Carmen Villain

 

Norwegian-Mexican artist and producer Carmen Villain makes atmospheric music made up of tapestries of field-recordings, flute, piano, vocals, zither, programmed drums and synths, culminating in her own distinctive sound combining elements of fourth world ambient, experimental pop with an electro-acoustic vibe. Her new upcoming album 'Both Lines Will Be Blue’ is her third, and first fully instrumental album for Smalltown Supersound. A 7 track collection of cosmic fourth world excursions and dubby ambient jams, the album is written, recorded, played, produced and mixed by Carmen in her Oslo studio.The flute plays an integral part on this album, and is performed by Chilenean-Norwegian flautist Johanna Scheie Orellana (formerly of Sassy 009). Carmen got her in to the studio to both record melodies that she had written, as well as making plenty of room for impro/freeform. This also finds Carmen again collaborating with Prins Thomas, who contributed with percussion on a track. The album follows the acclaimed self-produced Infinite Avenue, her second for Smalltown Supersound following her debut Sleeper in 2013.

Carmen has collaborated with Jenny Hval, Deathprod, Matt Karmil and Prins Thomas, as well as done a commissioned work together with UK dub-maestro Parris for Ultima Contemporary Music Festival. She has been remixed by Klara Lewis, Gigi Masin, Biosphere, Peaking Lights, with upcoming remixes by Dj Python, Jay Glass Dubs, Karima F and D.K.

- "viscous like honey, a spectral existential contemplation that seems to find Villain free-floating in the cosmos" - Stereogum

"Lush downtempo that splits the difference between Fourth World ambience and smoky trip hop.” - Resident Advisor

"Carmen Villain’s music has always teetered on the fence between skeletal songwriting and billowing atmospheres, and on “Borders” she tips fully into the latter zone... As a song about boundaries, it couldn’t be much timelier" - Pitchfork

"incredibly beautiful singing and songwriting supplemented by cosmic, psychedelic, dreamlike textures" - Dummy