Agnes Obel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Agnes Obel
Obel performing in 2020
Background information
Birth name	Agnes Caroline Thaarup Obel
Born	(1980-10-28) 28 October 1980 (age 44) Copenhagen, Denmark
Origin	Berlin, Germany
Genres	Chamber pop neo-classical jazz
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter musician
Instruments	Vocals, piano
Years active	1990–present
Labels	PIAS Recordings Deutsche Grammophon Universal Classics
Children	1

Agnes Caroline Thaarup Obel (born on October 28, 1980) is a Danish singer, songwriter, and musician. She lives in Berlin, Germany.

Agnes Obel is known for her beautiful and unique music. Her songs often feature her voice and piano, creating a special sound. She writes, plays, sings, and produces her own music.

Her first album, Philharmonics, came out in 2010. It was very successful and won many awards. Her second album, Aventine (2013), also did well in many countries.

In 2016, she released her third album, Citizen of Glass. This album was praised by music critics and won an award. Her fourth album, Myopia, was released in 2020.

Early Life

Agnes Obel was born in Gentofte, Copenhagen, Denmark. She was born on October 28, 1980. She has a younger brother named Holger.

Her father loved to collect interesting objects and musical instruments. Her mother played the piano at home. Agnes started playing the piano when she was very young. She was allowed to play whatever music she liked.

She found inspiration in the music of Jan Johansson. His songs mixed European folk tunes with jazz, which influenced her.

In 1990, when she was ten, Agnes joined a small band. She was the singer and played bass guitar. They performed at a festival. In 1994, she had a small role in a short film. Her brother played the main character in the movie.

She went to a free school called Det frie Gymnasium. There, she could play a lot of music. However, she left school early. She met a man who ran a music studio. She decided to learn about sound techniques instead of continuing her studies.

Career

2008–2010: Philharmonics

Agnes Obel released her first album, Philharmonics, in 2010. She did everything herself for this album. She wrote the songs, played the instruments, sang, recorded, and produced it.

She said that simple melodies always attracted her. She also mentioned that the piano and her singing are equally important to her music. She feels that music is the best way for her to express herself.

Most songs on Philharmonics were her own. She also covered "Close Watch" by John Cale. Another cover was "Katie Cruel," a traditional folk song. She also sang "Between The Bars" by Elliott Smith in a live album. She also sang "The Christmas Song" with Tom Smith from the band Editors.

Obel at the Cirque Royal, Brussels (2011)

Critics liked Philharmonics. One reviewer said her songs were "slow, sombre, sepulchral even, but not without a sense of occasionally singular beauty". Another called it "disarming purity". Many found her voice beautiful and her music calming.

The album was also a big success. In June 2011, it became gold in Belgium. This means it sold 10,000 copies. In February 2011, her album was nominated for an award. Her song "Riverside" won an award for Best Song of the year 2011.

In October 2011, Agnes Obel won a European Border Breakers Award. This award celebrates new European artists. In November 2011, she won five prizes at the Danish Music Awards. She won Best Album, Best Pop Release, Best Debut Artist, Best Female Artist, and Best Songwriter.

2011–2014: Aventine

Agnes Obel started working on her second album in 2011. She said she began writing new instrumental pieces. These songs mostly featured just the piano. She found it harder to write lyrics at that time.

In January 2013, she began mixing her new album. On June 20, 2013, she announced that her new album, Aventine, would be released on September 30, 2013.

She explained that she recorded everything very closely for Aventine. She used microphones close to her voice and the piano. This made the music sound very personal and intimate. She could create big soundscapes with just a few instruments.

She performed at the iTunes UK Festival in London in September 2013. Critics praised Aventine for its "fascinating collection of remarkable pieces". They also noted her "dazzling voice".

In October 2014, a special deluxe edition of Aventine was released. This version included three new songs. It also had a remix of her song "Fuel to Fire" by the famous director David Lynch. He said he loved remixing it and found her voice beautiful and unique.

In October 2014, Agnes Obel performed for the first time at L'Olympia in Paris.

2015–2017: Citizen of Glass

While on tour in 2014, Agnes Obel started thinking about her third album. She wanted to use fewer pianos and more old keyboards. She looked for new instruments to create different sounds. She planned to work with instruments like the spinet and harpsichord.

In June 2015, she began recording the new album. She worked with new musicians for the string parts.

Obel (piano), Charlotte Danhier (cello), Sophie Bayet (violin) at Würzburg, Germany (2014)

In June 2016, she released the first song from the album, called "Familiar". She recorded, produced, and mixed the song herself. Her husband, Alex Brüel Flagstad, directed the music video. One reviewer noted that she expanded her musical style. They said the song had a strong rhythm and her voice was "strangely moved".

For this album, she used violins, cellos, harpsichords, a spinet, and a celesta. She also used a very rare electronic instrument from the 1930s called a Trautonium.

In September 2016, she released another song, "Golden Green". This song is about how we sometimes think other people's lives are better than ours. Critics said it was a perfect classic pop song.

In October 2016, her album Citizen of Glass was released. A French newspaper called it a "sumptuous, odd and modern album". They said it confirmed Agnes Obel as an important pop artist.

Citizen of Glass received very good reviews from critics. It also won the IMPALA Album of the Year Award in 2016. This award celebrates the best album released on an independent European label.

2018-2020: Late Night Tales and Myopia

In February 2018, Agnes Obel signed with Deutsche Grammophon, a famous record label. This meant her music would reach even more people. The label's president said they were impressed by her unique way of creating music.

In May 2018, Agnes Obel put together a special album called Late Night Tales: Agnes Obel. For this album, she chose songs by many different artists. It included music by Nina Simone, Henry Mancini, and others.

She also added new songs and different versions of her own music. One new song was "Bee Dance". She also made a new version of the Danish song "Glemmer Du". She recorded it to sound old and re-recorded. She said this was to play with the feeling of remembering and lost time.

On October 29, 2019, Agnes Obel announced her next album, Myopia. She also released a new song called "Island of Doom". The album came out on February 21, 2020. For this album, she worked alone to avoid outside influences.

She explained that "Island of Doom" is about the difficulty of understanding when someone close to you dies. The song features her on piano, vocals, and keys. It has a calm tone with sweet music and strong singing.

Agnes Obel said that Myopia is about trust and doubt. It asks if you can trust yourself and your own feelings.

On January 7, 2020, she released the song "Broken Sleep." The music video was made by her partner, Alex Brüel Flagstad. Critics said her singing was beautiful and easy.

One journalist described Myopia as an exploration of the human mind. Another said the songs were "meticulously pretty and faintly unnerving".

In June 2020, Agnes Obel showed her Berlin studio in a video for the first time. She usually works alone there, mostly at night.

2021-2022: Further career

In December 2021, it was announced that Agnes Obel would perform at the 2022 Rock Altitude Festival. This music festival is held in Le Locle, Switzerland. She performed on August 13, 2022.

Agnes Obel is also working on music for a clinic in Denmark. This music is for depression treatment. She said that we don't fully understand our minds. She also said we don't understand why music affects us so strongly. She sees this as part of the puzzle of understanding our brains.

Artistry

Obel at Les Nuits Secrètes (2014)

Musical style

Agnes Obel creates music that is often described as mysterious and from another world. It mixes neo-classical, jazz, and chamber pop styles. Her music is also called "poised and haunting". It features beautiful harmonies, rich sounds, and a touch of sadness. She uses "gothic violins", "cello pizzicatos", and electronic instruments. This creates a feeling of closeness in her music.

Influences

Agnes Obel is influenced by many artists. These include singer Roy Orbison. She also likes French composers like Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, and Erik Satie.

She is also inspired by writer Edgar Allan Poe. She likes photographers Sibylle Bergemann, Robert Mapplethorpe, and Tina Modotti. Director Alfred Hitchcock is another influence. She loves his mysterious style and simple beauty. The cover of her first album was a tribute to Hitchcock's movie The Birds.

Agnes Obel also admires experimental filmmaker Maya Deren. She sometimes tests her music ideas with Deren's films. She is a big fan of Nina Simone. She loves how Simone's vocals seem to come from nowhere. Besides classical music, she listens to artists like Mort Garson and The Smiths.

In February 2017, Agnes Obel performed "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen. This was a tribute to him at an awards show.

Personal life

Agnes Obel met Alex Brüel Flagstad when they were both 13 years old. They started dating ten years later. In 2006, they moved to Berlin. Alex Flagstad is a photographer and animation artist. He directed the music videos for some of her songs. They have a daughter together.

Agnes Obel has mentioned that she sometimes has trouble sleeping when she is writing songs. She has also said that she is not religious.

Discography

Studio albums

Compilations

Awards and nominations

See also

In Spanish: Agnes Obel para niños