Audiopile Review: One of the most rewarding aspects of Winnipeg-born electro-acoustic composer Claire Rousay’s music is her apparent inability to take things 100% seriously. So, while her music can dig into intense emotion and even trauma, she advertises this by printing t-shirts with the slogan “emo ambient”. In a world overburdened with piously ‘sad’ experimental music, Rousay’s approach is decidedly queer and slyly satirical. Crucially, in a scene that hides behind mute abstraction, Rousay loads her music with clear and often uncomfortable meaning. Even by Rousay’s standards, her new album, ‘The Bloody Lady’ is a disconcerting mix of the deeply disturbing and the oddly amusing. It’s a new soundtrack for an experimental Slovak animation from 1980 about legendary 16th century serial killer Elisabeth Bathory. Yep, that’s the same lady who gave indescribably seminal black metal act Bathory its name. Needless to say, ‘The Bloody Lady’ does not rock but its lush, doomy atmospheres are distinctly metal in their own way. Still, this is not some amorphous drone-out. The structured musicality of ‘The Bloody Lady’ is extremely impressive and suggests Rousay could develop a significant career as a soundtrack composer, should she choose to. Another fantastic record from a genuinely important artist. Possibly her best yet.

***

Through emotive ambient textures, granular synths, and field recordings, Rousay reimagines the Slovak animated fairy tale with a brand-new score. The Bloody Lady stands as a stunning masterpiece of Slovak animation. This album features the reimagined score Rousay wrote for Viktor Kubal’s 1980 eponymous animated film. Kubal (1923-1997), a pioneering Slovak animator, is considered one of the most influential animation filmmakers of the 20th century. Known as a singular artist who challenges conventions in experimental and ambient music forms, Rousay crafted the score in her home studio immediately after moving to LA over the course of 2023. The inaugural performance, a screening of the film accompanied by Rousay performing the score live, took place at Videodroom/Film Fest Gent 2023 in Ghent, Belgium. The project has since been developed into an 11-track album with alternating themes that evoke the film’s atmosphere while standing on its own as a distinct sonic work. The Bloody Lady is released via VIERNULVIER Records, the label known for its audiovisual collaborations with artists like Miaux, Hieroglyphic Being, and Mattias De Craene. The record comes with an extensive booklet including liner notes.