Wrekmeister Harmonies

Originally based in Chicago and with a name inspired by director Béla Tarr's 2000 film, Wrekmeister Harmonies is led by sound artists, multi-instrumentalists, and composers J.R. Robinson and Esther Shaw. The ambitious project has constantly evolved over time, incorporating metal, drone, improvisational, and dark folk elements, and collaborated with dozens of notable musicians. While earlier releases, such as 2013's You've Always Meant So Much to Me, are epic, slowly building conceptual works, subsequent albums like 2018's The Alone Rush are more pared down and personal, focusing on introspective lyrics and more direct songcraft. 2025's Flowers in the Spring marks the project's return to extended instrumental drones.