Sprawl Magazine Live & In-Print 4 @ Rough Trade Nottingham:
Ulrika Spacek
After nearly five years away, Ulrika Spacek return with Compact Trauma, their third album, shaped by personal and collective upheaval. Initially conceived in 2018 after relentless touring, the album faced major setbacks, including the loss of their Homerton studio (KEN) to gentrification and internal tensions. Recording moved to a professional studio, but progress stalled, and when the pandemic hit, the project was shelved.
When the band revisited the material post-lockdowns, they found its themes—existential dread, displacement, and self-doubt—resonated even more deeply. Songs like The Sheer Drop, Lounge Angst, and If The Wheels Are Coming Off, The Wheels Are Coming Off channel anxiety through unconventional structures and cathartic release. The title track, shifting from frantic energy to ominous calm, encapsulates the record’s raw, unfiltered emotion. Compact Trauma is both a reflection of past struggles and a triumphant return, proving to be Ulrika Spacek’s most compelling work yet.
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Sprawl Collective
A selection of writers and artists from within the magazine.
