well, here we are

This album could be his most personal yet. Ian is not only a musical visionary, he's a wonderful and open human. He's had some tough times over the past few years and on this album lays all his emotions bare and, in doing so, has created some of the most beautiful and sensitive music I've ever heard.

His masterful grasp of melody fuses with his highly refined ear for atmospheric and richly detailed soundscapes - elegance and restraint imbues the album with a feeling of deep reflection. Even if we don't know precisely how Ian was feeling when making this, we can feel the emotion pouring out and into our very consciousness.

Electro-acoustics, field recordings, low fidelity whispers and unknowable wisps fill this gorgeous world Ian's created. His delicate and sophisticated playing and musical choices show us an artist at the highest level, making exactly what he needs to make to feed his soul, and in doing so, ours.

He also invited a few friends to contribute - Sam Liu, Craig Tattersall, Brad Deschamps and me (Alex Gold) - big thanks to them for being a part of it.

We're so lucky he was able to find himself again and share this - I for one am more happy than I can say that this masterpiece exists.

Here are some words from Ian, who puts it far better than I ever could. His honesty is beyond inspirational.

'well, here we are' is an album that shouldn't exist. I didn't want to record, play or even see another object related to music a couple of years ago. My family and friends helped to sell off or re-home most of my studio as I went into a period of rehabilitation and counselling due to ongoing PTSD, and I just wanted to focus on regaining a sense of self.

I can honestly say counselling and kindness saved my life. I should really dedicate this album to the NHS, the Mankind charity, my family and friends, but this is for me. This is about extreme acceptance and not allowing anyone else to define you, from whatever period of your life. So many voices stay with us from any age and can have a deeply negative impact, shattering the self. Yet the good and the bad exist and that is just that. The bad needn't negate the good. It all just exists.

'well, here we are' is not an album of conclusion and recovery. It is that of arrival. We arrive at points in our life where the trauma of the past and fear of the future have less of a hold over us the more we invest in ourselves and those who love us. There's great peace and joy in that, and that's where 'well, here we are' is for me. It is where I am at right now. It is of light seeping through the porous darkness and focusing on that, of recognising the good and the bad equally but being present within that. It is of acceptance that life is hard but that we can find a way.

Thank you