Ceremony
A close-up of black organ pipes.
Studio album by
Anna von Hausswolff
Released18 July 2012 (2012-07-18)
Recorded2012
Studio
Genre
Length60:59
Language
  • English
  • Swedish
Label
ProducerFilip Leyman
Anna von Hausswolff chronology
Singing from the Grave
(2010)		 Ceremony
(2012)		 The Miraculous
(2015)
Singles from Ceremony
  1. "Mountains Crave"
    Released: 28 June 2012
  2. "Funeral for My Future Children"
    Released: 23 September 2013

Ceremony is the second studio album by Swedish musician Anna von Hausswolff. It was released on 18 July 2012 in Sweden by Kning Disk. The album was followed by a worldwide re-release in Europe and North America in June and July 2013, respectively. Ceremony incorporates the pipe organ, which was recorded at the Annedal Church in Gothenburg and became von Hausswolff's first work to include that instrument. Ceremony is primarily a gothic pop record that spans from folk to drone styles, but also art pop, post-rock, noise, and ambient. The death of the singer's grandfather inspired the lyrical content from the album.

Ceremony received generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised its innovative sound in comparison to her debut. It received nominations at the Grammis Awards, and the Nordic Music Prize. The album was a commercial success in Sweden, peaking at number 5 on the Swedish Albums Chart. Two singles supported the album: "Mountains Crave" and "Funeral for My Future Children". The songs "Epitaph of Theodor", "Deathbed", and "Epitaph of Daniel" received music videos despite not being promoted as official singles.

Background and recording

After releasing her debut album Singing from the Grave (2010), von Hausswolff moved from Gothenburg, Sweden to Copenhagen, Denmark.[1][2][3] During that time, she played a synthesizer that featured the sound of a pipe organ, which gave her interest in that instrument.[4] The album was recorded at the Annedal Church in Gothenburg which, despite having a small organ, von Hausswolff said that it "sounds really big because of the massive room, with cold walls made of stone."[3] She previously performed in that church at the 2009 Way Out West.[1]

The singer stated that during the recording of Ceremony in 2012, she played the pipe organ for the first time; the instrument would later become prominent in her following albums.[5] She added that "[o]nce I sat down and started playing, I knew that this was going to be a longterm relationship."[6] The album was worked on over several months at producer Filip Leyman's Gothenburg studio.[7] Von Hausswolff uploaded a series of YouTube clips of the recording process in the studio between May and June 2012.[8]

Music and lyrics

Ceremony blends several musical styles. Primarily a gothic pop album,[9][10] it also combines folk,[11] drone,[12] art pop, post-rock,[13] noise, and ambient.[14] The album makes prominent use of the pipe organ in nine tracks, differing sonically from Singing from the Grave, which used the piano as the main instrument.[15][3] Other instruments present in Ceremony are piano, synthesizers,[11] hand-claps, bass guitar, and discordant percussion.[16] The lyrical themes are predominantly about death and loss, with von Hausswolff saying that the death of her grandfather inspired the album.[14][15] Fabiana Giovanetti of London in Stereo wrote that "the lyrics are positively Byron-esque, resembling the British Romantic decadence of the 1800s.[17]

Songs

Ceremony opens with the track "Epitaph of Theodor", an instrumental that incorporates a church organ melody.[18] It is followed by "Deathbed", in which von Hausswolff's voice does not appear until the middle of the song, and then returns to instrumental.[12] The longest track in the album, it is an 8-minute cut that features organ, brushed cymbals, and echoing guitar, as well as her voice that "soars operatically and growls emphatically".[11][19] "Mountains Crave" is a pop song built on three chords and features a "rudimentary 808 snare clap."[20] "Epitaph of Daniel" was compared to the work of Angelo Badalamenti for the series Twin Peaks.[18]

"No Body" serves as an interlude that experiments with noise and ambient genres, while "Liturgy of Light" is a folk song "that sounds like it's being played in a subterranean cave."[14] "Harmonica" was written after von Hausswolff's grandfather, who gave her an harmonica before he died. The track discusses "how culture and traditions can travel from generation down to generation."[15] In "Ocean", the singer's "[Kate] Bush-like" vocals are accompanied by piano and a gospel choir.[14] "Sova" is the only track from the album sung in Swedish, von Hausswolff's native language, and is backed by percussion, crashing guitars, and thunderous drums.[11][21] The "bleakly dramatic"-titled "Funeral for My Future Children" is a chamber pop song based on a clattering rhythm that combines her soaring vocals with pipe organ.[22][23]

Release and promotion

Von Hausswolff performing at Haldern Pop in 2013

Ceremony was released only in Sweden by Kning Disk on 18 July 2012. The album was re-released on 14 June 2013 in Europe by City Slang and on 9 July 2013 in North America by Other Music Recording Co.[20] The album's artwork features a close-up of organ pipes, reflecting on the use of that instrument in the music.[3]

To promote Ceremony, Anna von Hausswolff made several live performances. Her performance of "Mountains Crave" premiered through Stereogum's website on 16 May 2013.[24] She later played "Funeral for My Future Children" with percussionist Michael Stasiak at Christ Church United Methodist, New York City. American radio network NPR published the performance on 4 September 2013.[25]

Singles

Two singles were released in support of Ceremony. The album's lead single, "Mountains Crave", was released on 28 June 2012.[26] The song's music video, directed by Anders Nydam, was released on 18 June 2012.[27] "Funeral for My Future Children" arrived to the United Kingdom as the second and final single on 23 September 2013.[23]

Though not promoted as official singles, three songs from the album received music videos. The video clips for the songs "Epitaph of Theodor" and "Epitaph of Daniel" were released on 31 August 2012 and 21 December 2012, respectively; both of them were directed by Maria von Hausswolff, the singer's sister.[28][29] "Deathbed" was issued as a promotional single following the announcement of the album's re-release.[19] Maria directed its accompanying music video, and it features von Hausswolff's siblings.[12]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.1/10[30]
Metacritic77/100[31]
Review scores
SourceRating
The 4057/10[32]
AllMusic[11]
Filter83%[33]
GIGsoup[34]
The Line of Best Fit7.5/10[12]
Mojo[35]
MusicOMH[14]
The Skinny[18]
Uncut[36]

Ceremony received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 77, based on seven reviews.[31] Paul Smith from GIGsoup gave the album a perfect score, commenting that the inclusion of the church organ "gives a ghostly feel and compliments the vocals perfectly."[34] Peter Margasak of the Chicago Reader stated that despite not "entirely ditch[ing] th[e pop] template" from Singing from the Grave, Ceremony "radically altered the complexion of [von Hausswolff's] music, giving it a severe intensity and sense of grandeur."[37] Similarly, Nothing but Hope and Passion magazine's Henning Grabow agreed that the album "is clearly still pop music, yet it is of an unlimited, profound and ambitious sort" and that "it's just music that's passionately digging in the peripheries where, naturally, a lot of darkness is to be found."[38]

Calling Ceremony "a rare, thoughtful, inspiring record", Bob Boilen from NPR found that "von Hausswolff's voice possesses the power to soar with those mighty pipes and still hold tight to delicate, personal emotions."[39] Nevertheless, a more mixed review came from The New York Times's Ben Ratliff, who thought that her voice "isn't quite as big as she wants it to be, and her own instrumental writing is simple and limited", further adding that "the record is awkward and seriously pretentious at times, but you can't miss the heat of its ambition."[40] Ceremony was nominated for two Swedish Grammis and a Nordic Music Prize nomination.[39] Upon its initial release, Ceremony entered Sweden's Sverigetopplistan chart at number five. Following the announcement of its 2013 re-release, the record reached number 58 in that country.[41]

"Mountains Crave" was featured in the eighth episode of the HBO series The Sex Lives of College Girls in 2021.[42]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Anna von Hausswolff, except "No Body", written by Daniel Ögren. All tracks are produced by Filip Leyman

Ceremony track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Epitaph of Theodor"5:25
2."Deathbed"8:38
3."Mountains Crave"3:35
4."Goodbye"6:16
5."Red Sun"3:17
6."Epitaph of Daniel"3:10
7."No Body"2:33
8."Liturgy of Light"5:01
9."Harmonica"4:22
10."Ocean"5:44
11."Sova"3:24
12."Funeral for My Future Children"4:42
13."Sun Rise"4:52
Total length:60:59

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Ceremony.[43]

Musicians

  • Anna von Hausswolff – vocals, pipe organ, piano, synthesizer
  • Maria von Hausswolff – vocals (8–10, 13)
  • Xenia Krissin – vocals (10, 12), zither
  • Filip Leyman – synthesizer, percussion
  • Karl Vento – guitar
  • Joel Fabiansson – guitar
  • Daniel Ögren – guitar, clavioline
  • Christopher Cantillo – drums

Technical

  • Filip Leyman – production, recording, mixing
  • Philip Granqvist – mastering

Artwork

  • Anders Nydam – photography
  • Mattias Nilsson – design

Charts

Chart performance for Ceremony
Chart (2012–2020) Peak
position
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[41] 5
UK Record Store Albums (OCC)[44] 18

Release history

Release dates and formats for Ceremony
Region Date Format(s) Label Ref.
Sweden 18 July 2012 Digital download Kning Disk [45]
23 July 2012 LP [46]
Europe 14 June 2013 Digital download City Slang [47]
United States 9 July 2013
  • Digital download
  • LP
 Other Music Recording Co. [48]

References

  1. 1 2 Hanberg, Martin (27 February 2010). "Lokalen viktig för Anna von Hausswolff" [The venue is important to Anna von Hausswolff]. Svenska Dagbladet. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  2. ↑ Birchmeier, Jason. "Anna von Hausswolff Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Hannah, Andrew (3 July 2013). "Anna von Hausswolff: "Suddenly I could move from thunder to sunshine in a matter of seconds"". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  4. ↑ Tyler, Kieron (2 March 2018). "Anna von Hausswolff: 'Forget about space and time, it's eternal and mysterious' - interview". The Arts Desk. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  5. ↑ Erin Lyndal Martin (30 March 2018). "Anna von Hausswolff's Pipe (Organ) Dreams". Bandcamp. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  6. ↑ Snapes, Laura (December 2015). "Revelations: How Anna von Hausswolff Fell in Love With the Pipe Organ". Uncut. p. 81.
  7. ↑ "Ceremony | Anna von Hausswolff". Bandcamp. 18 July 2012. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  8. ↑ References for the videos of the recording process:
    "Anna von Hausswolff – Ceremony Part 1". YouTube. 23 May 2012. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
    "Anna von Hausswolff – Ceremony Part 2". YouTube. 30 May 2012. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
    "Anna von Hausswolff – Ceremony Part 3". YouTube. 6 June 2012. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
    "Anna von Hausswolff – Ceremony Part 4". YouTube. 13 June 2012. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  9. ↑ Innis, Charles (19 August 2015). "Anna von Hausswolff – "Come Wander With Me/Deliverance"". Stereogum. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  10. ↑ Jurek, Thom. "Dead Magic – Anna von Hausswolff". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Jurek, Thom (18 July 2012). "Ceremony – Anna von Hausswolff". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Davidson-Vidavski, Doron (20 June 2013). "Anna von Hausswolff – Ceremony". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  13. ↑ Jurek, Thom (20 November 2015). "The Miraculous – Anna von Hausswolff". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 October 2022. Her four-octave vocal range rose above compositions that wove classically tinged Gothic art pop and skeletal post-rock that touched on Sweden's gloomy operatic and folk traditions.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 White, Chris (20 June 2013). "Anna Von Hausswolff – Ceremony". MusicOMH. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  15. 1 2 3 "Anna von Hausswolff – Ceremony". City Slang. 6 February 2014. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  16. ↑ Slater, Luke (19 December 2022). "Lost 12 of 2012: Anna von Hausswolff Ceremony". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 8 October 2022. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  17. ↑ Giovanetti, Fabiana (12 June 2013). "Review // Anna von Hausswolff – Ceremony". London in Stereo. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  18. 1 2 3 Buckle, Chris (11 June 2013). "Anna von Hausswolff – Ceremony". The Skinny. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  19. 1 2 Tuffrey, Laurie (22 March 2013). "Anna Von Hausswolff Announces New LP". The Quietus. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  20. 1 2 Greene, Jayson (11 April 2013). "Anna von Hausswolff: "Mountains Crave" Track Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  21. ↑ Jönsson, PM (18 July 2012). "Anna von Hausswolff | Ceremony". Göteborgs-Posten. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  22. ↑ "NPR Music's 50 Favorite Songs Of 2013 (So Far)". NPR. 11 June 2013. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  23. 1 2 Godley, Simon (23 September 2013). "Anna von Hausswolff – Funeral For My Future Children (City Slang)". God Is in the TV. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  24. ↑ Singh, Amrit (16 May 2013). "Anna Von Hausswolff – "Mountains Crave" Live Video (Stereogum Premiere)". Stereogum. Archived from the original on 31 October 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  25. ↑ Boilen, Bob (4 September 2013). "Anna Von Hausswolff Finds A Pipe Organ In New York City". NPR. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  26. ↑ "Mountains Crave - Single by Anna von Hausswolff on Apple Music". Apple Music. Sweden. 28 June 2022. Archived from the original on 13 October 2022. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  27. ↑ "Anna von Hausswolff – Mountains Crave". YouTube. 18 June 2012. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  28. ↑ "Anna von Hausswolff – Epitaph of Theodor". YouTube. 31 August 2012. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  29. ↑ "Anna von Hausswolff – Mountains Crave". YouTube. 21 December 2012. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  30. ↑ "Ceremony by Anna von Hausswolff album reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  31. 1 2 "Reviews for Ceremony by Anna von Hausswolff". Metacritic. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  32. ↑ Williamson, Coral (19 June 2013). "Anna von Hausswolff – Ceremony". The 405. Archived from the original on 22 June 2013. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  33. ↑ Loren Auda Poin (30 July 2013). "Anna von Hausswolff – Ceremony". Filter. Archived from the original on 8 October 2013. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  34. 1 2 Smith, Paul (16 July 2013). "Review: Anna von Hausswolff – "Ceremony"". GIGsoup. Archived from the original on 3 December 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  35. ↑ "Anna von Hausswolff: Ceremony". Mojo. No. 237. August 2013. p. 88.
  36. ↑ "Anna von Hausswolff: Ceremony". Uncut. July 2013. p. 83.
  37. ↑ Margasak, Peter (9 December 2013). "Anna von Hausswolff and Noveller bring dark, moody beauty to Schubas tonight". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  38. ↑ Grabow, Henning (4 July 2013). "Anna von Hausswolff – Ceremony". Nothing but Hope and Passion. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  39. 1 2 Boilen, Bob (30 June 2013). "Review: Anna Von Hausswolff, 'Ceremony'". NPR. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  40. ↑ Ratliff, Ben (14 June 2013). "Flute, Church Organ, African Drums and Rock Guitar". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  41. 1 2 "Swedishcharts.com – Anna von Hausswolff – Ceremony". Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  42. ↑ Bardhan, Ashley (4 December 2021). "The Sex Lives of College Girls Recap: In a Bad Way". Vulture. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  43. ↑ Ceremony (liner notes). Anna von Hausswolff. City Slang. 2013. Slang50053LP.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  44. ↑ "Official Record Store Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
  45. ↑ "Ceremony av Anna von Hausswolff på Apple Music". Apple Music. Sweden. 18 July 2012. Archived from the original on 16 March 2021. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  46. ↑ "Ceremony – Limited Vinyl Edition". Bengans. 23 July 2012. Archived from the original on 23 September 2012. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  47. ↑ "Ceremony by Anna von Hausswolff on Apple Music". Apple Music. United Kingdom. 14 June 2013. Archived from the original on 15 October 2022. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  48. ↑ "Ceremony". Amazon. United States. Archived from the original on 22 October 2022. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
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