''Dagger Paths'' is an EP by English record producer and visual artist Matthew Barnes under the pseudonym

Forest Swords Matthew Edward Barnes, known by his stage name Forest Swords, is an English record producer, composer, DJ, and artist. As of , he has released three studio albums, two EPs, and several scores for film, television, and video games. Career ''Da ...

. It was released on 1 March 2010, through Olde English Spelling Bee. It received critical acclaim.

Background

''Dagger Paths'' was recorded on the

Wirral Peninsula The Wirral Peninsula (), known locally as the Wirral, is a peninsula in North West England. The roughly rectangular peninsula is about long and wide, and is bounded by the Dee Estuary to the west, the Mersey Estuary to the east, and Liverpo ...

and

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

. It includes a cover version of "

If Your Girl Only Knew "If Your Girl Only Knew" is a song recorded by American singer Aaliyah. It was released to radio on July 15, 1996, by Blackground Records and Atlantic Records as the lead single for her second studio album, '' One in a Million'' (1996). It was ph ...

", a song written by

Timbaland Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer and rapper. Born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia, he is widely acclaimed for his distinctive production work and "stuttering" rhythm ...

and

Missy Elliott Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott (born July 1, 1971), also known as Misdemeanor, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She began her musical career as a member of the Contemporary R&B, R&B girl group 4 All the Sistas Arou ...

and recorded by

Aaliyah Aaliyah Dana Haughton ( ; January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001) was an American singer, actress, dancer, and model. Known as the " Princess of R&B" and "Queen of Urban Pop", she is credited with helping to redefine contemporary R&B, p ...

. Music videos were released for the songs "Miarches" and "Glory Gongs".

Release

''Dagger Paths'' was originally released on 1 March 2010, through Olde English Spelling Bee. It was reissued on 22 November 2010, through No Pain in Pop. The reissue edition includes two extra tracks from a 7-inch single: "Rattling Cage" and "Hjurt". Limited edition package of the reissue edition also comes with a bonus disc, containing early Forest Swords songs, remixes by other artists, and a lengthy Forest Swords mix. The six early Forest Swords songs found on the reissue edition's bonus disc were later officially released in 2011 as the ''Fjree Feather'' EP, through No Pain in Pop. They had first appeared on a self-released EP of the same name, prior to ''Dagger Paths''.

Critical reception

Simon Hampson of ''

Fact A fact is a truth, true data, datum about one or more aspects of a circumstance. Standard reference works are often used to Fact-checking, check facts. Science, Scientific facts are verified by repeatable careful observation or measurement by ...

'' stated, "As Forest Swords plugs away relentlessly at his glacial riffs, with percussion bursting through like artillery fire, there's this really affecting sense of being witness to some very private act of catharsis." He added, "This is an overwhelmingly sad record, but at the same time a curiously hopeful one – the stunning cover of

's ' If Your Girl', for example, is all dying-ember drones and ghostly hums until it suddenly flutters away into an almost ecstatic crescendo." In a review of the reissue edition, Marc Masters of ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

'' commented that "All the elements and styles that Barnes collects like a magnet quickly align toward one unmistakable musical vision."

Accolades

Track listing

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes. * Matthew Barnes – production, art direction, design * Carl Saff – mastering * Mikko Gordon – mastering

References

External links

* {{Authority control 2010 EPs Forest Swords albums