Gwenno has shared her new piece 'Men An Toll'.
The Welsh composer will release her new album 'Tresor' on July 1st, another fascinating chapter to her singular catalogue.
'Men An Toll' is inspired by ancient Cornish megaliths, and also by a pervasive believe in transcendental femme energy, something that permeates the landscape.
Musically, it drifts into ambient electronic spheres, held together by Gwenno's breathy vocals, so full of empathetic mystery.
We'll let her explain the full meaning and resonance behind the track…
"'Men An Toll' (also known as Mên-an-Tol and meaning holed stone) is a wonderful Bronze Age formation of standing stones near Madron, Cornwall. With its obvious feminine symbolism its holed stone was believed to aid fertility. I was inspired by Ithell Colquhoun’s ‘The Living Stones’ as well as the eternal nature of these ancient monuments and how they enable us to reflect on our own nature as human beings and on our relationship to the landscape. I sing, in Cornish: 'It's completely obvious that I can't escape from this…'"
"I'm trying to express the moment when you connect with your own instinct, and accept what you are. With ‘Men and Toll’, I wanted to share a different and quieter side to the record, one that is grounded in the music that has had a big influence on both Rhys and I – ambient Celtic music, film scores, and experimental electronic music. I've created a playlist of artists and songs which I think embody some of these elements, and having listened to so much music which soothes the soul over the past couple of years, I hope that this collection of songs will serve as a small and helpful reminder of how powerful the sound of gentleness and beauty is."
Tune in now.
'Tresor' is released on July 1st, 2022.
Photo Credit: Claire Marie Bailey
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