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Sep 09, 2021 By Joey Arnone Photography by Mason Rose

Emma Ruth Rundle has announced the release of her seventh solo studio album, Engine of Hell, sharing a video for its lead single, “Return.” Engine of Hell will be out on November 5 via Sargent House. Check out the self-directed video for “Return,” along with the album’s tracklist and cover art, below.

The video for “Return” was heavily inspired by Jean Cocteau’s 1950 film Orpheus, as well as Wim Wenders’ 1987 film Wings of Desire. Rundle speaks about the new song and video in a press release: “An examination of the existential. A fractured poem. Trying to quantify what something is definitely about or pontificating on its concrete meaning defeats the purpose of art making. I’m not a writer. I make music and images to express things that my words cannot convey or emote. I’ve been studying ballet and the practice of expression through movement, which I incorporated into the video. I choreographed a dance to the song—some of which you see. Pieces show through. Since completing Engine of Hell, I’ve stepped away from music more and more and into things like dance, painting and working on ideas for videos or little films. ‘Return’ is the result of the efforts.”

Engine of Hell predominantly features Rundle on piano, an instrument from her childhood that she has now brought to the forefront on her new album. Rundle states: “Here are some very personal songs, here are my memories, here is me teetering on the very edge of sanity dipping my toe into the outer reaches of space and I’m taking you with me and it’s very fucked up and imperfect. For me this album is the end of an era to the end of a decade of making records. Things DO have to change and have changed for me since I finished recording it.”

Rundle’s most recent album, May Our Chambers Be Full, came out in 2020 via Sacred Bones/Sargent House. Earlier this year, she appeared on the song “Anhedonia” by Chelsea Wolfe.

Engine of Hell Tracklist:

1. Return
2. Blooms of Oblivion
3. Body
4. The Company
5. Dancing Man
6. Razor’s Edge
7. Citadel
8. In My Afterlife

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