Singer-songwriter and visual artist Emma Ruth Rundle has released her new video ‘In My Afterlife’ today. Self-directed with John Bradburn, the visual is “an expiration of insanity, a lot of Sagazan and influence from Julie Taymor’s circa 2000 film rendition of Titus,” Rundle tells.
“I developed the character, makeup and costume myself, which I made by painting and modifying found articles while I was in the UK. This mask or character is supposed to represent what is left after life ends, wandering the halls of their own existence, reliving little joys, and sufferings. They are a demented and unsettled character.”
Watch the video here:
Rundle’s latest and riveting album Engine of Hell is stark, intimate, and unflinching. For anyone that’s endured trauma and grief, there’s a beautiful solace in hearing Rundle articulate and humanize that particular type of pain not only with her words, but with her particular mysterious language of melody and timbre. The album captures a moment where a masterful songwriter strips away all flourishes and embellishments in order to make every note and word hit with maximum impact, leaving little to hide behind.
Rundle has always been a multifaceted musician, equally capable of dreamy abstraction (as heard on her debut album Electric Guitar: One), maximalist textural explorations (see her work in Marriages, Red Sparowes, Nocturnes or collaborations with Chelsea Wolfe and Thou), and the classic acoustic guitar singer-songwriter tradition (exemplified by Some Heavy Ocean). But on Engine of Hell, Rundle focuses on an instrument that she left behind in her early twenties when she began playing in bands: the piano. In combination with her voice, the piano playing creates a kind of intimacy, as if we’re sitting beside Rundle on the bench, or perhaps even playing the songs ourselves.
Photo credit: Ruby Gold
Aural Aggravation 