THY CATAFALQUE’s humble genius Tamás Kátai abandons any and all prenotions of tradition. Intertwining elements from a vast swath of unrelated genres, from jazz to pop to folk, and everything in between,
THY CATAFALQUE masterfully crafts an eclectic sound that breaks down any generic barriers or borders. Following the massive success of 2020’s critically-acclaimed ‘Naiv,’ the entity returns with ‘Vadak,’ another esoteric monument in its already storied catalog.
Meaning “Wildlings” in Hungarian, the album title is a deliberate clue to the exotic and feral essence of ‘Vadak.’ Like seedlings scattered throughout the forest by the mere forces of nature, THY CATAFALQUE’s imaginative sound grows with an organic sense of whimsy, cultivated within the vast influences of our megacosm. Thematically, ‘Vadak’ is a foreboding lesson in mortality. Emphasizing the fragility that is shared by man and beast alike, the record explores our Freudian life instincts, in which we inherently fear and run from the ultimate goal of existence: death.
Originally, THY CATAFALQUE emerged as a black metal band founded by singer/keyboard player Tamás Kátai with the aid of guitarist/bassist János Juhász. Following their joined debut ‘Sublunary Tragedies’ (1999), the Hungarians evolved into quite different directions, but steadily gaining more followers in the process through the following albums, ‘Microcosmos’ (2001) and the self-released ‘Tűnő idő tárlat’ (2004).
On their fourth full-length, ‘Róka hasa Rádió’ (2009), THY CATAFALQUE invited Ágnes Tóth from neo-folk outfit THE MOON AND THE NIGHTSPIRIT and Attila Bakos to add their haunting vocals. With fifth album ‘Rengeteg’ (2011), Tamás Kátai finally went solo with the help of guest musicians that again included Ágnes Tóth an Attila Bakos. Dubbing his eclectic musical amalgamation avant-garde metal, the Hungarian explored new sonic possibilities with ‘Sgùrr’ (2015). The sixth full-length turned out to be slightly more complex than its successor, ‘Meta’ (2016), which returned to a more direct approach without losing the steadily growing sonic diversity. In 2018, THY CATAFALQUE continued this path with the release of ‘Geometria’. THY CATAFALQUE delivered another spectacular musical mosaic with their ninth full-length entitled ‘Naiv’, inspired by the “Naïve Art” movement.
At its core, ‘Vadak’ expresses the familiar hallmarks that are unique to only THY CATAFALQUE, and yet, it is an unpredictable magnum opus, showcasing the latest evolution from Kátai and his esteemed co-conspirators. The album puts forth an elegance that cannot be matched or rivaled by any musical contemporary, taking fans on an adventure that is rife with excitement, drama, and unbridled craftsmanship.
Line-up
Tamás Kátai – guitars, bass, synths, programs and vocals
Guest musicians
Martina Veronika Horváth | vocals on track 1, 2, 9 and 10
Breno Machado | lead guitar on track 1, 2, 5 and 9
Gábor Dudás | vocals on track 1
Andrei Oltean “Solomonar” | redpipes on track 2
Gábor Veres | vocals on track 5
Julia Pfiffner | female voice on track 6
Patricio Böttcher | saxophone on track 6
Carolina Díez | acoustic guitar on track 7
Artem Koryapin | alto and tenor saxophone, trombone and trumpet on track 7
András Vörös | vocals on track 8
Dadan Bogdanović | saxophone, trombone and trumpet on track 8
Sean Pádraig | Armenian duduk on track 8
Loay Makhoul | tabla, dumbek and riq on track 8
Péter Jelasity | saxophone on track 9
Chris Lyons | violin on track 9
Artem Litovchenko | cello on track 10
Recorded in: Budapest, Hungary | Edinburgh, Scotland | Újvidék / Novi Sad, Serbia | Kolozsvár / Cluj-Napoca, Romania | Kharkov, Ukraine | Tuapse, Russia | Alicante, Spain | Quarten, Switzerland | Haifa, Israel | Austin, Texas, U.S.A. | São Paulo, Brazil and Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2020 / 2021.
Mixed by: Tamás Kátai in Budapest, Hungary, January 2021.
Mastered by: Colin Davis at Imperial Mastering, Texas, U.S.A., February 2021.
All music and lyrics written by Tamás Kátai except track 6 music by János Juhász and Tamás Kátai. Sound samples on track 5 and track 8 taken from Orosz nyelv általános iskola 5. osztály by Lajos Szilvási, 1987. Speech on track 4 made using iSpeech.org.
Press-Kit: https://presskit.season-of-mist.com/Thy_Catafalque
Cover art & lay-out: Tamás Kátai.
Pre-sales: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/TCVadak
Available formats:
CD Mediabook
LP in various colours
Digital
For more on THY CATALFAQUE, visit the official BANDCAMP, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, and FACEBOOK.
