The Valerie Project
Drag City 2007

01. Prelude
02. Introduction
03. Torchlight
04. Grandmother
05. A Letter
06. Tree of Life
07. The Sermon
08. Eagle's Theme
09. Dungeon
10. Fire Fountain
11. The Feast
12. Dove, Pearl, Priest
13. Vampires
14. Eagle's Theme (Reprise)
15. The Crypt
16. Elsa
17. Machine Room
18. Bookshelf Serenade
19. Flower Girl
20. Blood Sacrifice
21. The Crypt (Reprise)
22. A Second Letter
23. Hedvica
24. Burned at the Stake
25. Den of Iniquity
26. An End to Enchantment
27. A Final Letter
28. Death and Rebirth
29. Reunion
30. Crib

First off, this is really not your everyday soundtrack or folk album for that matter. There are no less than 30 tracks, each consisting of a miniature song lasting between 40 seconds and 3 minutes. The music is dreamlike and ethereal. Each short vignette carries its own emotional chord and is tied to the next track by eerie strings of bells and an acid-folk-appropriate electric guitar rift.

The album is in fact based on a film, a cult Czech erotic horror movie from the 70s called 'Valerie and Her Week of Wonders' directed by Jaromil Jireš. It's a surrealist folk tale revolving around Valerie, a young girl experiencing hallucination-like dreams along with her first menstruation. Perverted monks, incestuous distant cousins, along with a healthy dose of vampires and witchcraft complete Valerie's eclectic journey.

Jireš' film, part of the Czech New Wave movement, has resurfaced and gained momentum with an almost cult-like following among folk fans worldwide. Not least of which includes a 10-person collective from Philadelphia calling themselves The Valerie Project, who created an entirely original new soundtrack as an alternative to be played with the 35mm print. The original soundtrack to 'Valerie and Her Week of Wonders' features a score by Luboš Fišer and has already become a favorite among connoisseurs. So why, one might ask, make an alternative?

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Because here's the personnel: Greg Weeks (Espers, Grass), Margie Wienk (Fern Knight) and Brooke Sietinsons (Espers, Grass), with harpist Mary Lattimore, cellist Helena Espvall (Espers), vocalist Tara Burke (Fursaxa), bassist/percussionist Jesse Sparhawk (Fern Knight, Timesbold), flautist/keyboardist Jessica Weeks (Woodwose, Grass), electronicist Charles Cohen and percussionist Jim Ayre (Fern Knight, Rake).