Tragic Magic [LP]

Julianna Barwick & Mary Lattimore - Tragic Magic [LP]

LP version. Forest Green biovinyl. Includes Poster 30x60 cm, printed inner-sleeves. Tragic Magic brings together Julianna Barwick and Mary Lattimore, two of contemporary ambient, experimental and electronic music's most celebrated composers, for a unique collaboration at the Philharmonie de Paris, with extraordinary access to the Musée de la Musique's instrument collection, in partnership with the French label InFiné. The album features seven immersive, evocative compositions guided by the human spirit -- intimate, grounded in friendship, both earthly and cosmic -- and part of a greater continuum, reflecting the solace and transformative power of artistry across generations. Co-produced by Trevor Spencer (Fleet Foxes, Beach House), Tragic Magic was created in just nine days, a testament to the "musical telepathy" that has developed between Barwick and Lattimore over years of touring and friendship. Arriving in Paris from Los Angeles shortly after the 2025 wildfires, their sessions combined improvisation with the emotions and experiences they carried, in a setting both inspiring and deeply supportive. Lattimore selected harps tracing the instrument's evolution from 1728 to 1873, while Barwick chose several iconic analog synthesizers, including the Roland JUPITER and Sequential Circuits PROPHET-5. In freeform dialogue between voice and instrument, they create a meditation on tragedy, wonder, and the restorative power of shared experience. The duo, often joined by Spencer, also explored the city, sharing meals and visiting museums and landmarks, each encounter leaving an impression on their next session. The experience allowed them to work intimately with rare instruments, blending their personal sensibilities with centuries of history, resulting in music that honors the past while remaining a deeply authentic expression of the present. Throughout Tragic Magic, Barwick and Lattimore find something beyond themselves: a sense that while everything may not be okay, beauty persists. Their approach -- transforming life into music, observing, feeling, and creating -- continues a lineage of creative expression and visionary invention, embodied in the very instruments they employed for this project. 01. Perpetual adoration 02. The Four Sleeping Princesses 03. Temple of the Winds 04. Haze with no Haze 05. Rachel's Song 06. Stardust 07. Melted Moon