Now embarking on the biggest musical adventure in their career so far, Hannah Moule & The Moulettes are continuing to challenge expectations with this extraordinary project. In place of a fifth album, Xenolalia is 55 pieces of music; a set of songs about communication told 5 ways for 5 ensembles: Strings, Horns, A Cappella, Electronica & Electric. An experiment in composition, collaboration & production, with full access to the project through Patreon.
2022 sees the 2nd Xenolalia Tour: The Strings Ensemble. From the Chamber Pop of their debut, through the prog-folk of The Bears Revenge, the cinematic expositions of Constellations & the big riffs of Preternatural, a love of string music has always been at the heart of Moulettes, led by Cellist & songwriter Hannah Moule. In this configuration, the multi-instrumentalists of the group push what can be done with a traditional chamber ensemble, moving between classical & steel string Guitars, Cellos, Viola, Piano, Violin, Harp, Nyckelharpa (Swedish keyed fiddle) Percussion & close trademark use of harmony vocals.
Here, as ever, they bring their independent spirit & experimental tendencies to the table: shades of Hildur Guðnadóttir, Scott Walker & Johnny Greenwood alongside the virtuosic exuberance of ensembles like the Danish String Quartet & Väsen; from long form moods that echo the drama of Shostakovich and the psychedelic landscapes of Ravel to the familiar & comforting patterns of UK & Irish roots music. As they inhabit different spaces across the country, equally at home in a warehouse, concert Hall, brewery, church or the backroom of a disc world tavern, Moulettes music is given the opportunity to explore the sinew, resonance & lushness of acoustic instruments that are so sympathetic to the human ear, playing new material alongside reimagined old favorites.
Players from The Strings Ensemble have been called to arrange & play on stage and in the studio with Nick Cave, Bonobo, Anchorsong, Alabaster de Plume, Floating points, Seasick Steve, The Levellers, Unthanks, Ayanna Witter-Johnson, Stopgap Dance & Arthur Brown, & written & performed scores for Theatre, Video games, TV & Film productions.