Der Blutharsch Pre-Orders Are Up Now

This retrospective in the Handmade Birds Dark Icon series looks to be one hell of a release. Prior to this, I had never heard of Der Blutharsch; and thankfully Handmade Birds is doing this otherwise, I would never have heard the strange and far out sounds from this outfit.

24 tracks spanning the first thirteen years of this innovative band, including material from nine full length albums curated especially for this release by R. Loren (Pyramids, Sailors With Wax Wings, White Moth), and mastered for vinyl by James Plotkin.Those new to the music of Der Blutharsch will find this collection essential, and existing fans will appreciate the cohesive retrospective that samples the best songs DB has constructed over their first thirteen years.

Edtion: 500, archived on 180 gram black vinyl. ALL inserts hand numbered, and the first 250 signed by Albin Julius himself. Original artwork (also by Julius) features black and red foil stamping on exterior.One time pressing, Handmade Birds Dark Icons Series. When they are gone, they are gone.

Pre-Order here


To hear some of these mutant sounds, head to Handmade Birds, click on the Dark Icons link and then Der Blutharsch.

Swans, Crass, Nick Cave, Dead Can Dance, Death In June; all of these iconic acts have displayed unprecedented innovation destroying genre barriers and pushing music forward. Within the fold of this tradition are unsung pioneers Der Blutharsch, whose music spans more than a decade and has evolved from being a raw, Earthy neofolk controversy to a rich, psychedelic, sonic revolution. Handmade Birds will be issuing a one time, limited pressing of a Der Blutharsch retrospective, sampling an average of three tracks from each record between 1997 and 2010.

From the liner notes:

"There is a delicate balance that few seem to own- the dialogue of timbres, choice of instrumentation, layering of textures- the manipulation of sound that, at its lowest point can still sway emotion, and at its highest point leads to a rethinking of traditional song structure. Der Blutharsch embodies sonic innovation. If one looks at the songs on this retrospective as mathematical equations, and peels back each layer of the musical text, what can be found is a thoughtful scaffold constructed with the care of a watchmaker’s hands. Free of presuppositions, controversy, and pretension, these songs stand erect as pillars of sonic strands pioneered by a brilliant, albeit unorthodox, musical mind, Albin Sunlight Julius, whose prolific history of genre defying masterworks has had an enormous impact on countless musicians who are all still humbly seeking that delicate balance- something that Julius both owns and continues to refine. Please enjoy playing witness to the progression of this important band, the first fifteen years of which are documented on these two records."
-R. Loren (Pyramids, Sailors With Wax Wings, White Moth)