LP.8

Language available : english

Frustrated with touring after the release of her (excellent) album Inner Song in 2020, the rising British electronic star Kelly Lee Owners decided to take a last-minute trip to Oslo, the only destination still available when she arrived at the airport. There, she met with Lasse Marhaug (who was signed to the same label, Smalltown Supersound). Marhaug is a big name in the Norwegian noise and experimental scene, having collaborated with the likes of Sunn O)))) (he featured on their live album Dømkirke, which was recorded at Bergen Cathedral in 2008). He lives in Bodø, a small town located just above the Arctic Circle. Together, they conceptualised an album that would blend Throbbing Gristle-style industrial production with Celtic vocals reminiscent of Enya. The record starts exactly as you’d expect: five hypnotic minutes of Owens repeating “Release” over an industrial beat and bass. What follows is equally experimental, with superimposed drones and mystical chants. The tracklist boasts some great songs, from the bright Anadlu to the more contrasted S.O (2), which has an undeniable Björk vibe. Marhaug slips in some delicious production tricks too, filling your ears with granules of sound on Quickening and playing around with modulations on One. Owens (likely inspired by the surrounding nature) closes the album with an ecological message with the track Sonic 8, a wakeup call delivered over a synthetic drill beat. © Smaël Bouaici/Qobuz