MYRKUR
I wrote a feature about this supposedly one-woman Danish black metal band a month ago after discovering a song named “Nattens Barn” (“Night’s Child”) from the band’s forthcoming debut EP on Relapse Records. At the time, I knew very little about the woman in question, but yesterday, through the help of a few readers, I learned a lot of info — conflicting info — plus discovered another new Myrkur song — “Latvian Fegurð”.
The music speaks for itself — and I think it’s quite good; you’ll find the new song at the end of this post. As for the woman behind Myrkur, Relapse released a video in which she speaks (in Danish) of the motivations behind her music, her face mainly obscured behind a mop of pale hair while “Nattens Barn” plays in the background:
As for the identity of the woman behind Myrkur, that’s still unclear. A friend of mine (and fellow blogger) from Denmark passed along information he had received that she is Frederikke Hoffmeier, a Copenhagen-based experimental musician who has used the alias Puce Mary (see this page and this one).
Some Puce Mary music may be found here. I was also given a link to this page, in which Ms. Hoffmeier is pictured nude from the waist up. There is certainly a resemblance, facially and in body form, to the woman in the Relapse video and on the album’s cover.
A second story I received via e-mail is that Myrkur is a Brooklyn resident named Amelie Bruun — who is a model, a singer-songwriter, and a member of a pop duo called Ex Cops, among other projects. There’s an article in Vogue about her here. In this article, her Ex Cops bandmate reveals that she’s really into Scandinavian black metal. I suppose this could be true, though the e-mail writer doesn’t claim to have direct personal knowledge.
Of these two stories, I’m inclined to believe the first, because otherwise Relapse would be perpetrating a pretty big fraud — which would be risky since the truth always does have a way of coming out. But who knows? I’m sure we will learn more in time…
UPDATE: I have heard from more people who seem quite sure of themselves that Amelie Bruun is in fact the woman behind Myrkur. In addition, I understand that she is Danish, despite the fact that she is now residing in New York, so I think I need to retract that statement about Relapse perpetrating a fraud.
The original Relapse press release used these phrases: “Emerging from the darkness of Scandinavia comes one woman black metal project Myrkur“, and “Hailing from Denmark, Myrkur signed to Relapse Records earlier this year….” I read those passages as indicating that Myrkur is currently based in Denmark, but they don’t precisely say that. And although the video also reinforced the impression that Myrkur was based in Scandinavia, I suppose people can speak Danish and wander in the woods even in New York.
Relapse has established a pre-order page for the EP (which it’s releasing on CD and vinyl, as well as digitally):
http://www.relapse.com/myrkur/
And this is the new song that premiered yesterday at Noisey:
15 Responses to “THE MYRKUR MYSTERY”
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Fuck, i want this EP so badly, but Relapse has stupid expensive shipping rate! hoping to find this in a EU store soon.
Its strange that relapse and Nuclear blast need to charge 30-40$ for shipping while lots of US bands only take 5$ for shipping to Europa.
Hey dude – unfortunately, we don’t control international shipping rates. We charge what the post office charges us.
We are distributed throughout Europe though. You’ll be able to get the EP from Amazon, Hammerheart Records (though their pre-orders aren’t live just yet), and your local chain or independent record store should stock the record, especially if you ask them to. Follow us on Facebook – we post international buy links. Thanks for your interest!
Hi, and thanx for the info! Unless i get my local vinyl shot to stock this, i will definately get on that hammerheart pre-order.
Regardless of identity, where she’s from, or even if it’s a full band and she’s just contributing vocals, the music speaks for itself and I’m truly looking forward to the full release.
Not that it matters one way or the other, but I think your friend is probably right…or at least between these two choices Id say thats probably the more likely one…around the 2:02 mark on the video you get a back lit shot of her face and shes got what looks like a much rounder profile to her face that would seem more appropriate for Puce Mary’s features.
..though Im most likely putting more thought into this mystery than it actually deserves
Yeah, I try not to get drawn into stories like this — just focusing on the music almost always seems like the point that matters. But I’ve since gotten further word from people who seem to know that, contrary to my guess, the woman behind Myrkur is actually Amelie Bruun.
..be right back…turning in my amateur detectives license
Gene Simmons could be behind this, for all I care. The music’s fantastic, which is all that truly matters.
If Gene Simmons were behind this, there would already be Myrkur-themed socks, pajamas, and coffins for sale.
But yeah, I agree that I don’t really care who it is, either.. I pre-ordered.
i’m more curious about what the musical credits are for Myrkur, if it’s all her or her plus session musicians, etc.
Maybe it’s the singer from Ghost?
Apparently Bruun is Danish but residing in USA, so technically Relapse aren’t lying when they refer to Myrkur as a Danish artist.
I can add a few things to this, not sure it makes a difference.
1) Yes, she is definitely Danish, in the video she speaks it with no accent and only a hint of dialect (I would guess Sealand/Copenhagen but it’s pretty flat and none distinct)
2) First thing that struck me about the video is the surroundings, that’s not Denmark, I can’t think of a place in Denmark that looks like that, it’s just too flat in Denmark to be honest, also the rock formations with the little streams, you don’t see that in Denmark.
My first thought was Norway, but the mountains is a little too round (The Norwegian fjords and mountains are a little more ragged, at least what I have seen)
Could be Sweden though. Or upstate New York, not that I’ve ever been there.
But that doesn’t really tell us anything other than she gets around.
It is possibly Norway as the production were done by Garn of Ulver
By all rights I should love this, but it keeps putting me off somehow. It isn’t the vocals, they are cool. The production is too flat maybe?