Lunatraktors take stock on a collection of their wyrd and wonderful Folk tinged creations.

Release Date: 20th June 2025

Label:

Format: digital / limited CD

it’s what they do

Almost like what the mainstream world would plug as a ‘best of’ Lunatraktors, Quilting Points is a set of snapshots of ‘what they do’. To further the haberdashery analogies, a patchwork of one off musical sketches that sees them even going beyond Broken Folk, maybe even outgrowing their own unfettered imaginings.

What Quilting Points does is assemble bits and pieces of experimental compositions, their signature re-imaginings of traditional songs and live performances in a chronological order that gives a context to the collection. An evolution, or growing up with Lunatraktors.

common threads

The points are organised in a pleasing chronological fashion against a background and common thread of a commitment to trans rights and disability injustice. Many have emerged from Lunatraktors’ collaborations with artists, museums and galleries, their background in performance and installation art adding a unique edge. The sound compositions, re-imagined traditional songs (get excited at trad. arr. Lunatraktors!) include severallive performances. Perhaps where the duo is at its best – check out Now The Time live from the Theatre Royal. Improvisation looms large. The experience of being in the moment.

There are some clear links with the outside world. Diffraction Pattern for example, could easily be from Steven Wilson’s ambient/found sounds, Bass Communion work – improvising with mallets on a bronze sculpture that’s underwritten with a live loop created at the 2019 Turner Prize opening. It’s that sort of connection. Larentalia is the first of several pieces that share the same vibe as Peter Gabriel’s gateway to world music.

celebration and poignant

The spoken word celebration of Life, Clay And Everything is a more poignant piece, musing on the nature of creativity that’s possibly the centrepiece amidst the clog dance improvisation and a rewrite to celebrate gender diversity in pantomime and music hall. Add folktronica, pagan raves and psychedelic wassails (as we know full well from their Yulatraktors guise and the 2023’s marvellous Solstice Wyrd) plus an appearance from The Hazard Bears sees Quilting Points fitting from base to base.

And who else would have the nouse to explore sonic resonance in the back stairwells of Zurich Kunsthalle – so should you ever hear some wailing or yelping in a nearby underpass, fear not. The list of locations where opportunities are made the most of, sees a breadth of work that’s quite something. And any band who values the physical product – the lucky 500 will get a work of art that matches the care and craft that goes into their work – is great in our book.

leaders

Not surprising the Lunatraktors are leaders in the field. Modern day joined up thinkers. Quilting Points sums up and confirms their innovative outlook and sees them continuing to be the artists who are nothing like you’ve ever heard before.

Here’s Now The Time:

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