Julianna Barwick

Nepenthe Julianna Barwick

JuliannaBarwick's art is equal parts force and beauty. Her music finds its motor in significant events in herown life, but they are abstracted into a sense of sonic wonderment, a radiance that you could say is hersignature sound. That radiance has been taken to new zeniths with Nepenthe, her third full-length album,which was recorded in Reykjavík, Iceland, in the dark cold days of February. "Everything I was making was visceral – the record represents some serious emotional stuff," she confirms,while at the same time she raves with enormous positivity about the unique recording environment. Alex Somers (musician/producer of SigurRós, Jónsi, Jónsi& Alex) invited her to Iceland in the first place. ForJulianna, who was blown away at a SigurRós show in 2002, it was a dream come true. "That was the fastest email I ever wrote: “Yes!” Who would say no to that?" Somers produced and engineered the record and broughtin local Icelandic musicians who turned out to make crucial contributions: string ensemble Amiina, guitaristRóbertSturlaReynisson from Múm, and a choir of teenage girls.