Having released a new album, sentiment, back in April, claire rousay has announced her second release of the year. The Bloody Lady reimagines the score to Viktor Kubal’s 1980 animated film, and it’s due out on November 8 via Viernulvier Records. She previously performed the score live at Belgium’s Videodroom Film Fest Gent in 2023, and the 11-track album, which she composed, wrote, and performed, developed from there. More about The Bloody Lady from the press materials:
Based on the lurid folk tale of Elisabeth Bathory (1560–1614), the trippy Slovak animated film The Bloody Lady follows the story of a Slovak noblewoman. Accused of murdering hundreds of girls and women. Her murderous motive: hoping to remain eternally young, she allegedly bathed in their blood. The film begins like a classic Disney fairy tale, but it soon takes a dark turn toward tragedy.
“The actions surrounding the heart are pivotal in the film, and, along with its heartbeat, they formed the initial pulse of the score,” rousay, who visited Bathory’s castle in Hungary a year before being commissioned to work on the score, says. “On the surface, it presents a literal, fairytale-like narrative, but the deeper you go, the more subtle details emerge,” she adds. She also says that she questioned the characters’ ethics; “while their actions seem intentionally straightforward, the perception of right and wrong becomes skewed when viewed from different perspectives. Being submerged in this world allowed me to experience the story from within and engage with the characters and plot from multiple angles.”
You can hear the twinkly, ambient “iii” from the score, which premieres in this post, below.
rousay has also announced fall tour dates in Japan and Europe. See all dates below.
CLAIRE ROUSAY: 2024 TOUR DATES
Tue 29th October – Kyoto (JP) @ UrBanguild
Wed 30th October – Tokyo (JP) @ WWW
Fri 1st November – Tokyo (JP) @ Shibuya Quattro
Sun 3rd November – Shizuoka (JP) @ Festival de FRUE
Sat 9th November – London (UK) Pitchfork Festival @ EartH Hackney
Weds 13th November – Gent (BE) @ Minard
Thurs 14th November – Aarhus (DK) @ Kunsthal Aarhus
Fri 15th November – Malmo (SE) @ Inkonst
Sat 16th November – Gothenburg (SE) @ Oceanen
Sun 17th November – Vienna (AT) @ Rhiz
Weds 20th November – Bratislava (SK) @ Nová Cvernovka
Thurs 21st November – Kosice (SK) @ Tabačka Kulturfabrik
Fri 22nd November – Bern (CH) @ Full Of Lava
San 24th November – Braga (PT) @ FENDA Festival