The Haxan Cloak

The Haxan Cloak

The Haxan Cloak performing at the 2014 Pitchfork Music Festival
Background information
Birth name Bobby Krlic
Born 1985 (age 29–30)
Wakefield, England
Genres Electronica, dark ambient, drone, ambient, experimental
Occupation(s) Musician, producer
Years active 2009–present
Labels Aurora Borealis
Tri Angle
Associated acts The Body
HEALTH
Björk

Bobby Krlic (born 1985),[1] known by his stage name The Haxan Cloak, is a British musician and producer.

Early life and education

Krlic was born and raised in Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England.[2] He studied music and visual arts at the University of Brighton.[3]

Music career

Krlic recorded the first, self-titled Haxan Cloak album in his parents' shed over the course of three years using strings, mics and a laptop, playing every instrument himself.[3][4][5] The second LP, Excavation, was released in 2013, and has a more electronic feel, using samples and heavy bass, along with distorted field recordings that Krlic recorded himself.[2][4][6]

In 2012, The Haxan Cloak released a limited edition, one track, 27-minute live recording, The Men Parted the Sea to Devour the Water, as a part of Southern Records' Latitudes series.[7] Krlic teamed up with American sludge metal band The Body to produce their 2014 album I Shall Die Here.[8][9] Spin called it "a match made in hell."[10] In August 2014, it was reported that Krlic is helping to produce the upcoming album from noise rock band HEALTH.[11] In January 2015, Krlic announced that he was collaborating on Vulnicura, an album by Björk released on January 20, 2015.[12][13][14]

Touring

In 2014, The Haxan Cloak made its debut in the United States, with four dates total, in Washington, DC, New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles. He performed at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple along with Robert Henke and his music and light show, Lumière, and in Los Angeles with Pharmakon.[15] The New York Times called The Haxan Cloak's set "amorphous, ominous and immersive, a transcendent plunge into darkness and overwhelming pressure."[16]

Style

Krlic's music is almost entirely instrumental, and is often described as dark and spooky, carefully constructed, textured and atmospheric, with heavy bass and elements of drone metal.[2][17][18] Of his albums, Krlic has said, "The first record was about a person's decline towards death, so this one's about the journey he takes afterwards."[2] The name Haxan Cloak derives from the Swedish for "haxan", meaning "witch".[2]

Excavation was rated a 9 out of 10 by Spin,[4] and an 8.7 out of 10 by Pitchfork,[17] who also named it the 29th-best album of 2013.[18] Rolling Stone named it the 16th-best dance album of 2013.[19]

Discography

Albums

Year Title
2011 The Haxan Cloak
2013 Excavation
  • Released: 16 April 2013
  • Label: Tri Angle
    •
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download

Extended plays

Year Title
2009 The Haxan Cloak
  • Released: 24 June 2009
  • Label: (self-released)
  • Formats: CD-R
    •
  • Limited edition
2011 Observatory
  • Released: 11 July 2011
  • Label: Aurora Borealis
    •
  • Formats: Cassette, CD, LP, digital download
2012 The Men Parted the Sea to Devour the Water
  • Released: 31 July 2012
  • Label: Latitudes
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download
    •
  • Limited edition

Production credits

Year Artist Album Details
2014 The Body I Shall Die Here Producer
2014 WIFE What's Between Producer
2015 Björk Vulnicura Producer, mixer

References

  1. ↑ “New Talent: The Haxan Cloak,” Fact, 29 July 2011.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Larry Fitzmaurice, “Rising: The Haxan Cloak,” Pitchfork, 21 February 2013.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Nick Johnstone, “Interview: The Haxan Cloak,” The Stool Pigeon, 8 January 2013.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Philip Sherburne, “The Haxan Cloak, ‘Excavation’,” Spin, 16 April 2013.
  5. ↑ Rory Gibb, “Hubble, Bubble, Toil & Trouble: The Haxan Cloak Interview,” The Quietus, 30 November 2011.
  6. ↑ Maya Kalev, “Deeper Underground: An Interview With The Haxan Cloak,” The Quietus, 15 April 2013.
  7. ↑ “The Haxan Cloak next in Southern Lord Latitudes series,” The Wire, 7 February 2012.
  8. ↑ Sean O'Neal, “The Body and The Haxan Cloak combine dark forces,” The A.V. Club, 20 February 2014.
  9. ↑ Nick Heyland, "The Body: I Shall Die Here," Pitchfork, 3 April 2014.
  10. ↑ Marc Hogan, "Watch the Body's Harrowing 'At the Mercy of It All' Short Film," Spin, 4 April 2014.
  11. ↑ Zoe Camp, "HEALTH Collaborating with the Haxan Cloak on New Album," Pitchfork, 28 August 2014.
  12. ↑ Haxan Cloak, Twitter, "I can now share, with equal parts humility and excitement.." Twitter, 06 January 2015.
  13. ↑ Brandle, Lars (14 January 2015). "Bjork Shares Details on New Album 'Vulnicura'". Billboard (Billboard). Retrieved 14 January 2015.
  14. ↑ Emily Witt, "The Peculiar Genius of Bjork," T: The New York Times Style Magazine, January 23, 2015.
  15. ↑ Ryan Book, "The Haxan Cloak to tour United States for first time with artist Robert Henke," Music Times, 7 May 2014.
  16. ↑ Jon Pareles, "An Electronic Double Bill to Shiver the Timbers," New York Times, 12 May 2014.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Nick Neyland, “The Haxan Cloak: Excavation,” Pitchfork, 17 April 2013.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Grayson Haver Currin, “The Top 50 Albums,” Pitchfork, 18 December 2013.
  19. ↑ “20 Best Dance Albums of 2013,” Rolling Stone. Retrieved 26 February 2014.