healing and collective liberation, the Healing is a Journey EP is a captivating release from Mystic Wolf. The project of Josh Schott, originally from northwest Montana, takes deep inspiration from nature and wildlife — and its ability to foster a deep spiritual connection to oneself and those surrounding. A serene assortment of folktronica, chilled-out pop, and new-age sophistication engrosses throughout, effectively capturing “the vibrational essence of the healing process that led me to making music and birthing this EP,” Schott explains.
“Atonement” opens the EP in ravishing form. Cinematic strings and tribal percussive flair meld for an exotic intrigue, strutting a Middle Eastern flair. Ghostly vocals send chills into the two-minute turn, culminating in a vibrant chiming that intertwines gorgeously with sitar-y effects to close this stellar opener. “Nomad” also deftly incorporates wordless vocals, mingling at the mid-point alongside an illuminated soundscape and trip-hop percussive hints.
Also impressing, “Cycle of Healing” unveils a more caressing envelopment to start. Warming strings assemble into calming clap percussion, while a howling-like effect lingers in the distance; the soundscape is fit for starry-eyed contemplation, as one looks up at the stars from the forest floor. “Rebirth” closes the EP with a riveting blend of twangy guitars and excitable strings, shifting from this folk-friendly jauntiness into a blissful new-age electronic hold in the finale. Mystic Wolf thoroughly impresses with this memorable EP.
“My healing journey has been an emotional and spiritual journey that also took me on a quest from Montana to the southern end of the world,” Schott, who currently lives as a nomad in Latin America, says. “This process allowed me to discover parts of myself I never knew existed, including the gift of music.”
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“Rebirth” and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup, as part of the artist’s promotional campaign.
