The new heavenly voices/ethereal release from Clan of Xymox label Pandaimonium - Boudoir present their debut release "Currency Of The Soul" (following an extremely well received debut track on Pandaimonium's limited sampler "Songs of Pain" last year) Comprising of female singer Ala Sharon and Jesus Complex mastermind & Clan Of Xymox sound engineer Damon Fries, Boudoir offer dark, moody songs influenced by the likes of DEAD CAN DANCE, COCTEAU TWINS, CRANES, MY BLOODY VALENTINE and SLOWDIVE, but with more electronics, samples and synth textures complementing the ethereal, soaring, echoed vocals and dreamy, swirling guitars layers. The songs revolve around themes of lust, sorrow and alienation with the music permeated with a sad melencholy style...."an exquisite release for those into top quality ethereal, gothic music with a melodic and beautiful edge". Out now on Pandaimonium Records!
Formed
in Amsterdam in 1984, Clan of Xymox became one of the mainstays of the
4AD label. Along with label mates such as Cocteau Twins and Dead Can Dance
the Clan's dark electro-gothic approach to music quickly became the benchmark
by which all other bands to follow were judged. Prior to their 4AD days,
Clan of Xymox released "Subsequent Pleasures" on their own label
in a limited run of 500 vinyl copies. Their self titled debut, released
in 1985 on 4AD, was highlighted by the club classics "A Day"
and "Stranger". In 1987, the band was included on 4AD's popular
"Lonely as an Eyesore" compilation with "Muscoviet Musquito",
as well as releasing their darker follow-up CD, "Medusa" and
the 12 inch "A Million Things".
In 1988, Clan of Xymox changed labels, moving to Wing, a subsidiary of
PolyGram, and shortened their name to Xymox. Modifying their sound to
appeal to a larger audience, their 1989 debut record for Wing, "Twist
of Shadow", sold in excess of 300,000 copies. Following up the album
was three extremely successful 12 inches: "Obsession", "Imagination",
and "Blind Hearts". "Phoenix" followed two years later,
but without the same clout as their three predecessor albums.
After leaving Wing in the early nineties, Xymox became the sole signing
to the independent label, Zok Records. They released four recordings,
primarily in the dance genre: "Metamorphosis", "Headclouds",
one remix CD, and they re-released "Subsequent Pleasures".
In 1997, the band reclaimed their original name, Clan of Xymox, and began
the work of reclaiming their original sound and glory. "Hidden Faces",
produced by Dave Allen (of Sisters fame) and John Rivers (of Love and
Rockets note) hearkened back to the 4AD years, and although it did not
completely regain the power of their initial sound, it was clearly the
best work they had done since "Medusa". This release was followed
by a number of American and European dates, including co-headlining the
Zillo and Leipzig festivals in Germany. In relation to these intriguing
live shows, Pandemonium records released two singles "Out of the
Rain" and "This World" which rose to the top 10 in the
German Independent Charts.
In 1999, Clan of Xymox signed on with Metropolis Records, and delivered
"Creatures" to a public that had been waiting for the true follow-up
to 1985's "Clan of Xymox" album for 14 years. "Creatures"
not only captures the sound of their amazing debut (which has also been
reissued in 1999 along with "Medusa"), but infuses it with the
dark rock and Gothic guitar styles of such masterful bands as Andrew Eldritch's
Sisters of Mercy.
In 2000 Clan of Xymox continued with "Live", a double live CD
which featured nineteen tracks and two QuickTime videos. All of the tracks
were recorded during their Central and South American tour in 1999, and
could almost be considered a best of. And at the same time re-issued the
ever increasingly hard to find Subsequent Pleasures EP featuring many
obscure pre-4AD demos, as well as a new single, "Liberty," followed.
In 2001 "Notes from the Underground" was released . It combined
haunting yet atmospheric synth lines with dark rhythms, powerful beats
and lively guitar strumming to yield a release based on agony and anguish
caused by being disconnected from society. Soon a double REMIX CD was
released the year after titled simply" Remixes from the Underground",
featuring the mixing talents of Front 242, Assemblage23, In Strict Confidence,
Iris, and many more.
Clan of Xymox spent the two years following Notes from the Underground
to work on their next record, “Farewell,” which was released
in 2003. Farewell yielded club-friendly songs sitting comfortably along
side moody atmospheric tracks to create a hybrid which can only remotely
be described as Dark Goth Electro. The basic theme that runs through Farewell
is about leaving everything behind and going away, which can be exhibited
through the lyrics that tell the sad and bitter tales of love and relationships.
In the mid eighties, Clan of Xymox helped define the very beginning of
the electro-gothic movement. Relive the greatness of the past with their
newest release ( September 2004 ) simply titled, The Best of Clan of Xymox.
In the words of Ronny Moorings, “…The most difficult task was
to pick the best of songs…but with the help of our fans who voted
for their favorite songs on-line we finally got the resulting tracks…
Whilst listening to the final running order as listed here I just got
swept from period to period, remembering all kind of people and situations.
I am sure you too will have memories with certain tracks, so all I want
to say to you now is: cherish your moments in life!”
Also note that Glaufx (GLAUFX is an OWL in the Greek language ) Garland has done 9 solo art exibitions, 5 Multi-media art exibitions (Video art, music, Projections, Theater, Dance etc.), Music for short films, published 18 books with poems ( in Greece G. Garland is also known as one of the new cursed dark Greek poets ) and short stories about 30 releases on CDs, TAPEs or LPs with various other projects and many many more things around any kind of art most of them sold out.
Their style of music is best described as R'N'R Nightmarish Electronic Body Music meets Hard Noise Industrial. Why? Because they combine R'N'R rhythm & grooves with hard industrial & noisy sounds, hard-distorted bass & guitar, doom / black vocals and Hard Trance melodies.
The recording career started with the release of their debut album “Unknown Master Save Us & Gently Sin” on their own label Capp.
Their first live experiences were as support act to bands such as Clan Of Xymox and Covenant in their hometown.
Members: G. Garland, Him and Kvoidxe
Set: Electronics, Vocals, Bass Guitar, Guitars
People Dark Runner likes are:
Antonin Artaud, A. Rimbaud, Bauhaus, Brian Eno, Clan Of Xymox, Cocteau Twins, Cramps, David Bowie, Drowning Pool, E. A. Poe, Exploited, Front242, H. P. Lovecraft, Iggy Pop, J. Carpenter, Japan, Marilyn Manson, Ministry, R. Scott, Residents, Roxy Music, Slipknot, Tuxedomoon.
JESUS COMPLEX
is the electro-industrial project of Damon Fries, guitarist in BOUDOIR
and live soundman of pioneering electronic group CLAN OF XYMOX . Originally
from San Francisco, Damon moved to Amsterdam, The Netherlands in 1998
to escape the "extremity and hypocrisy of American culture".
JESUS COMPLEX is heavy, dark, haunting, angry, vindictive electronic music.
Inspired by horror, heartbreak, death, despair and revenge, the first
album, "I WOKE UP DEAD", is a collection of 10 sinister anthems
for dark, moody, pessimistic souls, a toxic blend of heavy dancefloor
darkness, distorted, tortured vocals and haunting, gothic atmospheres.
The album was released in March, 2003 on prestigious Pandaimonium Records
in Europe via Ronny Moorings Stichting Xymox Control label. Ronny, in
fact, can be heard as guest vocalist on the track, "Lost In Sleep".
A week before the album release, JESUS COMPLEX gave its premiere live
performance at the GOTHAM Festival in Amsterdam to a packed room with
an enthusiastic response and hope to bring their live show to other countries
in Europe later this year. In May 2003, after 2 weeks as a "bullet",
the album entered the DAC Deutsches Alternative Charts and remained for
several weeks, peaking at number 7, quite an accomplishment for a new
group.
Some time in
Israel, early 1996, the project SOPHYA was first conceived by SONJA ROZENBLUM
(vocals, keyboards and programming), IDAN KARUTCHI ( guitars, synths,
samplers, keyboards and vocals) and Bass Player SHAI LEDDER.
After a little time of experiments the band found ist genre and started
to record the songs that will develope to the tracks they released in
the year 2000 on their debut album "THE AGE OF SOPHYA”
In late 1998 with HAGAI SHLEZINGER (Drums) and ELIAD WAGNER (Piano, Keyboards,
Synths) two new members joined the band and brought in new perspectives
to the unique sound of the band. In late 1999 SOPHYA deceided to move
to Amsterdam, NL where they had been fastly discovered by Ronny Moorings
(CLAN OF XYMOX) who decided immediately to take them under his wings and
signed them to his label "Xymox Control”.
Ronny commented the tunes he listened with remarkable words: "It
gives me the same sentiments like listening for the first time to the
works of the early Cocteau Twins, Faith and the Muse, Curve and even The
Sundays...SOPHYA could have been a band on 4AD rooster in their heyday”
The year 2000 finally saw the release of their debut album "THE AGE
OF SOPHYA” and the reactions of both press and audience were amazing.
The name SOPHYA became immediately well-known and a garantuee for lovingly
music.
In 2001 the band played a few live shows, debuting their european live
performance with their gig at the highly recommanded festival GothAM in
Amsterdam and only a bit later at Vlissingens (NL) TERA GOTHA. In the
same year they recorded for the last time in the original line up the
songs " The Figurehead" for the Cure Tribute compilation.n late
2001 SONJA contributed with her outstanding voice to "The Same Dream”
from CLAN OF XYMOX’ "Notes From The Underground”.
A cooperation that should last, as in 2002 IDAN remixed "Into Her
Web” (also from CLAN OF XYMOX’ "Notes From The Underground”)
for the CLAN OF XYMOX first ever official Remix-Album "Remixes From
The Underground”
In February THE HAZE joined as the new bass player and could start performing
live when SOPHYA supported CLAN OF XYMOX in the Netherlands aswell as
they performed EUROROCK in 2002.
SOPHYAs second album "DREAM” was completed on New Years Eve
of 2003 and will be released worldwide on Pandaimonium on April the 4th
of 2003.
Pandaimonium
Records and Xymox Control are proud to anounce the signing of italian
cult band THE FROZEN AUTUMN! "It took us almost two and a half years
to finish this album" so Diego and Arianna of THE FROZEN AUTUMN,
"it has been composed between December 2002 and April 2005, in two
completely different places: Turin, our native town, an oppressive industrial
maze suffocating the forgotten baroque vestiges of its ancient grandeur;
and the Italian Northern shores of the Main Lake, an idyllic holiday resort
where we moved one year ago, a place surrounded by a mountain vegetation
hiding a heart of marble and pink granite, reflected in deep green waters
that rock a cradle of cameliae and rhododendron bushes" Stylistically
"Is Anybody There?" moves between "Emotional Screening
Device" and "Pale Awakening", but on the other hand "we
feel it constitutes an absolutely new chapter in our artistic evolution".
The album will also include remixes of their songs "Ashes" done
by Clan Of Xymox' Ronny Moorings and "Polar Plateau" done by
Dust Of Basement. Between winter 2005 and spring 2006 THE FROZEN AUTUMNs
previous albums
"Fragments Of Memories"
"Pale Awakening"
"Emotional Screening Device"
and
STATIC MOVEMENT "Visionary Landscapes"
will also be re-released by Pandaimonium/Xymox Control.
