Forest Swords unveils new single The Highest Flood

Matthew Barnes, aka Forest Swords, returns to action with his first new release since last year's soundtrack for contemporary dance piece Shrine. The Highest Flood, a typically dark and brooding slice of electronic claustrophobia comprising sparse beats and choral samples, is his first release for Ninja Tune, and amounts to a tantalising trailer for the long-awaited follow-up to his 2013 debut LP, Engravings. Listen to the track in the player below.

Commenting on the track, Barnes says: "It's a challenge to navigate the world we're living in now and I've been thinking a lot about the ways we need to forge new paths in language, communication and our connection with the natural world – it's becoming more and more important to try and steer these in a positive direction. The Highest Flood distills some of the frustration and hope that I've been working through over the past 18 months whilst making new material.”

While fans have waited patiently for new music from Forest Swords, he's by no means stayed quiet in the interim. Following a 2014 GIT Award victory, Barnes went on to collaborate with Massive Attack, which culminated in the soundtrack to the Liam Young-directed film In The Robot Skies, the first film to be shot entirely by autonomous drones.

Forest Swords appears at BBC Radio 6 Music Festival, Glasgow, 24 Mar and Safe As Milk Festival, Prestatyn, 21 Apr