“What’s great about being transgender is that you’re born with a natural religion. It applies almost across the board: no matter what culture or economic group or nation you’re from, you’re almost automatically a witch. None of the patriarchal monotheisms will have you.” These are words by Antony Hegarty, leader of chamber pop band Antony & The Johnsons, spoken and recorded in “Future Feminism”, a seven minutes piece where he speaks about being a witch and being attracted by the moon with every atom of his body. It is included in “Cut The World”, their second live album since 2000.
Joined by The Danish National Chamber Orchestra, the record is as dramatic as you would expect from such a magnetic personality that attracted the likes of Bjork, Lou Reed, and CocoRosie. It features a new song, the opener “Cut The World”, and a selection of Hegarty’s classics from his four studio albums with an orchestral arrangement including the oboe for ‘You Are My Sister’ and percussions for ‘Kiss My Name’.
His voice is a rare true gift, it feels like you are listening to the studio versions creating a symphony of raw emotions that have the ability to connect to each and everyone’s sensibility. It moves like an opera piece and has the inner quality to go beyond the self, stereotype, and gender.
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