Grief by TANGERINECAT
GRIEF is a testament to minimalism, where the hauntingly intimate allure of dark jazz a cappella coexist with the fierce energy of hammering industrial electronic beats and poignant spoken word. It reflects the profound mastery of Zhenia Purpurovsky, a classically trained multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, producer, conductor, as well as award winning poet, singer-songwriter and actor, in partnership with the multi-instrumentalist Paul Chilton.
Originating in Ukraine and now residing in North Wales, tAngerinecAt embodies a rich tapestry of musical influences that intertwine West and East. The duo, consisting of Ukrainian-born Purpurovsky and British-born Chilton, channels their profound experiences of war and exile into their work, tackling these subjects through GRIEF in a deeply personal and resonant way.
Purpurovsky, a nonbinary producer and songwriter with a diverse ethnic heritage, conjures a universe of striking and powerful imagery. In this realm, the natural beauty of Wales and its elements serves as both a sanctuary and identity, particularly in the aftermath of extreme poverty, homelessness, disability, severe trauma, isolation, and the challenges faced due to activism, neurodivergence and queerness.
In GRIEF, Purpurovsky symbolically portrays Gwyn ap Nudd, the Welsh mythological psychopomp archetype, as a mediator between the conscious and unconscious realms, facilitating personal transformation. He identifies with this figure and assumes the role of Cyhyraeth, the Welsh counterpart of the Banshee, as he seeks solace in the whispers of the local sea. This ritualistic communion aids Purpurovsky in managing the tumultuous waves of anxiety in an unpredictable world. With a degree in folkloristics, Purpurovsky adeptly juggles rich cultural symbols, creating a tapestry of meaning.
The tone of the album carries the atmosphere of an Eastern Orthodox liturgy, something that is familiar to Purpurovsky from childhood. Being an atheist, does not stop Purpurovsky from honouring these experiences that helped him to survive at the time and reinterpret them in a radical collective ceremony of grief which heals and empowers.
GRIEF conveys a strong anti-war, anti-fascist, and anti-ecocide message, deeply rooted in the personal journey of Purpurovsky.
The album emerges as a masterfully crafted concoction of free-spirited, underground resistance brewed in a cauldron of haunting Twin Peaks-esque soundscapes and cathartic revelations, while shifting between languages. Even with its bleak undertones, this work evokes themes of hope, love, unity, and beauty, providing a counterpoint to escapism by embracing reality and navigating through despair to discover pathways to liberation.
Grief is love.
Tracklist
| 1. | Grief | 4:26 |
| 2. | March of Mourn | 5:07 |
| 3. | Freedom | 5:00 |
| 4. | The Irish Sea | 2:01 |
| 5. | Fire | 2:54 |
| 6. | Subaltern | 3:02 |
| 7. | Gwyn ap Nudd | 4:04 |
| 8. | Cyhyraeth | 4:07 |
Credits
Recorded at tAngerinecAt’s studio in Snowdonia National Park in North Wales, 2022 - 2024
Lead vocals, except on March of Mourn and Cyhyraeth, recorded at Mwnci Studios on a Victorian Gothic estate in the Taf Valley, West Wales.
All songs written, composed, recorded, produced, and mixed by tAngerinecAt.
Final mix, except for Cyhyraeth, by Jethro Chaplin and tAngerinecAt at Mwnci Studios.
Mastered by Andres Mayo.
Cover art by Sahin Cetin.
Album design by Stuart Woodward, Blast Factory.
Label: Annwn Records
© + ℗ tAngerinecAt All Rights Reserved
A heartfelt thank you to: Jason Phillips, Shannon Riebman, Marvoy, Ignaz Katzenflusterer, Felix Marschall, Neil Winward, Mirjam van Baaren, Alice Phlox, Uwe Kolb, William Buckley, Leon Shaw, Nigel DS, Roderique Arisiaman, Dave Eggleston, Priolio Gilles, Kit Thurman, Shiraiwa Kazumasa, Dragan Gorgonoski, Andy Platt, Jan Bauer, Brent Warren, Patrick Priolio, Andrew Liddle, David Leppink, John Lee Bird, Sebastian Gibiat, Mark Robinson, Brent Warren, Bill Gardner, Marc Riedel, Jonathan Weidler, Hagen Lajer, Marisol Escalona, Tristan Robinson, Barbara Crane, Gianluigi Bergognini, Katja Marcniniec, Cynthia Sentara, Katja Kohn, Michael John Pickersgill, Kenneth Hagglund, Demange Julien, Robert Barathy, Jonathan Gregson, Simon Marles, Davide Casagrande, Mark Jewiss, Robert Spear, Ruth Jepson, Giuseppe Casa, Bertie Osgood, Paul Dudeney, Robin Jax, Frederic Broman, Brandon Bissell, Paul Howell, Andrew Mellor, Peter Venus, Steve Kenny, Gert De Ceukelarie, Mario Maleck, Pete Jordan, Johannes Gatjen, Juan Lebron, Paul Hornsey, Steven Morin Vaillancourt, Matthew Walters, Alistair Irving, John Wohlfert, Seamus Mcfadden, Loz Heywood, Klanec Steeve, Martin Jacques, Mark Walters, Rosie Ireson, David Hurford, Richard Buxton, Jez Creek, Michael Leahy, Martin Jakl, Mervyn Corden, Robert Ash, Svetislav Savic, Alyson Brewer, Paul Forrest, Fil Control, Charles-Louis Kel, Friederike Henrichsen, Paul Garside, Steve Knight, Tsutomu Hamada, Simon Satori Hendley, Jay Birchley, Wayne Duckett, Colette Hapetian, Neil Dance, Radmila Stojkovic, Douglas Lipton, Chavaribeyre Stephane, Robert Ash, Fauchon Helene, Anna Maria Stjarnell, Stepan Marek, tim tom, Robert.Sengteller, Maja Simenc, Chris Marsh, Anna Masatova, Pierpaolo De Gobbi, Joanna Bending, Russ Trew, Gajumaru, Marko Lepola, Lee Mellows, Colette Hapetian, Neil Dance, Jeronym Bartos, Amanda Mayle, Dave Lovatt, Leonard Vucinic, Lloyd Hampton, Pierre et Christine, Claire Swannell.
License
All rights reserved.
Originating in Ukraine and residing in North Wales, tAngerinecAt embodies a rich tapestry of musical influences that intertwine West and East. The duo conveys a strong anti-war, anti-fascist, and anti-ecocide message, where the hauntingly intimate allure of dark jazz a cappella coexist with the fierce energy of hammering industrial electronic beats and poignant spoken word.