Lux Interna unveil the lyric video ‘Into Night’ as the first single taken from the American dark folk innovators’ forthcoming new album “New Wilderness Gospel”, which is slated for release on May 2, 2025.
Lux Interna ‘Into Night’ taken from the album “New Wilderness Gospel”: https://youtu.be/-Aoc6pTg0Dc
Lux Interna comment: “The first advance track, ‘Into Night’, is the oceanic heart of ‘New Wilderness Gospel’ as it weaves together many of the diverse tones and textures that define the album”, guitarist and singer Joshua Levi Ian explains on behalf of the band. “Lyrically, the song captures a pivotal moment of transformation in the narrative arc. Written in our mountain cabin in Northern California during a series of severe and unrelenting storms, the piece attempts to capture the uncanny blurring and blending of inner and outer landscapes that can occur during periods of prolonged absence from anthropocentric environments. In this world, the trees sway madly, their branches wave and scrape and scratch wildly against the thick hide of the night sky, and it feels as though they’d tear the moon down for company if they could. Then the static of the storm and the howls of the wind slowly coagulate into music. Into a message. And the whiskey in your glass conspires with the torrential rain to wash away the illusion of chronological time. Here, St. John’s ‘dark night of the soul’ opens up to an even older, wilder darkness. And in this darkness, a pure, sparkling moment of presence. God is there. And the dead are alive again. And the night reveals its hidden face as mercy, as the possibility of redemption. Or so the old mountain stories would have it – but who knows how reliable those storytellers are? They certainly spend too much time alone in the deep woods to be trusted!”
Video credits: Filming by Kathryn Ian / Editing by Kathryn Ian
Tracklist: 1. Dark Fire/Revelator 2. Over the Timberlines 3. Brittle 4. Like Wolves 5. Into Night 6. No Arrow 7. Old Blood Blues 8. Her Wilderness 9. Selva Oscura
With their fifth album “New Wilderness Gospel”, American dark folk innovators Lux Interna present the centrepiece of a larger ongoing multimedia work that envisions an anthropocenic apocalypse. The seeds of this artistic synthesis were planted during Joshua’s research for his doctoral dissertation, which involved translating and interpreting early modern esoteric manuscripts related to the heterodox mystic Jacob Böhme and his inner circle in Poland, Germany, and the Netherlands.
Against the backdrop of a disturbing series of environmental events affecting their live-work space in Northern California, Kathryn and Joshua began collaboratively exploring this emergent world and translating it into imagery, music, and narrative, which led to the idea of an apocalyptic ‘gospel’ for the anthropocene.
Musically, Lux Interna spun “New Wilderness Gospel” out of diverse musical threads that include desert blues, Appalachian folk, gospel, gothic, psychedelia, post-punk and even, warped elements of 60s girl pop and 80s new wave.
Lux Interna were conceived by Joshua Levi Ian and Kathryn Ian with a clear artistic vision in New York in 2000. Drawing inspiration from his intensive research in comparative mysticism and esoteric writings, Joshua’s lyrics emerge from a deeply personal reservoir of symbols, visions, and obsessions.
Besides the founding duo, Kathryn and Joshua, Lux Interna have been shaped by a shifting constellation of musical talents over the years. Each member has left their creative mark on the continuously evolving sound. Special mention should be made of AMBER ASYLUM frontwoman, Kris T. Force, who has been a core member since joining in 2009 and has contributed significantly to the project’s dark, immersive sonic textures.
In the wake of their debut EP “Truth, Beauty, and All Their Severity” (2000), Lux Interna have released four studio albums, beginning with “Absence and Plenum” (2002), which was followed by “Ignis Mutat Res” (2004), “God Is Not Dead for the Birds” (2007), and the latest full-length “There Is Light in the Body, There Is Blood in the Sun” in 2013.
In various manifestations, Lux Interna have performed extensively across the United States and Europe. The Americans also appeared multiple times at renowned festivals such as the Wave Gotik Treffen in Leipzig, Germany and Stella Natura (Sierra Nevadas, CA) among many others. Lux Interna have also had the honour of performing at esteemed art galleries and cultural spaces, including the Coulter Gallery at the McMurtry Building at Stanford University and the San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art.
With their Gesamtkunstwerk “New Wilderness Gospel”, Lux Interna reveal a thought-provoking and warning image of a natural apocalypse that has already sent its harbingers to this world. The writing is on the wall – or rather in the lyrics as well as the breathtaking beauty of their music. Hark!
Lux Interna current line-up: Joshua Levi Ian – guitar, banjo, vocals / Kathryn Ian – autoharp, hand percussion, vocals / Kris T. Force – violin, viola / Adam Torruella – drums / Jeff Linsenmaier – electronics, percussion / Jackie Perez Gratz – cello / Tim Gotch – bass
Guest musician: Doug White – additional guitars
Initial recordings by Tim Green at Louder Studios in Grass Valley, CA (US) / Strings recorded by Kris T. Force at Knobsnob Studios in Pacifica, CA (US) / Add. recording by Doug White at Watchmen Studios in Lockport, New York (US) / Initial mixes by Doug White at Watchmen Studios in Lockport, New York (US) / Final mixes by Jack Shirley at The Atomic Garden in Oakland, CA (US) / Mastering by Jack Shirley at The Atomic Garden in Oakland, CA (US) / Artwork conceived & created by Kathryn Ian
Shop at http://lnk.spkr.media/luxinterna-gospel
Available formats: “New Wilderness Gospel” is available as 2CD 72-page artbook, as Gatefold black vinyl 2LP, and as Gatefold marble blue vinyl 2LP.
