Experimental collective Hen Ogledd, featuring the formidable talents of Dawn Bothwell, Rhodri Davies, Richard Dawson, and Sally Pilkington, are set to release their third album, DISCOMBOBULATED, on February 20th via Weird World. Following the release of ‘Scales will fall’, they have offered a further tantalising preview with “Clara,” a single that embodies their unique blend of the pastoral and the profoundly unsettling.
The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a horse trotting through Clara Vale, only for the ground to collapse beneath, “subsidence, sinkholes, embers glowing beneath dreich water. The mining landscape becomes both mare and mire – Christmas coal ringing like sleigh bells under a disco ball of warning.” The track is further enriched by contributions from Will Guthrie on drums, Faye MacCalman on saxophone, and field recordings from Chris Watson and Laura Phillips.
The accompanying video, directed by James Hankins, is a visual feast that perfectly complements the song’s disorienting charm. It depicts Clara, the horse, embarking on a psychedelic and surreal journey. Medieval texts and the Welsh village of Alltwalis intertwine with bizarre “carrot fingers” and nostalgic imagery from 90s computer games like Knightmare. It’s a captivating and often perplexing trip that firmly plants “Clara” in a league of its own.
Fans can immerse themselves further in the world of DISCOMBOBULATED at a special listening event on February 14th at Newcastle’s Star and Shadow Cinema. The evening promises a full album playback alongside a 3-part film odyssey by James Hankins, an audience Q&A, karaoke, and a disco – a “fruity feast” to combat the mid-winter blues.
Hen Ogledd’s DISCOMBOBULATED party
Saturday 14th February
Star and Shadow Cinema, Newcastle
Tickets – pre-order the album for access
DISCOMBOBULATED (out Feb 20th) is available to pre-order on DomMart-exclusive pink vinyl (w/ signed art print), standard vinyl, CD and digitally. Pre-order: DomMart | Digital