Can you hear the intimacy of deep friendship? You would think so, listening to the beautiful album Tragic Magic by Julianna Barwick and Mary Lattimore. The two American musicians have known each other for a long time and have separate impressive track records in classical music, indie pop, and ambient. With Lattimore’s harp and Barwick’s angelic vocals set against a backdrop of subtle synths, they create an atmosphere that could be described as dreamy and melancholic, or tragic-magical.

Barwick and Lattimore recorded their first joint album at the Philharmonie in Paris. Lattimore played various historical harps from the Musée de la Musique, while Barwick played iconic synths such as the Prophet-5. The duo wrote the track Melted Moon about the forest fires that ravaged their hometown of Los Angeles in early 2025, just before they left for Paris. In addition to their own work, Tragic Magic includes a piece written especially for them by Roger Eno and a cover of Rachel’s Song by Vangelis, known from the soundtrack of the film Blade Runner.

From April 16 – 19, the ninth edition of Minimal Music Festival will take place in Muziekgebouw and BIMHUIS. The festival explores music as a physical, transcendental experience. What inspired pioneers like La Monte Young, Terry Riley and Steve Reich resonates in the wealth of sounds and styles of adventurous makers.

Julianna Barwick keyboards/vocals, Mary Lattimore harp