southern records

Pantaleimon is essentially Andria Degens, a solo artist of Irish-Dutch descent residing in South England. "Solo" does not however preclude her ability to collaborate with other artists. Heart of the Sun, Pantaleimon's most recent release, is chock-full with guests remixing last year's Mercy Oceans. The list comprises such illustrious names as Andrew WK, Stephen O'Malley (SUNN O))), Burning Witch etc.), CarterTutti, and Fovea Hex, among others.

Despite the colourful list of invitees and its "remix album" status, Heart of the Sun is stylistically as consistent as its all-pink artwork. Well produced, minimalist and altogether with much lighter folk tendencies than the original, it sounds like a chilled-out record on the surface. But beneath the meditative, hypnotic synth washes, sparse instrumentation and Degens' reverb-soaked voice, there's a very dark undercurrent indeed. "Chilling" would be more apt an epithet than "chilled-out". At first, it's inconspicuous, but the songs quickly develop a heart-wrenching and even scary effect - especially if experienced in one piece. In that sense, Heart of the Sun is an emotionally dangerous record, and not for those whose nerves might falter.

There are occasionally uplifting moments like new songs "Today for Shore" and "Another Day Tomorrow", both played on the Appalachian dulcimer that made Mercy Oceans a merrier collection than this one. But these moments are placed in a manner that they could be likened to a repeatedly disappointed glimmer of hope in a desolate, barren post-nuclear landscape: "All the birds have flown away into the light of the sun, into the dark of the night." Lyrics like these acquire an unprecedented poignancy in Pantaleimon's new clothes.

The Fovea Hex remix of "Under the Water" can be downloaded here

Heart of the Sun is available to buy now from the Southern webshop. If you would like to discuss this or anything else, please head on over to our forum and have your say!