Dreamweaver
by Trentemøller
In May, fans are treated to the first new music from Trentemøller since 2022. A new single, “A Different Light,” showcased a stunning blend of prismatic space rock and folk. For anyone wondering if it foreshadowed the release of a full-length, Dreamweaver will drop in September, on Friday the 13th.
Featuring 10 tracks that traverse Trentemøller’s many musical strengths, Dreamweaver also represents an obvious artistic leap, treading new ground while retaining the overall plot. Tracks featuring vocals come courtesy of of Iceland’s Disa, who has been in Trentemøller’s fold since the Memoria tour. After astonishing audiences with her own, reimagined versions of songs from the catalog, she contributed to two singles in 2022: “Into The Silence,” and a cover of their “Cops On Our Tail,” originally by Trentemøller’s fellow travelers, The Raveonettes.
Dreamweaver's nylon string-led opening track, and first single from the album, “A Different Light,” contains many of Trentemøller’s trademarks: exploring dichotomies, musical shadowplay, Nordic frigidity, and warm waves. It opens the door for the steady, hypnotic “Nightfall,” with its tetherless vocal, wistful guitars, and early morning desert chill. The third track in the opening trifecta, “Dreamweavers” finds its footing with a percussive soft trot, which starts after what feels like a shortwave radio scan in search of the right chords, eventually dialing in a weightless voice. Ostensibly keeping a ruminative pace with the previous two tracks, the song and, by extension, album soon opens up as the rest of the elements drop into place with a grand, luxurious burst.
Dreamweaver is about to enter its next phase. With the hatch blown off of the portal, the noisy “I Give My Tears,” driven by its glissed and fuzzy bass line, pours into the void. It’s followed by its sibling, the most chaotic track on Dreamweaver, “Behind My Eyes.” Arriving as a piece of noise rock pandemonium, “Behind My Eyes,” can’t be contained in its plush vault. A whip-crack snare and convulsing guitars smash against each other in the song’s verse chamber. The tension builds, as the particles collide, pushing past the point of critical mass, kicking off the chain reaction which is the chorus. At times it harkens back to the proto-gaze tracks that gave birth to dream pop, at others it newly defines what that is. There’s no time to contemplate it, though, as the song disintegrates in a microphonic feedback instant.
A respite follows with the somnambulistic pair of “Hollow” and “Empty Beaches.” Then, a moment of intensity returns as the soaring textures and tribal drum bursts of “In A Storm” take control, before being taken out with the ambient slo-core of “Winter’s Ghost” and “Closure.” This diptych wraps up an album which certainly feels on-script for Trentemøller, but is also much more psychedelic than previous offerings.
Dreamweaver will be released on Trentemøller’s own In My Room label. It is an exceedingly immersive experience, bound to release any dormant hallucinations you may be harboring.
releases September 13, 2024
A Different Light
by Trentemøller
Try to imagine a musical companion to a lunar eclipse, as it tracks across the sky, and it will probably sound a lot like “A Different Light,” from Copenhagen’s Anders Trentemøller. The single will be released on May 17th, and will also be the lead track on "Dreamweaver", Trentemøller's first full-length since 2022's Memoria.
While “A Different Light” contains many of Trentemøller’s trademarks: exploring dichotomies, musical shadowplay, Nordic frigidity, and warm waves, it also represents an obvious
artistic leap. An annular, arpeggiated, nylon-string guitar leads the track, giving the sensation of movement towards a destination. But to where?
Soon enough, attention shifts to wistful vocals, with its gorgeous melody, almost delivered as a meditation, adding to the momentum.
The climax occurs at the exact midpoint of the song - the eclipse’s penumbra - when things are obscured by a new motif; dopplers signaling a change. This arrives when the now-established acoustic guitar line gives way to a synth, which reechoes the melody. The signature Trentemøller waver’s appearance ultimately falls into place as the song enters the waning phase. Soon the guitar returns, drifting back and forth against its complimentary synth line, like kites tethered to the same anchor.
“I wanted something human and timeless to carry the song and vocal melody,” says Trentemøller. “The acoustic guitar gave me the exact sense of fragility and presence that I thought the song deserves. At the same time, I wanted to play with both acoustic and electronic; to get the guitar to weave in and out of the synth role that is introduced in the middle of the track. I feel the interplay between these two worlds gave the song an extra dimension.“
While the music and lyrics are the work of Trentemøller, the vocal performance comes courtesy of Iceland’s Disa, who has been in Trentemøller’s orbit since the Memoria tour, where she stunned audience members with her own reimagined versions of songs from the catalog. Additionally, Disa contributed to 2022’s “Into The Silence,” as well as Trentemøller’s nod to his old friends The Raveonettes, a cover of their “Cops On Our Tail.”
All of these elements assemble into a slightly more psychedelic iteration of the dark wave and dreampop Trentemøller excels at. It’s also an exceedingly immersive experience on headphones, bound to release any dormant hallucinations you may be harboring.
“The song considers themes of longing, healing, and the need for personal transformation. It’s also about confusion and unresolved feelings that happen during any metamorphosis. I try to reflect on the transient nature of dreams, loss, and love. At the same time I recognize, and even embrace that this is part of being a human.“
Dreamweaver will be released on 13 September, 2024, on Trentemøller's own In My Room label
released May 17, 2024
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