While HALMA leaned far out of the window on their predecessor album „Granular“, far and wide, so far that the comet Tschurjumow-Gerassimenko came into view, HALMA now dig into the depths with their new recording „The Ground“. Whirlpools of crystals drill into the ground, it grinds and flows, carbon becomes diamonds – on „The Ground“ the band drives six new tracks with racing drill into all our consciousness. HALMA turn summits around and flow into the depths, mountains from below, the band seems to know the old mountaineering wisdom that summit happiness is dangerous – and so the four musicians prove sure-footedness and manage the descent into the bottomless with sovereign elegance. It is admirable how much attention HALMA can pay to paths, routes and tracks in the scree. Hikers and ramblers: Paths are created where one walks them, and in low altitudes one is at home, and in deep substance HALMA is at home. Tip for first listening: The whole disc from beginning to end and again from beginning