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Mary Lattimore + Death And Vanilla

Mary Lattimore, USA (Ghostly International, Thrill Jockey) American harpist and composer Mary Lattimore, has a decade-long catalog communing with friends such as Lol Tolhurst (The Cure), Meg Baird, Rachel Goswell (Slowdive), Roy Montgomery, Samara Lubelski, and Walt McClements.

She just put out a brilliant new record called ‘Goodbye, Hotel Arkada’ which she describes as: “When I think of these songs, I think about fading flowers in vases, melted candles, getting older, being on tour and having things change while you’re away, not realizing how ephemeral experiences are until they don’t happen anymore, fear for a planet we’re losing because of greed, an ode to art and music that’s really shaped your life that can transport you back in time, longing to maintain sensitivity and to not sink into hollow despondency.”
Memories, scenes, and split-second impressions have long filled Lattimore’s musical universe. As one of today’s preeminent instrumental storytellers, she has “the uncanny ability to pluck a string in a way that will instantly make someone remember the taste of their fifth birthday cake,” writes Pitchfork’s Jemima Skala. Lattimore’s impulse to record life as it happens matches her drive to travel and perform, as profiled by Grayson Haver Currin for The New York Times: “Lattimore recognized that being in motion shook loose strands of inspiration, moods she wanted to express with melody. She needed, then, to remain on the go.”

Death and Vanilla
Over a decade after forming in Malmö, Death and Vanilla returned 2023 with new album ‘Flicker’. Presenting their unique pop music that defies categorisation, they return reborn, re-arranged and revitalised after assimilating dub reggae, the motorik spirals of Can, the modal meander of Philip Glass and The Cure’s dreamier pop sounds; plus the twice removed symphonic ambience of Spiritualized and Talking Heads under heavy manners from Brian Eno.
Utilising vintage musical equipment such as vibraphone, organ, mellotron, tremolo guitar and moog, Death and Vanilla’s music unites the sounds of 60s/70s soundtracks, library music, German Krautrock, French Ye-ye pop and psych. They revel in the warmth of older analogue instruments to create a more organic sound, each loose wire and off-kilter noise adding to the rich atmosphere.

Now in 2023, Death And Vanilla at once sound like everything is possible; but nothing else at all. They also involved the mythic and illusive Swedish underground figure Civilistjävel! who reimagined not one but three of their original songs. Released on a since long sold out tape.