Giles Corey (band)

When speaking of his plans for the debut album, Barrett said "Giles Corey as a project started off very differently from where it ended. Initially, I was just wondering if I could write country and western songs, and sort of turn folk music into something that sounded like it came from me. I put restrictions on the kinds of instruments I could use, and so on. That kind of faded away as the record took on a life of its own" as well as "Giles Corey was meant to have no electronic instruments (though I broke that rule) and to be influenced by country music, and the songwriting style grew out of that".[1][2] Barrett makes frequent use of sampling in the project.[3]

The self-titled album, Giles Corey, was released on March 1st, 2011 to critical acclaim[4][5][6] and is a favourite amongst fans of Barrett's work.[7] The album has been described as "a deeply, intensely dark album of inner turmoil".[8] Alongside it a book was released of the same name. It is an exploration of cult leader Robert Voor and Barrett's own stories of depression and suicide. It continues the story of the accompanying book to Deathconsciousness.[1] It was described by Barrett as "an intensely personal, intimate portrait of depression".[9]

Opening track "The Haunting Presence" features piano and the sound of static and screams.[10] The song "Empty Churches" features a sample of a documentary monologue discussing ghosts and radio transmissions.[3] According to Samuel Rosean of Drowned In Sound the album was "highly indicative of the more lo-fi and emotional centric design of modern slowcore, predicting an almost full decade of spilling, unpretentious slowcore that was to come".[10]

On August 25, 2012, they released their first extended play (EP), Deconstructionist. The EP, unlike the previous, was solely ambient music, described by Barrett as "designed to induce trances, possession states, and out-of-body experiences".[11] Barrett was inspired by "ritual trance" while making the EP.[12] Musically, the EP is composed of binaural beats.[12] Phill Cameron described the EP as "disconcerting racket" that "instead of feeling claustrophobic" feels "almost lonely; every sound echoes, as if in a huge space, and the constant pressure of electronic beats adds a sense of desperate urgency to the music. It's unsettling and uncomfortable."[12] The EP was accompanied by a thirty-page primer.[12] The second song, "Infinite Death" features a pitch shifted sample of Yale philosophy professor Shelly Kagan and discusses "our inability to properly imagine our own deaths." It was chosen by the Independent as the fourth most chilling song of all time.[13]

It was followed by their second extended play (EP) released on 21 February 2013 titled Hinterkaifeck.[14]

Lastly, it was followed by a live album, Live in the Middle of Nowhere, released February 27th, 2013. The album was recorded at the Enemies List Home Recordings Warehouse in Meriden, CT and features accompaniment from Flenser labelmate Thom Wasluck, who played the keyboard on "Earthmover".[15]

In 2020, Barret was set to perform at the Roadburn Festival in Tilburg, Netherlands as Giles Corey in celebration of The Flenser's 10th anniversary. This performance would have been the first time project had been played as a full-band with Have a Nice Life band member Tim Macuga accompanying him.[16] Due to the coronavirus outbreak the show was cancelled with much of the program being postponed until 2021.[17]

• "Giles Corey". Giles Corey Bandcamp. Retrieved October 31, 2019.