Dark folk, stripped bare: PTOLEMEA gets intimate with ‘The Antfarm Session’

Less noise, more soul! Luxembourg dark alternative doom rocker Priscila Da Costa with her creation PTOLEMEA revisits six tracks from the album ‘Kali’ in a hauntingly intimate acoustic session, out on 6 November.

PTOLEMEA has stripped away layers of sound, turned down the volume and left a voice, an acoustic guitar and a whole lot of emotion do the talking. The result is The Antfarm Session – the new release from Luxembourg’s dark folk artist.

Created by singer-songwriter Priscila Da Costa, PTOLEMEA is no stranger to exploring the shadows. Since emerging in 2018, the project has blended dark, atmospheric sounds with themes of spirituality, transformation and the eternal tug-of-war between darkness and light. But this time, Priscila is taking a different route: rather than turning up the sonic intensity, she’s stripping things back to their bare essentials.

Out on 6 November via Portuguese label Ragingplanet, The Antfarm Session features six acoustic reinterpretations of songs from PTOLEMEA’s second album, Kali, released in 2025. Recorded live at Antfarm Studio in Denmark, the session was captured, mixed and mastered by acclaimed producer Tue Madsen, known for his work with heavyweights including Moonspell, The Haunted and Sirenia. “Tue Madsen came to see me perform during my European tour with Sangre de Muerdago and invited me to record my acoustic set at Antfarm Studio," Priscila explained. "Everything happened naturally. We recorded almost every song in one take, capturing the raw, intimate and vulnerable essence of the performance.”

Here, it’s just Priscila’s voice and acoustic guitar, giving these already emotionally charged songs room to breathe. The result promises a more vulnerable, soulful side of PTOLEMEA, where fragility meets strength and the darkness leaves a little more space for hope.

Priscila was delighted by the results of the recording.“Working with Tue Madsen was such a simple and inspiring experience. He created the perfect conditions for me to just play and sing, without overthinking anything. By the end of the session, we both had the same thought: the next Ptolemea album has to be recorded at Antfarm Studio with Tue!”

Six songs, a whole new atmosphere

The six-track release features ‘Gaivota’, ‘Aqui, Ali, Acolá’, ‘Guilhotina’, ‘Breathe’, ‘Kura’ and ‘Kali’. Familiar territory for fans of the original album, perhaps, but don't expect a simple unplugged greatest-hits exercise. By peeling away the elaborate arrangements, Priscila reveals the raw, dark folk heart beating beneath Kali’s atmospheric layers.

The first taste of this stripped-back transformation came with a live session video for ‘Aqui, Ali, Acolá’. It’s a chance to experience PTOLEMEA in a more exposed setting, with Priscila’s expressive vocals taking centre stage.

A quiet moment before the next storm?

For Priscila, The Antfarm Session is more than an acoustic detour. It offers a different perspective on the songs of Kali while opening a window onto the next chapter of PTOLEMEA’s musical journey.

The collaboration with Madsen will continue, with a new full-length PTOLEMEA studio album planned for recording in summer 2027.

Sometimes, the most powerful way to make yourself heard is to strip everything back and let the emotion speak. On 6 November, PTOLEMEA invites listeners to do just that.

‘The Antfarm Session’ is released via Ragingplanet and is available digitally on Spotify, (above) and on CD. It is already available on BandCamp.

For more information about PTOLEMEA visit the official website, Instagram, and Instabio