Sharp FM 017: Ange Halliwell for Sharp Fraktur

The French harpist Ange Halliwell made an incredibly personal mix for the Sharp FM series. Drawing from childhood favorites and contemporary songs that Ange has been playing on-repeat, the mix makes surprising transitions from pastoral harp instrumentals to empyrean synth pop and even grinding black metal. Our unreleased black letter, Sharp Fraktur, is used alongside the illustrations of contemporary artist Chris Lloyd for the cover, which was designed by Kimberly Bager.

"Here is a little compilation of my favourite songs of the moment. These music are precious to me," says Ange. "Some of them are from my childhood, where my parents or my brother used to listen to them. I discovered the others from my own personal listening. They inspire me a lot, and I love when they create an emotion inside of me."

Ange Halliwell first touched the harp when he was twelve. Based in the verdant countryside of south-west France, he makes harp music with hypnotic arpeggios and sung, spoken or shouted voices. Halliwell's compositions are intimately linked to nature and are possessed of a contemporary consciousness of tradition. The music is at once luminous and melancholy, progressing the language of harp music with a keen ear for melody and a curious, cordial spirit.

The release of this mix dovetailed with Ange's first solo concert in the States, which marked the debut Sharp FM live concert, produced by Theodore Jahng of Sharp Type. Held at a historic church in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Ange performed to a packed house following opening sets by Sharp FM contributors Will August Park and DJ Ian Kim Judd.

Tracklist:

1. Herman Beeftink - Birds
2. Yasmeen Olya - La chanson de l’enfant entre amour, terre et ciel
3. Familha Artús - Au ton coenh
4. American Beauty Theme
5. Sun Kil Moon - Alesund
6. Vyva Melinkolya - l65
7. Rosa Crvx - Orgue
8. Enya - Epona
9. Florence Sinclair - White Horse
10. Ange Halliwell - unreleased
11. Clovis Reyes - Fluxxwave
12. Herman Beeftink - Birds
13. Ange Halliwell - Mr. Faustin
14. Këkht Aräkh - Wanderer
15. Ange Halliwell - phone audio
16. Malibu - Life Interlude (2015)
17. Ange Halliwell - unreleased
18. Grausamkeit - Götterkrieg
19. Psychic TV - Just Drifting
20. Stephen Paulus - The Road Home