Julianna Barwick named her forthcoming release Nepenthe, after a drug in Greek mythology that erased all memory of grief and sorrow. While Barwick was recording the album in Iceland, a family member passed away, and the name just sorta presented itself. The music on the album springs from that sense of moving from loss to hope, from pain to transcendence. And the story of Nepenthe’s birth is pretty much a Greek mythology-level tale itself… well, if your pantheon of gods includes Sigur Rós and instead of a quest for a gold fleece, your quest is to record an awesome new album.
It all began when Barwick received an email from artist and producer Alex Somers (Sigur Rós, Jónsi, Jónsi & Alex) inviting her to Reykjavík to record. “That was the fastest email I ever wrote: ‘Yes!’ Who would say no to that?” says Barwick. And so a dream team of Icelandic musicians was assembled, including múm guitarist Róbert Sturla Reynisson, string ensemble Amiina, and a chorus of teenage girls. The biggest inspiration for the album, however, was the total awesome weirdness of Iceland itself. Take it away, Julianna Barwick quote! “Your eyes can’t believe what they’re seeing. I walked home one night and got totally lost in Reykjavík. I ended up walking alongside the ocean — and it was glowing blue. It looked like it had a lamp underneath it.”
Dead Oceans will release Nepenthe on August 20. Barwick has a handful of concert dates before that, then a lengthy fall tour.
05.16.13 - Montclair, NJ - Welmont Theater*
06.18.13 - London, UK - Meltdown Festival
07.14.13 - Kingston, NY - BSP Lounge
08.28.13 - Brussels, Belgium - Feeerieen Festival
09.01.13 - North Dorset, UK - End of the Road Festival
09.04.13 - Paris, France - Les 3 Baudets
09.05.13 - Utrecht, Netherlands - Night of the Unexpected
09.06.13 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Night of the Unexpected
09.07.13 - Vlieland, Netherlands - Into The Great Wide Open Festival
09.19.13 - Minneapolis, MN - The Entry
09.21.13 - Chicago, IL - Constellation
09.22.13 - Detroit, MI - Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit
09.26.13 - Toronto, ON - Double Double Land
09.27.13 - Rochester, NY - Visual Studies Workshop Auditorium
09.28.13 - Cincinnati, OH - Midpoint Music Fest
09.29.13 - Bloomington, IN – Russian Recording
10.01.13 - Pittsburgh, PA – VIA Festival at Andy Warhol Museum
10.02.13 - Asheville, NC - Apothecary
10.04.13 - New Orleans, LA - AllWays Lounge and Theatre
10.05.13 - Baton Rouge, LA - Mud and Water
*The Flaming Lips
Nepenthe tracklisting:
01. Offing
02. The Harbinger
03. One Half
04. Look Into Your Own Mind
05. Pyrrhic
06. Labyrinthine
07. Forever
08. Adventurer of the Family
09. Crystal Lake
10. Waving To You
• Julianna Barwick: http://www.juliannabarwick.com
• Dead Oceans: http://deadoceans.com
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