Style: Modern Neoclassical, Neo Folk, Ambient. Similar artists: Bel Canto, Cocteau Twins, Eden. Recording year: 4AD, 1987.
With its two sides split between Perry and Gerrard's vocal efforts, Within the Realm of a Dying Sun serves as both a display for the ever more ambitious band and a chance for the two to individually demonstrate their awesome talents. Beginning with the portentous "Anywhere Out of the World," a piece that takes the deep atmospherics of "Enigma of the Absolute" to a higher level with mysterious, chiming bells, simple but effective keyboard bass and a sense of vast space, the album finds Dead Can Dance on a steady roll. Once again a range of assistant musicians provide even more elegance and power to the band's work, with a chamber string quartet plus various performers on horns, woodwind, and percussion. Impressive though the remainder of the first side is, Gerrard's showcase on the second half is even more enveloping and arguably more successful. The martial combination of drums and horns that start "Dawn of the Iconoclast" call to mind everything from Wagner to Laibach, but Gerrard's unearthly alto, at its most compelling here, elevates it even higher. "Cantara" is no less impressive, a swirling, drum-heavy song that sounds equally inspired by gypsy dancing, classical orchestras and any number of Arab musical traditions. "Summoning of the Muse" is perhaps too formal in comparison, though still quite impressive, but "Persephone" is the finer effort and a good way to close.
Genere: Pop/Rock.
Style: Alternative, Indie, Post Punk.
Similar artists: Breathless, Curve, Dif Juz.
Recording year: 4AD, 1983.
A group whose distinctly ethereal and gossamer sound virtually defined the enigmatic image of the record label 4AD, Cocteau Twins were founded in Grangemouth, Scotland, in 1979. Taking their name from an obscure song from fellow Scots Simple Minds, the Cocteaus were originally formed by guitarist Robin Guthrie and bassist Will Heggie and later rounded out by Guthrie's girlfriend Elizabeth Fraser, an utterly unique performer whose swooping, operatic vocals relied less on any recognizable language than on the subjective sounds and textures of verbalized emotions.
In 1982, the trio signed to 4AD, the arty British label then best known as the home of the Birthday Party, whose members helped the Cocteaus win a contract. The group debuted with Garlands, which offered an embryonic taste of their rapidly developing, atmospheric sound, crafted around Guthrie's creative use of distorted guitars, tape loops, and echo boxes and anchored in Heggie's rhythmic bass as well as an omnipresent Roland 808 drum machine. Shortly after the release of the Peppermint Pig EP, Heggie left the group, and Guthrie and Fraser cut 1983's Head Over Heels as a duo; nonetheless, the album largely perfected the Cocteaus' gauzy formula, and established the foundation from which the group would continue to work for the duration of its career.
Head Over Heels. The album introduces a variety of different shadings and approaches to the incipient Cocteaus sound, pointing the band towards the exultant, elegant beauty of later releases. Opening number "When Mama Was Moth" demonstrates the new musical range nicely; Fraser's singing is much more upfront, while Guthrie creates a bewitching mix of dark guitar notes and sparkling keyboard tones, with percussion echoing in the background. Other songs, like the sax-accompanied "Five Ten Fiftyfold" and "The Tinderbox (Of a Heart)" reflect the more elaborate musical melancholy of the group, while still other cuts are downright sprightly. "Multifoiled" in particular is a charm, a jazzily-arranged number that lets Fraser do a bit of scatting (a perfect avenue for her lyrical approach!), while "In the Gold Dust Rush" mixes acoustic guitar drama into Fraser's swooping singing. Perhaps the two strongest numbers of all are: "Sugar Hiccup," mixing the mock choir effect the band would use elsewhere with both a lovely guitar line and singing; and "Musette and Drums," a massive, powerful collision of Guthrie's guitar at its loudest and most powerful and Fraser's singing at its most intense.
Genere: Pop/Rock.
Style: Experimental Rock, Dream Pop, Indie Rock .
Similar artists: Throwing Muses, Belly, Red House Painters.
Recording year: 4AD, 1990.
His Name Is Alive formed when multi-instrumentalist/producer Warren Defever (also of shockabilly group Elvis Hitler) was still in high school. Defever, former schoolmate Karin Oliver (vocals), and drummer Damian Lang released self-produced cassettes of their music, one of which made its way to Ivo Watts-Russell, founder of the pioneering art label 4AD. Intrigued with His Name Is Alive's blend of spectral vocals, poetic lyrics, and textural guitars, Watts signed the band.
The group recorded its first release for the label, Livonia, in Defever's home studio. The album features Oliver's shivery vocals along with tape loops, samples, and guitar blasts, for a noise-damaged, ethereal collection of songs about ghosts, reincarnation, and dreams.
Livonia, is the group's artiest, most explicitly experimental release. It's also the most haphazard, in terms of musical success; the affecting ("If July," "Fossil") sits next to the affected ("You and I Have Seizures," "Reincarnation"). Even at its most contrived, however, Livonia features the elements the group used later to create their distinctive style: Karin Oliver's shimmery, ghostly voice and Warren Defever's open-minded production. Defever commented later that he saw himself as an avant-garde composer during the Livonia period; the album's found sounds, tape loops, and samples do give it an artsy and occasionally precious patina. At its best, Livonia explores death, dreams, and spirituality with transcendent music and lyrics. At its worst, it's an ambitious debut, introducing a creative, aspiring band.
Genere: Rock/Pop Style: Goth, Dark WaveSimilar artists: Crüxshadows, The Cure, Medicine
Recording year : 4AD, 1986.
Clan of Xymox have been in the unfortunate position of always being compared to other bands since their inception. Whether it's the Cure or Joy Division, Clan of Xymox have never been able to shake off the similarities to their influences. Nevertheless, the group has produced an impressive body of work that consistently absorbed new sounds while remaining faithful to the '80s goth rock menu.
Clan of Xymox were formed in Nijmegen, Netherlands, in 1983 by Ronny Moorings (vocals, guitar) and Anka Wolbert (bass, vocals). A year later, Moorings and Wolbert moved to Amsterdam, releasing the LP Subsequent Pleasures as Xymox. (The album was limited to 500 copies.) Xymox then became the opening act for Dead Can Dance in England. The band's presence on Dead Can Dance's U.K. tour caught the interest of 4AD Records, and the label eventually signed them. A year later, Xymox lengthened their name to Clan of Xymox and recorded a self-titled album in 1985, followed by Medusa the next year.
Clan of Xymox's second full album (not counting the rudimentary debut EP) is a distinct improvement on the Dutch band's earlier work, and indeed is probably the group's career high point. However, the band's fatal flaws remain clear throughout the album: although these songs are superficially attractive in a goth-dance sort of way, there's little in the way of depth or substance here, and on closer listen, one realizes that the best parts of these songs sounded even better when they appeared on earlier albums by Depeche Mode, Xmal Deutschland, Propaganda, and Bauhaus. The album's high point by far is the proto-acid house "Michelle," which has the dreamy neo-psychedelic textures of Psychic TV's "Godstar" or mid-period Siouxsie and the Banshees.
Similar Artists: The Clientele, Pelle Carlberg, Shout Out Louds.
Recording Year: 4AD, 2009.
The Scottish ensemble Camera Obscura formed in 1996, when vocalist Tracyanne Campbell, percussionist John Henderson, bassist Gavin Dunbar, and guitarist David Skirving began creating lush indie pop with orchestral flourishes and romantic lyrics. They went on to release a number of singles, one of which included contributions from Belle & Sebastian's Richard Colburn, whose band served as a stylistic touchstone for the young Camera Obscura. Three years after the band's first releases, Lee Thompson joined the lineup as a permanent drummer and David Skirving jumped ship, only to be replaced by Kenny McKeeve. Keyboardist Lindsey Boyd also climbed aboard not long afterward, defining the band as a six-piece.
Camera Obscura received an influential endorsement from John Peel in 2001, when the British DJ deemed them one of the most promising bands of the year. Their first full-length album, Biggest Bluest Hi-Fi, was released the following year through the AndMoreSound Records catalog, with production help from Belle & Sebastian's Stuart Murdoch. Trumpeter and percussionist Nigel Baile joined the band soon afterward, swelling their ranks to seven. The group's next effort, the luminescent Underachievers Please Try Harder, was released by Spanish label Elefant in 2003; an American release followed in 2004 by the stalwart label Merge, which also reissued Biggest Bluest Hi-Fi. For the band's third John Peel session in early 2004, they were asked to put music to the words of Scottish poet Robert Burns, a task they enjoyed so much they ended up recording studio versions of two of the songs: "I Love My Jean" and "Red, Red Rose."
After touring the world and reaping critical success, the band returned to Scotland and suffered two losses: first, the death of Peel, one of their biggest supporters; second, the defection of John Henderson. The band released the I Love My Jean single as a tribute to the late Peel in early 2005 and decamped as a six-piece to Sweden to record with noted producer Jari Haapalainen. The resulting album, Let's Get Out of This Country, was released in June of 2006 on Merge and Elefant. A series of singles and EPs followed, culminating in the release of 2009's full-length My Maudlin Career.
A group whose distinctly ethereal and gossamer sound virtually defined the enigmatic image of the record label 4AD, Cocteau Twins were founded in Grangemouth, Scotland, in 1979. Taking their name from an obscure song from fellow Scots Simple Minds, the Cocteaus were originally formed by guitarist Robin Guthrie and bassist Will Heggie and later rounded out by Guthrie's girlfriend Elizabeth Fraser, an utterly unique performer whose swooping, operatic vocals relied less on any recognizable language than on the subjective sounds and textures of verbalized emotions.
In 1982, the trio signed to 4AD, the arty British label then best known as the home of the Birthday Party, whose members helped the Cocteaus win a contract. The group debuted with Garlands, which offered an embryonic taste of their rapidly developing, atmospheric sound, crafted around Guthrie's creative use of distorted guitars, tape loops, and echo boxes and anchored in Heggie's rhythmic bass as well as an omnipresent Roland 808 drum machine. Shortly after the release of the Peppermint Pig EP, Heggie left the group, and Guthrie and Fraser cut 1983's Head Over Heels as a duo; nonetheless, the album largely perfected the Cocteaus' gauzy formula, and established the foundation from which the group would continue to work for the duration of its career.
In late 1983, ex-Drowning Craze bassist Simon Raymonde joined the band to record the EP The Spangle Maker; as time wore on, Raymonde became an increasingly essential component of Cocteau Twins, gradually assuming an active role as a writer, arranger, and producer. With their lineup firmly solidified, they issued The Spangle Maker, followed by the LP Treasure, their most mature and consistent work yet. A burst of creativity followed, as the Twins issued three separate EPs — Aikea-Guinea, Tiny Dynamine, and Echoes in a Shallow Bay — in 1985, trailed a year later by the acoustic Victorialand album, the Love's Easy Tears EP, and The Moon and the Melodies, a collaborative effort with minimalist composer Harold Budd.
The immediate follow-up to Treasure didn't match the effortless heights of that album, but still came darn close throughout, providing another brief, affecting precis of the trio at its best. The title track became another well-deserved Twins standard, a deceptively simple bass/guitar/drum combination driving away at its core, while Fraser sings beautifully over it all, matched by a swirl of Guthrie's production touches (piano, mock choir, and so forth). "Kookaburra" follows squarely in the path of faster Cocteaus tracks as "Because of Whirl-Jack," though here Fraser's vocals are more sweet and less dramatically piercing. Guthrie's guitar takes center stage here, starting the track with echoing swirls leading into the main riff. "Quisquose" puts piano up front as main accompaniment for one of Fraser's more adventurous vocals, mixing a high main lyric with a more free form performance set against it, calling to mind the slightly similar contrast in vocal takes on "Lorelei." The instrumental "Rococo" ends the EP with style, a quiet bass/percussion opening leading into one of Guthrie's trademark fusions of feedback, volume, and heavily-produced beauty. Raymonde's bass stands out strongly throughout as well, a fine combination.
4AD is a British independent record label that was started in 1979 by Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent, funded by Beggars Banquet Records, and is still active today. It now forms part of the Beggars Group, along with Matador Records, Rough Trade Records and XL Recordings.
Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent, employees of the Beggars Banquet record store and label, founded Axis Records in late 1979 as a property of Beggars Banquet that was run by the two. After the first four Axis singles in early 1980, the name was changed to 4AD when it became apparent that the name Axis was already being used by another music company. The solution to this problem came from a promotional flyer that they had printed up to call attention to the new releases. The flyer's designer had added some typography which played on both the new year and the idea of progress:
1980 FORWARD 1980 FWD 1984 AD 4AD
Quickly scrambling for a new name, Ivo glanced at the flyer and suggested "4AD." Peter Kent agreed, and, with that split-second decision, 4AD was born.
An initial idea for the label was that it would be a "testing ground" for Beggars Banquet; successful acts would graduate up to Beggars Banquet after a year at 4AD. The only band to follow this path would be Bauhaus, who were signed to Beggars Banquet in late 1980 right before Ivo and Peter purchased the label outright.
The two were the sole owners for about a year. Kent sold his share to Watts-Russell at the end of 1981, and started a new Beggars Banquet subsidiary, Situation Two Records. Watts-Russell would maintain ownership of the label, and act as its president, until the late 1990s.
Watts-Russell invited the graphic designer Vaughan Oliver to create sleeve art for the label, and as a result, 4AD quickly acquired a visually distinctive identity. Its artists, like Cocteau Twins and Dead Can Dance, developed substantial cult followings in the mid-1980s, but 4AD continued to evolve, and, after signing Throwing Muses and Pixies, the label increasingly concentrated on underground American rock music. In 1987, 4AD had a UK number one hit with the collaged "Pump up the Volume" by M/A/R/R/S.
In the 1990s, 4AD established an office in Los Angeles and enjoyed success with bands such as The Breeders, Red House Painters, Unrest, and His Name Is Alive. In 1999, Watts-Russell sold his share in 4AD back to the Beggars Group (as it had by then become), but the label continued to release music and add new artists to its roster.
Although fans will greatly debate the exact year the "classic 4AD" period ends, a popular theory places the end with the release of the final Cocteau Twins 4AD album in 1990. Still, 1991 saw the final Throwing Muses album with Tanya Donelly (The Real Ramona, CAD 1002), the final This Mortal Coil album (Blood, DAD 1005), His Name Is Alive's Home Is in Your Head (CAD 1013), and the Pixies' Trompe le Monde (CAD 1014), all of which are generally considered to be "classic 4AD."
Even in 1992, new signings like Belly and Red House Painters produced records which are also considered amongst the classic era of 4AD. However, the label's deal with Warner Bros. Records in the United States in 1992 would start the beginning of a truly new phase in 4AD history. By 1995, whatever remnants of the "classic era" that were left were dying out, as evidenced by the final 4AD release for Red House Painters (Ocean Beach, CAD 5005), and the last albums and break-ups of Belly and The Wolfgang Press. New signings that year included American underground acts Kendra Smith, Tarnation, Air Miami and The Amps.
In 2008, the Beggars Group recognized that 4AD was its most prestigious and successful label, and re-aligned itself so that several labels (including Beggars Banquet itself) were folded up on to the 4AD label. Bands like Stereolab and The National were signed to 4AD as a part of this merger.
Artistas similares: Wolfgang Press. Heaven 17, MAARS
Año de grabación : 4AD, 2001.
Colourbox were an English electronic musical group on the 4AD record label in the 1980s. They attempted an electronically-tinged reggae and soul influenced pop music, constrained by the technology they had access to at the time. They released a number of records from 1982 until 1987. The band was formed by the brothers Martyn and Steve Young, with guest singers until Lorita Grahame joined as a permanent member in 1983.
The first release - a four track mini-album simply titled "Colourbox" released in 1983 - displayed the band's fledgling experimental sound - with pop tunes fractured and distorted out of shape by all manner of cut-and-paste tomfoolery. After a handful of singles, a full album followed in 1985 - also titled "Colourbox" - which further refined the band's diverse palette, mixing sample-splattered power-punk instrumentals with elegaic piano pieces ("Just Give 'Em Whiskey" and "Sleepwalker" respectively), commercial pop ("The Moon Is Blue", "Suspicion") and more reggae and soul covers (U-Roy's "Say You" and The Supremes' "You Keep Me Hanging On"). It was to remain the band's only proper album.
However, for a brief time Martyn Young's name would still appear as a producer credit on records by acts as diverse as The Christians and fellow label-mates The Wolfgang Press, whilst former singer Lorita Grahame was last seen gracing vocal duties on a record released by short-lived One Little Indian act Hit The Floor (a cover of Edwin Starr's late-70s disco smash "Contact"). Since then, very little has been heard from any of the members from the camp save for a brief return to promotional duties for Martyn Young in 2001 to oversee the release of the rather disappointing and anything-but-fully-representative "The Best Of Colourbox 82-87".
Género: Alternative Rock, Ambient pop, Post - Punk
Artistas similares: Dead can dance, X-mal Deutschland, Dif juz
Año de grabación: 4AD, 1986
Cocteau Twins fue una banda New Wave, originaria de Grangemouth, Escocia, que hizo música durante las dos últimas décadas del siglo XX (1982-1996). Dentro de los terrenos de la música punk y la New Wave, en el sub-genero Dark Wave; y en especial fueron los creadores y los líderes del género conocido como Dream Pop. Su sonido único (causado en parte por las innovadoras texturas del guitarrista Robin Guthrie y la voz y la técnica única sin apenas precedentes de Elizabeth Fraser) hizo que fueran una de las bandas más originales de su época.
Las primeras actuaciones en vivo de Cocteau Twins fueron teloneando a The Birthday Party y Modern English. En esta época se nota en escena, una clara influencia del Punk.
El disco que en esta ocasión te presentamos en FOH es una obra en colaboración de Cocteau Twins con el tecladista / compositor Harold Budd (ex colaborador de Brian Eno), en ella se nota claramente la influencia de ambos sonidos.
Disfrútenlo.
Cocteau Twins was a New Wave band, original from Grangemouth, Scotland, that made music during the two last decades of the XX century (1982-1996). Within the lands of punk and the New Wave music, in the Dark Wave subgenus; and they were the creators and the leaders of the sort of music known like Dream Pop. Its unique sound (partly caused by the innovating textures of the guitarist Robin Guthrie and the voice and the unique technique without hardly precedents of Elizabeth Fraser) caused that they were one of the most original bands of his time.
The first live performances of Cocteau Twins went opening concerts to bands like The Birthday Party and Modern English. At this time note in scene, a clear influence of the Punk.
The record that in this occasion we presented to you in FOH is a work in collaboration of Cocteau Twins with the piano player and composer Harold Budd (ex- collaborator of Brian Eno), in their work notices clearly the influence of both sounds.
Lonely is an Eyesore, es la compilación más conocida de la disquera independiente británica 4AD, realizada en junio de 1987. Originalmente estuvo disponible en LP, CD y cassette, y en una edición limitada en una cada de madera que contenía todos los formatos. Una compilación de los videos en VHS también estuvieron incluidos.
Incluye varios de los artistas más importantes de la disquera, entre los que se encuentra: Dead Can Dance (con dos cortes, 'Frontier' y 'The Protagonist), Throwing Muses ('Fish'), Cocteau Twins ('Crushed'), This Mortal Coil y Clan Of Xymox ('Acid, bitter and sad' y 'Muscoviet Musquito', respectivamente), entre otros.
Sin más que decir, una joya de una de las mejores disqueras que definió el concepto "Underground".
Artistas similares: Bel canto, Nick cave, Cocteau twins
Ningún blog de Gótico y anexas que se precie de presentar lo más represntativo del género está completo si no incluye en su selección alguna producción de los -maestrazos- Dead Can Dance.
Es una banda compuesta por Lisa Gerrard (contraalto) y Brendan Perry (contralto), creada en Melbourne, Australia en 1981. Para finales de ese mismo año migraron a Inglaterra donde firmaron contrato para grabar su primera producción con la compañía de independiente 4AD, que como ya hemos comentado en este espacio, fué muy importante para la escena alternativa.
Asignarle un género musical a DCD es muy difícil ya que su estilo es particularmente ecléctico. Sin embargo se le ha llegado a colocar como una mezcla de alternative rock y etnic fusion, y eso dependiendo la producción. Por ejemplo, en el disco 'The Serpent's Egg' el grupo emplea instrumentos antiguos de varias partes del mundo como base primaria, y en conjunción con la voz de Gerrard (denominada Glosolalia) dejan plasmado un estilo muy particular y único hasta el momento (aunque hay muchas bandas con el estilo, se basan en el legado de este grupo).
Los siguientes tres álbumes se centran en música neoclásica, etérea y world music muy pegado al gótico.
'Memento' es la última compilación realizada por el grupo en el año de 2005 (a partir de la versión en disco doble en 2003) en el cual se incluyen tanto éxitos del grupo en el mercado norteamericano, como cortes previamente sin editar en un solo cd, como es el caso de la canción 'The Lotus Eaters', la cual fue la última canción que compuso el grupo antes de separarse.
Género: Alternative/Ambient Rock Artistas similares: Dark star, Mojave 3, Acetone
The Hope Blister fué una banda ambient fundada por el creador y productor de la disquera inglesa 4AD Ivo Watts-Russell, la cual marcó un hito en cuanto a la música independiente de los 80's se refiere.
Ahí grabaron varios de los grupos que años después serían influencia de muchos, como Dead Can Dance, Cocteau Twins, Cindy Talk, The Birthday Party, Pixies y un largo número de etcéteras.
El debut de The Hope Blister en 1998, fué con el disco -....Smiles OK- incluyendo 8 canciones de varios artistas, como Brian Eno ("Spider and I"), John Cale ("Hanky Panky Nohow"), David Sylvian ("Let The Happiness In"), Heidi Berry ("Only Human") y Mojave 3's Neil Halstead ("Dagger").
Para todos los que gustan de un disco realmente experimental y con buena producción, este disco debe estar en tu colección.
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