Watch the video for Efterklang's "Stillborn"
Efterklang/Fundal reveal beautiful and dark single from forthcoming opera album.
“Stillborn” is the 3rd track to be revealed ahead of Efterklang & Karsten Fundal’s album LEAVES - The Colour of Falling (performed by Efterklang & The Happy Hopeless Orchestra). The composition’s evocative timbre and almost minimalistic arrangement of vocals, strings, percussion and harmonium form a whole that is as beautiful as Ursula Andkjær Olsen’s lyrics are disturbing.
In the summer of 2015 Leaves - The Colour of Falling was performed at 16 sold out nights in the 1000 m2 nuclear basement of the former Copenhagen Municipal Hospital. The opera was commissioned by Copenhagen Opera Festival who produced it in collaboration with the local theatre Sort/Hvid. The scenography was made by Marie Rosendahl Chemnitz and it was staged by Christian Lollike. The result was 16 horrifying, fascinating and mysterious evenings received by an enthusiastic audience and with great reviews to follow. The set-up in the basement can never be remade, but the opera will be granted new life with this release and the coming concerts with Efterklang & The Happy Hopeless Orchestra.
Soprano Katinka Fogh Vindelev (WeLikeWe) carries the lead vocal throughout “Stillborn”:
“I sang “Stillborn” in the highest of platform heels while being 5-month pregnant with a 20 meter-long veil of shrinkwrap flapping behind me. It was in all ways a macabre moment and also my absolute highlight in the opera. My otherwise pretty restrained character wedged herself slowly through an audience captured in a narrow corridor bathed in cold blue lighting.”
Katinka has previously toured with Efterklang and collaborated with Karsten Fundal when asked about her long standing collaboration with Efterklang/Fundal she says:
“I’ve been lucky to have worked closely with both Efterklang and Fundal before 'Leaves'. I toured the world with Efterklang from 2012-13 and sang the solo part of Karsten Fundal’s audio visual piece “Liquid Rooms” with the Odense Symphony. So when we all joined forces in the nuclear basement last summer it almost felt like a family reunion. I admire their tireless energy and courage. When collaborating I feel they manage to push each other in such nice and respectful ways. They’re well suited for each other.”
The opera is released on Nov 4, 2016 on a limited blue vinyl, CD and digitally via Tambourhinoceros. It’s available for pre-order here.
Efterklang and The Happy Hopeless Orchestra will perform the opera around Europe in the beginning of 2017:
Feb 22 - København, Store Vega, Denmark
Feb 23 - Uppsala, Uppsala Konsert & Kongress, Sweden
Mar 02 – Eindhoven, Muziekgebouw Eindhoven / Cross Linx – Holland
Mar 03 - Groningen, De Oosterpoort / Cross Linx – Holland
Mar 04 - Rotterdam, De Doelen / Cross Linx – Holland
Mar 05 - Amsterdam, Muziekgebouw / Cross Linx – Holland
Mar 09 – London, Barbican – England
Mar 10 – Bruxelles, Ancienne Belgique – Belgium
