EARTH STUDIES FIELD TRIPS

Earth Studies is a series of albums - or Field Trips - mainly made by individual artists and released on CD in gatefold album-style card sleeves. The overarching theme of the series is nature-connectedness, however each contributing artist chooses to define this. Musically, the releases may include ambient folk, kosmische music, drone, pastoral psychedelia, new age sounds, electronica and more - in any combination and subject to any interpretation. The intention is to create a body of work that is tactile, immersive, kaleidoscopic and very collectable.

For each release, the label's share of any income after basic costs are covered will be donated in full to a nature recovery or wildlife conservation non-profit. Wherever possible this will be one that has been chosen by the artist involved and is local to them. Information about the organisations chosen and donations made will be shared on the Folk Police blog.

THE HEARTWOOD INSTITUTE - Plague Dogs

Electronic musician Jonathan Sharp has been releasing music as The Heartwood Institute for the last 10 years, with releases on labels such as Castles in Space, Woodford Halse and FUSE sleep. His unique sound has been aptly described as radiophonic hauntronica, and is influenced by counterculture, nature writing, folklore, retro tv and film and hauntology.

The album is inspired by Richard Adams’ beautiful and harrowing 1977 novel, The Plague Dogs, set in Cumbria – where Jonanthan lives – and following the journey and friendship of two Dogs, Rowf and Snitter, who escape from an animal research laboratory. Jonathan visited many of the locations featured in the book and made field recordings which the album is built around. Some of these are used unprocessed whilst others are heavily manipulated and turned into synth/sampler patches. He describes his music making process as “building the noises I want to use from the ground up.”

All profits from this album will be donated to Animal Rescue Cumbria. Completing some sort of circle, the fell walker, author and illustrator Alfred Wainwright was a patron of this charity. He also illustrated the original edition of The Plague Dogs. www.animalrescuecumbria.co.uk

Released April 20, 2026 in an edition of 200 glass mastered CDs in a recycled card gatefold sleeve

All music written and recorded by The Heartwood Institute.

Mastered by Antony Ryan at Red Red Paw. Photography by Jonathan Sharp. CD Design by the Folk Police.