In 1612, accused witch Elizabeth Southerns, known to many as Demdike, was hanged in the Pendle Witch trials in Lancaster. Considered to be one of the most famous of the Pendle witches, Southerns’ namesake was taken up by British experimental electronic duo Demdike Stare, who, exactly 401 years later to the date of her death, have released a scenic mix for Secret Thirteen.
The duo, made up of Miles Whittaker (MLZ/Pendle Coven) and Sean Canty, who works for the Finders Keepers label, debuted their album Symbiosis in 2009. Now, after four more albums featuring a selection of impressive darkened sound collages, the duo have cemented themselves as a Quietus favourite. Their occult-influenced soundtracks revolve around gloomy, penetrating cuts and dense textures that swirl and rise, creating both deep cavernous ambient tracks and stormy, movement-inducing counterparts that are often incredibly stark, yet undeniably elegant. In this mix, the duo deftly mix tracks from the likes of Bernard Parmegiani, Pierre Henry and Egisto Macchi, forging together 23 rediscovered records released between 1970 and 2013 to create a soundtrack that consciously addresses the concept of the passing of time, while simultaneously abandoning it.
Listen to the excellent 70 minute mix below and read our interview with Demdike Stare here. Tracklist is available at Secret Thirteen.
