The Thermionic Culture Vulture Has Too Many Knobs

It's Funky Goth Shoegaze Thursday, with Trentemøller delivering a 4-song session for KEXP, recorded 11th February 2025, part way through a US tour to promote current album Dreamweavers.

I loved Trentemøller's previous album Memoria and previously enthused about the band and artist in September 2021 and February 2022. I even wrote about the two lead-in singles for Dreamweavers in May 2024, ahead of the album's release on Friday 13th September.

Clearly an unlucky day, as I somehow overlooked buying Dreamweavers, and it was subsequently overtaken by the slew of albums competing for my hard earned readies late last year.

Thank goodness therefore for KEXP providing a prod and reminding me what great music Anders Trentemøller is producing. That is, if you like music that blends elements of Cocteau Twins, Slowdive, The Sisters Of Mercy, Depeche Mode and Tricky with a little bit of New Order thrown in for good measure. 

All of these are influences and hints though, Trentemøller's music is their own and in a live setting, really come alive. Anders Trentemøller has assembled a tight band: Brian Batz (guitar), Jacob Haubjerg (bass, guitar, vocal), Silas Tinglef (drums) and DíSA aka Dísa Jakobs aka Bryndís Jakobsdóttir (vocals, guitar).

1) I Give My Tears   00:41

2) Dreamweavers  06:45

3) Nightfall              12:17

4) Still On Fire         17:51

The session is followed by a 10-minute interview with Anders by KEXP host Troy Nelson, which delves into Trentemøller's 'origin story', including his first album purchase at age 9, bought for the art alone as the artist was wearing red latex trousers. 

As an artist who both loves and is daunted by technology, Anders expresses no regrets at selling his Thermionic Culture Vulture ("too many knobs") and talks about his approach to songwriting. It's a brief but enlightening chat.

I can't profess to being a fan of Trentemøller for 20+ years as Troy Nelson claims, but I have made up for lost time in the last few years. Belated purchase of Dreamweavers now completed!

It's Time To Let It Go

Trentemøller returned with a new single and video at the weekend, the opening track of his forthcoming seventh album, Dreamweaver, out on Friday 13th September.

A Different Light off with acoustic chords, then voice, bass and synths, building up the tension before a brief pause/relief at 1:48 and ramping it up a notch and doing it all again. A second pause at 3:02 before the final lengthiest section, taking it up another level, building to the conclusion at 5:47. The following song on the album is called Nightfall but...you can't hear it just yet.

Dreamweaver also marks the first full-length collaboration with Icelandic singer/songwriter DíSA aka Dísa Jakobs aka Bryndís Jakobsdóttir. Anders Trentemøller first worked in the studio with Disa on the standalone single Into The Silence, released in late 2022.

 

Prior to that, Disa had joined Trentemøller as the singer with his live band, touring previous album (and one of my favourites of 2022), Memoria. Whilst I didn't get to see that, fortunately the band performed a live set on ARTE Concert's Echoes, presented by Jehnny Beth last July. 

The set comprises eight of Memoria's fourteen songs, one from 2019 album Obverse and closing with a cover version of fellow Danes The Raveonettes. A coincidence, yet somehow fitting that the last ARTE Concert/Echoes performance I posted here, last month, was by Slowdive as there's a real connection in the sonic landscapes that the two create. Great stuff.

 

0:35 Veil Of White 6:31 No More Kissing In The Rain

10:43 Anders Chats With Jehnny #1

12:02 Darklands 17:18 Glow

24:26 Anders Chats With Jehnny #2

25:40 In The Gloaming 30:52 When The Sun Explodes 36:55 Dead Or Alive

41:00 Anders Chats With Jehnny #3

42:07 Like A Daydream 47:32 One Last Kiss To Remember

51:13 Anders Chats With Jehnny #4

52:25 Cops On Our Tail (Cover of The Raveonettes)

Trentemøller and band hit the road again in August, with an extensive European tour to promote Dreamweaver. Just the one UK date - EartH, London, 22nd November - but it promises to be something special.

 

All of the above music is available via Bandcamp and the usual outlets.