Impure Wilhelmina are now releasing the first new track of their upcoming EP “Dead Decades”, which is set for worldwide release on October 6th, 2023, via Season of Mist. The record features three covers and two previously unreleased tracks taken from the recording session for their latest album “Antidote”.
“La Javanaise” comes in the form of an artistic music video which can now be viewed below.
The band comments: “As soon as we thought about doing covers, this song came to mind. Serge Gainsbourg, one of the major figures of twentieth-century French music, has been around us for a very long time, even if his musical universe is far removed from our own. ‘La Javanaise’ is one of his greatest (and least subversive) classics, published in 1963. This heavy cover of a song written before metal even existed contrasts with the light-hearted romanticism of the lyrics. It fits perfectly with the spirit of Impure Wilhelmina. For the video, we used archive footage of Paris in the 1960s to match the atmosphere. The whole thing was beautifully edited by Guilherme Henriques and the result is stunning”!
Formats:
• Vinyl
• Digital
“Dead Decades” is now available for pre-order in various formats here.
Tracklist:
1. La Javanaise (3:29)
2. Fallen Angel (7:09)
3. Plainsong (5:43)
4. Nebulæ (5:40)
5. Ignoramus (4:39)
For 25 years, Impure Wilhelmina has been shaping a singular music on the borders of rock and metal. The Geneva quartet has never been afraid to reinvent itself and to push back the stylistic barriers, without ever losing its strong identity. Intensity, melody, power and melancholy are the key words that guide the band’s discography, developing record after record a subtle blend of metal, post-hardcore, new wave and indie rock sounds.
Impure Wilhelmina has experienced many line-up changes over the years around Michael Schindl, singer-guitarist, main composer and lyricist. Founded in 1996, the group quickly built a reputation in the local, then Swiss and European independent scenes. The band has released a 7″, an EP, a split and seven full-length albums (see discography).
Impure Wilhelmina has regularly collaborated with sound engineers and producers Serge Morattel (“I Can’t Believe I Was Born in July” – 2001, “L’Amour, La Mort, L’Enfance Perdue” – 2004, “Prayers and Arsons” – 2008) and Raphaël Bovey (“Black Honey” – 2014, “Radiation” – 2017). These five albums illustrate the constant musical evolution of the band, which from a very dark and metal base gradually incorporates more rock elements. The clear vocals occupy an increasingly important place in the compositions, reinforcing the intensity and melodic depth.
In 2015, thanks to the great response to Black Honey, Impure Wilhelmina signed with the reference metal label Season of Mist, which published “Radiation” two years later in 2017. Skillfully navigating between melodies and dissonances, always at the service of raw emotion, this sixth album was unanimously acclaimed by the press and the public, opening the doors to wider recognition.
In 2019, the band received great reward by being one of the four recipients of the grants for contemporary music awarded by the City of Geneva. This support has enabled Impure Wilhelmina to start working on a new album with confidence and with the will to develop their sound and get out of their comfort zone. The band put a lot of efforts in the elaboration and production of its new songs, notably by calling on Yvan Bing, producer and sound engineer, to accompany the four musicians throughout the creation process. This successful collaboration began in the summer of 2019 and continued for over a year, giving rise to Impure Wilhelmina’s seventh album, “Antidote”. Released in may 2021, this album is a testament to the creativity and versatility of the band, which never ceases to explore new horizons without ever getting lost.
After two European tours in 2022 (with Crippled Black Phoenix and MØL, then Shores of Null), Impure Wilhelmina focused in 2023 on the vinyl reissue of their second album “I Can’t Believe I was Born in July”, for its 20th anniversary, and the release of a new EP entitled “Dead Decades”, which features three covers and two previously unreleased tracks.
Line-up:
Michael Schindl – Vocals/Guitars
Diogo Almeida – Guitars
Sébastien Dutruel – Bass
Mario Togni – Drums
Weblinks:
www.impurenet.com
www.facebook.com/impurewilhelmina
