Rolling Stone South Africa Review

Fulka coupling push the electro-ambient envelope

The husband-and-wife team of Jacob Israel and Ola Kobak(From indie outsiders Fulka) pair off for an instrumental EP that is an intriguing mix of orchestral and ambient. String interments with their pick-ups covered in tinfoil are some of the minor interventions that skew the sounds, but its the deft contrasting between the rousing orchestrations and the spacious electronic work that push the six-track EP into the stratosphere. Poignant yet dislocating, populated by what sounds like clockwork forest creatures, force fields cut adrift and abandoned mansions. A Hollow in the Land melds natural human darkness and the scattered remains of a deconstructing future into a soft and glorious lullaby.  

Roger Young


A Call To Arms

Planning The Fall

The Fall

After Brokenness

Let Me Take You Home

The Joy Of Reunion

A Hollow in the Land melds natural human darkness and the scattered remains of a deconstructing
future into a soft and glorious lullaby. “ - Rolling Stone, South Africa.

The duo behind “A Hollow In The Land” are husband and wife team Jacob van der Westhuizen (also known asexperimental musican Jacob Israel) and Ola Kobak (the leading member of Folktronica act “Fulka”). They currently reside in Pretoria, South Africa, and work from their studio,“Benjamin”.

“A Hollow In The Land” is their debut collaborative project, drawing from Ola's Polish influence, and from Jacob's experimental side the duo set out to create a product that would be a unison between the two's musical backgrounds. Out of this “A Hollow In The Land” was born. The music generally fits under the genres Abstract Electronica, Soundscape & Melancholy Ambient. Together, they create cimmerian and misty ballads coupled with an ever-calming presence and raptured with strong blasts of gritty noise drones and abstract texture. The album was written, recorded and produced between June 2011 and November 2012.

Tracklisting:

01. Planning The Fall
02. The Fall
03. After Brokenness
04. A Call To Arms
05. Let Me Take You Home
06. The Joy Of Reunion

Album Credits:
All music composed, produced and performed by Jacob van der Westhuizen & Ola Kobak except Trombone performed by Speedy Kobak, Tenor Saxophone performed by Janus van der Merwe, Viola performed by Jean-Louise Nel, Cello performed by Lani Groves and Violin performed by Hana Yim-Wahl.Recorded, mixed & mastered by Jacob van der Westhuizen (Jacob Israel) at Benjamin Studio, Pretoria, South Africa. Design by Ola Kobak.

ahollowintheland