Gift from the Trees Mammal Hands

• 1 The Spinner 05:19
• 2 Riser 04:33
• 3 Nightingale 05:12
• 4 Kernel 04:20
• 5 (Intro) Dimu 02:22
• 6 Dimu 05:06
• 7 Deep within Mountains 06:24
• 8 Labyrinth 05:14
• 9 Kai 05:52
• 10 Sleeping Bear 04:33
• Total Runtime 48:55

Info for Gift from the Trees

Mammal Hands fifth album ‘Gift from the Trees’ offers a fresh perspective on the unique trio’s singular music. The first to be recorded in a residential studio, the band enjoyed the opportunity to go late into the night searching for a deeper, more organic experience, closer to both their writing process but also their trance-like live performances. While some of the music was pre-composed and had even been performed live, the band also enjoyed the opportunity to improvise ideas in the studio.

There was also a conscious decision to move away from the sound and ambiance of the recording studio, with the band opting to engineer the record with their go-to live engineer Benjamin Capp before mixing the sessions with Greg Freeman in Berlin. The idea was to try and capture more of the energy of the band’s captivating shows.

The Welsh environment outside the studio doors seeped into the music presented on Gift from the Trees, with two recording sessions (one in winter and one in the spring) bringing different moods: one bleak and wintery, the other more hopeful and bright – an energy that permeates through tracks such as Kernel and Dimu.

Mammal Hands:
Jordan Smart, saxophone
Nick Smart, piano
Jesse Barrett, drums

Mammal Hands
stand at the forefront of a new wave of boundary-defying UK artists, blending jazz, contemporary classical, electronica, folk, and minimalism into a sound that is unmistakably their own. In 2025, the trio signed with legendary German label ACT, home of Esbjörn Svensson Trio, and will release their sixth studio album, Circadia, in spring 2026 — the first with long-time friend and new drummer Rob Turner (former–GoGo Penguin) — marking a bold, beat-driven new direction for the band.

Formed in Norwich in 2012, Mammal Hands quickly earned praise from Bonobo, Tom Ravenscroft, Jamie Cullum, and Gilles Peterson for their inventive approach. Over five critically acclaimed albums with Gondwana Records, including 2023’s Gift from the Trees, they built a loyal international following and a reputation for intense, hypnotic live performances.

The trio tours across Europe, Asia, and North America, performing at iconic venues and major festivals, including The Barbican London, Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, Montreux, and Montreal. Drawing on jazz, contemporary classical, electronica, folk, and minimalism, Mammal Hands create music that is cinematic, deeply human, and emotionally resonant — marrying post-rock energy, folk sensitivity, and Turner’s electronica-inspired beats into a sound that captivates both in the studio and on stage.

Booklet for Gift from the Trees