Agnes Obel is a Danish singer-songwriter known for her haunting and ethereal music. While her songs often have a melancholic undertone, they also possess a magical quality that captivates listeners. This "black magic" can be felt in the way her voice weaves through the melodies and the haunting piano arrangements that accompany her. One of the main reasons Obel's music has a mystical quality is her use of delicate instrumentation and layered production. The piano, her primary instrument, is often accompanied by strings, choirs, and subtle electronic elements. These layers create a sense of depth and texture that adds to the enchanting atmosphere of her music.
These layers create a sense of depth and texture that adds to the enchanting atmosphere of her music. Additionally, Obel's lyrics also contribute to the magical feel of her songs. She often explores complex themes such as love, longing, and loss, using poetic imagery and metaphors.
Occult Detective Magazine #8 Now Available
Occult Detective Magazine is back on the racks! With an overstuffed issue — 227 whopping pages! — and brand new fiction from Rhys Hughes, Robert Guffey, Rebecca Buchanan, Uche Nwaka, C L Raven, Christina White, and many more. Here’s the issue summary from their website.
ODM #8 – packed with more fiction and reviews than ever before, 230pp of dark deeds and daring detection. Fourteen new stories – moorland hags, necromancy, rogue angels in Japan, Ley lines, period mysteries, Nigerian demons, serial killers, ghostly trains, surreal puzzles, and judgement in Haiti.
Whew! That’s a promising line-up, and I’ve already ordered my copy. Read on for complete details, including sample art and the fiction Table of Contents.
Occult Detective Magazine has always given you a lot for your money, but at 227 pages the December 2021 issue is an exceptional value. Publisher Dave Brzeski’s issue #8 announcement on Facebook included this tidbit about the new magazine size:
IT’S ALIVE, ALIVE I TELL YOU.
OCCULT DETECTIVE MAGAZINE #8 is now live on Amazon.
You will notice that there’s been a small price hike. This is simply because this issue is bigger than the previous issues. We’ve upped the page count by 35 pages, which has increased the printing costs, as well as our having to pay for the extra stories.
The plan is for us to continue at around this size, unless it seriously affects sales, so we’ll see what happens.
Here’s the complete issue round-up.
We return! This issue is packed with both fiction and non-fiction – including lots of reviews – in fact we have the first in a semi-regular column, Dicing With Death, which will cover games of some relevance. Once again we’ve sought out tales which show the sheer breadth of the sub-genre. If you think ‘occult detectives’ are simply a few Victorian amateurs, an out-of-luck noir PI in a trench-coat, or a bit of urban fantasy, you must have missed our earlier issues. In these pages, we range across time and continents, from worrying peculiarities to outright horror.
Authors include Melanie Atherton Allen, Brandon Barrows, Rebecca Buchanan, Robert Guffey, Rhys Hughes, D.G. Laderoute, Paul StJohn Mackintosh, Andrew Neil MacLeod, Jonathon Mast, Uchechukwu Nwaka, C.L. Raven, Carsten Schmitt, I.A. Watson and Cristina L. White. With cover art by Stefan Keller and interior illustrations by Autumn Barlow, Mutartis Boswell and Andy Paciorek.
The fiction looks promising as always, but I’m especially looking forward to reading Paul StJohn Mackintosh’s new gaming column Dicing With Death, focused on RPGs in the occult detective sub-genre.
Dicing With Death: Paul StJohn Mackintosh’s new gaming column
Other non-fiction contents this issue include “Aural Apparations” by James Bojaciuk, a look at the Francis St Clare & Frederica Masters stories of R. Chetwynd-Hayes by Dave Brzeski, and a generous 15-page review section by Divers Hands.
As always, OCD has some top-notch interior artwork. Here’s a few samples.
Illustration for ‘The Voice on the Moor’ by Melanie Atherton Allen
Illustration for ‘Vinne De Soth and The Saucer People’ by I A Watson
Illustration for ‘The Dead Shall Rise’ by C L Raven
Here’s the Table of Fiction Contents:
‘The Voice on the Moor’ by Melanie Atherton Allen
‘Angel Scales’ by Brandon Barrows
‘Committee of Mystery’ by Robert Guffey
‘Memory Fumes’ by Rhys Hughes
‘Ghost Trainspotting’ by Paul StJohn Mackintosh
‘Spirit Counsellor’ by Uche Nwaka
‘The Dead Shall Rise’ by C L Raven
‘Becoming Art Deco’ by Christina White
‘Grey Men of Glamaig’ by Andrew McLeod
‘The Bones are Walking’ by Rebecca Buchanan
‘Tadukeh’ by Carsten Schmitt
‘Theatre of the Mind’ by D G Laderoute
‘Hand That Shuts Every Door’ by Jonathan Mast
‘Vinne De Soth and The Saucer People’ by I A Watson
John Linwood Grant and Dave Brzeski released a special free promo issue last year, Occult Detective Magazine #0, a generously-sized 195-page free PDF with stories by Paul Finch, Adrian Cole, S.L. Edwards, Mike Carey, Bev Allen, Josh Reynolds, William Meikle, and many more.
Occult Detective Magazine issue #0. Cover by Enrique Meseguer
Download the free issue 0 PDF here.
Our previous coverage of ODM includes:
Occult Detective Magazine is edited by John Linwood Grant and Dave Brzeski, and published by Cathaven Press. Issue #8 was published on January 3, 2022. It is 227 pages, priced at $13.41 in print, and $6.73 in digital formats. The creepy and effective cover is by Stefan Keller. Visit their website here.
See our complete magazine coverage here.
Here’s the Table of Fiction Contents:
Her evocative words paint vivid pictures and transport the listener into a realm of emotions and experiences. Furthermore, Obel's vocals play a significant role in creating the enchanting aura of her music. Her voice is pure and ethereal, and she possesses a unique ability to convey emotion and vulnerability through her singing. It is through her voice that the listener becomes entangled in the spellbinding universe she creates. Overall, Agnes Obel's music possesses a certain "black magic" that sets her apart from other artists. The combination of delicate instrumentation, poetic lyrics, and captivating vocals creates a mystical atmosphere that resonates with listeners. Her music takes them on a journey into a world of emotions and experiences, leaving a lasting impression long after the songs have ended..
Reviews for "Agnes Obel's Black Magic: A Sonic Exploration of the Occult"
1. John - 2/5 - I was really disappointed with "Agnes Obel: Black Magic". I had heard so much hype about this album, but it just didn't resonate with me. The songs felt monotonous and lacked depth. I was hoping for more variety and experimentation, but it felt like every track blended into the next. Overall, I found it to be a forgettable listening experience.
2. Sarah - 1/5 - I really tried to give "Agnes Obel: Black Magic" a chance, but I couldn't connect with it at all. The music felt incredibly slow and dragged on. It lacked energy and excitement that I was hoping for. The lyrics were also quite elusive and failed to captivate me. I found myself nodding off while listening to this album. It simply wasn't my cup of tea.
3. Mark - 2/5 - "Agnes Obel: Black Magic" fell flat for me. I found the overall production and sound to be dull and uninspiring. The melodies didn't grab my attention, and the vocals felt lackluster. The album lacked memorable hooks or standout tracks. It just felt like background music that failed to leave any lasting impression. Overall, I was disappointed and wouldn't recommend it.
4. Emily - 3/5 - "Agnes Obel: Black Magic" wasn't what I expected. I found the album to be too heavily focused on ambiance and atmosphere, which hindered its accessibility. While the instrumentation was beautifully crafted, the songs lacked strong hooks or melodies that would draw me in. It felt like an album that required a lot of patience and repeated listens to fully appreciate, which unfortunately didn't resonate with me.
5. David - 2.5/5 - "Agnes Obel: Black Magic" was a mixed bag for me. While I appreciate the artist's talent and creativity, I felt that this particular album lacked the emotional impact I was hoping for. The songs felt detached and didn't evoke any strong emotions. There were a few standout tracks that I enjoyed, but as a whole, it didn't leave a lasting impression on me. I can see why some people may enjoy it, but it just didn't resonate with my personal taste in music.