White Hinterland – Phylactery Factory on vinyl LP. 2008 Dead Oceans debut, Casey Dienel's art pop. Ships from Germany.
About Phylactery Factory
A vinyl pressing of the 2008 debut album under the White Hinterland moniker, the project of singer-songwriter Casey Dienel, released via the respected indie label Dead Oceans.
Phylactery Factory is the debut album released under the White Hinterland name, by American singer-songwriter Casey Dienel, released on 4 March 2008 via Dead Oceans and produced by Adam Selzer. Following Dienel’s well received 2006 solo debut Wind-Up Canary, the album marked a deliberate expansion of her sound, filling out her dynamic piano playing and rollicking narratives with a fuller band and richer sonic palette. This listing is a vinyl LP pressing from a Berlin based eBay seller.
- Who is Casey Dienel / White Hinterland
- About Phylactery Factory
- Critical reception
- Pressing details and buying advice
In Brief
- Artist White Hinterland is the recording project of American singer-songwriter Casey Dienel, from Scituate, Massachusetts.
- Release Phylactery Factory came out on 4 March 2008 via Dead Oceans, produced by Adam Selzer, the first album under the White Hinterland name.
- Sound Dreamy, jazz-inflected art pop built around Dienel’s piano playing, drawing comparisons to Laura Nyro, Joni Mitchell and Alice Coltrane.
- Meaning A phylactery refers to tefillin worn by devout Jews, described by the label as a prayer in a box, a fitting metaphor for the album’s themes of dreams and memory.
- Later note Dienel later found herself in a widely reported copyright lawsuit against Justin Bieber and Skrillex over a vocal loop sample.
White Hinterland – Phylactery Factory (LP, Album)
Vinyl LP, Dead Oceans
Vinyl LP pressing of Phylactery Factory, sold by a Berlin based eBay seller with 100% positive feedback.
Pressing Specifications
Who Is Casey Dienel / White Hinterland?
Casey Dienel began writing pop songs at 14, having started piano lessons at just four years old, growing up in Scituate, Massachusetts. Their debut solo album Wind-Up Canary, released via Hush Records in 2006 when Dienel was only 20, drew praise for its vibrant, accomplished songwriting, described as feeling like little Salinger vignettes. In January 2008, Dienel announced a deliberate change in direction, retiring the Casey Dienel name in favour of the new White Hinterland moniker, coinciding with the announcement of Phylactery Factory.
About Phylactery Factory
Produced by Adam Selzer at Type Foundry studio, Phylactery Factory expanded considerably on Dienel's earlier solo sound, trading the more contained arrangements of Wind-Up Canary for a fuller band and richer sonic palette befitting her dynamic piano playing and narrative songwriting. Across nine tracks including The Destruction Of The Art Deco House, Dreaming Of The Plum Trees and Napoleon At Waterloo, the album's dreamy, jazz-inflected atmosphere drew reviewer comparisons to Laura Nyro, Joni Mitchell, John Cage and Alice Coltrane. The album's title refers to phylacteries, the tefillin worn by devout Jews on the head and arm, described by the label as a prayer knotted into place, a fitting emblem for a record filled with dreams, memories and warnings rather than the more straightforwardly biographical songwriting of Dienel's debut. White Hinterland would go on to release a well received follow-up, Kairos, in 2010, before Dienel later found themselves embroiled in a widely publicised copyright infringement lawsuit against Justin Bieber and Skrillex over an alleged unauthorised vocal loop sample.
Critical Reception
- From respected indie tastemaker label Dead Oceans
- A deliberate, ambitious sonic expansion from Dienel’s earlier solo work
- Distinctive, dreamy jazz-pop atmosphere drawing on rich influences
- An interesting historical curiosity given Dienel’s later legal battle with Justin Bieber and Skrillex
- Received somewhat mixed reviews at the time, including a lower Pitchfork score
- Some listeners found the songwriting felt distant compared to Dienel’s more direct debut
- Niche appeal outside art pop and jazz-inflected indie collectors
What is Phylactery Factory by White Hinterland?
It is the 2008 debut album under the White Hinterland name, the project of singer-songwriter Casey Dienel, released via Dead Oceans.
Who is Casey Dienel?
An American singer-songwriter who recorded a well received solo debut, Wind-Up Canary, before adopting the White Hinterland moniker for this album.
What does the album title mean?
A phylactery refers to the tefillin worn by devout Jews, a small box containing scripture bound to the head and arm during prayer.
Is Casey Dienel connected to any notable legal cases?
Yes, Dienel later filed a widely reported copyright infringement lawsuit against Justin Bieber and Skrillex over an alleged unauthorised vocal loop sample.
Does this listing ship outside Germany?
The seller is based in Berlin and lists a fixed shipping cost; check the current listing for up to date international shipping options and rates.
Where To Buy This Pressing
Worth The Spin?
- A dreamy, jazz-inflected art pop debut from a respected indie label
- Marks a deliberate sonic expansion from Casey Dienel's earlier solo work
- Best suited to fans of jazz-influenced art pop and Dead Oceans releases
Phylactery Factory captures an ambitious, formative moment in Casey Dienel’s evolving career, and this listing offers a vinyl pressing from a highly rated German seller.