Marianne Nowottny | Jesus-in-a-Jiffy/ Sequin Serenade

Description

“Released in August 1999 on white vinyl Jesus-in-a-Jiffy (b/w “Sequin Serenade”) is an early experimental 7″ single by outsider avant-pop musician Marianne Nowottny. Recorded when Nowottny was just 16 years old, the two-track release captures her distinct blend of eerie theatricality, discordant instrumentation, and unconventional vocal styling. Title is four-minute avant-garde retelling of the Nativity story. Layering spoken word over a cyclic backdrop of discordant keyboards, bells, and eccentric percussion, the track plays like a fractured, off-kilter children’s record before wrapping up with the nonchalant closing line, “Jesus-in-a-Jiffy for you.” The flip is a dramatic, cabaret-influenced piece bookended by fragments of “Auld Lang Syne.” Nowottny drops into a deep, theatrical vocal register accompanied by dense, wandering piano clusters and drone-like organ textures, resulting in a moody contrast to the A-side. A striking artifact of late-’90s underground art-rock, showcasing Nowottny’s fearless approach to pop-adjacent modernism at a remarkably young age.” Cover and insert painted by the artist.

Track Listing

1. Jesus-in-a-Jiffy (4:02)
2. Sequin Serenade (4:10)