“It is our first time in the UK”, confesses Anna von Hausswolff, an immense smile on her face. The Swedish-born daughter of the co-monarch of the kingdoms of Elgaland-Vagaland (!) leads a five-piece band from behind her organ; pouring forth heavily atmospheric arpeggios while her companions contribute post-rocky reverberations and intriguing percussive noises from synth and guitar. Her voice is formidable, as though Florence Welch were raised in a gothic castle and trained for the opera. The ensemble performs only four songs over their 40 minute set, but the final piece is more of a suite of four distinct parts, the first of which is reminiscent of a baroque requiem mass, building up layers of melodramatic soundscape into an overwhelming crescendo. It’s as though she is setting up the venue as a cathedral dedicated to the musicians to follow, and if this is indeed the case, she has done a fine job.”
Photo by Barreteau Lapasin
