One of the many compelling new DIY artists we’ve heard in recent years is the experimental singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Emanuel Tägil.
He’s released a series of new singles with a retro dark-synths and various genre influences.
Born and raised in the historic Swedish city of Gothenburg, Tägil’s music reveals a gifted, and we feel, under-the-radar, songwriter and musician.
Singles like “Serenity Now” and “Attic” are his strongest drops yet.
For “Attic,” Tagil describes the song as a “weird and beautiful song with an epic climax about social anxiety,” with a single guitar, bubbling synths and Tagil’s haunting vocals. Towards the end of the track, an exciting synth riff that is only tampered by the spooky repetition of ‘corpse.’
“The song has a hero called ‘Serenity Now’ who helps with cleaning the house and comforting the guy who hosted the party,” Tagil says, adding that the song is essentially about party-crashing, but also in a metaphoric sense – modern humans have basically trashed their own party (the earth, civilization, traditions, rule of law, etc.) for decades, and it’s starting to come home to roost.
“The party is not only young people drinking,” he adds, “[but] it’s also the environment and the political climate in the world. The world crashing is depicted in many abstract ways throughout the song which takes an almost post-apocalyptic sci-fi turn.”
Recently described as a ‘master of atmosphere,’ Tägil rattles off strange and peculiar stories with manic relish powered by potent, if not unsettling, vocals driven by compelling, moody instrumentations.
Unlike most musicians, Tägil writes and sings, plays and records, all of the instruments himself, and then mixes and masters his final tracks entirely on his own.
One of the tracks that caught bloggers’ attention was Tagil’s profoundly moving, “I Remember Now,” featuring a sharp and striking vocal delivery, sudden melodic twists, and dark atmospherics; think Joy Division crossed with Editors and David Bowie.
The E.P., The Countryside Smiles to the Ghosts, was released together with four videos, which are viewable on his YouTube page.
Some of his other songs have unusual, even provocative titles such as “There’s A Deathstar Above Us” and “Go Back into the Woods You.”
According to Tagil his musical influences are many and include bands like Arcade Fire, Nick Cave, Joy Division, Anne Clark, P.J. Harvey, Bill Callahan (Smog) and Wovenhand. His other musical influences also include 1990’s black metal and modern synth-pop music.
If you are excited by new, talented, experimental artists, stream Serenity Now via Bandcamp.
For those folks who live in and around the city of Gothenburg, check out one of Tägil’s regular live performances.
