Sometimes, it takes a true leap of faith to bring a concept to life, to make a dream become reality. Swedish progressive rock outfit Enchanted Duo have done exactly that with their captivating, spiritual new album Werifesteria - a full-length record that represents the culmination of some risk-taking, a fearless creative process and a powerful concept that is particularly close to home for the two-piece.
Featuring no fewer than fifteen tracks dabbling in floaty prog, shimmering indie rock and ancient, earthy folk, Werifesteria was inspired by the very real issue of the disappearance of our beautiful forests - something that Enchanted Duo's Anneli and Nikolaus felt especially passionate about given the woodsy surroundings of their home in Skultuna. All fifteen songs came about as the result of special moments - brief instances in time that inspired the duo to create art that represents where they both are in their lives, and the environment they inhabit.
"We work with moments," says Anneli. "Don’t we all to some extent, but what does it mean to work with moments? What does it feel like to happen upon these profound moments of joy and wonder – and then to transform it into music?"
One such moment led to the creation of I'm Still Wondering, a haunting, glimmering prog rock anthem that, according to Nikolaus, came about as the result of a moment of spontaneity during an online streaming event that the duo were taking part in. "Most of the recording of the song was done on a digital festival," he explains. "Other bands were doing normal live performances but we thought, 'What the heck? Let’s stream the creative process.' Turned out it has become our most popular song."
A more fantastical example of Enchanted Duo's unique approach to using "moments" as inspiration came in the form of Dive, inspired by a certain, iconic Tolkien character. "Dive sprung out of a songwriting prompt to pick a character from a movie and to write," reveals Anneli. "I picked Frodo from Lord of the Rings, and the words just ran out of me. The first rows, now in Old Norse, means, 'A sprint turned into a marathon”' and tries to describe this feeling of committing to do something and it just grows and grows, exhausting you in the process."
Working with respected musicians including Marco Minnemann (The Aristocrats, Paul Gilbert, Steven Wilson, Kreator), Mohini Dey (MaMoGi, Steve Vai), and Morgan Ågren (Mats/Morgan Band, Frank Zappa, Devin Townsend), Enchanted Duo have crafted one of this year's most unique, compelling and, yes, enchanting releases. To see Werifesteria reach its full potential, however, the band are looking to crowdfund a limited number of physical CD releases, to truly bring the magic of the forest to life.
"With this crowdfund we get to do this together with the loving and supportive community of lavish lords and ladies," they explain enthusiastically. Looking to raise €1500, Enchanted Duo's crowdfunding page can be accessed here.
For more information on Enchanted Duo, their new album and the crowdfunding project, hit the links below.
https://www.facebook.com/enchantedduo https://www.instagram.com/enchantedduo https://www.youtube.com/enchantedduo
