Post-psych band Den Der Hale announce new album & share 'Horse From Turin' via FatCat
New album Pastoral Light arrives on February 2nd via FatCat Records
Enigmatic Swedish post-psych band Den Der Hale are known for their boundary-pushing soundscapes. Today, the group have announced that they will release their highly anticipated second album, Pastoral Light, via FatCat Records. The album, which is set to be released on February 2nd, showcases the band's ability to meld diverse creative inspirations into a seamless and experimental sonic journey, transcending genres and defying conventions.
Den Der Hale was formed in 2019 by Pontus Lindskogen (guitar, vocals), Max Bredberg (guitar), Axel Nelson (drums), Mimosa Baker (synth, vocals), and Ejner Trenter (bass). Operating from various rehearsal spaces in Malmö, the band quickly gained recognition in Scandinavia with a series of singles, followed by their debut album, Harsyra, in 2021.
Their unique fusion of folk-inspired kraut, gritty psych, and post-rock led to the band’s creation of the term "post-psych" which perfectly encapsulates their distinctive sound. Itinerant rhythms and atonal melodies are filtered through heavy effects, harsh layers of noise are contrasted by animate bass lines and propulsive percussions. In this seemingly chaotic amalgam, there is always a red line, and often each musical output becomes a synthesis, a whole.
Overall, Pastoral Light was inspired by the proliferation of mankind and the human impact on the environment. Serving as a plea to natural forces for redemption, Pastoral Light is a profound musical journey that will leave listeners both spellbound and reflective.
Lead single ‘The Horse From Turin’ was originally inspired by Bela Tarr’s film ‘The Turin Horse’. The film’s title refers to the whipping of a horse that is rumoured to have caused the mental breakdown of philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. “Originally based on an acoustic bass line, ‘The Horse from Turin’ soon grew into a beast of its own through copious jam sessions”, they say. “Thematically it began as a vague idea based on Bela Tarr’s film’, but just as the original bass line, the lyrics soon took new directions.”
With Pastoral Light, the Swedish post-psych quintet has crafted an album that transcends the ordinary, inviting listeners to embark on a journey that delves into the intricacies of human existence and our relationship with the natural world.
