Tristan Rhys Williams

Ynys y Cedairn (20.03.2026)

_{^{Ynys y Cedairn is the ancient Welsh name for Anglesey, translating to “Isle of the Brave.” As ever, this album is dedicated to the spirits who roam this isle, remembering what happened here. The first seven pieces serve as brief snapshots of place, functioning as portals to the spirits of each location. Created quickly and with limited means, these works aim to capture the essence of these landscapes—not as polished sonic entities, but as immediate impressions, born from the energy of the sites themselves. The final two pieces are conceived as long-form ambulatory grounds. These works are slow, attentive walks through sound, landscape, and deep time, capturing the essence of Ynys Môn’s hauntological presence.}}

_{^{Ynys y Cedairn yw enw Cymraeg hynafol am Fôn. Mae’r albwm hwn yn cael ei neilltuo i’r ysbrydion sy’n crwydro’r ynys hon, gan gofio’r hyn a ddigwyddodd yma. Mae’r saith darn cyntaf yn gweithredu fel cipolwg byr ar le, fel drysau i ysbrydion pob lleoliad. Wedi’u creu’n gyflym ac ag adnoddau cyfyngedig, mae’r gweithiau hyn yn ceisio dal hanfod y tirweddau hyn—nid fel endidau sain mireinio, ond fel argraffiadau uniongyrchol, a gened o egni’r safleoedd eu hunain. Mae’r ddau ddarn olaf wedi’u hystyried fel tiredd cerdded hir. Mae’r gweithiau hyn yn cerdded yn araf, ac yn ofalus trwy sain, tirwedd, a amser dwfn, gan ddal hanfod bresenoldeb hatholaidd Ynys Môn.}}

🜁 🜄 🜃 (2025)

_{^{These works are conceptually structured around the three realms of Sky, Sea and Land. The collection creates a triskele form of three pieces for each of the three realms.}}

_{^{Mae’r gweithiau hyn wedi’u strwythuro’n gysynadol o amgylch tair byd: y Nefoedd, y Môr a’r Tir. Mae’r casgliad yn creu ffurf triskele o dri darn ar gyfer pob un o’r tair byd.}}

Ynys Dywyll (Tŷ Cerdd / Sionci, 2025)

_{^{I contributed three tracks to the album by poet Rhys Trimble, dedicated to the geomythic and psychogeographic resonances of Anglesey: Rhys Trimble – Ynys Dywyll}}

^{_{Cyfrannais dri trac i’r albwm gan y bardd Rhys Trimble, wedi’i neilltuo i’r adlewyrchiadau geomythig a seicogeograffig o Ynys Môn.}}

YsbrydMôn (Discreet Archive, 2025)

_{^{In this collection of works, I was drawn to the notion of writing brief snapshot-type soundworks that capture the spirit of sites on Ynys Môn. These are not densely layered as with many of their offerings. The following self-imposed restrictions were applied:
• No more than two raw field recordings
• Tenor recorder monody
• Vocal recitation of a text written by TRW
• no longer than 2 minutes in length
As ever, they are dedicated to the spirits who roam this isle, remembering what happened here.}}

_{^{Yn y casgliad hwn o weithiau, cefais fy nenu at y cysyniad o ysgrifennu cerddoriaeth synhwyraidd byr ar ffurf delweddau sy’n dal ysbryd safleoedd ar Ynys Môn. Nid yw’r rhain wedi’u haenu’n drwchus fel gyda llawer o’u cynnig. Cafodd y cyfyngiadau hunan-dderbyniedig canlynol eu cymhwyso:• Dim mwy na dau recordiad maes crai • Un alaw tenor recorder • Darlleniad lleferydd o destun a ysgrifennwyd gan TRW • Dim yn fwy na 2 funud o hyd Fel bob amser, maent yn neilltuo i’r ysbrydion sy’n crwydro’r ynys hon, gan gofio beth a ddigwyddodd yma.}}

Dylan Eil Ton (Listen to the Voice of Fire, 2025)

_{^{“Peredur stood and compared the blackness of the raven and the whiteness of the snow and the redness of the blood to the hair of the woman he loved best, which was as black as jet, and her skin to the whiteness of the snow, and the redness of the blood in the white snow to the two red spots in the cheeks of the woman he loved best”}}

_{^{(Red, White, and Black in Symbolic Thought: The Tricolour Folk Motif, Colour Naming, and Trichromatic Vision by Jessica Hemming)}}

_{^{I was asked to develop music responding to polychromatic motifs within the Llyfr Gwyn Rhydderch, itself being an incomplete manuscript of what is now widely known as the Mabinogion (or Pedair Cainc Y Mabinogi), transcribed at Abaty Ystrad Fflur, in mid Wales during the 14th century.}}

^{_{Gofynnwyd i mi ddatblygu cerddoriaeth sy’n ymateb i fodylau polychromatig o fewn Llyfr Gwyn Rhydderch, sef llawysgrif anghyflawn o’r hyn sydd bellach yn cael ei adnabod yn eang fel y Mabinogion (neu Pedair Cainc Y Mabinogi), wedi’i throsgrifio yn Abaty Ystrad Fflur, yng nghanol Cymru yn ystod y 14eg ganrif.}}

Ynys Gysegredig (2024)

_{^{This series of ‘Ffynnon’ (‘well’ or ‘spring’ in Welsh) soundworks serve as meditations upon the three wells revered by the cult of the Hendy head on Anglesey. According to Anne Ross these were: ‘Ffynnon Oer’ (‘the cold well’), ‘Ffynnon Ddu’ (‘the black well’), and ‘Ffynnon Marw’ (‘the well of the dead’).}}

_{^{The two ligament-like ‘Gofara Braint’ (‘Braint’ after Brigantia / Brigid) pieces [tracks 2 and 4] feature field recordings including live channellings by Richard Craig on overtone flute from the River Braint near Bryn Celli Ddu to the tidal Rhuddgaer stepping stones on Anglesey.}}

_{^{These are very personal portals. Tracks 1, 3 and 5 use samples from my earlier work.}}

_{^{Mae’r gyfres hon o weithiau sain ‘Ffynnon’ (‘ffynnon’ neu ‘ffryd’ yn Gymraeg) yn gweithredu fel myfyrdodau ar dair ffynnon a gynhyrfir gan gylchfa pen Hendy ar Ynys Môn. Yn ôl Anne Ross, yr oedd y rhain yn: ‘Ffynnon Oer’ (‘y ffynnon oer’), ‘Ffynnon Ddu’ (‘y ffynnon ddu’), a ‘Ffynnon Marw’ (‘ffynnon y meirw’).}}

_{^{Mae’r ddau ddarn tebyg i ligament ‘Gofara Braint’ (‘Braint’ ar ôl Brigantia / Brigid) [traciau 2 a 4] yn cynnwys recordiadau maes gan gynnwys sianelau byw gan Richard Craig ar flŵt orffenynnau o Afon Braint ger Bryn Celli Ddu i’r cerrig gamu Hwdgaer llanwol ar Ynys Môn. Mae’r rhain yn gyfleusterau personol iawn.}}

_{^{Mae traciau 1, 3 a 5 yn defnyddio samplau o’m gwaith cynharach.}}

Hudlath (2023)

_{^{A series of soundworks incorporating live channellings by Tristan Rhys Williams on harmonium and Richard Craig on flute. The works also include field recordings and ambient scrapings from the sacred isle of Anglesey.}}

_{^{Cyfres o weithiau sain sy’n cynnwys sianeli byw gan Tristan Rhys Williams ar harmonium a Richard Craig ar ffliwt. Mae’r gweithiau hefyd yn cynnwys recordiadau maes a sgraffiniadau amgylchfydol o ynys sanctaidd Môn.}}

EOG AGOR (2022)