The acclaimed Swedish composer and multi-instrumentalist Anna von Hausswolff is preparing for the launch of her sixth studio effort, titled *ICONOCLASTS*. The highly anticipated album is set for release on October 31, 2025, under the YEAR0001 label. Crafted alongside her consistent producer and creative ally, Filip Leyman, this work marks a significant evolution, fusing her characteristic gothic grandeur with an unprecedented level of crystalline sonic clarity.
The Ballad of Time and Healing
Occupying a pivotal position on the tracklist is “Aging Young Women,” a powerful collaboration recorded with the American vocalist Ethel Cain. This piece functions as a deeply moving, meditative ballad that delves into complex themes surrounding the passage of time, the weight of regret, and the journey toward emotional healing. It specifically explores the delicate threshold separating youthful optimism from the mature acceptance of life’s inevitable changes.
Reflecting on the emotional core of the song, von Hausswolff shared a striking personal insight: “Sometimes we age not in body, but in hope.”
The track’s sound design complements this introspection, built upon a foundation of echoing drums, the hushed tones of a pipe organ, and lingering guitar reverberations. This arrangement masterfully conjures a sense of expansive internal space, allowing the music to feel as if it breathes in synchronicity with the listener.
A Convergence of Creative Forces
The album’s ambition is underscored by its impressive list of contributors. In addition to Ethel Cain, *ICONOCLASTS* features appearances from rock icon Iggy Pop, the enigmatic ambient producer Abul Mogard, and Anna’s sister, Maria von Hausswolff, who is well-known for her compelling visual and sound art installations.
The inclusion of these diverse names lends the record both a cosmic scope and a grounded human dimension. It creates a striking sense of duality, suggesting a landscape where opposing forces—darkness and light—sing together in perfect harmony.
Listeners were given early glimpses into the album's thematic architecture through the previously issued singles. “Struggle With The Beast” and “Stardust” delineate the two primary conceptual poles of the forthcoming record: the fierce internal battle against one's darker impulses, juxtaposed with the profound desire to dissolve and find peace within the vastness of the cosmos.
An Inner Pilgrimage
Clocking in at a precise 72 minutes and 49 seconds, the album is described by the artist not merely as a collection of songs, but as “72 minutes of inner wandering.” While Anna von Hausswolff’s previous work was often defined by its challenging, avant-garde sonic structures, *ICONOCLASTS* adopts a noticeably more classical cadence and flow.
Despite this stylistic evolution, the music maintains the sacred, overwhelming intensity of the pipe organ, which remains her unmistakable signature instrument and source of immense sonic power. Offering a final, clarifying statement on the title's meaning, von Hausswolff explains that the term *ICONOCLASTS* should not be interpreted as an act of destruction, but rather as one of profound liberation. She concludes: “It's when you look at your darkness and see the light in it.”