Mutual admirers of each other’s work, these titans of Scottish and French dronefolk team up for a split lp – 2 tracks by Pefkin, 3 by Roxane. The fact that these like-minded artists explore the boundaries of what connects them, makes it a very exciting release. The Pefkin side is Gayle at her most melodic, whereas Roxane goes down a poetic and rhythmical path. Dream combo.
-- About Pefkin
Pefkin is the alter ego of Gayle Brogan, Ayrshire-based creator of slowly-unfolding, ritualistic hymnals that draw heavily on the landscape and natural world. Gayle has been a key figure in the experimental music scene since the mid nineties. The past 10 years, we’ve been fortunate enough to release three of her albums on morc – on those last couple of records, she proves she’s the rare kind of artist that actually still gets better and better, decades far in her career. A true force of nature.
-- About Roxane Métayer
Born in France and currently residing in Brussels, Roxane Métayer is truly a multidisciplinary artist. Learning the violin at a young age, she also developed herself as a visual artist, creating drawings, sculptures in uncommon materials as soap, and in recent years video. Her work as a musician is of an equally spontaneous nature.
She debuted in 2021 on morc with the lp ‘Éclipse des ocelles’, to overwhelming positive response, and a series of live-shows in which she easily met all expectations.
credits
***NOTE*** Physical copies come with download for all tracks.
credits
released November 16, 2022
Music by Pefkin and Roxane Métayer. Mastered by Michael Anderson. Artwork: Roxane Métayer (front cover) and Gayle Brogan (back cover)
Review from Foxy Digitalis
"Great split album from two of my favorites. Pefkin’s side opens with emotive strings adrift against a backdrop of lapping waves. Once her voice emerges from the sea, points of light pierce through overcast aural skies, drops of illumination welcoming the growing night. Darkness is a cocoon throughout both of Pefkin’s beautiful tracks. Métayer carries this warm spirit to the dawn, where her violin motifs celebrate the sun’s return. Concrète pointillism shapes the edges of “Mage mésange” with pizzicato explorations, leaving the final pensive recollections for closer “Soma elpahros.” This is such a wonderful LP."
Review from Terrascope
"Definitely a game of two halves, the latest release from the ever excellent Morc label features two melodic drones from Pefkin backed by three more playful and experimental tracks from Roxane Metayer.
I guess that with a split album it does not matter which side you choose to play first but as Pefkin is marked as the A side we will start there although I think the album works just as well when reversed, although that is a minor point.
Opening with “The Lunar Pull”, we are greeted with a gentle dance between ocean sounds and sweet echoed violin, you can almost seee the moon rising over the water as the music drifts through you, an emotionally engaging wave of sound that slowly changes into a mellow drone overlaid with soft languid vocals. As the piece unfolds around you the violin returns weaving a sonic spell above the drone, ancient sea spirits appearing in your dreams as waves of sound carry you under a mythical ocean. Continuing the theme, the thirteen minutes of “Moondrift” take you deeper within, tense layers of sound softened by chimes and burbles, the voice again adding magic to the track, electronic squeaks mimicking small creatures that scuttle across the room, the music undulating beautifully creating distance and ambience. As the piece continues it is easy to get lost in its landscape especially in the second half as the textures settle into a fluid twinkling drone that is filled with dynamics and a soft organic timbre, the track finally fading with delicate chimes.
Also featuring violin, this time played by Roxane Metayer, ”Premiere image” begins with fractured notes and chords as if about to break into an ancient folk tune, however the music then disintegrates into drones and experimental flickers of sound, a soft voice peeking between the notes, the music both abstract and playful demanding the listener attention. Leading us in with a harsh metallic melody, “Mage Mesange” sounds like the soundtrack to an obscure Eastern European animation that is until it suddenly breaks down into a series of boings, rumbles and assorted noises that fall and tumble across the room, mind you that could be part of the same soundtrack especially as the metallic melody returns for the final third of the piece this time sharing the space with a rumbling drone. Similar in structure, “Soma Elaphros” retains the metallic sounding ambience this time with added electronics and a bouncing mouth harp (possibly) the piece again abstract yet warm and playful, making me smile as it weaves its magic.
I have played this album several times and each time it has ended too soon, a fine blend of two artists with similar aesthetics yet very different styles both adding much to an excellent release. (Simon Lewis)"
Pefkin is the alter ego of Gayle Brogan, creator of slowly-unfolding, ritualistic hymnals that draw heavily on the landscape and natural world.
She is also a member of Burd Ellen, Greenshank and Meadowsilver.
A forward-looking record that imagines the future of Rio de Janeiro, built on intimate textures, ambient, drone, classical, and bossa nova. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 4, 2017
