Location: Chicago, Illinois
Country: USA
Genre: Experimental
Full Length: Sumptuous Branching
Format: Digital album, limited edition 12” vinyl
Label: Amalgam (Chicago, IL, USA)
Release date: April 10, 2026
It’s not metal, it’s not rock, it’s not synth-electronica, though in the case of the latter, Emily Rach Beisel’s use of electronics, wind instruments, her own voice, and what’s called “extended techniques” creates soundscapes that cleverly blend electronic, organic and atmospheric elements. She seems to give birth to resurrected demons, unleashing them from an endless sea of cyber-hallucinogenic water that exists only in memory, with sounds never before heard in recorded history.
In what nameless, bottomless subterranean hell did these demons reside before they were brought into existence? We may never know for certain, as Beisel’s compositions stem from fleeting moments of inspiration lost in time, with no clear place in the grand scheme. Her second full-length album, “Sumptuous Branching,” begins with the haunting, ethereal mantra “You won’t find me…,” suggesting her ideas originate in a secret place known only to her, only to dissolve again into the ether.
Practically speaking, Beisel’s inspiration draws from the writings of Sun Ra, Homer, Guillaume de Machaut, and Mark Z. Danielewski. Co-produced with Bill Harris, the album particularly echoes Danielewski’s 2000 horror novel “House of Leaves,” which is described as immersive and disorienting. The novel is a metafictional journey featuring layered, intricate ideas about a labyrinth discovered inside a family’s home. Its multi-perspective theme seems to have influenced Beisel’s songwriting, not as a mirror to the soul, but as a door or window into a world that’s both realistic and surreal.
Balancing imagination, ambiguity and personal interpretation, “Sumptuous Branching” offers chant throughout its ever-changing musical landscapes. The album shifts from one section of the labyrinth to another, refusing to define itself with any single theme. This approach keeps listeners uncertain of what path they’ll take next, where they’ll end up, or what entities might be waiting around the corner, smiling sweetly and inviting you onward.
The promotional video Beisel created for “Catilovers” showcases the natural beauty of her work on a broader scale. Filmed in a single take, it captures the ambiance of being there, every sound recorded as if you were present during filming, surrounded by strategically placed, otherworldly lighting. Strange camera angles evoke “The Twilight Zone” and “The Outer Limits,” while the instruments seem to come at you from all sides, plunging you inescapably into Beisel’s world. –Dave Wolff
Track list:
1. Introit
2. To Rise In Arms
3. Cantilevers
4. Hollow Ships
5. Her Still Singing Limbs
6. We Who Behold the Bright Surface
7. Sumptuous Branching
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