Wynter Waxeth / Cold Moone

Taken from Robin Carolan’s score for Robert Eggers’ Werwulf, “Wynter Waxeth” is an original song performed by Ethel Cain in Middle English. A longtime fan of Cain’s work, Carolan began to imagine her voice within the film’s sound world after hearing Perverts, whose dark, cinematic textures felt like a natural fit. What began as a discussion about using her voice as a texture within the score soon developed into a fully fleshed out song. Through the exchange of medieval music, prayers and strange ambient recordings, Carolan and Cain found themselves instinctively aligned in their approach. With Eggers’ help, Cain mastered the Middle English pronunciation in practically a single session, bringing “so much earthy, feral, haunted beauty to the score,” says Carolan, “it’s hard to imagine it without her presence.”

This special 7” is paired with another track taken from the Werwulf soundtrack. One of the score’s more melodic and melancholy pieces, and a favorite of Carolan, “Cold Moone” offers a natural companion to “Wynter Waxeth.”