trentemøller: A Different Light

The first single taken from my upcoming new album Dreamweaver: Video by Anders Trentemøller Try to imagine a musical companion to a lunar eclipse, as it tracks across the sky, and it will probably sound a lot like “A Different Light,” from Copenhagen’s Anders Trentemøller. The single will be released on May 17th, and will also be the lead track on “Dreamweaver“, Trentemøller’s first full-length since 2022’s Memoria. While “A Different Light” contains many of Trentemøller’s trademarks: exploring dichotomies, musical shadowplay, Nordic frigidity, and warm waves, it also represents an obvious artistic leap. An annular, arpeggiated, nylon-string guitar leads the track, giving the sensation of movement towards a destination. But to where? Soon enough, attention shifts to wistful vocals, with its gorgeous melody, almost delivered as a meditation, adding to the momentum. The climax occurs at the exact midpoint of the song - the eclipse’s penumbra - when things are obscured by a new motif; dopplers signaling a change. This arrives when the now-established acoustic guitar line gives way to a synth, which reechoes the melody. The signature Trentemøller waver’s appearance ultimately falls into place as the song enters the waning phase. Soon the guitar returns, drifting back and forth against its complimentary synth line, like kites tethered to the same anchor. “I wanted something human and timeless to carry the song and vocal melody,” says Trentemøller. “The acoustic guitar gave me the exact sense of fragility and presence that I thought the song deserves. At the same time, I wanted to play with both acoustic and electronic; to get the guitar to weave in and out of the synth role that is introduced in the middle of the track. I feel the interplay between these two worlds gave the song an extra dimension.“ While the music and lyrics are the work of Trentemøller, the vocal performance comes courtesy of Iceland’s Disa, who has been in Trentemøller’s orbit since the Memoria tour, where she stunned audience members with her own reimagined versions of songs from the catalog. Additionally, Disa contributed to 2022’s “Into The Silence,” as well as Trentemøller’s nod to his old friends The Raveonettes, a cover of their “Cops On Our Tail.” All of these elements assemble into a slightly more psychedelic iteration of the dark wave and dreampop Trentemøller excels at. It’s also an exceedingly immersive experience on headphones, bound to release any dormant hallucinations you may be harboring. “The song considers themes of longing, healing, and the need for personal transformation. It’s also about confusion and unresolved feelings that happen during any metamorphosis. I try to reflect on the transient nature of dreams, loss, and love. At the same time I recognize, and even embrace that this is part of being a human.“ Dreamweaver will be released on 13 September, 2024, on Trentemøller’s own In My Room label #dreamweaver #dreampop #alternative