Novit Terminus returns with ‘Sacrifice’ EP (including ‘Bryd one Brere’ cover) – Out now
Novit Terminus
The Washington, D.C.-based dark folk / electro project Novit Terminus is back with a brand new EP, “Sacrifice”, available now on Bandcamp and other platforms. On this new EP Novit Terminus, aka Jeremy Wells, medieval- and folk-inspired EBM and futurepop sung in English, Middle English, and Latin.
The new EP features 4 tracks, 3 version of the title track “Sacrifice” and the bonus track “Bryd one Brere” (14th century).
Interesting detail, “Bryd one Brere” is the earliest surviving English secular love song with a complete lyric, dated circa 1290–1320. The song’s title translates to “Bird on a Briar,” and it is written in Middle English. The lyrics express the longing and admiration of a lover for a lady, using the metaphor of a bird on a briar to convey the beauty and pain of love.
The song’s notation was discovered on the back of a papal bull, written with a poor pen, making interpretation challenging. Notably, only the second voice, or polyphonic accompaniment, survives, leaving the primary melody missing. Scholars have attempted to reconstruct the missing voice using principles of medieval English polyphony, such as gymel and contrary motion, to perform the piece as it might have originally sounded.
About Novit Terminus
In his early 20s, Wells composed synthpop, techno, trance, and ambient music under the monikers Digital Black, 68000, and Violet Arcana. He was signed by Silent Records in San Francisco and Zoth Ommog in Germany. After stepping away from music to pursue a career in historic preservation, Wells created Novit Terminus in late 2023 “exploring the psychological dimensions of personal trauma”.
The project combines ancient European musical traditions, such as medieval and folk music, with a dark, driving electronic sound.
The project’s discography includes releases such as “Meaning in Life” (March 2024), “Take Me Down” (May 2024), and now “Sacrifice” (December 2024).
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