At the weekend I was reading the review of Neil Young’s new release ‘Second Song’ - album of the month with a 9 star rating in the latest issue of Mojo Magazine. I decided to see if there
were any live recordings on the Dimeadozen torrent site.
None from this year so far, a name stood out while looking through the most current posts on Dime, Agnes Obel, not a first name you come across much nowadays, at least in the UK.Getting back to the job in hand I looked further back and found many shows from 2025 but before venturing down that particular path I decided to listen to the live official release from the tour, which was
released earlier this year ‘As Time Explodes’. The Chrome Hearts seem to have inspired Neil, the new songs have impressed me more than his previous work with the Promise Of The Real.
After listening to the live album I went back for a further browse of the November magazine and came across a review of an artist I’d never heard before Agnes Obel! These words caught my eye.
“If Obel’s records through the years have contained traces of Kate Bush, Anohni, the folkier side of PJ Harvey and the orchestral end of Bjork, both the title track (The Meaning Of Flowers) and
‘Gemini’ share the same territory as Tales Of Us - era Goldfrapp even if these productions are more starkly rendered.
By this time I was sold and began falling through another listening wormhole, leading me back to the torrent site to download this live radio broadcast, the quality is stunning as is the music. The instrumentation
at times is reminiscent of Tom Waits. If you like the above mentioned artists you will enjoy this.
Studio 104, Maison de la Radio & de la Musique, Paris
Recording & broadcast: 17 September 2026
Lineage: FM (France Inter) > CDWAV > FLAC > you
Total time: 54 minutes
Setlist:
01 intro Matthieu Conquet, applause
02 Laymelli*
03 talk, Agnès Obel
04 Run Cried the Crawling
05 talk MC, Agnès Obel
06 Faustian Deal*
07 Gemini*
08 talk MC, Agnès Obel
09 Never Been*
10 Blood So Red*
11 talk MC, Agnès Obel, band intro
12 Strecht Your Eyes
13 The Curse
14 interview & outro
Recorded and edited by svp, for you.
Matthieu Conquet's comments, at the end of the songs, have not been removed.
* new songs from her new album, The Meaning of Flowers, out today 18 September, 2026
LINK
REVIEW
Agnes Obel in concert at Studio 104 of Radio France
As Agnes Obel rolls out her new studio album, The Meaning of Flowers, the Danish-born artist was in Paris on Thursday, September 17, 2026, for an intimate, exclusive show at Radio France’s Studio 104. Over roughly 50 minutes, Obel treated us to a beautiful musical journey into her latest work, while also revisiting three older tracks. We were there, here’s what went down.
It paid to act fast to secure one of the invitations Radio France was giving away to attend this exclusive concert by Agnes Obel. When tickets went on sale last Thursday, September 10, the seats were snapped up in just a few minutes. It must be said that Agnes Obel is one of the leading lights to come out of the de la scène néoclassique et de la pop de chambre.
For 16 years now, this Danish-born artist based in Berlin has captivated us with a delicate, melancholic, and cinematic universe. After already releasing four studio albums, Agnes Obel returns this Friday, September 18, 2026, with a brand-new fifth record. Titled "The Meaning of Flowers", the album extends the artist's singular world, unveiling twelve tracks, including the striking single "Laymelli". With this new opus, nourished by the experience of motherhood, the singer and musician offers a fresh journey, at the crossroads of classical, chamber pop, and experimentation.
As the artist readies her new European Autumn tour, Agnes Obel was in the French capital on September 17, 2026 for a public concert that was broadcast live on France Inter. It was an opportunity to hear a handful of new songs performed live, in an exclusive preview. We were lucky enough to be at the show, and here’s our take.
For 50 minutes, in the intimate, pared-down setting of the Studio 104 de Radio France, Agnes Obel cast a spell with her new material. For this exclusive show, she chose to perform no fewer than five new songs. She opens with the beautiful single "Laymelli," standing at her keyboards, Agnes Obel wastes no time charming the audience with her deliberately altered voice, achieved through digital processing. Just as she did on the track "Familiar," the artist unveils a deep, resonant male voice, which at the end of the song leads to a haunting, yet captivating, duet with herself.
Agnes Obel then sits at the grand piano to perform the beautiful Run Cried The Crawling, from the album Aventine, before moving on to a set of new numbers, including Faustian Deal, Gemini and Never Been. These pieces are brighter, drifting away from the darker moods of her earlier work.
By nature very reserved and preferring studio recordings to the stage, Agnes Obel nevertheless made a point of addressing the audience and listeners, not forgetting to introduce her fellow musicians, already part of the last tour. On Thursday evening, we were delighted to see on stage the talented German cellist Marie-Claire Schlameus, who layered loops and also accompanied Agnes with her magnetic voice. The Danish artist was also surrounded by Japanese keyboardist Hinako Omori and Swiss drummer and percussionist Julian Sartorius, who impressed us with the finesse of his playing.
Agnes Obel kept her set flowing by delivering the sublime track "Blood So Red", a standout from this new album. To close this particularly intimate performance in style, the Danish artist chose to take us back in time with two of her signature pieces, "Stretch Your Eyes" (2016) and "The Curse" (2013). A tad short for our taste—we would have loved to stretch this beautiful, suspended moment a few minutes longer in her company. We’ll have to wait for her next tour and this stop at the Olympia in Paris in autumn 2027.
Written, published and photos by Caroline de Sortiraparis
September 18, 2026