For what appears to be the final entry in banjoist Jacken Elswyth’s elemental folk tape series, Betwixt & Between, volume 12 is a collection of dreamlike yuletide recordings that captures both the grim and the joyous atmospheres of death and rebirth that come with this season.

Like the previous tapes in this series, this is a split release, with examples of the Welsh and English experimental folk underground each claiming a side. The tape begins with Elspeth Anne, a multi-instrumentalist songwriter based in Herefordshire on the Welsh-English border, recontextualizing the traditional folk music of the British Isles with the use of field recordings, dark drones and various effects. Her pieces, especially here, feel deeply linked to her environment, as each track is shaped by the sounds and other sonic qualities of the very folklore-rich landscape that she records within. On “Cold Mountain” and the classic “Coventry Carol,” she sings with a haunting voice out of time, sounding simultaneously like an old shellac 78 and an experimental noise band. This is music for a bleak winter’s night full of Amanita-fueled fever dreams and frigid rains.

On the flipside, The Côr Meibion Gwalia (Gwalia Male Choir) and The London Northumbrian Piping Group really lean into the holiday vibe and deliver some enchantingly homespun renditions of ancient carols. The choir has been performing and touring since 1967, and has been recognized with various awards and other accolades over the years. The LNPG has been assembling for just about as long, and both groups each hold weekly public performances where anyone can join in, keeping alive one of the long standing traditions of this kind of music.

You can feel this passion and reverence for the past in these recordings, but also the bright inspiration of bold creativity, especially in their uniquely meditative reworking of “Gower Wassail.”

From its surreal festive and icy ambiance to its rustic woodcut album cover that depicts a stag-headed mummer, this is a must-have album for the winter solstice and anyone who enjoys a more folk-based Christmastime listen. Get your copy here today.

-KH