Anna Buchegger

ALBUM: “slipstream”

Mystical sounds mingle with soft, electronic beats and Buchegger’s distinctive vocals, which are deliberately performed in the broad dialect of the Salzburg dialect. In twelve chapters, she tells of growing up and maturing in her native Innergebirg and combines the different philosophies of life between province and city in the lyrics. It is about breaking down prejudices, tearing down invisible borders and the desire to refute common stereotypes in order to proclaim a cultural and human coexistence. The thought-provoking opener “Fish” deals with the all-encompassing topic of care from a family perspective and tackles the subject from unusual angles. Where are the thanks and recognition for the aunts, cousins and grandmothers on whose shoulders heavy burdens lie
? And is it okay to secretly hope for death, because the spirit has long since left the dying person’s frail human shell?

Buchegger confronts existential questions and current issues, which she carves out of her own observations and experiences in order to bring them closer to the general public. In “Kim vorbei” the artist yodels to psychedelic vibes, in “Sches Lem” she ventures a final crescendo with punk appeal, in the title track “Windschatten” liturgical sounds draw a gentle electronic cloak over the body of the song: “I wü all deine Narben und deine Kanten segngen, i möcht mei Hand auf deine Falten legen. I want to bless your weakest faces, I want to stand in your slipstream”. The Salzburg native consciously pleads for the uncomfortable sides of human relationships. “You always try to show your best side in life and that often gives you a lot of advantages in life. But the exciting stories are to be found elsewhere. You find them in the ugly sides that everyone tries to hide as much as possible. It takes a lot of effort to show your ugly side and own up to it.” Buchegger ploughs through the nature and culture of her native Abtenau with a playful naturalness. The song “Lackschuh”, for example, addresses the rugged physicality of everyday life in Tennengau with a sombre melody. Calluses on the hands, torn skin, work on the land. An image that is also conveyed by “Deine Händ”, in which the artist mixes the yodeling element with a futuristic Kate Bush aesthetic and builds a lyrical monument to her father. “Zvü” tells of terrible experiences and superficial assessments of patriarchy that women still have to deal with in the cultural sphere. The very intimate song “Zaun” (“Fence”), presented with a strikingly foregrounded vocal
, is about impaired children and the fact that society reacts to them with little empathy and patience. A history lesson that stirs the emotions and makes you think.

On “Windschatten”, Buchegger deliberately tackles the edgier, uncomfortable topics that are often swept under the carpet in public. She doesn’t mince her words and digs deep into those areas that people like to ignore in everyday life and push aside
. The short but all the more succinct “Vaterland” (Fatherland) focuses on particularly uncomfortable character traits. It is not a reckoning with the homeland, but a profound and well argued criticism of abusive alcoholic behavior, unhealthy patriotic group dynamics and the sham morality of deeply rooted, unquestioned Catholicism. “Our fatherland kneels in front of the altar, shakes hands and makes a mess, that’s the way it has to be in the fatherland”. We ourselves are responsible for the deeds in our lives: “There is no God who takes away your guilt”. Self-responsibility, local color and emancipation with Salzburg yodeling, alpine dulcimer and a new, inclusive folk culture – this makes “Windschatten” a completely new chapter in the local musical landscape. A chapter that likes to take the difficult path.