Bristol-based experimental folk group Swelt caught our attention this year with their immersive debut Red Mountain EP. The four piece make gentle meditative music that references genres like slowcore and alternative folk, it has a spacious and considered quality, mixing acoustic and electronic instrumentation, hushed harmonies and drawn out song structures. Lyrically and in their artwork and videos the band reference natural imagery, forests and mountains and cite the natural world as source of inspiration for their music "The title of ‘Red Mountain’ was inspired by the glow of the Black Mountains in Wales on a late summers evening. The song is a discussion on the ambience of the outdoors, the escapism and vulnerability that comes with escaping the pressures of the day to day." Swelt offer a calming antidote to the rigid urgency of city life, we encourage you to take the time to get lost in their beautiful music. -Toby Evans-Jesra