Tunng Presents...Dead Club

Album review

Death. It’s inescapable and it permeates every corner of Tunng’s new album. Two years ago, the English group started to take an interest in life and loss. It nourished every lyric they wrote. They took a rather sociological approach - they read books, spoke to academics (philosophers, anthropologists…) and studied various countries’ funeral traditions. Some excerpts from interviews features on the album. They even took this infatuation to the next level with their chord progressions: D-E-A-D. Of course, Dead Club is mostly aimed at people who want to get to grips with a rather taboo subject. Though even if you don’t listen to the lyrics, it’s easy to get carried away by the melodies (and there’s nothing sinister about them). Tunng aren’t about to become a death metal band. Their music is still wrapped in the cocoon of “folktronica”, a hybrid genre that mixes folk’s sweet storytelling with an electronic production. The almost whispered multi-voice singing, the delicate arrangements and the gentle tempos create a sense of peace and space. The pervasive acoustic piano makes you feel like you’re at Tunng’s place, sat with a cuppa, tapping your feet while the band makes music. It’s not quite death, but heaven doesn’t feel too far away. © Stéphane Deschamps/Qobuz