CLXIV. Joy Of Life | Enjoy / Hear The Children

JOY OF LIFE

Enjoy / Hear The Children

©Hyperium. Deutschland, 1992.

‟Joy Of Life were a London based post-punk four piece initially influenced by Joy Division and early New Order.
Their debut LP, Enjoy was released in 1985 on Death In June's New European Recording's label and produced by Douglas Pearce. At the time the band were seen as a DIJ copyist act although their sound was more conventional with considerably milder Germanic overtones.
Joy Of Life were never a neo-folk act like Death In June, but did suffer a great lack of credibility from their affiliations with the other bards of Woking.
Following flirtations with major labels, no actual recordings just presumably lots of tapes and discussion, Joy Of Life did not release the follow up album until 1988 on their own Cadre label. This was a much darker affair with Gothic overtones, though the bass line on opener Liberty sounds very familiar. The band split shortly afterwards, but have reformed several times since to play Goth Festivals in Germany.
Both albums were had very limited runs and are long deleted, though German label, Hyperium reissued them as a single CD and limited edition CD box in 1992 from which these tracks are ripped. Joy Of Life were never an important band and were never really a good band, nobody will really ever miss them, though 20 years on their output does make interesting hearing for those inquisitive enough to listen.‟

Norecordshopsleft

CXXXVIII. Eleven Shadows | In Strange Lines & Distances

ELEVEN SHADOWS

In Strange Lines & Distances

©Hyperium. Deutschland, 1994.

‟Eleven Shadows releases illustrate the stylistic flexibility and strong compositional sense of musician Ken Lee. Lee is the main personality behind the music of Eleven Shadows, although he enlists a number of other musicians to add their personal touch to various tracks. Notable are Kristin Jaeger, whose beautiful liquid voice makes the melancholy "Salve Regina" a stand-out track.

Lee has an open-minded approach to arrangement, incorporating acoustic instruments such as sitar, guitar, Japanese percussion, and tambourine with textured, sonorous electronic instruments and samples. The result is a rich, unpredictable sound, highlighted by impressive musicianship. The ultimate strength of Eleven Shadows' music is that it addresses the listener on an emotional level, creating strong atmospheres without being overly melodramatic.‟

Machine Power Magazine

CVI. Ophelia's Dream | All Beauty Is Sad

OPHELIA'S DREAM

All Beauty Is Sad

©Hyperium. Deutschland, 1997.

‟'All Beauty Is Sad' was first released on Hyperium and this most desperately searched for work is now available again. The classic style of Ophelia's Dream flourishes beautifully on this re-release. Masterful string arrangements, Heavenly Voices, sombre soundscapes create inexpressible haunting beauty for the true melancholic at heart. An attempt to investigate the relationship between beauty and sadness. This dark, mysterious and captivating masterpiece falls somewhere between Arvo Pärt, Dead Can Dance and the solo works of Tony Wakeford (Sol Invictus). All tracks have been digitally remastered. Heavenly voices and neo-classical with a feeling of an honest, eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation with Death, or laughter in the face of Death. Goth in its purest and darkest sense.‟

Projekt.com

 

XCVII. Stoa | Urthona

STOA

Urthona

©Hyperium. Deutschland, 1993.

‟La agrupación germana Stoa fue fundada en 1991. Olaf Parusel (compositor y arreglista) se encontraba en la búsqueda de una nueva forma de compaginar su música y pensamientos filosóficos. Encontró entonces en Conny Levrow una voz idónea para comenzar su proyecto.

Olaf Parusel (líder de la agrupación), en su niñez fue miembro del Stadtsinge-Chor Halle, el coro más antiguo del mundo. Después él tomaría parte en distintos proyectos y agrupaciones musicales e incluso componiendo para la televisión germana. En la actualidad además de continuar con su destacada agrupación Stoa, Olaf estudia musicología y filosofía.

Conny Levrow toca el violín desde hace más de 10 años y ha tenido presentaciones de concierto con muchas orquestas. Ha cantado en algunos coros de música clásica y también como solista. Conny esta familiarizada con compositores barrocos y románticos como Georg F. Handel, Edward Grieg y Pergolesi por mencionar algunos.

En 1997 Conny se separa de Stoa para continuar con su carrera como solista en el ámbito de la música clásica. Una nueva voz se integra a esta agrupación, Antje Buchheiser, portadora de un hermoso e intenso timbre. Ella, además de tocar el violín desde hace más de 11 años, canta en el coro "Hallenser Madrigalisten". Antje se ha presentado interpretando música clásica tanto en Alemania, como en Japón y Cuba.

También integrando la alineación de STOA desde 1996, se encuentra la cellista Christiane Fischer, quien además funge como segunda voz en sus presentaciones en vivo.‟

Ankou Erlik

LXXXVII. Love Is Colder Than Death | Mental Traveller

LOVE IS COLDER THAN DEATH

Mental Traveller

©Hyperium. Deutschland, 1992.

‟The 90s were a great decade for genres like goth, dark wave and ethereal. In that time goth music wasn't so distorted and commercial as it is today, full of supergroups that care more about their hideous headbanger look than the music as itself.

The 90s saw the rise and fall of the best goth label ever existed, the Hyperium Records, from Germany. Love Is Colder Than Death was one of the most important bands of their cast.

"Mental Traveler" is Love Is Colder Than Death's darkest album, with intrincated arrangements of electronics, chords and percussion, and themes like religion, mythology and emotional conflicts.

There are memorable songs, like "Fiorina" and "Veronensis" that explore medieval sound textures, or "Down and Out" and "The Bronx of Life", that tends more to the electronic beats of EBM.

The vocals are relayed between Susann Heinrich, Maik Hartung and Ralf Donis, but the best songs were sung by Susann, whose voice is a standart for the so called "heavenly voices".

This record is probably the best of the group, made before Susann quit. After this incident, the band changed their musical path to a more "new age" related style.‟

dElicio

LXXIX. Die Form | L'Âme Électrique

 

DIE FORM

L'Âme Électrique

©Hyperium. Deutschland, 1995.

‟Sounds great real loud or low enough to sleep too. I must warn you though: If you play this at nite while you sleep, the music & Elaine's voice will creep up under your flesh and contort your dreams into the dark realms of extascy and bliss....maybe, Then again you may find yourself in a 16th century dungeon just before the executioner chops off your head with an axe ....you never know?
I see myself buying many more Die Forms CD's in the near future. If I had to describe them I would say: A cross between Skinny Puppy/Thrill Kill Kult & Dead Can Dance/Enigma, maybe a touch of Frontline Assembly? Most Definately a Worthy addition to my collection. I know now why I can never find D.F. cd's in the used bin... either nobody in their right mind would ever get rid of them, or they just get snatched up quick ??? Oh well Some bands I dont mind paying full price for....PIG, M.Manson, NIN, Ministry, KMFDM, System of a Down, etc.
Hauntingly beautiful music,if you by chance think your house has a ghost floating around in it then I dont recommend listening to this by yourself, at night, alone, in the dark.‟  

Magadogx13

IX. Die Form | Suspiria De Profundis

DIE FORM

Suspiria De Profundis

©Hyperium. Deutschland, 1994.

‟Originating way back in the early Eighties. Philippe Fichot's Die Form project overtly brought the issue of sex into music. The use of extreme graphics, often using his partner Eliane in the role of agent provocateur, brings forth all the images of inspiration from the likes of De Sade, Lautrearnont and Bataille. The music itself falls onto many levels, both signaling commercial electronic attitudes and soundtrack material, the latter of course being perfect for those sado-masochistic tendencies. But, it's the openness of Die Form which I find most appealing. No other band has dealt with, what the general public would regard as perverted issues so well, certainly none using electro-pop material to convey their personal thoughts and expressions.
Knowing that the musical side of Die Form isn't actually influenced by any other music, excepting the odd Coil track and some classical music, I wanted to get to the crux of what makes the band perform. They definitely don't fit into any current trends, and for that matter never have done. Philippe is here to let us into the heart of the band.


"Die Form is the theater of multi-forms and multi-media emotions: so the music/images evolve with our life, our sensibility, our passions, beyond the reason. We are not so influenced by scenes, because we are living isolated in the country without contacts, except during performances/tours. Most of our creations are introspective constructions, very intimate, not motivated by the fashions..." This fact is abundantly clear, as although the band grew from the days when real electronic industrial roots were firmly being planted, they could never be categorised along with the Nurse With wounds, Test Departments, nor the Portion Control's of the world.


Die Form is more than music and Philippe points out, "The sound and the image are total complements (music, noises, photographies, films, performances...). We work with extreme emotions like sexuality and death, as powerful inspiration. These are personal incursions, but as well matter of next communication/exchange with our public..." And not feeling disadvantaged by allowing himself not to be hooked up with any scene, he's not chained to providing one type of stimulus. "By chance, or intuitively, we create exactly as we love... No compromise!"

After about twelve releases (and that doesn't include cassettes) Die Form signed to Hyperium, a label clearly with more power to get their output to a much wider audience. Have they tried to change your attitudes in any way, and have they actually helped you become more successful? "With Hyperium/Hypnobeat, we have the possibilities to work freely on all our projects and the assurance that all will come out in good conditions (except for the Elektrode CD, on which many design problems have damaged the initial form and concept). The sales increase gradually (not so much!) but we can live with our creations only, since about 5 years... The public is more larger than before, very curious and attentive, with more girls and young people." Hmm, perverting the youth of today, eh? Can only be good for them!‟

dieform.net

II. Love Is Colder Than Death | Teignmouth

LOVE IS COLDER THAN DEATH

Teignmouth

© Hyperium. Deutschland, 1991.

‟Love Is Colder Than Death (LICTD) is the closest I have heard to Dead Can Dance. Their music is a blend of ethereal and electro-dark-wave delivered by the "heavenly voice" of Susann Heinrich on most tracks. Several songs on their first two albums are performed by Ralf Donis. But the corner stone of the group is Maik Hartung, founder of the band, guitarist and keyboardist. The first two albums, Teignmouth and Mental Traveller include each a set of 7 or 8 songs performed by Susann Heinrich, and bear a close resemblance to Lisa Gerrard's work with Dead Can Dance. The remaining songs on the album are performed by Ralf Donis and are not dissimilar to the Clan of Xymox, and Born For Bliss dark-wave style. On Oxeia -their third album-, Susann is the only vocalist. Ralf Donis and Sven Mertens are replaced by Andy Porter on Drums and Keyboards. Oxeia's more organic sounds fall in the category of Cocteau Twinsish music.

In 1995, Susann and now husband Andy Porter call it quits leaving Maik with the dilemma of reforming the band. After a four year 'creative pause', LICTD re-surface with Ralf and Sven back in the line-up, along with the new female singer Manuela. Their 1999 album Atopos utilizes traditional exotic instruments from the middle-east and the far-east, deliviring modern world music very comparable to DCD's last album Spiritchaser.

All of LICTD albums are strongly recommended...they're one of my highly rated discoveries‟

Said Sukkarieh