Anna von Hausswolff "Dead Magic" (March 2, 2018)

I know there's a least a few fans of Anna's stuff around here!

Just announced is her 4th album "Dead Magic" coming in early March 2018, with the track "The Mysterious Vanishing of Electra" being shared now:


Great track, can't wait for the album.

 

Love her last album, thanks for the heads up, but that's three months from now! Oh well, still have a lot of catching up to do from this year anyway...

Listening to the perfectly titled Awkwardly Blissing Out right now from F Ingers (Carla dal Forno, Tarquin Manek and Sam Karmel), kind of a darkwave electro-folk sound, more electronics than Anna, and more rhythmic, without the metal and progressive undertones, no big organ to anchor those dark soundscapes, but some similarities down below the surface, well, maybe not, but not much is very similar to Anna right now in my little music world. Emma Ruth Rundle has some of that darkness, especially in her record last year, but doesn't go too far on the progressive side (though her band Marriages does go more in that direction). Not sure where F Ingers goes in my best of the year, but do know I like it a lot.

And there was an Exploded View EP this year too, some of that same Nico-esque vibe from the same sessions as the last album, but still a lot different from AvH. Hope they have a new full length in the coming year.

And the amazing new free-form collaboration between Virginia Wing and XAM Duo called Tomorrow's Gift that I just got, and have already listened to a couple times, some amazing music captured in that 48 hour session. Check out the blurb at bandcamp and What are your top 10 albums of 2017?

Sorry for the rambling sidetrack, but I'm sure you realize these Anna threads don't go very far on their own

 

Thanks for the information for the upcoming album.

That new song sounds terrific!

 

Thanks for bringing the news here about the new album.
The first track is great, so it will be exciting and interesting to hear the rest songs new year.
Im definitely looking forward to hearing the upcoming album..

 

One of the more original musicians working today, I eagerly look forward to this next album.

 

Yea, I agree, kind of a modern day Nico, you would think she'd be a bit more popular, but she does seem to be doing OK on the concert circuit, they make a pretty big sound, and most of those that know her music tend to love it. Count me in, looking forward to this, and the new upcoming one this month from The Limiñanas, Shadow People, and the new one I just got from Psychic Lemon, Frequency Rhythm Distortion Delay, and 2018 is already shaping up to be a pretty good year.

 

It's hard classifying her sound, so she stands on an island by herself.

 

Well, maybe, not sure about the island, she does remind me at times of other artists, but she is still very unique when you put it all together. Below from NPR in regards to the single ... Watch: Anna Von Hausswolff Digs Into 'The Mysterious Vanishing Of Electra'

Anna von Hausswolff's voice has truly begun to equal her instrument. Like the pipe organ she commands at harrowing volumes and in disquiet drones, her howls rattle and shake with a sublime elasticity on "The Mysterious Vanishing Of Electra," the first single from Dead Magic.

Performed on the 20th century pipe organ located in Marmor Kirken ("The Marble Church"), Copenhagen, von Hausswolff's new album was recorded by Randall Dunn, who regularly works with the likes of Sunn O))) and Earth, but also Marissa Nadler. This is certainly the shattering decibel that the Swedish musician has begun to attract, while maintaining her own stretched-out style of songwriting — backing bombast with thoughtful melodies.

The video stars Siri Wigzell and Anna von Hausswolff in a bit of a bizzaro Wizard of Oz, except the switch from the gravedigging black and white to color only seems to send our characters into more darkness. Maria von Hausswolff, Anna's sister, directs and tells NPR that the song is "driven by a desire to dig up something that has been wanting to get dug up for a long time. It's a transition of music, character and images as it continues the ongoing story from my previous music videos for Anna."

 

BTW, I pre-ordered the vinyl a couple days ago for $19.99 along with some other stuff, but just saw that Bull Moose has it up for $17.97 right now in case anyone is interested ... Anna Von Hausswolff - Dead Magic

 

Anna von Hausswolff shares her epic 12-minute opening track, "The Truth, The Glow, The Fall" ...




Dead Magic, Anna von Hausswolff’s fourth album, was composed in the summer of 2016 in her hometown Gothenburg, Sweden, and recorded the following year in Copenhagen, Denmark. The majority of recordings were done on the 20th century organ at Copenhagen’s Marmorkirken, “the Marble Church”, one of the largest churches in Scandinavia, with a chapel inspired by the majestic St Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

Dead Magic is five songs extending over 47 minutes and 20 seconds: “The Truth, the Glow, the Fall”, “The Mysterious Vanishing of Electra”, “Ugly and Vengeful”, “The Marble Eye” and “Källans återuppståndelse”.

The album sees her joined by Karl Vento (guitar), Joel Fabiansson (guitar), Filip Leyman (synthesizers), Ulrik Ording (drums) and David Sabel (bass), with string arrangements on “The Truth, the Glow, the Fall” and “Källans Återuppståndelse” by Úlfur Hansson. The production of Dead Magic was entrusted to the multifaceted Randall Dunn, known for collaborating with iconic bands such as Sunn O))), Earth and Wolves in the Throne Room (whose recent album Thrice Woven Anna contributed vocals to).

 

I guess I will get tickets for her 3-3-18 Berlin gig and simply buy the album there.

 

Just revisited "The Miraculous" and don't really get these Nico comparisons. It's a great album but rather seems informed by Dead Can Dance, Earth, Chelsea Wolfe and Popol Vuh. OK.... and ABBA but that might be down to the Swedish accent. Any. Way. Planning to play this and "Ceremony" quite a bit this week in preparation of Sunday's Berlin gig.

 

Well, I know the Nico comparison is kind of lazy, but it does get tossed around a lot, and Anna does list Desertshore as one of her favorites and a big influence. But I do agree with you on DCD, and especially Chelsea Wolfe, that's a better sound comparison. The dark iciness of some of those old Nico performances does have similarities, though ...

 

I really don't know why people keep bringing up Nico. That's more than lazy. I mean.... Nico isn't even Swedish and has a totally different voice.

Thankfully the new MOJO review doesn't do this

 

Yea, lotta Diamanda Galas mentions this time around, both Mojo and Uncut and I've only just started checking, but it is getting some nice reviews and good publicity, I'm happy for her...

 

Looking at Metacritic, her albums - while always reviewed more positively - are gradually getting more acclaim. "Dead Magic" seems like a new peak. And it's not even out yet

 

I'm going to her gig in London next month. I pre-ordered a signed copy of the LP from
Dead Magic: Signed .
The sleeve is quite spooky - a good representation of the music imo.

 

Thanks for this, ordered. I'm seeing her this Sunday in Berlin and wanted to get the album there but signed is obviously nicer.

All her covers are spooky btw. "Ceremony"'s "screaming" organ pipes or the faceless girl on "The Miraculous". Intriguing stuff

 

Revisiting "Ceremony" at the moment. Quite different than "The Miraculous" but also a fantastic album. Longer, more sprawling. Four days to go until the concert

 

Got my signed record in the post this morning! Official release day today.

 

Not to turn this into one of these threads but.... mine has shipped yesterday

 

I don't want to turn this into a "sounds like" thread either, but she has managed to sound like all my favourite female artists on one LP. I'm going to add Gazelle Twin's The Entire City and Nina Hagen to the list which already includes Agnetha Fältskog and Diamanda Galas. I don't get Nico though either.
The thing about this is that her voice equals or even surpasses those iconic artists in quality and ability. And the music is like nothing else - it evokes images of dark, frozen Scandinavian chasms, mountains, forests and lakes. Perfect for this icy spell we've got in Europe at the moment.
I can't wait to experience this album live on the 12th. It's really going to be an event to remember. Let us know how Berlin goes Neonbeam!

 

Never really could tell these voices apart but doesn't she sound more like Frida??

The more I'm listening, the less I'm getting these Nico comparisons. But I paid attention, virtually no professional reviewer uses them. I mean... the voices are totally different.

Totally looking forward to the concert, played "Ceremony" and "The Miraculous" multiple times this week. The tour starts tomorrow in Dresden.

 

. Frida was the deep smoky voice and Agnetha was the high glass-like one. I mean these artists' voices were correctly recognised for their qualities over the years. This woman beats them really - her voice is astonishing. There's even Yoko Ono in there. It's like half my whole music collection all in one artist.
Are you going to Dresden as well as Berlin?