Ephemeral: German Trio Releases ‘Skylarks’ Amid Split EP Collaboration with Domhain

On May 16, 2025, the German dark folk trio Ephemeral released their latest video single, ‘Skylarks,’ in conjunction with the collaborative split EP ‘Of Pine and Oak,’ issued via the independent Italian label These Hands Melt. The track arrives alongside a visual component featuring a contemporary dance interpretation, offering a multifaceted release that coincides with a growing public interest in experimental and acoustic folk traditions. Presented in collaboration with Domhain, a Northern Irish project rooted in atmospheric and post-metal, the EP reflects an emerging cross-regional dialogue within independent dark music circles.

Ephemeral, formed in Würzburg in 2019, consists of Ella Zlotos, Nikolaus Jira, and Patrick Maiwald. Known for their integration of traditional instruments, spoken-word passages, and literary references, the band situates their latest release within a body of work that engages deliberately with cultural and natural motifs. ‘Skylarks’ continues this pattern by drawing on both historical and environmental sources of inspiration, articulated through acoustic arrangements and interpretive movement. The video, featuring dancer Rosa Faerber, was produced as a companion to the song, extending its conceptual reach through performance-based visual storytelling.

The timing and format of this release underscore These Hands Melt’s approach to curating emotionally driven, artist-led projects. As a label, it has facilitated limited physical editions and collaborative ventures since its founding in 2023, aiming to foreground aesthetic and process over commercial scalability. The decision to issue ‘Of Pine and Oak’ as a digital and 12-inch vinyl edition, with contributions from both Ephemeral and Domhain, aligns with a broader movement within niche labels toward handcrafted distribution and artist-controlled output.

Ephemeral: Crafting Melancholic Soundscapes

Formed in Würzburg in 2019, the German trio Ephemeral—comprised of Ella Zlotos, Nikolaus Jira, and Patrick Maiwald—has steadily cultivated a sound defined by restrained arrangements and introspective depth. Rooted in melancholic folk traditions, their compositions are distinguished by a thoughtful incorporation of progressive elements. This approach is realized through an eclectic instrumental palette, including flutes, whistles, strings, and acoustic guitar, supplemented by keyboard textures and percussive accents. The interplay between sung and spoken-word vocals further reinforces the group’s preference for narrative-driven expression, often structured around poetic rhythm and tonal subtlety.

From the outset, Ephemeral’s body of work has drawn extensively from literary sources, particularly English-language poetry and folklore. This thematic interest informs much of their lyrical writing, which frequently engages with ideas of impermanence, renewal, and existential displacement. Rather than offering overt interpretations, the band favors allusive imagery and recurring metaphors tied to seasonal change and emotional flux. This literary dimension situates Ephemeral among a cohort of contemporary European acts working at the intersection of acoustic music and conceptual introspection.

‘Skylarks,’ their most recent release, continues this trajectory, serving as both a musical composition and visual meditation. The track is framed by acoustic instrumentation and layered harmonies, creating a subdued atmosphere intended to evoke a sense of contemplative escape. According to statements provided by the group, the piece was conceived as a reflection on artistic inspiration—drawing from both the natural environment and the creative legacies of earlier cultures. This thematic orientation is reinforced in the accompanying video, which features a solo performance by dancer Rosa Faerber, developed in parallel with the song’s recording. In this context, Ephemeral’s process can be seen as multidisciplinary, engaging sound and movement as complementary tools for evoking internal states of reflection.

‘Skylarks’: Interpreting Inspiration Through Sound and Movement

The release of ‘Skylarks’ extends Ephemeral’s stylistic vocabulary through a careful pairing of music and interpretive dance. Composed by Nikolaus Jira and Ella Zlotos, with lyrics contributed by Jira and Patrick Maiwald, the single draws upon the group’s established acoustic foundation while offering a more pointed engagement with the idea of creative transcendence. In a public statement, the band described the song as a meditation on the kinds of inspiration that arise from reconnecting with nature and cultural memory—an artistic gesture intended not to idealize escape but to examine it as a means of reflection. The metaphor of flight, referenced through the titular skylark, is positioned not as an abstract symbol but as an accessible expression of personal and artistic departure from routine.

The accompanying music video introduces a collaborative element that further reinforces this interpretive framework. Contemporary dancer Rosa Faerber choreographed and performed a solo piece that responds directly to the rhythm and progression of the track. Rather than illustrating the lyrics literally, her performance offers a visual counterpart to the song’s mood and tempo, structured as a continuous response to its acoustic ebb and flow. This integration of movement into the release strategy reflects the band’s consistent attention to formal cohesion across media. It also situated ‘Skylarks’ within a growing field of interdisciplinary work emerging from Europe’s independent acoustic and folk-adjacent scenes, where music is increasingly presented not as an isolated product but as part of a broader sensory encounter.

The track’s instrumentation underscores this intent. Featuring a blend of alto and tin whistles, guitars, kantele, and layered vocals, the composition relies on tonal clarity rather than compositional complexity to carry its effect. Guest contributions from violinist Caroline Salmona and cellist Nectaria Delgadillo extend the harmonic field without altering the track’s minimalistic orientation. The recording, mixing, and mastering were conducted by Nikolaus Jira at Nikolaus Recordings in Würzburg, maintaining the group’s preference for direct control over production. This continuity between creative concept and technical execution reflects a deliberate effort to align production values with the release’s artistic objectives.

Collaboration with Domhain: A Cross-Regional Exchange

The inclusion of Ephemeral’s ‘Skylarks’ as part of the split EP ‘Of Pine and Oak’ introduces a collaborative framework with Domhain, a Northern Irish project whose work originates in atmospheric metal traditions. Domhain’s contribution, the track ‘Footsteps,’ provides a tonal and textural counterpoint to Ephemeral’s acoustic restraint, favoring layered instrumentation that draws from post-black metal, blackgaze, and ambient composition. The result is a release in which distinct aesthetic approaches converge around a shared interest in introspection and natural imagery. Rather than aligning sonically, the two tracks operate in dialogue, structured around a mutual commitment to mood, pacing, and solitary reflection.

Domhain, formed by four musicians active in Ireland’s underground metal scene, has previously released material that blends emotional density with sparse arrangements. Their 2023 debut mini-album ‘Nimue,’ issued via These Hands Melt, established the project’s visual and sonic identity through a series of short conceptual films and studio compositions. That precedent informs their contribution to ‘Of Pine and Oak,’ where the group continues its interest in integrating music and visual art. ‘Footsteps’ features contributions from multiple collaborators, including cellist Anaïs Chareyre-Méjan—also the band’s visual director—whose role in shaping Domhain’s public image and aesthetic continuity extends across formats.

The pairing of Ephemeral and Domhain for this release was facilitated by These Hands Melt, a Rome-based label focused on dark emotional music. By commissioning one track from each band, the label positions ‘Of Pine and Oak’ not as a conventional split but as a curated engagement between distinct but philosophically adjacent projects. This structure allows each artist to maintain their creative identity while contributing to a unified conceptual object. It also reflects These Hands Melt’s broader strategy of organizing collaborations that prioritize thematic coherence and artistic agency over genre uniformity. Within this framework, ‘Of Pine and Oak’ functions as both a standalone release and a point of entry into the label’s catalogue.

Anaïs Chareyre-Méjan: Visual Author of Atmosphere

Anaïs Chareyre-Méjan, credited with the cover artwork for ‘Of Pine and Oak,’ plays a central role in shaping Domhain’s visual identity and contributes to the broader framing of the split EP through her multidisciplinary practice. As both a cellist and visual artist within the Northern Irish ensemble, her involvement extends beyond performance to include the conception and execution of the band’s visual output, including cover art, video direction, and graphic presentation. For ‘Of Pine and Oak,’ Chareyre-Méjan’s painting functions as more than an ornamental sleeve—it anchors the release in a distinct visual lexicon, reinforcing the sonic atmosphere conveyed by both Domhain and Ephemeral.

Her aesthetic approach, marked by layered compositions and organic forms, is aligned with the introspective character of Domhain’s music. Prior to this release, Chareyre-Méjan directed and produced the conceptual videos for Domhain’s 2023 mini-album ‘Nimue,’ setting a precedent for her integrated role in shaping both the auditory and visual contours of the band’s output. Her work resists overt narrative in favor of mood-driven abstraction, allowing listeners and viewers to approach the material without prescriptive interpretation. This strategy is consistent with the ethos of These Hands Melt, where the visual dimension is treated as essential to the release format.

Within the context of ‘Of Pine and Oak,’ Chareyre-Méjan’s contribution serves a dual function: it bridges the two distinct projects and provides a unifying visual cue across formats. The artwork’s presence on the vinyl edition and digital platforms ensures that the EP’s conceptual identity remains cohesive regardless of medium. Her role exemplifies the collaborative ethos shared by the artists and the label—an environment in which visual authorship is not peripheral but structurally embedded in the production and reception of the music.

Production Format and Distribution Strategy

‘Of Pine and Oak’ is distributed through digital platforms and as a limited physical edition, reflecting a dual approach that accommodates both accessibility and collectability. The vinyl release is issued as a single-sided 12-inch pressing in a color variant, capped at 200 copies. This format aligns with These Hands Melt’s preference for small-run editions that emphasize tactile and visual presentation. The physical record includes original artwork and design by Anaïs Chareyre-Méjan, reinforcing the project’s emphasis on visual cohesion and collaborative authorship. In positioning the EP as an object of artistic intention rather than mass-market distribution, the label draws upon established practices within independent music publishing, particularly in the dark folk and experimental metal spheres.

The EP’s availability through the label’s webstore and Bandcamp page further reflects a direct-to-listener model. These platforms have become integral to niche labels and artists operating outside conventional retail and streaming ecosystems, allowing for greater control over pricing, presentation, and audience engagement. Pre-orders for ‘Of Pine and Oak’ were announced prior to the release date, accompanied by press features and limited advance coverage in specialized music media. Notably, the video for ‘Skylarks’ premiered one day before the official release through a music blog focused on underground genres, offering early visual context and reinforcing the label’s emphasis on multi-format presentation.

This distribution model underscores the shared priorities between Ephemeral, Domhain, and These Hands Melt: sustained artistic autonomy, curated presentation, and an avoidance of conventional promotional cycles. The emphasis on scarcity—through limited vinyl quantities—and the integration of visual material into the release suggest a commitment to form and medium that extends beyond the music itself. In this context, ‘Of Pine and Oak’ functions not only as a split EP but as a cohesive, deliberately framed cultural artifact, produced and disseminated through a closely coordinated effort between label and artists.

These Hands Melt: Label Direction and Cultural Framing

Founded in Rome in 2023, These Hands Melt has positioned itself as a label dedicated to dark emotional music, curating releases that prioritize aesthetic intent and collaborative integrity over volume or commercial scale. Its catalogue spans a range of genres—including dark folk, ambient, and atmospheric metal—but remains united by a preference for emotionally charged material that engages thoughtfully with visual design and physical media. Through its release schedule and subscription model, the label has cultivated a modest yet focused audience invested in the continuity and craft of its editions.

The collaboration between Ephemeral and Domhain on ‘Of Pine and Oak’ reflects the label’s operational model, which frequently involves pairing artists across regions and stylistic lines to generate limited-edition releases with unified conceptual focus. Rather than framing the EP as a novelty or genre experiment, These Hands Melt approached the split as an intentional pairing of artists whose work shares underlying thematic and methodological concerns. This editorial posture distinguishes the label within an increasingly fragmented independent music landscape, where many releases are driven by algorithmic compatibility rather than curatorial alignment.

These Hands Melt’s role in producing and distributing ‘Of Pine and Oak’ has further implications for the way such collaborations are contextualized in contemporary independent music. By combining controlled production values with clearly defined visual identities, the label reinforces its artists’ authority over both content and presentation. The result is a model that places emphasis on integrity of form—from sonic construction to packaging—rather than visibility or growth metrics. In doing so, the label maintains a catalogue shaped not by market demand but by deliberate selection, of which ‘Of Pine and Oak’ is a representative example.

Conclusion

With the release of ‘Skylarks’ and its inclusion on ‘Of Pine and Oak,’ Ephemeral demonstrates a consistent adherence to a multidisciplinary mode of expression that aligns with their broader artistic trajectory. The track’s restrained composition, paired with a carefully constructed visual interpretation, signals the group’s continued interest in articulating abstract ideas through a tightly controlled and collaborative framework. In engaging contemporary dancer Rosa Faerber and maintaining in-house production oversight, the trio has created a work that is both introspective and formally precise—positioning it within a field of independent artists who view music as part of a larger process of interpretive engagement.

The collaborative structure of ‘Of Pine and Oak’ also offers insight into how cross-regional independent projects can be shaped to preserve artistic autonomy while contributing to a shared release context. Domhain’s contribution expands the scope of the EP without compromising the distinctiveness of either act. Together, the two tracks operate not in symmetry but in conversation, allowing for contrast as well as cohesion—an approach consistent with the curatorial strategy of These Hands Melt.

By issuing the EP in both digital and limited vinyl formats, and maintaining control over visual design and distribution, These Hands Melt reinforces its role as a platform for intentional collaboration. In this environment, releases such as ‘Of Pine and Oak’ occupy a space that resists conventional genre marketing or promotional cycles. Instead, they exist as curated cultural artefacts—anchored by artistic clarity and presented with the deliberate pacing that characterizes much of the label’s output to date.