Changelings by Microwolf
'Changelings', the fourth and final collection of original songs by Benjamin van Vliet a.k.a. Microwolf, is a concept album about becoming a father. Its six expansive, free-flowing songs deal with themes such as wonderment, fear, reverence for life and the act of letting go.
The album was written and recorded by Van Vliet while his wife was pregnant with twin daughters, and finished after they were born. The recordings were then given to a very eclectic group of musician friends (including Belgian improv stronghold Joachim Badenhorst and Hansko Visser of Dutch cult band Plan Kruutntoone) to record contributions as quickly and spontaneously as possible, without hearing the other guest contributions. Van Vliet then cut and edited the recordings he received into free yet coherent arrangements, that never could have been conceived any other way.
This process was inspired by the final two Talk Talk albums, Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock, with which Changelings shares its loose, jazzy sound with lots of space, and its slow, unhurried paces. There are also stylistic nods to bands from the 1990s Antwerp scene, such as Zita Swoon, Kiss My Jazz and dEUS, as well as to the experimental indiefolk acts that have inspired Van Vliet throughout his entire musical career, such as Sufjan Stevens, Sparklehorse and Ryland Bouchard.
Tracklist
| 1. | Theme From Changelings | 5:45 |
| 2. | Life That Wills | 3:12 |
| 3. | Papavers | 9:37 |
| 4. | Burning Crops | 9:09 |
| 5. | Odo'ital | 5:57 |
| 6. | Ballad Of A Changeling | 4:39 |
Videos
Credits
Written, played, recorded, mixed & designed by Benjamin van Vliet, with:
Floyd Atema - drums (1), mastering
Joachim Badenhorst - keyboard (1, 2, 5), vocals (3, 5), vibraphone (6)
Arno Breuer - drums, percussion (2, 3, 5, 6), bass guitar (3, 6), acoustic guitar (3, 4)
Romke Burger - saxophone (1, 4), flute (2)
Jarno van Es - organ, Juno, Moog (3), Rhodes, percussion, bells (4), piano, melodica (5)
Harold Konickx - backing vocals (1, 2)
Hansko Visser - electric guitar (3, 5, 6)
'Theme from Changelings' contains a sample of 'Pisces Ex Machina I' by Sgt. Fuzzy and an unidentified skipping record. 'Odo’ital' contains a sample of 'Escargot' by Strings & Timpani. The lyrics in the second half of Papavers borrow heavily from Alasdair Roberts’ 'I Fell In Love'.
Thank you: Arno, Stefan, Ryan, Martijn, Michiel, Thijs, Dulce, Rafael and all the guest musicians
For Mila and Lilia
Tiny Room Records 2023
License
All rights reserved.
Microwolf is the nom de plume of Benjamin van Vliet, a Dutch DIY singer/producer currently residing in Tilburg. After spending 7 years as the lead singer and songwriter for anti-folk band Moi, le voisin, he created Microwolf in 2012 as an outlet for his more intimately radical ideas.