Tracker Pixel for Entry

​Wrekmeister Harmonies and Bell Witch bring the noise

Music | February 16th, 2016

Since their first recording in 2009, drone band Wrekmeister Harmonies has offered an ever-growing collaboration between musicians from numerous bands. Their latest release, “Night of Your Ascension,” has a cast of over 30 musicians with members coming from bands such as Indian, Cave and The Body.

The Chicago collective will play the Aquarium along with Seattle doom band Bell Witch on Feb. 19. Unlike the large ensemble which plays on their records, this will be a lighter version of the group doing their interpretation of “Night of Your Ascension.”

In addition to Wrekmeister Harmonies musician and composer J.R. Robinson, the band will also feature violinist Esther Shaw and both members of Bell Witch, who will play with the band in addition to playing their own set. Robinson describes Bell Witch as sounding like the inside of the Earth, with tectonic plates loudly grinding against one another.

Much of the group’s existence is owed to film, having been set up Robinson to record a film soundtrack. The band even takes their name from a film, with Wrekmeister Harmonies being a bastardized version of Hungarian director Bela Tarr’s 2000 film Werckmeister Harmonies.

But it’s not just from film that Robinson gets his inspiration. His art is influenced through reading and from life itself, as is apparent on “Night of Your Ascension.”

The newest album sees Robinson tackling two infamous figures, including Don Carlo Gesualdo, who murdered his first wife and her lover, and Father John Geoghan, who was accused of molesting over 130 children, and once imprisoned, was murdered by his cellmate in 2003.

The album is made up of only two tracks. The 30-minute title track is devoted to Gesualdo’s murders and the madrigals he composed in the 16th century. The piece rearranges Gesualdo’s “Ahi Dispietata e Cruda” to fit in the key of A and to give them room to expand upon the piece. Singer Marissa Nadler makes a guest appearance, offering a haunting vocal performance.

It’s in the track “Run Priest Run” that we see Robinson asking what’s worse, the crimes Geoghan committed or the fact that members of the Catholic Church kept quiet about it and allowed him to continue? It’s through this indictment of the Catholic Church that Robinson explores the dark urges of humanity with people committing such horrible acts they lose any chance of redemption.

Wrekmeister Harmonies has formed a reputation for their collaborative nature and their eccentric music, but they’re also known for performing in some unconventional venues. Past performances have been in the Andy Warhol Museum, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bohemian National Cemetery in Chicago. Part of “Night of Your Ascension” was even recorded in the cemetery’s crematorium.

IF YOU GO:

Wrekmeister Harmonies with Bell Witch, Still and Bergeron

Friday, Feb. 19, 10 p.m $7 cover

The Aquarium (Dempsey’s upstairs), 226 Broadway N., Fargo

Recently in:

By Winona LaDukewinona@winonaladuke.comIt’s been eight years since the Water Protectors were cleared off the banks of the Cannonball and Missouri Rivers. It was a bitter ending to a battle to protect the water; and for most of us…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com Rodeo is a family tradition for sisters Kate and Tera Flitton. The duo performs under the moniker Stellar Trick Riding Cowgirls. The Utah natives will be performing along with bareback riders,…

Saturday, April 19, 8 p.m. doors open at 7 p.m.Fargo Theatre, 314 N Broadway, FargoCheck out this cult classic on the big screen as a live band performs along with David Bowie’s vocals, all while basking in the Art Deco glory…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com I feel like reading a newspaper is the equivalent of listening to music on vinyl. Not only is it analog, it’s an experience. I might be a little biased, but there's something about the rustling…

By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comA column on How Trumusklicans are trying to change historyIt took William L. Shirer a couple decades to write and then publish “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany,”…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Photos by Rick GionLiving in downtown Fargo has its perks. One of them is taking walks along Broadway and peeking into the restaurants and shops for a glimpse of what’s new. Sometimes this makes a…

Mooncats and Pert Near Sandstone play Empire TheatreBy Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comThe MoonCats describe themselves as “Americonscious Campfire Folk.” They have a clear acoustic folk sound with a sense of whimsy — think…

By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com Making her feature directorial debut, Rachael Abigail Holder guides “Love, Brooklyn” to a satisfying conclusion, even if some viewers might have hoped for a different outcome for the…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comTelling Queer History is an LGBTQIA+ organization that utilizes oral storytelling and community building to educate, honor and collect oral histories. To honor its final year in operation, the …

By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.comHigh Plains Reader had the opportunity to interview two mysterious new game show hosts named Milt and Bradley Barker about an upcoming event they will be putting on at Brewhalla. What…

By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…

By Josette Ciceronunapologeticallyanxiousme@gmail.com What does it mean to truly live in a community —or should I say, among community? It’s a question I have been wrestling with since I moved to Fargo-Moorhead in February 2022.…

By Faye Seidlerfayeseidler@gmail.com Somewhere lost in the cultural scuffle of what it means to be transgender is that it is an absolute joy to experience the world in such a way. When you take away the societal prejudice and…

By Gilbert Kuipersgilbertkuipers@outlook.com I live in North Dakota District 24 and have been challenging the district Republicans about their understanding of climate science for years. There has been no serious response to my…