I am not normally a huge fan of ‘Xmas music’, particularly the forced jollity and Santa this and that. However, I do enjoy the old folk tunes and carols. So, I approached this seasonal release with a mix of excited anticipation and intrigue as to what Lunatraktors and their ‘Broken Folk’ approach might bring to the Yule. To borrow their own description ‘A twisted journey into the dark heart of Yuletide’, ‘Like Mike Oldfield on ketamine.’
It is a remarkable album. At first glance, a bunch of barely coherent electronic and percussive noises, riding the edge of dissonance. And yet, it actually creates a wonderful soundscape that draws the listener in, searching for the structure in the apparent chaos. And the structure is there, in barely heard refrains from traditional folk tunes and carols, often repeated, and often in difficult instrumentation. This properly represents the old Pagan view of the turning of the year, the dark heart of one year turning to the bright start of the next.
It is uncomfortable and deliberately ‘other’ but it is also rather wonderful.
