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Agnes Caroline Thaarup Obel (born 28 October 1980) is a Danish singer, songwriter, and musician based in
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
. Her debut album, '' Philharmonics'' (2010), was released by
PIAS Recordings PIAS Recordings (formerly Play It Again Sam) is a Belgian record label founded in 1983 by Kenny Gates and Michel Lambot. Play It Again Sam expanded along with other European independent labels in the early 1980s. Play It Again Sam's prominent ea ...
, and was certified gold in June 2011 by the
Belgian Entertainment Association The Belgian Entertainment Association (BEA) is the organization that represents the interests of the music, video and video game industries in Belgium. It was founded in February 2008, when three organizations merged, namely IFPI Belgium, the loc ...
(BEA) after selling 10,000 units. At the
Danish Music Awards The Danish Music Awards (DMA) is a Danish award show. The show has been arranged by IFPI since 1989, and was originally called ''IFPI-prisen'' ("IFPI-Award") until 1991, when it changed its name to ''Dansk Grammy'' ("Danish Grammy"). It was chang ...
in November 2011, Obel won five prizes, including Best Album and Best Debut Artist. Her second album '' Aventine'' (2013) received positive reviews and charted inside the top 40 of the charts in nine countries. Obel's third album ''
Citizen of Glass ''Citizen of Glass'' is the third studio album by Danish singer-songwriter Agnes Obel, released on 21 October 2016 by PIAS Recordings. Four tracks were selected as singles: "Familiar", "Golden Green", "It's Happening Again", and "Stretch Your Ey ...
'' (2016) received acclaim from
music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
and the
IMPALA The impala or rooibok (''Aepyceros melampus'') is a medium-sized antelope found in eastern and southern Africa. The only extant member of the genus '' Aepyceros'' and tribe Aepycerotini, it was first described to European audiences by Germa ...
Album of the Year Award 2016. In 2018, she curated and performed a
compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...
for ''
Late Night Tales ''Late Night Tales'' and its predecessor ''Another Late Night'' are the names of two related series of artist-curated compilation albums released by Azuli Records in the UK until 2009 when the independent record label Night Time Stories took o ...
'' series titled '' Late Night Tales: Agnes Obel''. It features artists such as
Nina Simone Eunice Kathleen Waymon (February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003), known professionally as Nina Simone (), was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blues, ...
,
Henry Mancini Henry Mancini ( ; born Enrico Nicola Mancini, ; April 16, 1924 – June 14, 1994) was an American composer, conductor, arranger, pianist and flautist. Often cited as one of the greatest composers in the history of film, he won four Academy Award ...
,
Ray Davies Sir Raymond Douglas Davies ( ; born 21 June 1944) is an English musician. He was the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and main songwriter for the rock band the Kinks, which he led with his younger brother Dave on lead guitar and backing voca ...
,
Michelle Gurevich Michelle Gurevich is a Canadian singer-songwriter, also known by her former stage name Chinawoman. Her music is influenced by her Russian heritage, and has been described as slowcore rock and "lo-fi pop". Her largest fanbase is in Eastern Europ ...
,
Can Can may refer to: Containers * Aluminum can * Drink can * Oil can * Steel and tin cans * Trash can * Petrol can * Metal can (disambiguation) Music * Can (band), West Germany, 1968 ** ''Can'' (album), 1979 * Can (South Korean band) Other * C ...
, and
Yello Yello is a Swiss electronic music band, which formed in Zürich in 1979. For most of the band's history, Yello has been a duo consisting of Dieter Meier and Boris Blank; founding member Carlos Perón left in 1983. Their sound is often charac ...
. Her fourth album, ''
Myopia Near-sightedness, also known as myopia and short-sightedness, is an eye disease where light focuses in front of, instead of on, the retina. As a result, distant objects appear blurry while close objects appear normal. Other symptoms may include ...
'' was released in February 2020.


Early life

Agnes Caroline Thaarup Obel was born in
Gentofte Gentofte () is a district of Gentofte Municipality in the northern suburbs of Copenhagen, Denmark. Major landmarks include Gentofte Town Hall, Gentofte Hospital and Gentofte Church. Gentofte Lake with surrounding parkland and nature reserves form ...
,
Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...
on 28 October 1980, the elder of two siblings. She and her younger brother, Holger, grew up in an unconventional environment, with a father who had three children from another marriage. He loved to collect strange objects and instruments. Her mother, Katja Obel, a civil servant, used to play Bartók and Chopin on the piano at home. Obel learned to play the piano at a very young age. About her learning, she said: "I had a classical piano teacher who told me that I shouldn't play what I didn't like. So I just played what I liked. I was never forced to play anything else." During her childhood, she found inspiration in Jan Johansson's work. Johansson's songs, European folk tunes done in a jazzy style, have been a strong influence on her musically. In 1990, she joined a small band as a singer and bass guitar player. The group appeared at a festival and recorded some tunes. In 1994, she had a small part in the short film ''The Boy Who Walked Backwards / Drengen der gik baglæns'' by
Thomas Vinterberg Thomas Vinterberg (; born 19 May 1969) is a Danish film director who, along with Lars von Trier, co-founded the Dogme 95 movement in filmmaking, which established rules for simplifying movie production. He is best known for the films ''The Celeb ...
. Her brother, Holger Thaarup, played the main character in the movie. Credited as Agnes Obel, she appears in two scenes. She plays a pupil who shares her table with the new student Andreas (Holger Thaarup). She attended high school at ''Det frie Gymnasium'', a free school where she was able to play a good deal of music. However, she quickly dropped out of school. "At seventeen,(...) I met a man who was running a studio. I gave up quickly my musical studies to learn sound techniques."


Career


2008–2010: ''Philharmonics''

Obel debuted as a solo singer with her first album '' Philharmonics'' (2010). She wrote, played, sang, recorded, and produced all the material herself. "The orchestral or symphonic music never interested me. I always was attracted by simple melodies, almost childish.(…) I put a long time before writing texts because the music seems to tell already a story, to project images." According to Obel, her piano is much more than an instrument: "The piano and the singing are two equal things to me – maybe not inseparable but very connected. You can say they are like two equal voices." She has said that, "The music is the most obvious means to express what I am, where I am." All of the songs on ''Philharmonics'' are original work except "Close Watch" ("I Keep A Close Watch" by
John Cale John Davies Cale (born 9 March 1942) is a Welsh musician, composer, singer, songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the American rock band the Velvet Underground. Over his six-decade career, Cale has worked in various styl ...
) & "
Katie Cruel "''Katie Cruel''" is a traditional United States of America, American folksong, likely of Scotland, Scottish origin. As a traditional song, it has been recorded by many performers, but the best known recording of the song is by Karen Dalton (entert ...
" (a folk traditional; as the iTunes bonus track of the album). In ''Live à Paris'', released on 11 April 2011 on
iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
, she sings a cover of
Elliott Smith Steven Paul Smith (August 6, 1969 – October 21, 2003), known professionally as Elliott Smith, was an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and lived much of hi ...
's "Between The Bars". Furthermore, Obel did a duet with
Editors Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, orga ...
singer Tom Smith, performing "The Christmas Song" by
Mel Tormé Melvin Howard Tormé (September 13, 1925 – June 5, 1999), nicknamed "The Velvet Fog", was an American musician, singer, composer, arranger, drummer, actor, and author. He composed the music for "The Christmas Song" ("Chestnuts Roasting on an Op ...
– to be found on the Smith & Burrows album ''Funny Looking Angels'' (released in November 2011). ''Philharmonics'' has garnered generally positive reviews with, for example, James Skinner from the BBC saying that "the compositions... are slow, sombre, sepulchral even, but not without a sense of occasionally singular beauty". In the French cultural magazine ''Les Inrockuptibles'', Johanna Seban spoke about a "disarming purity" and stated, "There is, in these deeply melancholic ballads, the clearness and reassuring nobility of bedside discs." In Musicomh, Ben Edgell wrote that Obel "sings with a hushed and tender grace that waxes wistful and serene over yearning cello, harp, and piano vignettes. She's a fey siren, with a dusky, near-whispered vocal that speaks to
Ane Brun Ane Brun (; born Ane Brunvoll on 10 March 1976) is a Norwegian songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist of Sami people, Sami origin. Since 2003, she has recorded ten albums, eight of which are studio albums of original material (including a collecti ...
or
Eva Cassidy Eva Marie Cassidy (February 2, 1963 – November 2, 1996) was an American singer and guitarist known for her interpretations of jazz, folk, and blues music, sung with a powerful, emotive soprano voice. In 1992, she released her first albu ...
." French journalists have called her "A revelation to follow". Obel's first album was also a commercial success. In March 2011, she appeared for the first time in the United States. At the South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival in Austin, she performed all the songs on the album.
PIAS Recordings PIAS Recordings (formerly Play It Again Sam) is a Belgian record label founded in 1983 by Kenny Gates and Michel Lambot. Play It Again Sam expanded along with other European independent labels in the early 1980s. Play It Again Sam's prominent ea ...
released a Deluxe Version of '' Philharmonics'' on 7 February 2011. The Deluxe Version contains five more tracks. Two instrumentals ("Riverside" and "Just So") and three live songs: "Over the Hill", "Just So", and the new track "Smoke & Mirrors". On the ''Riverside EP'', Obel sings "Sons & Daughters". This track is only available on the EP. In June 2011, '' Philharmonics'' was certified gold by the
Belgian Entertainment Association The Belgian Entertainment Association (BEA) is the organization that represents the interests of the music, video and video game industries in Belgium. It was founded in February 2008, when three organizations merged, namely IFPI Belgium, the loc ...
(BEA) after selling 10,000 units. In February 2011, her first album was nominated for the 'Impala European Independent Album of the Year' and the song ''Riverside'' (from the ''
Submarino ''Submarino'' is a 2010 Danish drama film directed by Thomas Vinterberg, starring Jakob Cedergren and Peter Plaugborg. It is based on the 2007 novel ''Submarino'' by Jonas T. Bengtsson, and focuses on two brothers on the bottom of Danish society ...
'''s soundtrack) won the
Robert Award The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, hono ...
for the Best Song of the year 2011. In October 2011, Obel won 2012
European Border Breakers Award The European Border Breakers Award (EBBA) was an annual prize awarded to recognise the success of ten emerging artists or groups who reached audiences outside their own countries with their first internationally released album in the past year. ...
. The prize celebrates the top new talents in European pop music who "have all succeeded in reaching out to audiences beyond their home country through their talent and energy." In November 2011, she won five prizes at the
Danish Music Awards The Danish Music Awards (DMA) is a Danish award show. The show has been arranged by IFPI since 1989, and was originally called ''IFPI-prisen'' ("IFPI-Award") until 1991, when it changed its name to ''Dansk Grammy'' ("Danish Grammy"). It was chang ...
for her first album '' Philharmonics''. She won Best Album of the Year, Best Pop Release of the Year, Best Debut Artist of the Year, Best Female Artist of the Year, and Best Songwriter of the Year.


2011–2014: ''Aventine''

Obel began working on her second album in 2011. About her new album, she said, "I started to write new pieces, but all were instrumental ones, with the piano alone… In this moment, I feel more inclined to compose instrumental pieces. I already started to write some texts, but for me, it's more difficult to compose melodies." In January 2013, Obel started mixing her new album. On 20 June 2013, she revealed that the new album, '' Aventine'', would be released on 30 September 2013. On ''Aventine'', Obel commented: "I recorded everything quite closely, miking everything closely in a small room, with voices here, the piano here – everything is close to you. So it's sparse, but by varying the dynamic range of the songs I could create almost soundscapes. I was able to make something feel big with just these few instruments." She played at the iTunes UK Festival at the Roundhouse in London on 17 September 2013. Frank Eidel from quebecspot.com, commented: "It's a fascinating collection of remarkable pieces, with rich and intense arrangements supported by Obel's dazzling voice." On 24 September 2014, ''Aventine'' became available on
iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
. Tom Burgel wrote: "The few reactions collected have been very positive and, already, full with love: The elegance of Agnes and the rare grace of her writings will cause, without any doubts, some strong palpitations in the hearts of the amateurs." The web site Mushroompromotions said: "'Aventine' is a beautiful record, intriguingly unhurried. If the first record was a wander through the forest, this one takes the time to see the beauty and feel the texture in a single leaf. It is at once microcosmic and universal. (...) Agnes creates her own world, or as she calls it, a bubble or bell jar, to make her music. Once inside (or should that be outside?), she's no longer conscious of what's going on. This is the mystery of her modus operandi, something she cannot explain. Which simply adds to the ethereal quality of her music." In October 2014 a deluxe edition of ''Aventine'' was released. This album featured 3 new songs. The deluxe edition also contains a remix of 'Fuel to Fire' by
David Lynch David Keith Lynch (born January 20, 1946) is an American filmmaker, visual artist and actor. A recipient of an Academy Honorary Award in 2019, Lynch has received three Academy Award nominations for Best Director, and the César Award for Be ...
, who commented: "I loved doing this remix. I was turned onto Agnes' music through my record label... I think she has a most beautiful voice and can do things with her voice that are unique and extraordinary." In October 2014, Obel played for the first time in
L'Olympia The Olympia (; commonly known as L'Olympia or in the English-speaking world as Olympia Hall) is a concert venue in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, France, located at 28 Boulevard des Capucines, equally distancing Madeleine church and Opéra G ...
in Paris.


2015–2017: ''Citizen of Glass''

During her 2014 tour, Obel began work on her third album: "I'm planning to work less with piano, and more with other kinds of old keyboards (...) I'm trying to find new instruments to work with, so it's sort of on the research phase and starting to write things." She also said: "I have some clear ideas but I'm not sure it is a good idea to go into specifics on such an early stage. I mainly plan to work with old keyboards like
spinet A spinet is a smaller type of harpsichord or other keyboard instrument, such as a piano or organ. Harpsichords When the term ''spinet'' is used to designate a harpsichord, typically what is meant is the ''bentside spinet'', described in this ...
and
harpsichord A harpsichord ( it, clavicembalo; french: clavecin; german: Cembalo; es, clavecín; pt, cravo; nl, klavecimbel; pl, klawesyn) is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. This activates a row of levers that turn a trigger mechanism ...
and then see where they take me." In June 2015, Obel began recording the new album. She recorded strings with new musicians Frédérique Labbow, Kristina Koropecki, and John Corban. In June 2016, she released the single 'Familiar', from the upcoming album. The song was recorded, produced, and mixed by Obel and features the violin by John Corban as well as cellos by Kristina Koropecki and Charlotte Danhier. The music video was directed by Obel's husband Alex Brüel Flagstad. Hugo Cassavetti from
Telerama Telerama was an Internet service provider and technology company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1991 and promoted itself as the third ISP in world history. Telerama launched its Wi-Fi network in Pittsburgh in 2001, compri ...
, wrote: "Agnes Obel, while remaining true to her fine style, expands her new musical fields. Percussions with a loud power rhythm a delicately acrobatic melody that the singer performs with a voice that was strangely moved. Yes, Obel, as split by technology, duets with her disturbing echoes with a male stamp." In addition to violins, cellos,
harpsichords A harpsichord ( it, clavicembalo; french: clavecin; german: Cembalo; es, clavecín; pt, cravo; nl, klavecimbel; pl, klawesyn) is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. This activates a row of levers that turn a trigger mechanism ...
, a
spinet A spinet is a smaller type of harpsichord or other keyboard instrument, such as a piano or organ. Harpsichords When the term ''spinet'' is used to designate a harpsichord, typically what is meant is the ''bentside spinet'', described in this ...
, and a
celesta The celesta or celeste , also called a bell-piano, is a struck idiophone operated by a keyboard. It looks similar to an upright piano (four- or five-octave), albeit with smaller keys and a much smaller cabinet, or a large wooden music box ( ...
, Obel used a
Trautonium The Trautonium is an electronic synthesizer invented in 1930 by Friedrich Trautwein in Berlin at the Musikhochschule's music and radio lab, the Rundfunkversuchstelle. Soon afterwards Oskar Sala joined him, continuing development until Sala's deat ...
, a rare electronic musical instrument from the 1930s. In September 2016, Obel released a new single, "Golden Green". In Dansende Beren, Niels Bruwier wrote: "The sound of glass is never far away. The song is about the way we always find other better lives than ours(…)she brings out her dreamy voice, it's actually just the perfect classic pop song without embellishment. Enchanting, elysisch and paradise-like." In October 2016, a new song from ''Citizen of Glass'' was released: "Stretch Your Eyes". This song is a new version of an older one ("Spinet Song") which was played during her tour in 2014. In October 2016, ''Citizen of Glass'' came out. The French newspaper ''
La Croix La Croix primarily refers to: * ''La Croix'' (newspaper), a French Catholic newspaper * La Croix Sparkling Water, a beverage distributed by the National Beverage Corporation La Croix or Lacroix may also refer to: Places * Lacroix-Barrez, a muni ...
'' wrote: "With several great songs, the surrealist ''Stretch your eyes'' or the luminous ''Golden Green'', Agnes Obel has created a sumptuous, odd and modern album. ''Citizen of Glass'' confirms, with greatness, Agnes Obel as an important pop artist." ''Citizen of Glass'' received an average score of 82 on Metacritic, meaning universal acclaim, based on 11 reviews. ''Citizen of Glass'' received the
IMPALA The impala or rooibok (''Aepyceros melampus'') is a medium-sized antelope found in eastern and southern Africa. The only extant member of the genus '' Aepyceros'' and tribe Aepycerotini, it was first described to European audiences by Germa ...
(The Independent Music Companies Association) Album of the Year Award 2016, which rewards on a yearly basis the best album released on an independent European label.


2018-2020: ''Late Night Tales'' and ''Myopia''

In February 2018, Obel was signed to
Deutsche Grammophon Deutsche Grammophon (; DGG) is a German classical music record label that was the precursor of the corporation PolyGram. Headquartered in Berlin Friedrichshain, it is now part of Universal Music Group (UMG) since its merger with the UMG family of ...
. The contract involved Deutsche Grammophon joining forces with Blue Note for North American releases. Mr. Trautmann, president of Deutsche Grammophon, said: "We are fascinated by Agnes's compositional autonomy and the precision with which she creates and produces her vocal and instrumental soundscapes. With every song and instrumental piece, she opens up small universes, thus reaching a broad audience with sophisticated works. With Agnes we share confidence in the long-term success of artistic excellence and credibility, as well as the intention to inspire many more fans around the world". In May 2018, Obel contributed to ''
Late Night Tales ''Late Night Tales'' and its predecessor ''Another Late Night'' are the names of two related series of artist-curated compilation albums released by Azuli Records in the UK until 2009 when the independent record label Night Time Stories took o ...
'' with a series of tracks selected by the artist herself, released as '' Late Night Tales: Agnes Obel''. For this compilation, Obel presented various titles by very different artists. Music by
Michelle Gurevich Michelle Gurevich is a Canadian singer-songwriter, also known by her former stage name Chinawoman. Her music is influenced by her Russian heritage, and has been described as slowcore rock and "lo-fi pop". Her largest fanbase is in Eastern Europ ...
,
Nina Simone Eunice Kathleen Waymon (February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003), known professionally as Nina Simone (), was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blues, ...
,
Henry Mancini Henry Mancini ( ; born Enrico Nicola Mancini, ; April 16, 1924 – June 14, 1994) was an American composer, conductor, arranger, pianist and flautist. Often cited as one of the greatest composers in the history of film, he won four Academy Award ...
, and
Alfred Schnittke Alfred Garrievich Schnittke (russian: Альфре́д Га́рриевич Шни́тке, link=no, Alfred Garriyevich Shnitke; 24 November 1934 – 3 August 1998) was a Russian composer of Jewish-German descent. Among the most performed and re ...
is included on this album. Obel combined new works with the original song "Bee Dance", a haunting reading of the Danish song "Glemmer Du", and a new version (the third one) of "Stretch Your Eyes" called "Ambient Acapella". The first single,
Inger Christensen Inger Christensen (16 January 1935 – 2 January 2009) was a Danish poet, novelist, essayist and editor. She is considered the foremost Danish poetic experimentalist of her generation. Life and work Born in the town of Vejle, on the eastern J ...
's "Poem About Death", is set to original music by Obel. On the topic of the haunting cover of Arvid Muller's "Glemmer du", Obel explained: "In
Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...
, the song is best known in the version from 1932, sung by the actor and singer
Liva Weel Olivia Marie Olsen (31 December 1897 – 22 May 1952), nicknamed Liva Weel, was a Danish singer, comedian, and actress. Although she was trained in classical singing, her signature songs and performances were ballads. Upbringing Weel grew up ...
. It's one of my favourite melodies. The song is about the impermanence of time and love, with memories being the only thing you get at the end. (...)I recorded it using analog tape and then running the tapes again, so it sounded old and re-recorded, playing with this feeling of remembrance and of lost time." On 29 October 2019, Obel announced the title of her upcoming album, ''Myopia'', on social media, and released the new single "Island of Doom". The album was released on 21 February 2020. Journalist Tim Peacock wrote: "Obel has been under self-imposed creative isolation with the removal of all outside influences and distraction in the writing, recording and mixing process for 'Myopia'." About "Island of Doom", the artist said: "The song is made up of pitched-down piano and cello pizzicato and vocals, all choirs are pitched down and up… In my experience when someone close to you dies it is simply impossible to comprehend that you can't ever talk to them or reach them somehow ever again." "Island of Doom" features Obel on piano, vocals, and keys, and Kristina Koropecki on cello, creating a sober tone, with sweet instrumentals, and a strong vocal performance from Obel. The visual show opens up with a shot of Obel and is completely dominated with blue colors and hues, showing a unique landscape that appears out of this world. Concerning the meaning of ''Myopia'', Obel explained: "For me ''Myopia'' is an album about trust and doubt. Can you trust yourself or not? Can you trust your own judgments? Can you trust that you will do the right thing? Can you trust your instincts and what you are feeling? Or are your feelings skewed?" On 7 January 2020, Obel released the single "Broken Sleep." Journalist Drew Feinerman said: "The video (created by Obel's longterm collaborator and partner Alex Brüel Flagstad) pairs perfectly with the style of the composition; Obel sings with such beauty and ease, as the vocals complement the effortless, flowing pace of the visuals." About ''Myopia'', journalist Tina Benitez-Eves stated: "Myopia is an abstract anatomization of the human psyche, transcending through ambient instrumentals, and an intoxicating blend of vocals, hovering on Jarboe-bred voice manipulation on atmospheric "Broken Sleep" and "Island of Doom." Ashley Bardhan, in ''Pitchfork'', said also: "These songs are obscured like frosted glass, as meticulously pretty and faintly unnerving as a porcelain doll. Though the album ends almost as quietly as it began, Obel's whispery ambient fog lingers far longer." In June 2020, for the first time, Obel showed in a video her Berlin studio where she improvised some music with her band. The artist writes mostly at night and is always alone in her private studio in Berlin. Normally, Obel does not let anyone visit her there.


2022: Musical treatment

Obel is working on depression treatment pieces for a clinic in Denmark. She said in an interview: "There's also the element that we don't really understand our minds, but we also don't understand music and why music has such a strong effect on us, which is all part of the puzzle and riddle we have understanding our consciousness and our brains and our minds."


Artistry


Musical style

Obel is described by ''
The Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...
'' journalist Lauren Murphy as "the architect of eerie, otherworldy music that straddles neo-classical,
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
and
chamber pop Chamber pop (or Chamber rock; also called baroque pop and sometimes conflated with orchestral pop or symphonic pop) is a music genre that combines rock music with the intricate use of string section, strings, horn section, horns, piano, and voca ...
". In another analysis, '' Clash'' magazine's Lauren McDermott deems Obel's music "poised and haunting chamber pop" with "wraithlike harmonies, sonic textures and bewitching melancholy" rendered with "gothic violins", "cello pizzicatos", and electronic instruments, lending a sense of intimacy reflective of the aura in Berlin.


Influences

Obel is influenced by artists such as
Roy Orbison Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician known for his impassioned singing style, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. His music was described by critics as ...
and also by the French composers
Claude Debussy (Achille) Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influential composers of the ...
,
Maurice Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composers rejected the term. In ...
, and
Erik Satie Eric Alfred Leslie Satie (, ; ; 17 May 18661 July 1925), who signed his name Erik Satie after 1884, was a French composer and pianist. He was the son of a French father and a British mother. He studied at the Paris Conservatoire, but was an und ...
. She also likes
Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wide ...
, photographers
Sibylle Bergemann Sibylle Bergemann (29 August 1941 – 1 November 2010) was a German photographer. In 1990, she co-founded the Ostkreuz photographers agency. She is remembered for documenting developments in East Berlin during the Communist era and for her inter ...
,
Robert Mapplethorpe Robert Michael Mapplethorpe (; November 4, 1946 – March 9, 1989) was an American photographer, best known for his black-and-white photographs. His work featured an array of subjects, including celebrity portraits, male and female nudes, self-p ...
, and
Tina Modotti Tina Modotti (born Assunta Adelaide Luigia Modotti Mondini, August 16/17, 1896 – January 5, 1942) was an Italian American photographer, model, actor, and revolutionary political activist for the Comintern. She left Italy in 1913 and moved to ...
, and director
Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...
. Concerning Hitchcock, she said, "I adore his enigmatic style, his sophisticated esthetic but always with an extreme simplicity." The cover of her first album, photographed by Berlin photographer Mali Lazell, is an 'homage' to '' The Birds''. Obel also likes the experimental filmmaker
Maya Deren Maya Deren (born Eleonora Derenkowska, uk, Елеоно́ра Деренко́вська, links=no;
. Sometimes, Obel tests some of her demos on Deren's movies. Obel is also a huge fan of
Nina Simone Eunice Kathleen Waymon (February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003), known professionally as Nina Simone (), was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blues, ...
: "I have a fantastic live album by Nina Simone on which she sings "Who Knows Where the Time Goes". Her vocals seem to come out of nowhere. Magic." In addition to classical music, Obel listens to artists like
Mort Garson Morton Sanford Garson (20 July 1924 – 4 January 2008) was a Canadian composer, arranger, songwriter, and pioneer of electronic music. He is best known for his albums in the 1960s and 1970s, such as '' Mother Earth's Plantasia'' (1976), He also ...
('' The Zodiac: Cosmic Sounds''),
The Smiths The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. They comprised the singer Morrissey, the guitarist Johnny Marr, the bassist Andy Rourke and the drummer Mike Joyce. They are regarded as one of the most important acts to emerg ...
("
How Soon Is Now? "How Soon Is Now?" is a song by English rock band the Smiths, written by singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr. Originally a B-side of the 1984 single "William, It Was Really Nothing", "How Soon Is Now?" was subsequently featured on the co ...
"), and
Françoise Hardy Françoise Madeleine Hardy (; born 17 January 1944) is a French former singer and songwriter. Mainly known for singing melancholic sentimental ballads, Hardy has been an important figure in French pop music since her debut, spanning a career of ...
( "Où va la chance"). In February 2017, and after her covers of
John Cale John Davies Cale (born 9 March 1942) is a Welsh musician, composer, singer, songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the American rock band the Velvet Underground. Over his six-decade career, Cale has worked in various styl ...
and
Jeff Buckley Jeffrey Scott Buckley (November 17, 1966 – May 29, 1997), raised as Scott Moorhead, was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. After a decade as a session guitarist in Los Angeles, Buckley amassed a following in the early 1990s by ...
songs, Obel performed "Hallelujah" in a tribute to the late
Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death, and romantic relationships. He was inducted in ...
at the 'Victoire de la Musique 2017'.


Personal life

Obel has lived in Berlin since 2006 with her partner, photographer and animation artist Alex Brüel Flagstad, who filmed and directed the music videos for "Riverside" from Obel's debut album ''Philharmonics'' (2010), and "Dorian", "The Curse", and "Aventine" from ''Aventine'' (2013).


Usage in media

Three songs from the ''Philharmonics'' album were on the soundtrack of the 2009 film ''
Submarino ''Submarino'' is a 2010 Danish drama film directed by Thomas Vinterberg, starring Jakob Cedergren and Peter Plaugborg. It is based on the 2007 novel ''Submarino'' by Jonas T. Bengtsson, and focuses on two brothers on the bottom of Danish society ...
'' ("Riverside", "Brother Sparrow", and "Philharmonics"). Obel's song "Riverside" was featured on the Spike TV series '' The Mist'' in season 1, episode 2, "Withdrawal"; in the TV show ''
Revenge Revenge is committing a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance, be it real or perceived. Francis Bacon described revenge as a kind of "wild justice" that "does... offend the law ndputteth the law out of office." Pr ...
'' in Season 1, Episode 4 "
Duplicity Duplicity may refer to: * ''Duplicity'' (play), a 1781 comedy by Thomas Holcroft * ''Duplicity'' (Silent Descent album), 2000 * ''Duplicity'' (Lee Konitz and Martial Solal album), 1978 * ''Duplicity'' (film), a 2009 comedy thriller starring Cliv ...
"; in the episode " Not Responsible" of ''
Grey's Anatomy ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into se ...
''; in Episode 12 of the second season of the Australian comedy-drama ''
Offspring In biology, offspring are the young creation of living organisms, produced either by a single organism or, in the case of sexual reproduction, two organisms. Collective offspring may be known as a brood or progeny in a more general way. This ca ...
''; in the British TV show '' Lovesick''; in season 1, episode 2 of the Danish series, '' The Rain''; as the theme tune of the mini-series ''
Next of Kin A person's next of kin (NOK) are that person's closest living blood relatives. Some countries, such as the United States, have a legal definition of "next of kin". In other countries, such as the United Kingdom, "next of kin" may have no legal d ...
''; over the opening credits of the Italian crime drama series ''Io ti cercherò''; and in the episodes "
Duplicity Duplicity may refer to: * ''Duplicity'' (play), a 1781 comedy by Thomas Holcroft * ''Duplicity'' (Silent Descent album), 2000 * ''Duplicity'' (Lee Konitz and Martial Solal album), 1978 * ''Duplicity'' (film), a 2009 comedy thriller starring Cliv ...
" and "What Are You Doing Here, Ho-Bag?" from The CW's ''Ringer''. "Avenue" was played in the episode "
Trust Trust often refers to: * Trust (social science), confidence in or dependence on a person or quality It may also refer to: Business and law * Trust law, a body of law under which one person holds property for the benefit of another * Trust (bus ...
" from ''Revenge''. "Fuel to Fire" was used in the episode "The Big Uneasy" of '' The Originals''. In April 2011, the Danish group released a remixed version of "Riverside". Keeping the track's original beauty, Lulu Rouge added their special electronic tempo. Prior to the release of "Philharmonics", the soft, soothing tunes of "Just So" were used as the soundtrack of a commercial for Deutsche Telekom on German TV in 2008. Her songs "Familiar", "It's Happening Again", and "Broken Sleep" were featured on episodes of the German TV series ''
Dark Darkness, the direct opposite of lightness, is defined as a lack of illumination, an absence of visible light, or a surface that absorbs light, such as black or brown. Human vision is unable to distinguish colors in conditions of very low lum ...
''. "Familiar" was also used in the video game ''Dark Souls III: The Fire Fades Edition'' trailer and is the theme song to the Canadian TV series ''
Cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...
''. "Dorian" was used in the Amazon Prime series ''Hanna'' in season 2, episode 8. "September Song" featured throughout the first season of '' Big Little Lies''. "Pass Them By" was featured in the HBO series '' The Leftovers''. "Run Cried The Crawling" was used in the premiere episode of ''
Euphoria Euphoria ( ) is the experience (or affect) of pleasure or excitement and intense feelings of well-being and happiness. Certain natural rewards and social activities, such as aerobic exercise, laughter, listening to or making music and da ...
''. "Fuel to Fire" appeared in the TV shows ''
Carnival Row ''Carnival Row'' is an American neo-noir fantasy television series created by René Echevarria and Travis Beacham, based on Beacham's unproduced film spec script, ''A Killing on Carnival Row''. The series stars Orlando Bloom, Cara Delevingne, ...
'', ''
The Shannara Chronicles ''The Shannara Chronicles'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. It is an adaptation of ''The Sword of Shannara'' trilogy of fantasy novels by Terry Brooks. It follows three heroes as they pro ...
'', ''The Originals'', ''
Elite In political and sociological theory, the elite (french: élite, from la, eligere, to select or to sort out) are a small group of powerful people who hold a disproportionate amount of wealth, privilege, political power, or skill in a group. D ...
,
Medici The House of Medici ( , ) was an Italian banking family and political dynasty that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici, in the Republic of Florence during the first half of the 15th century. The family originated in the Muge ...
,'' and ''
The Last of Us ''The Last of Us'' is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. Players control Joel, a smuggler tasked with escorting a teenage girl, Ellie, across a post-apocalyptic United States. ' ...
''. In addition, it was used as the theme tune of the 2021
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, p ...
series ''
Vigil A vigil, from the Latin ''vigilia'' meaning ''wakefulness'' (Greek: ''pannychis'', or ''agrypnia'' ), is a period of purposeful sleeplessness, an occasion for devotional watching, or an observance. The Italian word ''vigilia'' has become genera ...
''. "The Curse" was featured in a scene of the Fox drama series ''
9-1-1 , usually written 911, is an emergency telephone number for the United States, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Palau, Argentina, Philippines, Jordan, as well as the North American Numbering Plan (NANP), one of eight N11 codes. Like other emergency nu ...
'', in season 5, episode 4. It was also featured in the YouTube teaser trailer of the PS4 game ''
The Long Dark ''The Long Dark'' is a first-person survival video game developed and published by Hinterland Studios. The player assumes the role of crash-landed bush pilot Will Mackenzie who must survive the frigid Canadian wilderness after a geomagnetic stor ...
''. In addition, "The Curse" was featured at the end of the last episode in the television series ''
The Investigation ''The Investigation'' (original title ''Śledztwo'') is a science fiction/ detective/ thriller novel by the Polish writer Stanisław Lem. The novel incorporates a philosophical discourse on explanation of unknown phenomena. It was first publis ...
'', which originally aired in Denmark and Sweden in 2020. "Bee Dance" was featured on the trailer of the HBO dark comedy '' The Baby''.


Discography


Studio albums


Compilations


EPs


Singles


Other charted songs


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Obel, Agnes Danish women singer-songwriters Danish singer-songwriters People from Gentofte Municipality 1980 births Living people English-language singers from Denmark PIAS Recordings artists Deutsche Grammophon artists 21st-century Danish women singers