HAMDEN by ME
In spring 2009, ME travelled to the town of HAMDEN, put on an old preacher’s suit, and set up camp in an old and empty church. He’d spent half the winter in bed at home in Amsterdam, feeling ill, tired, and generally miserable, even having to cancel a tour with at the close of every day. In the end, music seemed the only possible cure.
ME travelled to Chicago to take some time off and buy his dream guitar, an old Gibson J-45, and started writing songs for what would become his most personal solo album up till now, ‘HAMDEN’.
After ‘The Wagon Fair’ and the soundtrack to the movie ‘Ooit’ (the soundtrack for 'WIN/WIN' has not been released yet), this third ME album visits darker territories than before, addressing some deep doubts and fears, but once again is not without hope. It’s a search for God that inevitably ended inside a church. There, ‘HAMDEN’ was recorded in one stretch, mostly live, unlike the previous records. ME was joined by Ruben Bekx on guitar, Korean harp and other instruments, and singer Marieke Borger. Too restless to sleep, engineer Jan Borger and I often recorded vocals at night. The job was completed in five days – a tiring, but ultimately satisfying experience captured by a.o. filmmaker Jaap van Heusden.
The recording process resulted in a remarkably intimate, crystal clear sound, mixing the typical hushed ME style with a new wave feel remniscent feel David Sylvian and Talk Talk. Adding to the intimacy is the extremely beautiful presentation of this album. The album –featuring the 5 films- comes in a handmade leather sleeve and handstamped booklet including exquisite pictures by Albert Korf. The handnumbered limited edition comes in a wooden box featuring some exclusive souvenirs from this unique period of time: a piece of carpet from the old church, extra pictures and a hand binded booklet. In may 2010 an special LP version will also be released. All items can be bought at www.mincoeggersman.com or at ME's first Benelux tour in may of this year.
Tracklist
| 1. | THE BLINDMAN LEADS THE DEAF | 4:48 |
| 2. | SPEAKING IN TONGUES | 3:54 |
| 3. | IT'S OUT OF MY HANDS | 4:22 |
| 4. | WEIGHTLESS | 4:37 |
| 5. | REST IN PIECES | 1:46 |
| 6. | CHICAGO | 4:29 |
| 7. | ROSIA MONTANA | 2:42 |
| 8. | HAMDEN | 2:27 |
| 9. | POSTCARD FROM RINA | 1:15 |
| 10. | BEST FORGOTTEN | 2:37 |
| 11. | CHOKE/HOPE | 3:30 |
| 12. | SURREAL | 8:18 |
Credits
featuring: Jan Borger, Ruben Bekx, Mariecke Borger
artwork: Robert-Jan van Noort for Pankra
photography: Albert Korf
films: jaap van heusden, bas van nieunes, onno groeneveld
License
All rights reserved.Tags
ME is minco eggersman solo—which is relative, considering the journey he made over the years & which has landed him in a filmic niche of his own. his earlier work is a bit like his band at the close of every day, but since his focus on soundtracks his stories are incisive, picturesque, striking & more finely defined yet they sore more than ever. a mix of neo-classical, post-rock and avant-garde..