buy records
buy mp3
buy merch
WINTER LADY [CD|LP|DIGITAL]
HIGHWAYMEN IN MIDNIGHT MASKS [10''|DIGITAL]
A masterwork of minimalism, WINTER LADY - Alicia Merz's sophomore solo effort as BIRDS OF PASSAGE sees a return to the desolate and melancholic soundcscapes of her highly acclaimed debut, WITHOUT THE WORLD. With WINTER LADY, Alicia presents us with an endearing invitation into her fragile world, a captivating journey through the landscapes of her emotional euphoria and agony, a further commitment to musical experimentation, a worthy addition to the oeuvre of BIRDS OF PASSAGE.
The cold minimalist-drones, distorted field recordings, and sparse instrumentation, illustrate an icy, desolate and dark world. It's as if we are listening to the sound of winter itself; an audio exposure to the unforgiving elements of winter.
With allusions to dark-pop and classic broken-folk, the reverb drenched instrumentation, metaphorical fairytale lyrics, and anti-climactic compositions remind us that Alicia Merz is a singer songwriter for people who don't like singer songwriters.
With WINTER LADY, Alicia re-establishes herself as a true musical maverick - who is able to capture the imaginations of audiences as diverse as those of SIGUR ROS, GROUPER and ZOLA JESUS. In short, BIRDS OF PASSAGE's WINTER LADY is an album of authentic experimentation, masterful minimalism, immense tragedy, and glacial beauty. It is not surprising that already after the first album artists including AIDAN BAKER and NILS FRAHM belonged to the fanbase of BIRDS OF PASSAGE.
In line with the WINTER LADY release, Denovali Records will release HIGHWAYMEN IN MIDNIGHT MASKS as a 10’’. On the B-side: ‘i have my heart’ and ‘forbidden love’, a collaboration with prolific artist AIDAN BAKER (NADJA, INFINITE LIGHT LTD.). The track juxtaposes Alicia's harsh distorted guitars, with an ethereal flute drone courtesy of Baker. This unassuming contrast of polar opposites has visceral consequences: Alicia's signature vocals sit on top, telling a
story of a dark love affair, while Baker's vocal sits below - reduced to an ambient texture. The result: a 'Gregorian Chant' for fans of acid drenched drone, a 'Post, post-rock' love song of epic proportions, a lyrical journey of exploration in to the philosophical depravities of The Marquis de Sade.
Both records have been mastered by NILS FRAHM.
