NEWS
Jill Tracy in Concert at Summer Solstice Seance June 20
SAN FRANCISCO! How befitting that Jill Tracy’s return from her otherworldly adventures in Lily Dale, NY is performing for the Summer Solstice Seance! Join her for a rare solo concert, with CD Release and Signing from Anthony Jones. Plus gorgeous dark art and vendors! The Art of Valin Mattheis, Daniel Skellington, Daniel Foerste – Film & Art, and You Been Kim Robles, Haunted Manor, Eyescream Jewelry, and Bantam & Brave Apothecary.
FREE with RSVP! Tuesday, June 20 at HI-San Francisco City Center, 685 Ellis Street, 8-10pm. Here is a link to the FB event page.
Help Jill Tracy Conjure Musical Spirits within
Mysterious Lily Dale, New York…
Become a guardian spirit and help Jill Tracy realize this beautiful otherworldly adventure— and get a rare, private glimpse into this historical little town that talks to the dead.
Founded in the 1800s, Lily Dale is a small, private community in upstate NY, comprised entirely of Spiritualists and mediums. Her long-time dream has been to reside and compose music on the grounds, and to unearth actual music played in 19th century séances and Spiritualist services.
She has been invited for two extended stays this year, and needs your help to make the project happen. You’ll get secret behind-the-scenes photos, odd historical tales from the archives, videos, interviews, updates, recordings, and musical works in progress just for contributing!
What’s it like inside this peculiar place called Lily Dale?
More info and the official LINK for your backstage pass beyond the veil.
Thank you so much for your support!
Other Madnesses Gets Worldwide Distribution Deal
A reclusive tour guide becomes an unlikely vigilante when the dark underbelly of New York City is revealed through his dreams…
OTHER MADNESSES is the debut feature film from writer/director Jeremy Carr. The gritty psychological thriller which reportedly “feels like a fever dream” that “effectively gets under your skin” (The Hollywood Reporter) premiered in New York City to a standing-room only crowd, and has continued to seduce critics and audiences worldwide.
Jeremy asked Jill Tracy to pen the film’s end-title song “Dreamland,” her dark, melancholy recreation of the 1904 tune “All Aboard For Dreamland.” (This is Jill Tracy’s fourth collaborative work with Jeremy Carr.) “Dreamland” is so beautifully bound to this brilliant film that she chose not to release it on its own. But now you can have BOTH! Gravitas Ventures is distributing the film throughout North America on VOD & BluRay/DVD.
The truly independent film took eight years to complete and can boast that it was shot in all five boroughs of NYC during all four seasons, including a finale that was captured during the record breaking blizzard of 2010. The footage was nearly lost forever when Hurricane Sandy flooded the Brooklyn production studio with five feet of seawater!
Other Madnesses was destined to be. And now you can have it for your very own!
Watch the trailer HERE and find LINKS to download and purchase.
New Short Film Gives Rare Glimpse Inside The Musical Séance
Jill Tracy and violinist Paul Mercer have become widely known for their intimate traveling show The Musical Séance. Music is channeled instantaneously from cherished objects brought in by the audience— the stories they hold, and the echoes that remain….
“These compositions are delicate and glorious living things they materialize, they transport, and in the same second they vanish,” explains Jill Tracy. “They embody the fragile essence of Time. No two shows are ever alike, we have no control, that is the rare beauty of it.”
A gorgeous new short film by Jonathan Castro gives a rare glimpse inside The Musical Seance, shot on Halloween 2016 in San Francisco.
More works to come, make sure to SUBSCRIBE to Jill Tracy’s YouTube Channel.
“The Sublime Art of Darkness:”
New Interview with Jill Tracy in Diabolique Magazine
Resembling the lovechild of H.H. Holmes and a silent era siren, when it comes to dark music there is only one Jill Tracy. As a singer, pianist, and performer, she conjures a timeless netherworld that opens up the portals to forgotten places; nightmarish, magickal, bathed in perpetual twilight…
Diabolique caught up with Jill Tracy to talk to her about her origins, her love for the occult, the macabre, her fascination with the otherworldly, and how this fuels her creative canvass. Tracy also shares with us her inspirations, her thoughts on the commodification of music and struggle with being a truly unique independent artist, as well as discussing some of her collaborations and current work with Philadelphia’s Mütter Museum. Tracy has gone from strength to strength, gathering worldwide acclaim. Constantly evolving, tirelessly, endlessly, she is a creative force to be reckoned with.
by Kat Elinger, Diabolique
The Musical Seance Summons the West Coast: Bay Area Dates Announced:
October 27 at the Historic San Francisco Presidio Officers Club
October 28 and 29 at The Lost Church
“Every object holds a story…and a hidden score”…. This is BIG! For the first time in years, Jill Tracy and violinist Paul Mercer will NOT be spending The Dark Season in New Orleans, but taking their acclaimed The Musical Seance to the West Coast.
Since debuting The Musical Séance on Halloween 2007, the duo have become widely known for their astonishing duets on piano and violin, where music is channeled instantaneously from cherished treasures brought in by the audience.
You are asked to bring a small object of special significance, such as a photo, talisman, jewelry, toy, token. This is a very crucial part of manifesting the music. Every object holds its story, its spirit. Energy, resonance, impressions from anyone who has ever held the object, to the experiences and emotions passed through it.
“These compositions are delicate and glorious living things— they materialize, they transport, and in the same second they vanish,” explains Jill Tracy of The Musical Séance. “They embody the fragile essence of Time. No two shows are ever alike, we have no control, that is the rare beauty of it. It’s all up to the audience to drive the show. We create the portal— but it’s the collective summoning, the synergy of the room that makes it so moving and powerful.”
(Above—Preparing the altar at The Musical Seance, New Orleans 2015)
Often, the objects themselves are just as compelling as the music they inspire. Everything from cremated cats, dentures, haunted paintings, 16th century swords, antlers, locks of hair, and x-rays have been presented at the seance. The excitement is–you never know what to expect.
JUST ANNOUNCED! Thursday, October 27, 2016 The Musical Seance will take place inside one of the most beautiful (and supposedly haunted) spots in the country— the historic 1776 San Francisco Presidio Officers Club. Tickets are available NOW! ONE NIGHT ONLY!
Plus! Don’t miss a magically intimate two-night run at San Francisco’s The Lost Church on Friday, October 28 and Saturday, October 29. Seating is EXTREMELY LIMITED, so please get your tickets NOW!
V. Vale of RE/Search publications hailed a Jill Tracy/Paul Mercer Séance as “Sheer magic! Perfection. Improvised… If you’re lucky enough to be there, you realize you’ve just had a hint of something extra-mortal, uber-human, transcendent – maybe the concentrated ghosts of Shakespeare’s Globe Theater or the Commedia Dell’arte of the past are swirling around the room . . . and you think that THIS is the new avant-garde: live, un-censored, living theater.”
More dates added will be refreshingly off the grid, so please make sure to join Jill Tracy’s inner email circle— some shows and music will be exclusive to this list ONLY!
We so love secret things…
Join the Inner Email Circle HERE.
For more about The Musical Seance, go to MUSICALSEANCE.com
Terror Trax: New Jill Tracy Interview in HorrorAddicts
Indulge in this new in-depth juicy interview in HorrorAddicts. Jill Tracy talks with Emerian Rich about where she finds inspiration, her favorite classic horror films, being mugged at knifepoint in New York City, dying onstage, channeling The Musical Seance, composing after-dark inside the Mütter Museum, what really frightens her, and much more! Read HERE!
(Above: Jill Tracy composing alongside the Hyrtl Skull Collection at Philadelphia’s Mütter Museum. Photo by Evi Numen)
Jill Tracy Returns to The Hypnodrome October 8! (San Francisco)
Celebrating Thrillpeddlers’ mastermind Russell Blackwood and his 25 years of classic Grand Guignol in San Francisco! Join Jill Tracy October 8, 2016 at The Hypnodrome, the curious theatre she co-founded with Russell in 2002.
Special guests include famed author Mel Gordon presenting a talk (with rare film and photos) about origins of the genre and signing copies of his book “Theatre of Fear and Horror: The Grisly Spectacle of the Grand Guignol of Paris 1897-1962” (which he’s dedicated to Blackwood). ReSearch publications’ V. Vale interviews Russell about Thrillpeddlers. Stage Combat Director Dave Maier (SF Opera, Berkeley Rep & Thrillpeddlers) leads members of the audience in a master class on stage violence. Jill Tracy will perform songs of romantic terror.
More info and tickets HERE>
Jill Tracy returns to Detroit’s Corpus Illuminata Exposition-
Aug 5 and 6, 2016
PANIC IN DETROIT! Jill Tracy returns for a lecture, plus full concert as part of the wondrous Corpus Illuminata Exposition– an exploration of anatomical, medical, dark art, and antiquities August 5 & 6, 2016 at Detroit’s Tangent Gallery.
On Friday, Aug 5— “In the Footsteps of Spirits:” Join composer, storyteller, and sonic archeologist Jill Tracy as she reveals her investigations into one of the most haunted locations in the country, San Francisco’s early military post, The Presidio (founded 1776). She will present first-hand spirit accounts and rare historical photos inside the now-demolished Letterman Hospital, the abandoned Psychiatric Ward, forgotten attics, and secret cemeteries. Sightings of ghostly soldiers and shadowy souls, looking for lost loves, and lost limbs.
Her full-length concert on Saturday, Aug 6 will include piano music composed in the Presidio inspired by her findings.
Limited seating. ADVANCE TICKETS suggested.
Get your tickets for Corpus Illuminata HERE.
Make sure to sign up to Jill Tracy’s inner email circle so you won’t miss anything!
(Photo by Neil Girling)
Jill Tracy performs at NOIR CITY Film Festival
Read “WHERE SHADOWS FALL”— the Interview: In NOIR CITY magazine, Jill Tracy talks with Film Noir Foundation’s Eddie Muller about the allure of the dark side, the arsenic craze, spending the night with skeletons, the horrors of the entertainment industry— and how to remain true to your vision amidst the struggle.
(Photo of Eddie Muller and Jill Tracy shot by noir master Jim Ferreira)
Jill Tracy performs live at the great Film Noir Foundation’s NOIR CITY Festival Tues, Jan 26, 2016 at 9:30pm — bridging the otherworldly mood between 2 of her favorite entrancing films— “The Picture of Dorian Gray” (1946) and “Corridor of Mirrors.” (1948) in San Francisco’s lavish Castro Theatre. What a sensory onslaught!
NOIR CITY runs Jan 22-31. Check out the full schedule of cinema gems HERE.
Jill Tracy and The Malcontent Orchestra bring Nosferatu
back to San Francisco Feb 18!
In the shadow of Valentine’s Day, let’s embrace the dark side of desire— the madness of love. At long last, the vampire returns to San Francisco within the lavish walls of the Presidio Officers Club. February 18, 2016 at 6pm.
Award-winning composer/storyteller Jill Tracy returns in concert, presenting her original score (with The Malcontent Orchestra) to one of silent cinema’s most haunting erotic masterpieces — F.W. Murnau’s Nosferatu, A Symphony of Horrors (1922.) The evening will include a short musical set before the live Nosferatu performance.
Jill Tracy – grand piano
Alexander Kort – electric violincello
Tyler Lewis – violin
Randy Odell – marimba, drums, and orchestral percussion
“Remarkable….lyrical and lovely”
SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER
“Extraordinary”
EAST BAY EXPRESS
“Uniquely qualified to give voice to the hallucinatory vampire that stalks F.W. Murnau’s black and white movie, Jill Tracy conjures up the crimson shades of the Grand Guignol and the emerald hues of absinthe.”
SF WEEKLY
ONE NIGHT ONLY! Limited seats available, so make your reservations NOW.
Want to own Nosferatu with the Jill Tracy and The Malcontent Orchestra score housed in a miniature antique coffin USB drive?
THE IMMORTAL COLLECTION is yours!
“In the Footsteps of Spirits:”Jill Tracy explores the legendary Ghosts
of San Francisco’s Presidio— Oct 22, 2015
First founded in 1776 as an imperial outpost of Spain, the Presidio of San Francisco is thought by some to be one of the most haunted places in the United States. Ghost hunters and paranormal investigators from all over the world have been lured by this breathtaking, mysterious 1,500 acres, searching for shadowy souls left behind in the former military post, the National Cemetery, and the demolished Letterman Hospital. Even the locals tell tales of ghostly voices, moving furniture, disappearing passengers— and of course, the famed woman in the black flowing dress dancing eternally in the Presidio Officers’ Club.
Join pianist, storyteller, and sonic archeologist Jill Tracy at a 1903 Steinway Grand inside the famed Officers Club as she uncovers the Presidio’s haunted past and shares chilling stories from those who have been in the footsteps of spirits. Now it’s your turn—if you dare.
Make sure to follow Jill Tracy on Instagram as she posts rare, historical, and NEW photos of her explorations of the Presidio Ghosts!
“Portraits of a Nightmare” screens at
the Sacramento Horror Film Festival October 9
Elegant, erotic, disturbing. Part fetish, part fairytale, part science experiment— “Portraits of a Nightmare“ is the new 8mm short film collaboration from Jill Tracy and award-winning LA director Jeremy Carr.
Shot in abandoned locations in New York during filming for Jill Tracy’s “Pulling Your Insides Out” video, this never-before-seen footage incorporates rare vintage archives from their personal collections including oddly compelling medical, fetish, horror and nature films. See it for the first time on the big screen at the Sacramento Horror Film Festival, Friday October 9, 2015 at 4pm.
Info HERE.
“Extraordinary…The first thing it reminded me of was the footage from the movie THE RING, the black and white scenery that created the tension in the film.. But this, PORTRAITS OF A NIGHTMARE, seems more brilliant than anything of Hollywood fiction.”
HORROR REPORT
“Whether you’re fascinated with the visceral visuals or the macabre music, PORTRAITS OF A NIGHTMARE contains Tracy’s trademark entrancement and provides the perfect aid to her otherworldly compositions.”
FANGORIA
Please SUBSCRIBE to the official Jill Tracy YouTube Channel.
Jill Tracy returns to NEW ORLEANS for 3 events— Oct 30, Nov 1 and 2
Jill Tracy casts her dark magic on New Orleans as she returns Oct 30, 2015 to the famed Anne Rice Ball. Superb line-up this year featuring Voltaire, The Ghosts Project and The Marquis of Vaudeville! Get your tickets HERE.
She will also be on Sunday’s November 1st afternoon panel at UndeadCon alongside her Musical Seance partner violinist Paul Mercer discussing her chilling experiences of channeling music in usual locales. Audience Q&A. Tickets for UnDeadCon panel HERE.
Additional (and sometimes secret) shows will be added in the area for the Halloween season, so make sure you are on the Jill Tracy mailing list!
***Paul Mercer and Jill Tracy return to the ornate and magical New Orleans temple of Ordo Templi Orientis for a concert and rare Musical Seance for All Souls Day- Monday, November 2. View the official flyer and get more info HERE.
Follow Jill Tracy on Twitter and Facebook for New Orleans updates!
Film Noir Foundation’s Eddie Muller interviews Jill Tracy
for NOIR CITY Magazine
“Jill Tracy finds a compelling sensuality in everything, from the promise of one wicked night to the fiery end of the world. Her breathy vocals entice the listener into a sonic dreamscape—a dark and magical realm, simultaneously cerebral, sexy and sinister. It’s not safe here, but you won’t be in any hurry to leave. Beneath the force and filigree of Tracy’s original piano lines lurks cold steel—the woman has guts to spare, creating something so distinctive amidst the corporate musical mediocrity that’s poisoning the culture.” Eddie Muller, in NOIR CITY Magazine
Read WHERE SHADOWS FALL— the Interview: Jill Tracy talks with Eddie Muller about the allure of the dark side, the arsenic craze, spending the night with skeletons, the horrors of the entertainment industry— and how to remain true to your vision amidst the struggle.
Read it online HERE!
Download your copy of this special NOIR CITY Music Issue also featuring Johnny Cash, Tom Waits, Jello Biafra, Charlie Haden and more. (Photo of Jill Tracy by Jim Ferreira.)
Back in Stock! THE IMMORTAL COLLECTION:
Limited Edition COFFIN USB Drives!
Shhh… Is the secret to eternity to be found within the confines of a miniature coffin? —Or perhaps the Jill Tracy music, filmscores, and even Nosferatu himself lurking within. This collection even comes with a tiny portable crucifix— just in case.
While supplies last…
The Immortal Collection includes:
Jill Tracy’s ENTIRE discography of albums and singles, the full Nosferatu FILM (F.W. Murnau) with original score by Jill Tracy and The Malcontent Orchestra! This has NEVER been offered before.
Plus The Musical Seance recording “Coronation of the Witch Queen” with violinist Paul Mercer and the dark classical “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” with Bauhaus’ David J. Even the Christmas record Silver Smoke, Star of Night.
PLUS 3 new unreleased tracks, including “The Colour of the Flame” (a Swedish 7″ split with Blixa Bargeld), lots of photos, and more. INFO HERE.
Get em while they’re cold…
Check out several new additions to the MERCHANDISE page HERE.
Perfect gifts for the dear Malcontents in your life.
Jill Tracy to lecture and perform in Detroit’s
Corpus Illuminata Exposition
Detroit’s Corpus Illuminata Exposition of Anatomic Interpretation is proud to announce and welcome a special honored guest to it’s 5th annual event…composer, musician, storyteller, and sonic archaeologist JILL TRACY.
Within Corpus Illuminata on Friday August 14th, 2015 Jill Tracy will share her intimate experiences with the renowned Mütter Museum in Philadelphia, the nation’s foremost collection of medical oddities, to which she became the first musician in history to receive a grant to compose within the museum itself. She is planning a musical work and book based on the Mütter’s spellbinding collection, and her chilling tales of spending nights alone in the museum.
Then on Saturday August 15th, she will close the exposition with a rare solo performance within the gallery amidst the anatomic/medical-inspired artwork. More INFO and tickets HERE.
(Photo of Jill Tracy composing in the Mütter Museum by Evi Numen.)
New Jill Tracy Music Featured in Jeremy Carr’s Award-Winning
Psychological Thriller “Other Madnesses”
It’s a hit! Debuting at New York City’s prestigious First Time Fest to a standing-room only crowd, Jeremy Carr’s debut feature— the gritty psychological thriller Other Madnesses has already been praised by The Hollywood Reporter, Indiewire, Movie Buzzers, and more. The festival awarded lead James Moles for Outstanding Achievement in Acting.
Other Madnesses represents Jill Tracy’s 4th collaboration with Carr, as her new song “Dreamland,” a dark melancholy recreation of the 1904 tune “All Aboard For Dreamland,” was adapted exclusively for the film’s end title song. Jill Tracy also provides some instrumental organ in the film, which was scored by Stephen Light.
Previous Jeremy Carr/Jill Tracy collaborations include the music video “Pulling Your Insides Out,” and films “Portraits of a Nightmare,” and Ice Cream Ants.”
Watch the trailer for Other Madnesses. Jeremy Carr discusses his inspiration for the film and working with Jill Tracy in an interview HERE. Stay tuned for more film festival info.
SUBSCRIBE to Jill Tracy’s official YouTube Channel.
“Monsters, Marvels, Lore, and Legend:
Jill Tracy on the Persistence of Mystery”
“We all want to believe in magic. It keeps hope alive. Sometimes I feel that magic and the suspension of disbelief is the only thing that matters. That’s why my music resonates with people on such a deep level…. The most wonderful questions of all are the ones for which there are no answers.”
Jill Tracy explains some of the philosophical-aesthetic worldview that informs her lush world of musical darkness in Teeming Brain. Read this beautiful piece HERE.
“Portraits of a Nightmare”—
Jill Tracy’s new 8mm collaboration with director Jeremy Carr
Eerie, erotic, disturbing— part fetish, part fairytale, part science experiment— but stunningly beautiful. (Isn’t that just what you’d expect from a new Jill Tracy film?)
Crafted from the never-before-seen 8mm footage of Jill Tracy in New York, plus vintage archives from Carr and Tracy’s personal collections.
FROM THE PRESS:
“Extraordinary…The first thing it reminded me of was the footage from the movie THE RING, the black and white scenery that created the tension in the film.. But this, PORTRAITS OF A NIGHTMARE, seems more brilliant than anything of Hollywood fiction.”
HORROR REPORT (read full review HERE.)
“Whether you’re fascinated with the visceral visuals or the macabre music, PORTRAITS OF A NIGHTMARE contains Tracy’s trademark entrancement and provides the perfect aid to her otherworldly compositions.”
FANGORIA (read full review)
Please SUBSCRIBE to the official Jill Tracy YouTube Channel.
Whispers From Beyond?
Jill Tracy Talks Seances and Spirit Trumpets in Collectors Weekly
“Ghost in the Machines: The Devices and Daring Mediums That Spoke for the Dead.” Discussing her fascination with the history of seance and spirit talking devices, Jill Tracy is honored to be part of this compelling and brilliantly researched article by Lisa Hix for Collectors Weekly. She is shown here with a rare antique spirit trumpet, part of the vast collection of spritualism expert Brandon Hodge (creator of Mysterious Planchette) in Austin.
Jill Tracy in PENTHOUSE
That’s right. Jill Tracy is a full-page spread in the Nov 2014 issue of Penthouse!
Indulge in a 4-page interview about her fascination with Philadelphia’s famed Mütter Museum—and first glimpses of her composing inside the museum after-dark.
(Pictured above with the Hyrtl Collection of 139 human skulls.)
Exquisite photos from Jill Tracy’s book/album in progress by Evi Numen.
Read the article by Christine Colby ONLINE.
Jill Tracy to present at San Francisco Death Salon
Alongside a stunning array of speakers and special guests (including mortician/author/TV host Caitlin Doughty, historian/photographer Paul Koudounaris, Morbid Curiosity editor Loren Rhoads, historian Sarah Troop, and forensic artist Melissa Cooper) Jill Tracy returns to Death Salon with spellbinding after-dark tales and music from her current project with the famed Mütter Museum.
One day only: Oct 11, 2014 at Fort Mason, San Francisco!
Jill Tracy discusses her work in progress with the Mütter Museum, her inspirations, and her affinity for the macabre with Death Salon Organizer Megan Rosenbloom.
Read the full interview HERE.
Unearthing a Vampire In Texas —
Jill Tracy and The Malcontent Orchestra LIVE with NOSFERATU
At long last. Return to The Land of Phantoms!
In collaboration with the Victoria Independent Film Festival and Victoria Bach Festival, Jill Tracy and The Malcontent Orchestra unearth the vampire, performing their acclaimed score to F.W. Murnau’s 1922 classic Nosferatu in the lovely Leo J. Welder Center October 26, 2014 in Victoria, Texas. Featuring Jill Tracy (grand piano); Randy Odell (percussion); Alexander Kort (electric violoncello); Tyler Lewis (violin.)
“Remarkable….lyrical and lovely”
SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER
“Jill Tracy has created the definitive score to Nosferatu”
LOS ANGELES TIMES
Bauhaus’ David J and Jill Tracy create dark classical version
of the band’s iconic “Bela Lugosi’s Dead”
Our dark season treat for all you immortals… Undead is Forever.
An exquisite new cinematic interpretation of the Bauhaus classic “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” from David J, one of the legendary band’s founding members, with signature post-classical piano from noir chanteuse Jill Tracy.
Featuring an excerpt from Lord Byron’s chilling vampire poem, ‘The Giaour’
Says David J: “Jill Tracy’s piano playing is magical, so sensitive and beautiful, it blows me away.”
With Ysanne Spevack on eerie antique autoharp, violin and backing vocals, Kenny Annis (contrabass) and Randy Odell (drums, percussion.)
This dark melancholic exploration was recorded live by candlelight in a single take.
Review in GENERATION BASS: “I was a little apprehensive to hear this new version (of Bela Lugosi’s Dead) but I gotta say it is pretty spectacular. It continues that same strange Bossa Nova riddim and evokes the gothic vibe and atmospherics of the original in a less raw but more cinematic way…Truly beautiful and I am in love with it all over again! I’ve had it on loop for the past 1 hour!!”
Listen and download the track HERE.
(Photo of David J and Jill Tracy by Audrey Penven. Cover art by Michael Houghton.)
Jill Tracy Interview in Gothic Beauty Magazine- Now Online!
A woman of many, many talents. Jill Tracy has spent nearly all her life channeling the melancholic and macabre to weave a sonic web as delicate as it is strong. We caught up with the enchanting artist to chat about all the delicious projects she has happening, and some of the stories behind her singular vision. — by Jessika Hulse
ARCHIVE NOW ONLINE! “The Ecstasy of Melancholy:” READ the full interview HERE, archived from Gothic Beauty Magazine Issue 41. Order a back print issue HERE featuring Jill Tracy as well as Chris Corner of IAMX, Frontline Assembly, and Edward Gorey.
(photo by Audrey Penven)
(excerpt) “One of my greatest pleasures right now is immersing myself in unusual locations laden with mysterious history, and manifesting music from my reaction to the environment. The intensity and immediacy is fascinating. I call it “spontaneous musical combustion” (as homage to “spontaneous human combustion,” and my affinity for peculiar history and science tales.) I’ve found myself conjuring the hidden score inside haunted castles, abandoned asylums, decrepit mansions, gardens, and graveyards…” —JILL TRACY
DEATH SALON Interviews Jill Tracy
(excerpt) “I was given the book The Mysterious World when I was a child and when I first opened it, there was a picture of spontaneous human combustion. I had never heard of such a thing in my life. There’s that wonderful old photograph of Dr. John Irving Bentley who suddenly burst into flame. There’s a bit of his leg, with his foot still in a slipper, his walker, and cinders everywhere. This fascinated me. I was obsessed with Alfred Hitchcock, Bernard Herrmann, Ray Bradbury, Rod Serling, Jean Cocteau. I just wanted to live in those worlds. I still do…”
Jill Tracy discusses her work in progress with the Mütter Museum, her inspirations, and her affinity for the macabre with Death Salon Organizer Megan Rosenbloom. Jill Tracy will perform live with an intriguing array of historians, artists, writers and creators in the acclaimed Death Salon. Read the full interview HERE.
“Lament for the Queen of Disks” — New Solo Piano Work
“Lament for the Queen of Disks” was inspired by an actual tarot reading given to Jill Tracy by Eden Gallanter during the creation of her Cheimonette Tarot Deck.
“The Queen of Disks is a powerful woman (like the earth-mother), who has an endless stream of inspiration, ideas, energy and beauty to give (and whose power can never be taken away or undermined.) But she is disappointed in the misuse, misunderstanding— or denial of who she is and what she has to give. A part of the Queen of Disks is not appreciated, understood, or seen— and this is what she desires most of all.”
Jill Tracy surrounded herself (and the piano) with the 78 original paintings for the tarot while she composed. Read the new BLOG “A Sonic Spell for Melancholy Souls” about the inspiration and making of this piece.
Download and support this new music, plus order your own exquisite hand-painted Cheimonette Tarot deck HERE.
How Jill Tracy turned into a Mannequin
for the Surreal Thriller “Ice Cream Ants”
The new director’s cut of Jeremy Carr’s surreal thriller Ice Cream Ants is now online! Jill Tracy plays sinister seductress Mona— and in one scene her face strangely turns into a mask— of herself. Go behind the scenes in this new BLOG and see how this unsettling shot was created, and why it ended up being Jill Tracy’s favorite memory from the film shoot with legendary Tom Noonan and Marcus Ashley. Watch Ice Cream Ants online!
A Dark and Stormy Night in New York:
Behind-the-scenes shooting “Pulling Your Insides Out”
“seductively sinister… Jill Tracy at her enigmatic best.” FANGORIA
New BLOG! Shooting the video for “Pulling Your Insides Out“ was a strange and magical affair— complete with mysterious alleyways, lightning storms, trap doors, and a late night visit from the police… Jill Tracy reveals the tale with new behind-the-scenes photos and footage.
Read it HERE.
Subscribe to the Jill Tracy YouTube Channel.
NEW BLOG—Jill Tracy’s “Parlour of Spirits:”
Secrets hidden within San Francisco’s magnificent 1909 Masonic Lodge
Hidden passageways and trapdoors… The Freemasons held their secret ceremonies and rituals in this very room, now it’s Jill Tracy’s turn to conjure some magic. Returning to one of her all time favorite locales, Jill Tracy shares the peculiar history of this lavish room, with its 32 hand-painted backdrops— with never before-seen photos of her “Haunted by the Thought of You” music video shoot…and her plans for transforming the 1909 Masonic Lodge into “The Parlour of Spirits” for Edwardian Ball 2014.
Read the BLOG HERE.
Jill Tracy on “Songs of Decadence,” limited edition vinyl
with Blixa Bargeld and Stephen O’Malley
“Jill Tracy is the ideal artist to bring the work of Przybyszewski to life.” Malört Förlag
“Songs of Decadence” — the new 7″ collectable vinyl split with the legendary Blixa Bargeld (Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Einstürzende Neubauten) and Stephen O’Malley (Sunn O)))) is now available exclusively in Sweden. An EXTREMELY LIMITED edition of autographed copies available via this website sold out in mere hours.
From the press release:
Jill Tracy has recorded a new song “The Colour of the Flame,” (Totenmesse) commissioned by Swedish publishing company Malört, to accompany their 2014 book, an homage to 19th century writer/occultist Stanislaw Przybyszewski’s gorgeously terrifying tales.
Przybyszewski was a major name in nineteenth century avant-garde circles, and was a close friend of both Edvard Munch and August Strindberg. His short stories and novels were beautiful, decadent narratives of transgression, occultism and eroticism. Malört states that “Jill Tracy is the ideal artist to bring the work of Przybyszewski to life.”
Jill Tracy has based “The Colour of the Flame” on Przybyszewski’s The Mass of the Dead.
BLIXA BARGELD: Grand Hotel Tbilisi
STEPHEN O’MALLEY: Epipsychidion
JILL TRACY: Totenmesse (The Colour of the Flame)
Elegant Alchemy:
New Jill Tracy Interview in the BAY GUARDIAN
Great new in-depth piece—“Elegant Alchemy:”
Jill Tracy interviewed by Arts Editor Cheryl Eddy of the Bay Guardian— hear stories of sudden lightning storms and late night police during the new Jeremy Carr music video shoot in New York City, chilling tales of composing inside the Mütter Museum, The Musical Seance, and more.
(excerpt) “People bring these items to The Musical Seance — we’ve had everything from cremated remains, to antlers, to a toothbrush. Swords! Haunted portraits! It’s almost like Antiques Roadshow for the Netherworld. But the one thing I’ve learned through all of this is that every object, every place, and every person has a story to tell that will break your heart.”
Read the full interview HERE.
(photo by Audrey Penven)
Jill Tracy Sees Romance in Shadows:
New Interview in SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
Jill Tracy sees Romance in Shadows: “Musician Jill Tracy has been described as a musical sorceress, evocateur, intrigante, woman of mystery, ‘dark Queen of Melancholia,’ ‘femme fatale for the thinking man….” A chat with San Francisco Chronicle’s Katharine Schwab about the lure and beauty in darkness, her love of Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone, and transporting her listeners into her “elegant netherworld.” Read the interview HERE.
(photo by Neil Girling)
“Dark Seductress Jill Tracy featured as Dexter’s “Final Requiem:”
New Article in Dark Media Online
Hailed “A femme fatale for the thinking man” by San Francisco Chronicle, and “cult darling of the Underworld” by LA Weekly, Showtime Networks sought out Jill Tracy after hearing her provocative jazz noir track “Evil Night Together” and proposed that the tune become the banner song for the Dexter Season 8 trailer.
Read the FULL ARTICLE in DARK MEDIA ONLINE.
(photo: Audrey Penven)
“The Final Symphony:” Jill Tracy becomes Dexter’s Demonic Requiem
“In a few days, The End Begins. I guess it can now officially be added to the Jill Tracy resume: Created Dexter’s Final Bloody Requiem…” Jill Tracy tells the tale behind the DEXTER trailer in a new BLOG.
“Jill Tracy’s Music Graces Haunting New DEXTER Trailer” FEARnet
“Dark music virtuoso Jill Tracy is the ominous and beautiful requiem theme” accompanying the new trailer for Showtime‘s final season of Dexter. Read the FEARnet feature and watch the trailer!
JILL TRACY featured on the new promo for Showtime’s DEXTER!
Jill Tracy’s “Evil Night Together” (from the album Diabolical Streak) was chosen by Showtime Networks as the requiem to promote the wildly anticipated final Season 8 of Dexter!
From the official Showtime press release:
“a final bloody symphony…Set against Jill Tracy’s moody “Evil Night Together,” the trailer recaps the darkest moments of the series’ past seven seasons, culminating with the shocking murder of LaGuerta (Lauren Vélez)-a murder that could very well be Dexter’s undoing, even though his sister was the one who pulled the trigger.”
“It’s like I’m conducting a final symphony,” Dexter says. “Requiem for demonic Dexter.”
Check out this new promo for Dexter: “The Final Symphony.”
To hear more of Jill Tracy’s discography, please visit the MUSIC page.
“Nobody does DARK like Jill Tracy” TV Tropes
“Jill Tracy and Dexter are a match made in an alternate heaven.”
Troy DeVolld, author/TV producer
“Finding the Phantom:” JILL TRACY talks music and monsters
with French Vampire Blog
“The closer to death, always more alluring the taboo…”
Jill Tracy chats music, film, and the allure of monsters with Adrien Party of French zine Vampirisme.
“The vampire is one of the oldest, most resilient archetypes, existing in a variety of forms in nearly every culture worldwide. Each culture’s conception of the vampire has been somewhat unique––one type of Indian vampire feeds on the livers of its victims, while a form of Japanese vampire subsists by consuming infants… For Victorian audiences, this spectre of wild sexuality, and the break with proper social behaviours, was unheard of, and terrifying. When Murnau’s Nosferatu debuted in theaters in 1922 (the first film based on the 1897 Bram Stoker novel,) people fainted in the aisles and had to be carried out of the theater!”
Read the full interview HERE.
JILL TRACY interview in Nocturne Magazine!
“On Mystery, Music, and the Mütter Museum:” Jill Tracy chats with Nocturne Magazine’s Fiona McKechnie. A great new lengthy interview with lots of photos!
“Jill Tracy is a conjuror of the enigmatic; a purveyor of the extraordinary, raconteur of dark delights, and all-around creative wonder.” This interview was originally printed as a beautiful glossy 6-page spread. We are proud to present it online for you HERE!
Musical Seance in historical LOS ANGELES mansion
of 19th Century Murderer!
On June 18, 1896, the usually jovial, soft-spoken Horace P. Dibble went to his job at the Pacific Crockery and Tinware Company. Before the day ended, he stabbed a shipping clerk to death in a violent skuffle. He lived in this odd Queen Anne style house, which is now simply known as Historical Monument 157 in Los Angeles.
Join chanteuse, pianist and storyteller Jill Tracy and violinist Paul Mercer for a very rare evening inside the Dibble House, with a full concert, tales of ghosts, and their acclaimed Musical Seance.
Hailed by LA Weekly as “the cult darling of the Underworld,” Jill Tracy’s dark cinematic elegance pairs with Mercer’s eerie improvisational style which summons the aid of various centuries-old violins and violas. Since joining forces on Halloween 2007, the duo have become widely known for their astonishing channeled duets on piano and violin. The pair affectionately refer to their collaborations as “spontaneous musical combustion.” Their uncanny ability to conjure unsettlingly lavish compositions has led to spellbinding results, transporting the room into “a musical seance.”
Audience members are asked to bring small objects of special significance, such as a photo, talisman, jewelry, toy, token. This is a very crucial part of manifesting the music. Every object holds its story, its spirit. Energy, resonance, impressions from anyone who has ever held the object, to the experiences and emotions passed through it.
The duo have conjured music in such unusual locales as abandoned asylums, caves, haunted castles, decrepit gardens, and were special guests at Anne Rice’s famed Halloween Ball in New Orleans in addition to working on film scores and touring internationally.
V. Vale of RE/Search publications hailed a Jill Tracy/Paul Mercer Seance as “Sheer magic! Perfection. Improvised… If you’re lucky enough to be there, you realize you’ve just had a hint of something extra-mortal, uber-human, transcendent – maybe the concentrated ghosts of Shakespeare’s Globe Theater or the Commedia Dell’arte of the past are swirling around the room . . .and you think that THIS is the new avant-garde: live, un-censored, living theater.”
Special guest author Colin Dickey (Cranioklepty: Grave Robbing and the Search for Genius, and Afterlives of the Saints) will discuss murderous LA tales, and the strange history of the Dibble House.
ONE NIGHT ONLY! Be part of a rare conjuring of music, magic, history, and madness.
Jill Tracy after dark at San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers
revealing “The Whispering in the Wood:” Ghosts, Violins, and the Trees that Brought Them to Life
(Jill Tracy and Paul Mercer. Photo by Libby Bulloff)
Award-winning chanteuse and performer Jill Tracy hosts another “After Dark” event at the Conservatory of Flowers, this time with her long time collaborator, and Musical Seance partner Atlanta-based violinist Paul Mercer.
Can wood remember? Did certain trees through history house spirits?
Violinist and composer Paul Mercer delights with fascinating tales of the synthesis of tree, instrument maker and violin player. Learn about the types of wood used to make various musical instruments – including tropical woods found in the Conservatory – and the role of other plant and animal compounds in making each instrument a unique creature.
Hear stories of three ancient instruments: a mysterious late 19th century violin named Daphne, a luminous late 17th century violin named Abigail, and a stunning 1820 Viola named Henryetta. All will be played during the presentation, so that you may experience their strikingly different personalities.
Mercer spent nearly five years recording improvisations on instruments that seemed to have voices of their own. The result is an eerie and beautiful trip through time, as the voices “whispering in the wood” are finally allowed to speak…
Find out how history’s great violin makers revolutionized the study of wood, and make your own conclusions about the alchemic blend of art and science that goes into creating the world’s finest instruments.
The evening will include a full concert and musical seance with Paul Mercer and Jill Tracy, with master percussionist Randy Odell– plus a rare nocturnal tour of the greenhouse. Also featuring master perfumer Emerson Hart of Nocturne Alchemy, Vice Chocolates, tarot and essential oil readings by Owl Tree Healings.
Experience the whispering in the wood…and the magic of the Conservatory after dark. Weds, Feb 27, 6pm-10pm. More info and tickets are available HERE.
JILL TRACY at the wondrous San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers
revealing “An Exploration of Fragrance and the Magical History of Perfumes”
Jill Tracy returns to the wondrous San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers to celebrate the release of her exquisite, haunting holiday CD Silver Smoke, Star of Night. And she will indulge the senses––unveiling her sumptuous collaborative fragrance line with San Francisco’s Nocturne Alchemy. Certain plants and perfumes have become an honored holiday tradition, from mistletoe and holly to frankincense and myrrh. The Magi’s gift of choice! Join us for a conversation on the magical history of fragrance with master perfumer Emerson Hart of Nocturne Alchemy and Jill Tracy.
You’ll get a chance to see and smell some of these essences in their raw form and sample many exquisite perfumes, learn their secrets, and what goes into creating the perfect concoction.
Perfumers were an integral part of the ancient Egyptian culture. Royal courtiers anointed themselves with fragrant oils, and incense and oils were burned in offering to their gods. Legend has it that Cleopatra ordered her servants to perfume the sails of her royal barge so the breezes that propelled it would also waft a gorgeous scent in its wake. Our sense of smell is tied directly and intimately to the part of our brain most involved with memory and emotion.
The evening includes a nocturnal tour of the Conservatory’s fragrant plants and full concert. CDs and perfumes available at the show! Advance tickets suggested.
Download for The October Season:
“Coronation of the Witch Queen”
A gift from Jill Tracy and violinist Paul Mercer in honor of their favorite dark season! It’s sure to be the perfect score for your haunting nights.
“Coronation of the Witch Queen” was recorded live during an actual Musical Seance session in rural Stone Mountain, Georgia. This is ABSOLUTELY LIVE, improvised, no edits, no overdubs, no fixes…you’ll even hear wood creaking, the sound of the room, the rare, chilling experience of music channeled right before you!
V. Vale of RE/Search publications hailed a Jill Tracy/Paul Mercer Seance “Sheer magic! Perfection. Improvised… If you’re lucky enough to be there, you realize you’ve just had a hint of something extra-mortal, uber-human, transcendent – maybe the concentrated ghosts of Shakespeare’s Globe Theater or the Commedia Dell’arte of the past are swirling around the room . . . and you think that THIS is the new avant-garde: live, un-censored, living theater.”
Read more about “Coronation of the Witch Queen” and download the music HERE.
New JILL TRACY BLOG posted
“Conjuring a Vampyr: with Steven Severin”
Jill Tracy discusses Carl Theodor Dreyer’s 1932 ethereal classic Vampyr, and performing alongside Siouxsie and the Banshees‘ co-founder Steven Severin, debuting his new original score to the film. Read the BLOG HERE.
Jill Tracy performs with Siouxsie and the Banshees’ Steven Severin
Legendary co-founder of Siouxsie and the Banshees, Steven Severin has invited Jill Tracy to perform a dark piano set to conjure the mood, and introduce his live filmscore to Theodor Dreyer’s classic silent “Vampyr.”
Two screenings Oct 15, 7pm and 9:30pm, Roxie Theater in San Francisco.
JILL TRACY interviewed on Why We Listen
Why We Listen host Marc Kate asked Jill Tracy to choose 3 important songs in her life and discuss them–as well as the transportive effect of music and darkness, her approach to it –and why she feels “the Soul lives in the silence”….
Listen to the full interview and music HERE.
***In addition to the Why We Listen interview, host Marc Kate spent some time talking with Jill Tracy about her music project at Philadelphia’s Mütter Museum. That interview actually became a special addendum to the episode! Listen to Jill Tracy discussing herMütter Museum project HERE.
It’s Always Night at the Bottom of the Sea: New interview with JILL TRACY
“Sensual, elegant and mysterious, Jill Tracy sings from the dark side of the music, creating beautiful and sinister pictures from past times, which she evokes through her voice and the suspense of the piano notes, as if both were taken from an Alfred Hitchcock’s black and white film.” READ the great new interview with Jill Tracy in ABSENTA MUSICAL, both English and Spanish translations here. (above photo by Audrey Penven)
JILL TRACY in NEWS MARTINI: “Jill Tracy: Living proof that the best things often lie in dark places” :
“Jill Tracy. Oh my. Having turned my back to the mainstream years ago, I felt like I had uncovered a hidden treasure when I discovered Jill Tracy. She is probably the most original singer/artist on the planet and remains the cult darling of the Underground. A place she relishes.
I won’t even begin to describe her sound because the truth is, I can’t really put a finger on it. It’s original with a capital O. Granted, her music has a way of getting in the deepest, darkest parts of your brain compelling you to want more and more. You hipsters looking for something different need to RUN not walk to any place you can listen to her.”
JILL TRACY awarded grant to compose music inside the Mütter Museum
Jill Tracy is honored to make history as the first musician to ever be awarded a grant from the Wood Institute, College of Physicians of Philadelphia to compose music inside the famed Mütter Museum, (the nation’s foremost collection of medical oddities) a series of compositions directly inspired by pieces in the collection. (Above photograph of Jill Tracy in the College of Physicians of Philadelphia by Evi Numen.)
“This is a dream come true project for me,” explains Jill Tracy. “It was vital for me to be in the presence of these long-lost souls, as I composed and recorded. I needed to immerse myself in their world. There is so much lurking here. This glorious synergy– the collection of souls together from various time periods and walks of life, most who endured extreme and rare medical conditions. I needed to be with them as I composed and make them a real part of the creation. This is my gift to them.
All of my work will be factual. I’m in the throes of extensive research at the museum, even utilizing excerpts from letters and doctors’ records. My goal is to evoke the spirit, set a mood that transports you inside just by listening.”
Read Jill Tracy’s BLOG “An Excavation of Musical Spirits,” as she discusses her inspirations and plans for composing in the Mütter Museum. Plus a fantastic in-depth interview about the project with Cristina Zuazua in Chain D.L.K. Magazine.
JILL TRACY featured on Mütter Museum’s TV Series “No Bones About It.”
Mütter Museum director Robert Hicks interviews Jill Tracy in the latest episode of “No Bones About It.” This fascinating and fun discussion covers her passion of composing music in odd and mysterious environments, the musical seance, spontaneous combustion, violet ray generators, spirits within objects, and how her artistry and the Mütter Museum are such a perfect match! CLICK HERE to WATCH THE SHOW!
JILL TRACY in concert at the legendary Mütter Museum!
That’s right! A perfect pairing: the mysterious chanteuse and the nation’s foremost collection of medical oddities. Here is the first official promo shot of Jill Tracy in the famed Mütter Museum in Philadelphia, posing with a 1923 violet ray generator! This is to promote her special live appearance at the 2012 Mütter Ball March 31 celebrating “Medicine and Electricity in the Roaring Twenties.” (Photo by Evi Numen.)
A Violet ray is an antique medical device used in electrotherapy. Their basic construction was invented by Nikola Tesla prior to 1900. Their construction usually feature a combination of a disruptive discharge coil with an interrupter to apply a high voltage, high frequency, and low current to the human body for healing, therapeutic purposes–everything from lumbago to depression–rejuvenation, and personal stimulation.
Many bizarre and fascinating electrical contraptions from the 1920s will be on display and demonstrated! You’ll be in store for a shocking experience indeed.
Not only will Jill Tracy be debuting brand new work crafted just for the event, but she will also make a big announcement onstage about her upcoming project at the Mütter Museum!
She will be performing in both rooms, so you will see her no matter what level ticket you purchase. We’re told Jill Tracy is the first contemporary musician to be invited to perform at the Mütter, so come and make history, as well as celebrate it!
CLICK HERE to view the official promo video with Jill Tracy in the Mütter Museum!
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