Multi-instrumentalist taking visual cues
Who?
A 21-year-old Damsel Elysium is a classically trained multi-instrumentalist, sound artist and composer whose work deftly combines the richness of double-bass and violin motifs with morphing electronic soundscapes, samples and field recordings. It’s a distinctive palette, expressing a sonic sensibility beyond the Londoner’s years. But their output also stretches well into the realm of the visual realm, with film, photography and performance all intrinsic to an evolving multi-disciplinary dialogue between Elysium — a self-described “tree-whisperer” — and their environment.
Why Damsel Elysium?
Elysium has uploaded a substantial collection of recordings and demos to SoundCloud (including the exceptionally titled ‘Covid 19 Sonata For Double Bass’), and has also received commissions from the likes of the British Music Collection. Their general-release debut has come relatively recently, however, courtesy of London-based label SA Recordings. ‘Echoes Of Lalia’, an accomplished four-minute journey through a cityscape of drones and loops, is Elysium’s contribution to ‘The Hearing Experience’ – a conceptual series of four singles that explores a number of SA artists’ relationship with the act of listening. The series’ lineup is a formidable one, too, with Elysium appearing alongside avant-garde sound artist Lola De La Mata, Copenhagen-based composer Astrid Sonne and Bristolian outfit, Tara Clerkin Trio.
Tell Us More…
Elysium suspended their classical training as a teenager, due in part to a neck injury, but also to experiences of racism. It was then, however, that they began cultivating a more holistic creative output, empowered to freely explore the transverse poles of feeling, technical skill and environmental interaction. Drawing upon their ability as a classical violinist, Elysium took up the double bass without trouble and began conceiving of an artistic persona through which to channel their eclectic expression — the result of which we see before us.
‘Echoes Of Lalia’ is out on SA Recordings
