A Sky So Close by Eric Hilton

The album opener "Akasha" at first sounds like a band coming onstage to perform, with tentative bass licks and distant synth that quickly morph into a percolating sidewalk rhythm. The yearning whispers of the follow-up track "The Dharma Lovers" make it clear that the destination is an assignation. "Breathe Me In" chases the dragon into a smoke-filled room, bathed in pink light. 

"A Sky So Close" follows Hilton's well-honed production methodology of layering samples and live playing to deliver a more organic sound, with the added punch and feel that only a performance can bring. "I'm really a bassline designer," says Hilton. "I mean, I'm a passable bass player, but if a lick is a little too tricky for me, I'll bring in a friend to play it. And I also really like to weave bass samples and live playing together, so you can get new kinds of grooves that one person couldn't really play." Drop the needle on "Kali" or "Ghatam" to settle into two of the album's deepest bass grooves.

"Lalita" is a truly standout track on A Sky So Close, a passive-pop concoction of sitar and Hindi chanting delivered by longtime Hilton and Thievery Corporation vocal collaborator Natalia Clavier. "Natalia is so special - she understands what I'm trying to do, understands my influences and can translate that into a beautiful performance every time," enthuses Hilton. "She's Brazilian, but she dialed in a totally different voice for this track. She also sings on "Kali" - she is endlessly talented."

The title track "A Sky So Close" delivers the album's most widescreen elegance. Finger-tipped tabla hits, string flourishes, wah guitar, and a cooking bassline create an empyrean expanse filled with exotic birds, ancient aliens, and beckoning goddesses. Perhaps the most surprising piece on the album is "The Emerald Door," a desi-meets-drum and bass exploration that sounds somewhat adjacent to the Asian Underground music scene of the late 1990's. 

For the final two tracks on the album, Hilton gently leads the listener back out of the haze. "Behind My Eyes (reprise)" has a laid-back but tough groove; the goddess slides your jacket on, kisses your cheek, and gently pushes you out her door, back onto the street. "The Lotus Gate" is a mysterious closer, with Ipcress File dramatics that seem to be leading somewhere explosive……..but where to next? Eric Hilton is full of musical surprises.

Eric Hilton - A Sky So Close
Release Date 20th February 2026
Label Montserrat House

Tracklist
1. Eric Hilton - Akasha
2. Eric Hilton - The Dharma Lovers
3. Eric Hilton - Breath Me In
4. Eric Hilton feat. Natalia Clavier - Lalitā
5. Eric Hilton - The Endless Raga
6. Eric Hilton - Pondering Soul
7. Eric Hilton - A Sky So Close
8. Eric Hilton feat. Natalia Clavier - Kali
9. Eric Hilton - The Emerald Door
10. Eric Hilton - Ghatam
11. Eric Hilton - Behind My Eyes (Reprise)
12. Eric Hilton - The Lotus Gate