Tom S. Englund and Vikram Shankar of ambient duo Silent Skies discuss upcoming album “Nectar” with Chaoszine

Melancholic ambient duo Silent Skies—you know them as vocalist Tom S. Englund (Evergrey, Redemption) and pianist Vikram Shankar (Redemption, Threads of Fate, Meridian, Lux Terminus, Our Destiny)—are set to release their second full-length, “Nectar”, on February 4 via Napalm Records.

A timely follow-up to their 2020 album “Satellites”, “Nectar” offers passage through the human experience. “Fallen From Heart”, its longest track and a masterful display of balance between Shankar’s poignant keyboards and Englund’s clear, emotive vocals. “Taper” comes next; the most recent single poetically addresses the topic of aging and has its own animated video which features the album liner artwork.

Ambient and occasional pop elements weave their way through the lush landscapes of tracks like “Let It Hurt”, “Leaving”, and the electronically-inclined “Cold”. The journey gently rests with the instrumental title track “Nectar”, which, in Englund and Shankar’s words, summarizes the essence of life and also leaves the final song’s feeling open to the listener’s interpretation.

In an interview with Chaoszine, Englund divulged how recent years’ available time fueled this album into being: “That’s just an unexpected privilege to have this year. I mean, I’ve never been as creative as this year.” Shankar gave texture to the pair’s collaboration process, saying, “We never stay in our own lanes; that’s what makes us what we are. Because I’m a keyboard player who has opinions about vocals, and he’s a vocalist who’s been a musician for his whole career.”

The duo also detailed the emotional journey of writing “Nectar”, more about the imagery behind “Taper”’s animated music video, and the future material coming as their creative well continues to flow.

You can watch the full interview below:

“Nectar” tracklist:

1. Fallen From Heart

2. Taper

3. Neverending

4. Let It Hurt

5. The One

6. Leaving

7. Cold

8. Better Days

9. Closer

10. Nectar

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