Invoking the spirit of those gothic early 4AD artists – This Mortal Coil, Dead Can Dance and Bauhaus – Leeds trio Tristwch y Fenywod (“The Sadness of Women” in Welsh) lure us into their uncanny, eldritch world with outsider music steeped in ritual and intrigue. The temptation is hard to repel. Described by their label as a “Welsh-language, gothic, avant-rock power-coven”, these Leeds underground lifers have played only a handful of gigs together. Yet, their darkwave incantations – composed of stalking rhythms, the Gregorian chime of a homemade dual zither and darkly atmospheric electronics – possess all the bewitching power of a band several albums deep.
This is an ancient sound reborn, harnessing our primal longing for ceremony and magic. Exhumed from the depths of Leeds’ experimental underground, the trio consist of Gwretsien Ferch Lisbeth (Guttersnipe, The Ephemeron Loop), Leila Lygad (Hawthonn) and Sidni Sarffwraig (Slaylor Moon, The Courtneys).
Stark, striking and bewitching, Tristwch y Fenywod’s self-titled album is their debut studio recording, following just 10 gigs and a live demo. Formed in 2022, Tristwch y Fenywod (“The Sadness of Women”) record exclusively in the Welsh language, conjuring an eldritch, subterranean, alien folk music played on dual zither, electronic drums and bass guitar. With towering, siren-like vocals curling around the Welsh consonants, accompanied by stark, martial rhythms and swirling claw-plucked strings, Tristwch y Fenywod feels like an early 4AD recording dredged from the waters of an Anglesey swamp. The effect is simultaneously chilling and stirring.
The eight tracks on the record constitute what feels like a recently rediscovered, unholy grail of edgy, atmospheric, occult feminist goth emissions
released August 30th, 2024
The Fat Angel Sings 