Yucatan's Iwan Huws - RIP

The death of Iwan Huws in January 2018 was a loss that resonated far beyond the foot of the mountains he loved. At just 34 years old, Iwan was a man of dual passions: he was the steady, rhythmic heartbeat of the band Yucatan, and an elite, experienced mountaineer who felt most at home on the rugged peaks of Eryri (Snowdonia).

On January 14, Iwan set out to climb his favorite mountain, Tryfan, via the North Ridge. Despite his immense experience—having trekked the Himalayas and the Inca Trail—and being fully equipped for the conditions, he tragically lost his footing on the West Face. Following a massive search operation involving over 50 volunteers, he was found the following morning. The tragedy was underscored by the fact that Iwan was training to become a mountain leader himself, intending to dedicate his life to helping others safely navigate the landscapes he adored.

Within the Welsh music community, Iwan was cherished as much for his character as his talent. As the drummer for the Caernarfon-based Yucatan, he was a vital part of a band that had earned the admiration of legends like Tim Burgess and Gruff Rhys. His bandmates remembered him not just as a musician, but as a "funny, chilled out, and lovely person" who brought a sense of calm and joy to every tour and rehearsal.

His legacy continues to live on through the Cronfa Iwan Huws fund. Established by his partner and family, the charity transformed a moment of profound grief into a force for good, raising thousands for the Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Team and providing musical instruments for young people in his home community. Iwan Huws remains a symbol of the adventurous, creative spirit of North Wales—a man who lived his life with rhythm, height, and a deep love for the land.

Enlli EP review

Yucatan release Enlli EP

(by Adam Walton - taken from BBC website as they alway take stuff from mine)

The delicate carousels of the guitar in the Enlli EP's lead track, Cur, hung on a firmament of piano notes as clear as stars in a cloudless sky, pick me up and elevate me out of the smouldering back garden, lifting me above the treetops so gently I hardly notice the lawn I was supposed to have mown yesterday evening. I can feel a breeze on my face, but it's not coming from the weather: it's the breaths of the choir that splendidly billows out the sails of the first two tracks on this EP... somewhere in amongst the ice sparkles of glockenspiel and Dilwyn's lonely voice. Dilwyn is Mr Yucatan, if Roger Hargreaves had ever thought to write a book about a humble sonic explorer.

And I swear to you: I feel cool, liberated, blown far away from the inconsequential chaff by the beautiful visions landscaped to perfection on this EP.

If it doesn't remind you of Sigur Rós' atmospherics you're being deliberately contrary. Sigur Ros' music is inspired by the Icelandic land and skyscapes. Over recent years their music has lost some of its evocative power because TV producers have bled their albums dry to bring celestial beauty and drama to snake oil TV shows that are as mysterious as con men fleecing pensioners. And Sigur Rós' unwitting (and, I believe, unwilling) omnipresence on Saturday evening ITV has weighed these once otherwordly tracks down with humdrum associations.

It's a great shame.

Back to Yucatan. In exactly the same way that the strange landscapes of Iceland permeate Sigur Rós' music, so does the dramatic geography and meteorology of Wales shape Enlli. Particularly, this EP is inspired by the 'evocative mystique' of Ynys Enlli, off the West coast peninsula of Pen Llyn.

And although the approach is similar, in some respects, to Sigur Rós: minimal orchestration, echoey grandeur, a sound to fill a night sky with bright wonders, this EP is as unique as the landscape that inspired it: no more similar to Sigur Rós than a photo of Ynys Enlli is to a photo of some weird volcanic moonscape on Iceland.

In particular, Dilwyn's voice is more grounded, less ethereal than Jonsi's. He sounds like a man awed by what he sees around him - which is resonant to me as a listener because throughout this EP I'm awed by what I'm hearing.

It's breathtaking, emotive and suffused with enough magic to turn a bad afternoon into one illuminated by marvels.

Enlli is released on Recordiau Coll on 23 August.