Tiny Leaves Returns with New Two-Part Suite Anthropocene & Above/below, Continuing His Exploration of Music and Ecology
Critically acclaimed soundscape artist, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Joel Pike, known as Tiny Leaves, returns with a compelling two-part suite, Anthropocene & Above/below. Following his widely celebrated 2023 album Mynd, recorded during a residency with the National Trust at Long Mynd and lauded by Electronic Sound, Countryfile, BBC Radio 6, BBC Radio 3, Clash, Headphone Commute, A Closer Listen, Bandcamp, and more, Tiny Leaves continues his journey into the intersection of music and nature. With this new release, Pike explores the fragility and resilience of the natural world, crafting evocative soundscapes that speak directly to the times we live in.Twenty percent of the royalties from each track will be donated to EarthPercent, a charity dedicated to addressing the climate and nature crisis.
Joel Pike AKA Tiny Leaves, has long been known for his delicate piano motifs, shimmering strings, and the intricate weaving of electronics with ecological field recordings and bio-data. Over a series of records, he has created a musical realm that blends wistful melancholy with hopeful exploration. His new works Anthropocene & Above/below builds on the foundation laid by Mynd, a sonic portrait of the Shropshire countryside created with field and bio-data recordings from Pike's time at Long Mynd, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This new work serves as a bridge between Mynd and his forthcoming album, which he is recording at Fenn’s, Whixall and Bettesfield Moss, a National Nature Reserve and SSSI in Shropshire.
Tiny Leaves' new works have already been championed by the likes of Deb Grant and Gideon Coe on BBC 6 Music, Huw Stevens and Adam Walton on BBC Radio Wales and Alex Rudder's Pacific Notions on KEXP and Caught By The River.
This two-part suite moves seamlessly between lament and celebration. The first part, Anthropocene, takes its name from the proposed geological epoch that marks significant human impact on Earth. It serves as a lament for the accelerating loss of biodiversity and the growing list of endangered species. Drawing on a haunting bird song tape loop recorded at Rectory Wood during the Mynd residency, Pike reflects on how human activities have disrupted the natural rhythms of the world. The piece begins softly, with tender piano, saxophone, and cello, gradually building to a distorted and dramatic crescendo, capturing the increasing tension between human behaviour and ecological balance. Yet, by the end, the loop unravels back into a fuller birdsong, serving as a declaration of hope amid despair.
In contrast, Above/Below captures the vibrant life around Cwmdale Pool, a seemingly modest body of water on the Long Mynd that Pike has long been fascinated by. This piece celebrates the natural world, focusing on the abundant life—dragonflies, bugs, water beetles—that thrives in and around the pool. To create this soundscape, Pike recorded both above and below the water, using a hydrophone to capture the hidden world beneath the surface. The layered composition presents a delicate balance of life, celebrating what remains while reminding us of the beauty that endures despite environmental challenges.
The accompanying video, created by visual artist Stephen Proctor, deepens the narrative. Proctor specialises in landscape cinematography and aerial photography, curating calming, imaginative experiences. His work often involves collaborations with film composers, ambient artists, and modern classical musicians. For this film, Proctor chose to focus on the forests of the Pacific Northwest, a place close to his heart, blending breathtaking natural beauty with scenes of destruction—both natural and human-caused. Through aerial shots of burnt trees, fog-shrouded forests, and the legacy of Mount St. Helens’ eruption, Proctor conveys a profound message about the fragility and resilience of nature. As the film concludes, scenes of new growth and rising fog symbolise hope, with birdsong filling the air once more, echoing Pike’s message.
Joel Pike's work has always been a deeply personal exploration of place and sound. From his 2017 album Notes on Belonging, where he explored the concept of Cynefin—a Welsh term for a sense of belonging to a place—to Mynd, which saw him delve deeper into the landscape of the Long Mynd, Pike's music is characterised by a unique ability to translate the natural world into sound. Inspired by his time in Shropshire, where he returned to study for a postgraduate degree focused on creating a body of music set in the Shropshire AONB, Pike became acutely aware of nature's fragility. His work often involves walking through landscapes with a microphone in hand, capturing the birdsong, wind, water, and all the other sounds that make up the fabric of the natural world.
With Anthropocene & Above/below, Tiny Leaves invites listeners to lament on the fragility and celebrate what we still have of our natural world. This two-part suite not only underscores Pike’s commitment to ecological themes but also challenges us to listen more closely to the sounds of the environment around us.
