All Thoughts Fly

The black-and-white cover image adorning All Thoughts Fly, Anna von Hausswolffs fifth long-player and Southern Lord debut, is arresting. It depicts the artist in the cave-like mouth of a massive, anguished stone gargoyle. Its the central attraction in the Bomarzo Parco dei Mostri - Sacro Bosco, a 16th century Italian garden designed by Pier Francesco Orsini after the death of his wife. The overgrown locale is filled with these sculptures of tortured mythological beings rising above and amid its twisted vegetation. Orsini perversely wanted to inflict emotional trauma on visitors so they might empathize with his inconsolable grief after his wifes death. Von Hausswolff was so affected by her own visit that upon returning to Sweden she composed and recorded these seven deeply resonant instrumental solo pieces for pipe organ at Gothenburgs Orgryte New Church. Orsini may have created this garden as an expression of his grief, but von Hausswolff feels that its the dawn of creation: Wild, unruly, and untamed. The sojourn evoked deeply resonant emotions that unfettered her spirit and imagination. She desired to do the same for listeners. In addition to the pipe organ, von Hausswolff and co-producer Filip Leyman grafted on sound design elements in post-production. The addition of these electronic processes alternately confronts and melds with the pipe organs vast tonal range (its tuned in quartertone meantime temperament). In so doing, she directly confronts the listeners emotional core through these compositions. Opener Theatre of Nature employs fugue-like chord constructions alongside dynamic meter changes in a kind of overture that is spiritually akin to emotionally intelligent prog rock. Dolore di Orsini is a slow, mournful processional of restraint, using variously shaped chords and droning sonics amid the rooms natural reverb to evoke strong inner impressions. Sacro Bosco (watch the video, shot in this garden of monsters) is introduced by breathing organ pedals before quarter-, half-, and whole tones emerge with roiling dark energy. The deep lower register sequence is foreboding and tense, but suddenly transforms into a gloriously transcendent harmonic statement that approaches the celestial. Persefone uses a simple unembellished lyric figure in its first half, then builds a dramatic ledge through lithe drones and minor-key progressions before fading out. The title piece recalls the early minimalism of Terry Riley, with swirling counterpoint, relentless repetition, and propulsive, rhythmic motifs, as if von Hausswolff were building a mantric bridge to the ecstatic. Closer Outside the Gate (For Bruna) is introduced with sparse chords in a dolorous, harmonic motif. Subtle shades of drama emerge through slow, repetitive fugues. All elements are eventually embellished, and almost subsumed, by abundantly layered ambient electronics and minimal melodic flourishes. On All Thoughts Fly, von Hausswolff yearns to express the unspeakable -- that which lies beyond the reach of words. She offers a kind of musical authority that is only fully realized by openly acknowledging and submitting to ones own vulnerability. ~ Thom Jurek