Paper Masks marks a remarkable collaboration between visionary Mute labelmates Phew and Danielle de Picciotto, two key figures in avant-garde electronic music. Developed quietly over nearly five years, what began as an informal experiment between friends evolved into a deeply considered full-length work. Phew composed and arranged the music, reshaping and recontextualising de Picciotto’s vocals to build something entirely new. Sung in both German and English, the album balances stark electronic minimalism with emotional immediacy.
Described by Pitchfork as “a Japanese underground legend”, Phew – formerly of Osaka punk pioneers Aunt Sally – has built a singular career collaborating with Ryuichi Sakamoto, members of Can, and many others. American-born interdisciplinary artist Danielle de Picciotto, co-founder of the Berlin Love Parade, has long worked across sound and visual art, collaborating with Crime & the City Solution, Gudrun Gut, and her partner Alexander Hacke (Einstürzende Neubauten) as hackedepicciotto.
Paper Masks stands as a captivating exchange between two uncompromising artists – an intimate conversation rendered in electronics, texture, and voice.
Pickup available at Dreamhouse Records London
Usually ready in 24 hours
