House Of Seven Belles is a recent three-inch CDR release from UK’s drone maker -come-eerier mood setter Culver. It offers up three slices of orchestral sample-based ambience- all themed around Andy Milligan’s unmade period drama House Of Seven Belles.

The release appears on Quagga Curious Sounds- with the rubber-stamped CDR coming presented in a mini slip, featuring a lined & aged still( from House Of Seven Belles) of two women arguing in front of a landscape. The release had an edition of thirty-four numbered copies- though sadly these are now all gone….but who knows it might get a reissue down the line.

The release opens with “Witch”- this runs at just shy of the four-minute mark. It revolves around a central mid-tone string drone, around this are slightly differently pitched & length string tones- with the whole thing creating a feel of an ill-at-ease/ on downers string orchestral turning up.

Next, we have “Corpse”, and this is the longest track here at just over the twelve-minute mark. Once more we have a string drone- this is slightly more hopeful/ rising- though it’s edged by this subtle scaping/ hiss tonality, with another selection of different pitched string drones. This track feels both expansive, yet enclosing in its pressing intent, and after I’ve played this release a few times it’s definitely become my favourite of the three tracks here- as the string drone elements feel better realized, and the different pitches are just right in their off-ness.

The final track is “Missing” which comes in at just over the four-minute mark. Here we  simmer mid-tone string, edged with subtle sweep hiss, and warming up string thickness, 

It's always great to get new material from Culver, as they are certainly one of the more creative & impactful drone creators working today. I found House Of Seven Belles just ok, as all three tracks have a rather similar feel/ sonic focus…so I’d say more for the Culver completists, and not those who have a passing interest in the project.