Agnes Obel - Late Night Tales - Vinyl Record

Inviting the talented Berlin-based, Danish-born singer/songwriter Agnes Obel to join the popular artist-curated U.K. compilation series Late Night Tales feels completely fitting, as her beautifully austere, brooding, yet elegant chamber folk makes the perfect soundtrack for those quiet early hours of the morning. As anticipated, Obel has curated a captivating collection of tunes for her set, and she wonderfully establishes the mood right away with Henry Mancini's "Evil Theme," a haunting piece filled with lush pizzicato that conjures images of wisps of smoke lazily drifting from ashtrays amidst late summer's warmth, while long trench coats cast intriguing shadows on the weathered concrete. The music beautifully blends like a classic late-night radio show, deepening the rich atmosphere. Obel then explores an array of sounds from the '50s and '60s—including the whimsically eerie "Eden's Island" by imaginative hippie and "Nature Boy" composer Eden Ahbez, which adds a playful contrast to the beatnik melancholy. She takes us on a delightful journey through various genres, from quirky electronic pop with Yello's "Great Mission" to the ethereal sounds of Eastern European choral music with the Bulgarian Folklore Choir's "Pilentze Pee," to the captivating rhythms of Krautrock with Can's "Obscura Primavera" and the avant-garde brilliance of Alfred Schnittke's "Piano Quintet V." Throughout the mix, she shares four of her own enchanting pieces, with a standout being her lovely interpretation of the cherished Danish folk song "Glemmer du.. sa husker jeg." This entire 20-track journey feels like the perfect soundtrack for a surreal David Lynch-inspired Ayahuasca retreat. 

1: The Evil Theme
2: Moonbird
3: Eden's Island
4: The Nights
5: Ay Ay Ay Ay (Angle-lala)
6: Great Mission
7: Aleluia (Feat. Tamba Trio)
8: Bloody Shadows from a Distance
9: I Go to Sleep
10: Piano Quintet, V
11: Stretch Your Eyes (Ambient Acapella)
12: Pilentze Pee
13: Glemmer Du
14: Bee Dance
15: The End
16: Party Girl
17: Oscura Primavera
18: I Lie
19: Images
20: Poem About Death