Molly Raben - In the Kingdom of Flowers LP

Stream or download at Bandcamp. Also available: a limited edition lathe cut 7" of Molly Raben's project Mary Grace.

In the Kingdom of Flowers is the debut LP from Minneapolis-based organist and experimental musician Molly Raben, released in July 2025 on Pennsylvania label Love’s Devotee. A breathtaking set of solo organ improvisations, the album showcases Raben’s technical prowess; her deep examination of the mechanics, history and social context of the instrument; and her knack for crafting melodically and harmonically rich music that is as listenable as it is exploratory. Across the album’s five pieces, Raben probes the mechanics of the organ while employing sonic techniques that bring to mind the hypnotic minimalism of early Terry Riley, the ecstatic resonance of Charlemagne Palestine, or the unpredictable melodic runs of Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou. Alan Sparhawk of Low has called Molly Raben’s music “immediately captivating and engaging,” and In the Kingdom of Flowers—her first major release—makes this clear to the curious listener from the first note.

A longtime church organist, Molly Raben has spent years both inhabiting and investigating the instrument, its musical and physical spatiality, its utility and the limitless capabilities it holds. “Angel Pathway Garden Procession,” the album’s opener, instantaneously immerses the listener in a sonic world that ebbs and flows along the track’s undulating sixteen-minute runtime (the entire Side A of the vinyl). The second side of the album seems to alternate between dreamlike experimental pieces—notably those exploring dissonance and textural sound—and passages that delve into tradition, history and ritual. If I can switch to the first person for a moment: there are passages of this record that surprised and astounded me, as well as one that literally made me laugh out loud—that is no small feat for a set of instrumental “experimental” music.

Molly Raben has previously self-released a cassette (a collaborative set with Leonard King) and a lathe cut 7” under the name Mary Grace. She has collaborated with numerous musicians in the Minneapolis area and beyond, and has appeared on releases by Cole Pulice and The Minneapolis Uranium Club. In the Kingdom of Flowers is her first album-length release and shows that her diligent work has borne sonically delicious fruit. The album art was designed by Los Angeles-based artist Hannah E. Brown, whose meticulously-crafted works in graphite, mechanical pencil and collage provide a counterpoint to the vivid colors of the organ’s full sound spectrum. Love’s Devotee is overjoyed to bring this album to the ears of adventurous listeners, both as a black vinyl LP and digital release.