Amber Asylum
Country of origin:
U.S.
Type of music generally:
Electronic/ambient ethereal
Status:
Most recent release, Sin Eater (2015)
See also:
Amber Asylum's site
Comparisons:
This Mortal Coil, Rasputina, Stoa
Covers/own material:
Own, occasional covers
General comments:
Like a darker version of Rasputina, this group is a neo-classical trio (violin, viola, cello), with electronic/ambient Kris Force is the vocalist/violinist/chief songwriter of this outfit. The compositions are sinister, beautiful, and quiet, with hints of dissonance just below the surface. Like the poet Anne Sexton, Force takes her imagistic cues from fairy-tales and folklore, twisting them to her own ends. (ethereal_lad@livejournal.com)
Recommended first album:
Either
Recordings:
- Frozen in Amber (1996)
- the natural philosophy of love (1997)
- Songs of Sex and Death (1998)
- The Super Natural Parlour Collection (2000)
- GardenOfLoveAutonomySuiteStillPoint (10' vinyl, 2005)
- GardenOfLoveAutonomySuiteStillPointSerenade (EP 2006)
- Still Point (2007)
- Bitter River (2009)
- Live in Wroclaw (live, 2012)
- Sin Eater (2015)
the natural philosophy of love
Release info:
1997—Relapse Records
Availability:
Places in the U.S. that carry indie releases; mail order
Ecto priority:
Recommended for fans of ethereal Gothic music
Group members:
Martha Burns—cello
Kris Force—guitars, violin and wah violin, voice
Annabel Lee—violin
Guest artists:
Timothy North—percussion, ambience
Blaise Smith—keys
Steve Von Till—guitar, e-bow, percussion
Lars Savage, Ross Yeo, Mack Clark, Dale Everingham—background vocals
Produced by:
Matthew F. Jacobson and William J. Yurkiewicz Jr., executive producers
Comments:
One of the pieces is an adaptation of a Brothers Grimm tale, with the music written by my SF friend Mike Richard. The one cover song is a version of Buffy St-Marie song, "Poppies", given a This Mortal Coil treatment. Force's vocals are beautiful and chilling, like the singer of Stoa, or an emotionless early Kate Bush. These soundscapes should not be listened to if you are feeling suicidal. (ethereal_lad@livejournal.com)
Songs of Sex and Death
Release info:
1998—Relapse Records
Availability:
Places in the U.S. that carry indie releases; mail order
Ecto priority:
Recommended for fans of ethereal Gothic music
Group members:
Kris Force—guitar, e-bow, percussion, samples, violin, voice
Jackie Gratz—cello
Mika Richard—keys
Steve Von Till—e-bow
John Benson—bass, guitar
Mika Richard—organ
Tim North—samples
Comments:
In this new album, lead singer/songwriter Kris Force examines the theme of tragic love. This is an unusual song-cycle, in that it uses sound rather than lyrics to impart the subject matter. Force's high, crystalline soprano transforms the lyrics into piercing, chilly, near indecipherable notes. Her sonic palette this time rests in the fertile ground between classical and dark-ambient music: accordion, cello, Force's own violin and guitar-playing shares the stage with subliminal keyboard sound effects. At the same time, there is something very theatrical about this cd, as if it were a soundtrack for an as-yet un-filmed movie by the Brothers Quay. The music is deceptively calm, but moments of sheer dissonance will erupt suddenly, only to be subsumed into to the current of lulling music. This gorgeous music: kind of New Age music for disturbed people. (ethereal_lad@livejournal.com)Don't know much about them, but I like Black Tape for a Blue Girl and other Projekt things I have. I know this is a Relapse band, but I like anything with that ethereal/goth/female vocal thing going. (Plasterofstevie@aol.com)
