LOTinConcert: Orange Gone + Muel

ORANGE GONE

Music has always been there for Orange Gone (*2001) – first as a kid falling asleep to Die Zauberflöte, later obsessing over digital audio recording as a teenager, chasing the thrill of discovery. Hundreds of songs, self-released albums, and quiet solo shows led to forming pretty gloomy dream pop band Lavandine in 2022. The frenzy hasn’t stopped since.

The central picture of Their Body Lay Bent Above The Valley is this: A wide and colorful valley streching as far as the eye can see. Steep cliffs on each side, inhabiting thriving, ageless communities living in the heights. Suspended in the air, a purple body contorts. Unsure which form to assume, or where to go. The sky is a digital darkness.Around this image, airy chamber folk arrangements clash against digital glitches. As the album progresses, the singer questions, and reimagines their own gender identity and considers what it means to exist as a queer person in a world of binaries.

MUEL

Muel are a Graz-based group, exploring a musical genre somewhere between experimental folk, pop, rock and noise. The compositions have a tendency to leave an air of mystery, leading the listener down a winding path of trance-like vocal lines and intricate but lulling harmonies. The foundation of the sound is set by the acoustic guitar, which is finger picked much in the style of folk music. This foundation allows for the surrounding layers of music to swell naturally,  soaring trumpet melodies, moody electric guitar, earthy synth sounds, experimental drums and a driving double bass line, blending everything together into one unique experience. In 2024 Muel played various live concerts, among these being some notable venues and festivals in Germany, Austria and Slovenia such as Fusion Festival (GER), Kollektiv Kaorle (VIE), Steirischer Herbst Graz, and Prulček (LJ). Right now they’re working on their debut album “Getting There”.