Not only is this my second post of the day, this one again has Karin Dreijer Andersson, of Fever Ray and The Knife, at the center of the topic. If you don’t know about Fever Ray or The Knife then I feel bad for you because you have been missing out on the amazing art they create. If you do know about them, then you probably know all about the Darwin Electro-Opera that Karin and brother Olof Dreijer have been working on. Tomorrow, in a Year premiered September 2nd at Hotel Pro Forma to great reviews and is currently on tour throughout Europe. Unfortunately, I can’t find any rumors or plans for the show to come to the States. I guess we’ll have to settle for the studio recording, set to be released early 2010, and hopefully a DVD (fingers-crossed). Other Musical collaborators include Mt. Sims and Planningtorock. Judging by the videos Hotel Pro Forma has posted, I think it would be absolutely spectacular to have the privilege of witnessing this performance live, and even more so in an elevated state (if you know what I’m saying).

Here is the description from Hotel Pro Forma’s website:

The world seen through the eyes of Charles Darwin forms the basis for the performance Tomorrow, in a Year. Theatre production company Hotel Pro Forma’s striking visuals blend with pop-duo The Knife’s ground-breaking music to create a new species of electro-opera.

An opera singer, a pop singer and an actor perform The Knife’s music and represent Darwin, time and nature on stage. Six dancers form the raw material of life. Together with the newest technology in light and sound, our image of the world as a place of incredible variation, similarity and unity is re-discovered.

Tomorrow, in a Year – A Darwin Electro-Opera

Colouring of Pigeons, from Tomorrow, in a Year

Tomorrow, in a Year is a performance that, with its exquisite scenic narrative technique and boldly exploratory music, shifts the positions of operatic art in a single leap… The Knife do not stick to the forms they have already mastered and their own internationally recognised sound. In Tomorrow, in a Year they actually play Darwin himself, bringing into play the entire tradition of electronic music.
- Dagens Nyheter (SE)

With mezzo-soprano Kristina Wahlin in blinding red, standing upright with a staff in her hand as though she were guarding something holy, with a voice that reaches the heavens. It’s beautiful! Strøbech wanders, like the romanticist and scientist that he is, convincingly in Darwin’s footsteps and respectively in his shadow… The collaboration with The Knife is pure genius.
- Politiken (DK)

Certain frequences in the performance make the chairs at the Royal Theatre vibrate… Darwin’s world is brought to life in front of our eyes.
- Helsingborg Dagblad (SE)

I am so jealous that I will likely never have the chance to experience this performance!

Digg This | Share On Facebook | Tweet This

Post tags: Darwin Electro-Opera, fever ray, Hotel Pro Forma, the knife, Tomorrow in a Year

© Brandon for Diafero Collective, 2009. | Permalink | %%comment_text%%

Karin Dreijer Andersson of Fever Ray

Last night I was listening to the new Resident Advisor podcast put together by Karin Dreijer Andersson of Fever Ray and The Knife. She is by far one of the best artist for a Halloween themed mix. The mix is great, especially for background listening while working, but I wasn’t really going to write a post about it. That is until I got to the 52 minute mark and Entombed’s cover of Night of the Vampire came on. I haven’t really listened to metal for quite awhile, but when this blasted in, it broke me out of my work trance and got me head-banging. After the little jam session I knew I had to share this for others to enjoy.

Karin Dreijer Andersson – Halloween Mix

Tracklisting

1. Neil Young – Guitar Solo 1
2. Yo La Tengo – Everyday
3. Journey To Ixtlan – Corpse On The Mesa
4. Jad & David Fair – Nosferatu
5. Zola Jesus – Devil Take You
6. Bruce Haack – Mean Old Devil
7. Krause – Duo Canopolis
8. Burial Hex – Will To Chapel
9. Suicide – Ghost Rider
10. Amadou & Miriam – Ja Pense À Toi
11. Shackleton – Death Is Not Final
12. Entombed – Night of the Vampire
13. Maddalena Fagandini – Interval Signals
14. Burundi: Musiques Traditionnelles – Chant Avec Cithare

For those of you that don’t have any patience, here is the single of Night of the Vampire as covered by Entombed. The original song was written and performed by the criminally insane, but brilliant, Roky Erickson.

Entombed – Night of the Vampire

Roky Erickson – Night of the Vampire (acoustic)

Digg This | Share On Facebook | Tweet This

Post tags: Entombed, fever ray, Halloween, Karin Andersson, Roky Erickson, Vampire

© Brandon for Diafero Collective, 2009. | Permalink | %%comment_text%%

After three years sans recording, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ new album, It’s Blitz!, will undoubtedly go down as one of the years greatest releases. With remixes already out by Animal Collective and N.A.S.A. it’s proving to live up to the hype. This album is quite the glorious offering.

Ben was recently telling me about Angus & Julia Stone, so I decided to look into them and was extremely pleased. I’ll let Ben tell us more about them, but I thought I’d mention them in this post so you can now go and look into them yourselves. So good. Thank you Ben!

Over the past couple years I’ve been a huge fan of The Knife. Unfortunately they haven’t had a new release since Silent Shout came out in 2006 (they’re now actually working on a darwin opera due to premiere in September 2009). Swooping in to fill the void, with a self-titled album, is Fever Ray. Fever Ray is is the project of Karin Dreijer Andersson, one-half of The Knife. This debut album is exactly what I’ve been craving lately.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Runaway

Angus & Julia Stone – A Book Like This

Fever Ray – Now’s the Only Time I Know

Fever Ray – When I Grow Up (Lissvik Remix)

Digg This | Share On Facebook | Tweet This

Post tags: angus and julia stone, fever ray, it's blitz, the knife, yeah yeah yeahs

© Brandon for Diafero Collective, 2009. | Permalink | %%comment_text%%