The sound and influence Robin Guthrie, Elizabeth Fraser, and Simon Raymonde created with Cocteau Twins was so strong that it had a direct influence on a number of pop and rock music (sub) genres.
The three artists never went away after the band itself did, and Guthrie was particularly active with his solo, collaborative, and production work. After his last release in 2021 (Pearldiving), Guthrie is now back with a four-song, all-instrumental EP titled Atlas.
“I got travelling again after the pandemic and that’s always a source of inspiration for me. I absorb a lot and get most creative when I have traveled,” says Guthrie. “As for the title ‘Atlas’, I found an old radio and was struck with how many of the places on the dial no longer existed. I was attracted to the romantic notion that these places were very far away, not only in distance but now in time as well. The world seems a smaller and more familiar place nowadays”.
The sound of the four tracks here is probably exactly what Guthrie and Cocteau Twins fans might expect and want, but there are also elements and details here that show the new inspirations and ideas Guthrie has accumulated through time, creating an even more ethereal sound he was already a master of.
Atlas is another excellent Guthrie effort, albeit a brief one, but something his devoted fans will certainly cherish.
