London experimental-pop musician Jerskin Fendrix releases his highly anticipated debut album ‘Winterreise’ via untitled recs.
The release follows the recent announcements of three videos including the minimal, pensive and reflective ballad ‘Oh God’, hyperactive sardonic pop belter ‘A Star Is Born’ and the conversely warped first single ‘Black Hair, which was accompanied by haunting visuals made by Liam Noonan, the artist behind the custom visuals at London clubbing institution FOLD.
Jerskin Fendrix has been carving himself a special place on the London scene. Starting out by releasing a trilogy of video singles that have already received high praise from a vast array of major publications. In 2018, he composed the score to an experimental absurdist opera ‘UBU’ at the V&A (receiving 4 stars from the Guardian), before embarking on a UK tour and joint single release with rock phenomenon Black Midi.
As a classically trained pianist and violinist, Fendrix’s practice and ambition extends far beyond the realm of traditional songwriting. His avant-garde take on electronic pop cannibalises and appropriates elements of pop culture at the service of very personal songs. All of his material has an emotionally playful sarcastic take on the tropes of modern life, whilst also delving inwards. Most of all, it can’t be easily pigeonholed.
Winterreise is the fruit of Jerskin Fendrix’s first 3 years as an artist. His debut album spans an improbable range of music, skimming UK Grime, Bruce Springsteen, Sibelius, Joanna Newsom, PC Music and ‘50s Doo-Wop without alighting. Jerskin’s Winterreise, named after Schubert’s Winterreise, conveys the same message: if you spend too long writing a breakup album, something weird will happen.