ALBUM REVIEW: The Black Spider/Det Kollektive Selvmord – Emile

EMILE, previously of The Sonic Dawn, is branching out on his own for the first time, and presents The Black Spider/Det Kollektive Selvmord, a hazy dream of a psychedelic record where nothing is as it seems. The Black Spider/Det Kollektive Selvmord is a haunting look at the human condition which pulls no punches yet remains optimistic and hopeful in its conclusions. It melds personal anxieties with universal themes and real with surreal, sci-fi themes. Songs about death, life, loss and fear of growing old melt together with a dystopian look into the near future of our civilisation.

Predominantly making use of psychedelic folk instrumentation, taken directly from the Grantchester Meadows era of PINK FLOYD‘s discography, the sound expands and deepens, twisting and turning into unexpected areas and avenues. The effect is truly haunting – unsettling passages are nestled between warm and cosy wild west guitar slides on the title track The Black Spider so expertly that you barely notice when things begin to get creepy. It’s a beautiful, sad, longing and lamenting feeling, but at the same time sounds uplifting, as if looking up from the bottom of a well at a starry night sky and marvelling at the minuscule amount of beauty that there still is in the world.

The use of EMILE‘s native tongue, Danish, only adds to this mystical and otherworldly feel. EMILE succeeds in his mission to make this music sound both alien and familiar – the absence of understandable lyrics for anyone who doesn’t speak Danish means that the music has to do the talking, which it does, translating emotions into melodies and instrumentation despite the lack of overt communication. The album divides neatly into two halves – the first recorded in English, and about more personal themes and with a warm feeling, whilst the second moves into stranger and more unsettling territory.

It is, in fact, the instrumental tracks where EMILE truly shines; Bundlos and album closer Spirer are both album highlights. Opener Birds Fall is another standout from the half of the album recorded in English, as is Weight of the World, both personal meditations on the anxieties of everyday life which are nevertheless all too universal as well; and yes, also smacks of – you’ve guessed it – PINK FLOYD.

This is a really impressive move from EMILE, who is working as a solo artist for the first time. The album is wildly speculative and ineffable, yet retains a grounded sense throughout, experimenting with old styles of writing and instrumentation in a way which makes them sound fresh. An album that is as multi-faceted and colourful as the cover in which it is presented, you won’t regret giving this a listen.

Rating: 9/10

The Black Spider/Det Kollektive Selvmord is set for release May 22nd via Heavy Psych Sounds. 

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