The Magnetic Fields

A gifted songwriter with a theatrical passion, Stephin Merrit has been one of pop's great conceptual artists for 30 years. With his band The Magnetic Fields, he released twelve albums, many of which have become classics; such as 1999's nearly three-hour »69 Love Songs« or 2017's »50 Song Memoir,« an album with a song for each year of Merrit's life. The composer, occasional theater maker, multi-instrumentalist and singer with the distinctive bass is a sensitive observer of the interpersonal and also covers a wide range of emotions with his lyrics, from subtle irony to biting sarcasm. »Quickies«, the now released twelfth album of the Magnetic Fields, is a miniature pop wonderland of songs from 17 seconds length (eloquent: »Death Pact (Let's Make A)«) to 2:35 minutes (the Shaker anthem »Come Life Shaker Life«). The title »Quickies« refers not only to the format of the 28 song miniatures, but also to their content: in the short bursts of lyrics and melodies Stephin Merrit sketches dreams, longings, erotic fantasies and desires. Having last played Kampnagel 10 years ago, he now presents his new songs live in the reduced set up, for which the musician suffering from an acoustic hypersensitivity is also famous.