Die Wilde Jagd with Metropole Orkest

We are thrilled to announce the third of our commissioned projects for Roadburn 2024 – and it’s shaping up to be absolutely colossal in scope and size. Brace yourselves, this one’s going to be big…

The incomparable DIE WILDE JAGD will be teaming up with the world-renowned METROPOLE ORKEST for a very special commissioned project on the Main Stage on Sunday, April 21. Die Wilde Jagd – the creative outlet for progressive musician Sebastian Lee Philipp – will likely be a familiar name to Roadburners. The band performed at Roadburn 2022, and prior to that they beamed into homes around the globe as part of Roadburn Redux where they performed two sets, one of which, Atem, was also a commissioned project. Sebastian’s tenacity for composition and his forward looking approach to psychedelic music has kept him firmly on our radar. 

Meanwhile, the Metropole Orkest may be internationally recognised for their work with the likes of Brian Eno and Ella Fitzgerald, but they will always hold a special place in the hearts of those who attended Roadburn 2019, when they performed alongside Triptykon. Their collaborative performance was the spectacular final piece of the puzzle for Tom G. Warrior as he worked to complete Celtic Frost’s Requiem trilogy. It was really quite something to have a full orchestra on stage during the festival, but the experience was nothing short of spellbinding. With assistance from Fonds Podiumkunsten we’re thrilled to be ushering in yet another groundbreaking commissioned project to Roadburn’s history books.

The project in question is titled Lux Tenera – A Rite To Joy, which Sebastian envisages as becoming ”a collective encounter, in which the listener becomes part of a pulsating entity – a meditation, which expands our physical coexistence with new sensory experiences.”  Whereas Atem was inspired by the rhythm of the human body’s respiratory system, Lux Tenera (“tender light”) draws influence from the parallels between music, organism, and psyche, how its rhythms and harmonies can transcend the energy that encourages mental states of pleasure, joy, and enlightenment. Accompanied by an orchestra, Sebastian is granted additional tones and textures with which to explore this most essential, life-affirming concept; a symphony of life, if you will.

A TENDER GAZE

WITH TENDER EYES
IN A TENDER LIGHT

LUX TENERA

A thread that exists between Atem and Lux Tenera, linking the two pieces of work, is Sebastian’s interest in The Kybalion, a hermetic philosophy which delves into the experience of existence and the interconnection between the macrocosm and the microcosm.  He has also drawn inspiration from 19th-century French poet Isidore Ducasse, who is considered to be the founder of “unconscious poetry,” based on association and hallucination which transcends all boundaries. With these influences weaving their way into the composition, Lux Tenera promises to be an otherworldly experience.

Of his commission, Sebastian comments:

“Since entrusting me with the creation of Atem for the 2021 Redux Edition of Roadburn, Walter Hoeijmakers has consistently presented me with truly exceptional projects, fostering an environment that encourages me to delve deeper into my artistic expressions. The prospect of collaborating with the globally acclaimed Metropole Orkest, and witnessing the collective power of over 50 musicians bringing my new composition to life, is an extraordinary honour that surpasses even my wildest aspirations. I am profoundly humbled by this opportunity and eagerly anticipate the moment when I can share Lux Tenera with the orchestra during our performance on April 21st.”

Having already been deeply inspired by Sebastian’s approach to creativity, we can’t wait to see what unfolds when he has the technicolour instrumentation of an orchestra – conducted by the acclaimed Simon Dobson – at his side. Please join us in witnessing the unveiling of what looks set to be a truly immersive excursion through the outer reaches of psychedelic music.

– Becky Laverty