ANNAKIN – Torch Songs

Whispering in „I Feel for You“ and shouting in „The Lady and the Devil“: Annakin’s new record “Torch Songs” is an eclectic collage of electronics, live instruments, glorious song-writing and lots of jiggery-pokery. The Swiss artist adds wonderful male vocals to her own unique voice, combines marching drums with electronic beats and merges wind instruments with strings.

The term Torch Song comes from the saying „to carry a torch for someone“; it describes a love song in whi...

ANNAKIN – Torch Songs

Whispering in „I Feel for You“ and shouting in „The Lady and the Devil“: Annakin’s new record “Torch Songs” is an eclectic collage of electronics, live instruments, glorious song-writing and lots of jiggery-pokery. The Swiss artist adds wonderful male vocals to her own unique voice, combines marching drums with electronic beats and merges wind instruments with strings.

The term Torch Song comes from the saying „to carry a torch for someone“; it describes a love song in which the singer laments an unrequited or lost love in either a melancholic or rebellious way. Annakin alias Ann Kathrin Lüthi interprets this topic in twelve diverse and fascinating tracks.

According to this melancholic but yet rebellious genre, Annakin’s Single “Monsters” starts with the lines „Hell, no, I know you’re not mine, but your words fall flat this time“, before strings and a respectable dose of electronics boil up the atmosphere and discharge in heavy guitars, drums and choirs that are reminiscent of Indian war songs. In her lyrics, Annakin dedicates herself to the dark side of the affair and has thus sent a grand envoy of the multifarious record.

Annakin’s second album was produced in Zurich and London. When writing her lyrics, Annakin usually resorts to her own experiences, adds a pinch of poetry and accesses her imagination. Four songs were created in collaboration with Matthias Kräutli, Annakin’s drummer on the “Falling into Place” tour. Apart from this, he lent her his voice and plays the drums on nearly every Torch Song. Equally important for the organic outcome of this record is Adrian Weyermann who plays his wonderful guitars and sings an impressive duet with Annakin.

Jono Buchanan produced the songs in London and just like Annakin he poured his heart and soul into the album. In his Clockwork-Studio, he programmed all the electronic sounds and recorded flugelhorn, horns, clarinets, flutes and trumpets. This Zurich and London based production has resulted in an extraordinary piece of music that comprises the cultural and spiritual essences of both continental Europe and British isles.

And now, oh play that thing again!