EF – Give Me Beauty... Or Give Me Death! (20th Anniversary)

Architects of European post-rock, EF, announce the 20th anniversary reissue of their debut album Give Me Beauty… Or Give Me Death! on Pelagic Records, November 28, 2025.

Long regarded as singular architects within European post-rock, EF have built a catalogue defined by dynamic patience, melodic clarity, and widescreen emotional reach. Across two decades of touring, the Gothenburg ensemble have carried that language to clubs and theatres at home and abroad, earning a reputation for meticulous, high-impact live shows and a body of work that has steadily gathered critical regard and a devoted international following.

In 2025, EF and Pelagic Records mark a double milestone: the 20th anniversary of Give Me Beauty… or Give Me Death! and Pelagic Records’ 300th release. Reimagined and with expanded production, this edition is a considered re-engagement with the material that first crystallised EF’s voice. The band returns to these songs with the benefit of twenty years’ craft, presenting new arrangements that stretch time and deepen narrative, while retaining the quiet-to-catharsis arc that has always set their music apart.

“Since it’s our precious first born we wanted to give it the love it surely deserves. We felt we didn’t want to celebrate its big 20th birthday by just remastering it and we surely didn’t want to make the songs too modern and unrecognisable for the old fans. We wanted to give it a tighter, more dramatic and bombastic makeover… a gentle touch of today’s EF.” — Niklas Åström

Originally released in 2006, Give Me Beauty… or Give Me Death! introduced EF’s signature blend of cinematic guitars, patient dynamics, and aching melody. For this new edition—featuring an incredible cover illustration by Phillip Janta and the brand-new bonus track Noll—the band returned to the material with fresh ears and clear intentions: to open more space in the arrangements and to enrich the melodic lines with orchestral colour.

“When we recorded the originals back in 2005 we didn’t know much about arrangements nor did we know many musicians playing strings or brass. We also didn’t have enough money to rent a studio for more than three days, which forced us to rock and record all the songs live with minimum retakes. The add-ons were later done in Daniel’s apartment with a shitty microphone and you can hear someone doing dishes in the kitchen and the trams running by outside.

This time we had money saved up and time to hang out in the studio to play around, arrange and track properly, but also to bring in professional musicians to fulfil our musical vision. It was intended 20 years ago but we couldn’t get it done.” — Niklas

The compositions now open further, allowing phrases to breathe and themes to unfold with greater intention. Brass and strings thread through the arrangements to widen the harmonic field and intensify the music’s gravitational pull. Guitar architectures are voiced with more restraint and consequence; percussion serves the songs whilst retaining the backbone. Dynamics have been sculpted with greater nuance—crescendos unwind more slowly, and motifs develop with discipline, small gestures accruing significance until the inevitable release—the swell of post-rock roars in which we find EF’s lyricism within a larger, orchestral-adjacent palette.

“We’ve of course learned a lot about each other. How people behave or act in different settings and times of the day. We’ve learned to listen to what the songs really need and what we can skip. All three guitars don’t have to play at the same time. It doesn’t have to be a drum beat on every part of the song. Less can be more—and that’s very important for the dynamics.” — Niklas

Production is central to this revisit. Working with the perspective that only longevity affords, EF have re-recorded and refined with a fidelity that reveals the music’s inner geometry. The result is depth—literal and emotional—that reframes familiar material without diluting its intent. Songs once known adopt a new gait: crescendos bloom with additional overtones, stark passages carry more air, and intimate textures sit closer to the skin.

“Our very own Daniel (Juline) has been responsible for writing the arrangements and together with our live member János (Alexander Madaras) they’ve made up what’s possible to add and how to do most of it. All songs have grown a lot just by using more strings and brass. The biggest change from the original is that we’ve recorded with a click, making it tight. And since digitalisation is so much more powerful now, we can do retakes and edit wherever we want and feel is needed.” — Niklas

For Pelagic Records, release number 300 is both a celebration and a statement of intent—an affirmation that the label’s long-game approach to curation continues to reward artists who value evolution. For EF, this release closes a circle while drawing a new one around where they are now: seasoned, sonically expansive, and unafraid to reinvent and elevate.

“We’re all grown up now, but we’re emo kids at heart. The EF story is mainly about being friends—or a family—sticking together. Our songs are about broken hearts, hopeful changes, seasons changing and the moods we experience with that, mental illness. We’ve never had any agenda with EF. We’ve never used the band to spread political views or messages to affect people. We’ve wanted to keep EF as a musical outlet that hopefully touches some emotional strings in people.” — Niklas

Give Me Beauty… or Give Me Death! (20th Anniversary Edition) is a document of growth rendered with care—more instrumentation, more time, more consequence. The album is an act of stewardship: both a homage and a forward-looking manifesto for EF and for discerning listeners everywhere.

Track Listing:
1. Ett
2. Misinfom the uninformed
3. Noll
4. Hello Scotland
5. Final Touch/Hidden Agenda
6. He came, he stayed, he fell
7. Tomorrow my friend…
8. …we’ll meet in the end

Release date: November 28, 2025

Record Label: Pelagic Records