Broken Folk (inscription)
December 12, 2023 (released)
1 d
I'm not usually a big fan of “Christmas music”, especially forced cheer and Santa this and that. However, I do enjoy the old folk tunes and carols.
So I approached this seasonal release with a mixture of excited anticipation and intrigue as to what Lunatraktors and their 'Broken Folk' approach could bring to Yule.
To borrow their own description 'A twisted journey into the dark heart of Yuletide', 'Like Mike Oldfield on ketamine'.
So I approached this seasonal release with a mixture of excited anticipation and intrigue as to what Lunatraktors and their 'Broken Folk' approach could bring to Yule.
To borrow their own description 'A twisted journey into the dark heart of Yuletide', 'Like Mike Oldfield on ketamine'.
It's a remarkable album. At first glance, a bunch of barely coherent electronic and percussive noises, bordering on dissonance. And yet, it actually creates a wonderful soundscape that draws the listener in, looking for structure in the apparent chaos.
And the structure is there, in barely audible choruses of traditional folk songs and carols, often repeated, and often difficult to orchestrate.
This properly represents the old pagan view of the turning of the year, the dark heart of one year turning to the bright beginning of the next.
It's awkward and intentionally “other,” but it's also rather wonderful.
