TEKHENU by The Allegorist

About the album TEKHENU:

Holistic, soundscape storyteller The Allegorist takes inspiration from the ancient world for her fifth studio album, set for release on her label Awaken Chronicles. A sonic fable titled TEKHENU, it continues the trajectory that the Berlin-based electronic producer and sound-designer has been following since the beginning - conceptualising narrative-heavy LPs centered around mythical lands. Her new works depict a lost protagonist and her spiritual, inward search across ten enrapturing chapters.

The title of the LP is a nod to the towering monoliths by the ancient Egyptians. Known to most by their Greek-given name “obelisk”, they stand tall around the world and it’s their global dispersion that inspired The Allegorist for the title of the album, seeing it as an allegory of a common bond, a point of connection.

The Tale of TEKHENU, for the seekers
Written by The Allegorist

TEKHENU
For the seekers

Born in the fast-moving river, she was part of it. The river didn’t cause her to be who she was, but it was her origin in this life. She could have stayed, but a beat in her heart made her fingers tremble; a longing in her spirit for life and a driving force in her mind called her by her name. And so she left to risk, live, explore, and follow the invisible.

Today, in the deep silence of the cold midnight, she couldn’t fall asleep. It was all the effort of the journey that kept her awake. Gray fog lay heavy on her mind. Resting her head on a stone with her legs tucked up, her heart was beating in pain, and her limbs felt heavy and tired. All those years spent walking thousands of miles through deserts and winds, climbing up mountains and swimming through seas, learning where to take turns, how to read meanings in the stars, studying maps of various cultures, seeking knowledge of all kinds, and still, now, she was lost.

Dreaming of answers within her, she woke in the light of tomorrow, and between the trees on the little meadow wet with dew, the first rays of spring’s sun beamed through.

About the album TEKHENU part 2:

As with her previous works, The Allegorist spins a poignant tale around the LP. The 10-chapter album comes with a short story, The Tale of TEKHENU, and every single will be accompanied by a cinematic trailer by Anna Jordan (The Allegorist). TEKHENU will be released both on vinyl and digitally on 05 May 2023 on The Allegorist's label, Awaken Chronicles.

Two years in the making, TEKHENU comes after her warmly-received fourth LP Blind Emperor, a powerful cinematic techno outing. Released last February, it brought blistering battles waged across harsh, hostile terrain. “Blind Emperor is about the journey, and fight for one’s truth,” she explains. “This album jumps ahead through its protagonist and linked characters, exploring themes of human connection, intuition, guidance, evolution, freedom, and acceptance.” Heavily utilising her vocals across all her works, it’s within this LP that we are more fully indulged in her stunning vocal range and deftness in using sound design to contort the vibrations that she fervidly transmits.

TEKHENU’s release will come after The Allegorist drops five singles, the first being ‘Trees of Peace’, a track that explores ancestral lines with shamisen-like chords, wooden and wistful drums, and oriental synths. ‘Born In The River’ follows the enchanting, orchestral opener ‘Whispers Of The Wind’, and it bolsters the intensity with tribal-like breakbeat sandwiched by hallowed chants. Peaceful whirling synths and calming vocals uplift ‘Inner Dialogue’, the LP’s most intimate track which traces the intricate process of decision. ‘Tekhenu’ is the penultimate and it kicks up the pace as the euphoric furor breaks through the sacred cries, dense percussions, and emotive chanting - a concoction set to galvanise a movement, which is apt for a track that touches on the inevitability of human connection in the face of our own individual paths. ‘Barefoot’ closes the LP on a high as it traces the outcomes of discarding the rules and embracing the wildness within us, with swaying synths, rejoiceful vocals, and rhythmic beats driving the listener to give into their innermost self.

About the music video Whispers Of The Wind:

“In the music video, ‘Whispers Of The Wind’ I’m telling the tale of TEKHENU. TEKHENU is an allegory for meaning, and purpose, something that we are all bound to and that connects us all. We all have our own individual paths in life, which are also intertwined. We have our own truth, one perspective of the whole, and our unique experience and journey in life. We all are sort of going towards TEKHENU and it looks different for all of us. We are a part of the Endless, and the wind symbolises the subtle feelings that guide us, our inner voice and intuition.

TEKHENU is something entirely different for all of us and at the same time, also just the same. That’s why the main architectural object looks different from each angle to every character in the music video. Sometimes we don’t know what to do next. In those moments it’s good to look for answers in silence. In this solitude, we can look for guidance and messages carried to us by the wind. It’s not easy to face the unknown, but the deepest voice inside us, always tells us the truth.” The Allegorist

About the singles:

The 10-track project will feature a series of singles released in the build-up to the album:

The third chapter is Trees of Peace which will be the first single released on 13 January 2023. The track longs for the past but connects to the future with shamisen-like chords, wooden and wistful drums and oriental synths.

“The track Trees Of Peace is about our ancestral memories in the past and future. Just as trees are connected through an underground network we are connected in a transcendental way as well.” The Allegorist

Following the opener is Born In The River, released on 10 February 2023. The track features tribal-like breakbeat sandwiched by hallowed chants–A juxtaposed scene; gravity is blanketed by serenity.

“The track Born In The River is about how we all were born in the river. When we are born, we aren’t in a stable situation, everything around us is ever-moving. The river symbolises that constant motion. My zodiac sign is Pisces, so there is a little of me in this track also.” The Allegorist

Howling With The Wolf is the sixth cut on the album and will come out on 03 March 2023 as a single. The sounds of deep and bellowing percussions are enveloped by mischievous flutes and inviting vocals. A harrowing synth faces the listener with their inner beast, destined to be freed.

“The track Howling With The Wolf is about waking and freeing your inner desires. The Wolf is a metaphor for our relations of an animalistic origin and connection to nature.” The Allegorist

Finally, Barefoot brings the soundscape epic to a close and will be released on 24 March 2023. As an invitation to let go of worldly shackles, this track pushes forth wildly desires. Swaying synths, rejoiceful vocals, and rhythmic beats drive the listener to give into their innermost self.

“The track Barefoot is about letting go the rules and dancing as wild creatures in the acceptance of what we are.“ The Allegorist

The album opens with Whispers Of The Wind, which will be the final single released on 14 April 2023 with an accompanying music video. Enchanting layered vocals guide the listener through deep caverns and forests, while the creviced percussion and orchestral synths add an element of Valhallian depth.

“The track Whispers Of The Wind is about following our inner voice and intuition. We are a part of the endless, and the wind symbolises the subtle feelings that guide us.” The Allegorist

About the tracks:

The fourth installment is Inner Dialogue. Peaceful and introspective whirling synths delicately dance around an encaptivated voice. Static rumbles through for a sense of unease before the calming vocals re-enter, followed by clarity-infused sounds.

“The track Inner Dialogue is the most intimate track on the album. It’s about our thoughts that are floating around and how we weigh them up when making a decision.” The Allegorist

Through The Forest marks the halfway point of the album. The track consists of two peaks and valleys. The soft openings lay the ground with oscillating synths that shimmer as they glide by. Long emphatic pads draw out a sense of being from within—a feeling of coming out of the darkness.

"The track Through The Forest is about a period where we cannot see what will come next. In those times we might feel lost. In those times we cannot rely on anything else, but what is within us.” The Allegorist

The seventh track on the album is The Invisible. Glistening chords and delicate keys give way to a demonstrative synth. It is cleared by summoning tones and drawn-out sounds that provide an air of guidance.

“The track The Invisible is about the forces that are invisible to our vision but strongly influence our lives.” The Allegorist

Dreams At Dawn opens with otherworldly vocals, beckoning cries that lift the listener. Deep percussions are followed by dreamy hits with a sensation of playfulness. The end has a feeling of childlike wonder, an innocent optimism.

“The track Dreams At Dawn is about the state of a beginning. About the innocents of a start. The start of a day, when we are still half asleep and everything seems possible, a start of a passion, a bond, or a dream.” The Allegorist

The penultimate track is Tekhenu. Sacred cries wrap around you as crumbling static caves in. A sense of urgency is created with dense percussions and progressive synths. Combining the male chanting with female singing brings a sense of togetherness for a euphoric finish.

“The track Tekhenu is about all of us. About our desires, pain, and choices. We all have our individual paths and we are all connected to everything beyond.” The Allegorist

Mysterious Sonic Tales

Hailing from the depths of the underground music scene, The Allegorist is a visionary, enigmatic, transmedia and boundary-pushing artist known for crafting deep, immersive sonic tales. Embracing a wide array of influences, weaving together the mysteries, art, symbolism and spirituality, the art project defies categorisation, resonating with those who seek the unconventional

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