Streampunk Music Review !!
Yup, it's about time, innit? Okay... well, I could go with something recent or something old again and the coin came up... old-ish!
One of the biggest problems with Steampunk music is finding stuff that will draw to the dancefloor. It's not easy. A lot of the music is atmospheric or theatrical, with a few exceptions... or just not bloody dance-able [and I can dance to nearly ANYTHING!]. However, there are exceptions and one of the most notable is Cinderella Effect's 2006 release Pearls.
Cinderella Effect is the solo project of Blutengel female vocalist Constance Rudert. Blutengel, for those who don't know 'em, are a German electronic/industrial band that has had several members come and go. If you are familiar with the harsher sounds of Blutengel, worry not - Cinderella Effect does not offer the same sound.
All of the tracks will sound familiar as they're ALL covers interpreted with Rudert's own style, and generally incorporating familiar Steampunk instruments/sounds [strings, horns, woodwinds, piano, harpsichord, and on and on] dancing with the electronica.
My absolute favourite, and you'll have heard this if you've made it out to any of the Steampunk nights I've DJed, is her cover of VNV Nation's "Standing." An absolutely awesome version and one that constantly gets people asking me where it's come from. Here... go listen for yourself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPoumr149Yk
Coming in a close second is a very difficult song to cover well: "Zombie" by the Cranberries. A little slower, a little more... depressing... but a gorgeously done version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYqnNXbUjXc
I'm not a HUGE fan of Rudert's "Clone Your Lover", originally done by Zeromancer, nor her cover of Covenant's "Call the Ships to Port" as I find neither song fits well with the slower beats per minute, particularly during the chorus. But the layers of sound are exquisite in both cases and I still like 'em:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwIjdxNMTbM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7WrHdOT65A
And the same pretty much goes for her version of Project Pitchfork's "TimeKiller" which is all about the piano in a kind of cabaret nightclub fashion [with a touch of jazz tossed into the undertones]:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58JsoXtZ-Tk
But honestly, if there are only three tracks out of sixteen that I have any personal issue with, it's a strong album. Toss in excellent covers of "Black Hole Sun" [SoundGarden], "Isreal" [Siouxsie], "Black No. 1" [Type O Negative] and an absolutely AWESOME cover of "Butterfly Dance" [Diary of Dreams] that mixes the old and the new, the classic and the modern just... well, I shiver when I hear it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSyBEKuQdY0
You can find several [if not all] of Cinderella Effect's videos on YouTube, naturally. And there is something on this album for everyone whether you want a more pop-ish song to bounce around to or an offering that's more swirly or just a piece or three to listen to while reading.
But if you're collecting Steampunk Music, you NEED to go get this album. Right now. Go... do it. Y'know you're gonna kick yourself if you don't.
Rating: 5/5 as Rudert covers it all from sound to feel and back again, throughout the entire album. The weakest tracks are still extremely well done. This is a Steampunk Must Have!
One of the biggest problems with Steampunk music is finding stuff that will draw to the dancefloor. It's not easy. A lot of the music is atmospheric or theatrical, with a few exceptions... or just not bloody dance-able [and I can dance to nearly ANYTHING!]. However, there are exceptions and one of the most notable is Cinderella Effect's 2006 release Pearls.
Cinderella Effect is the solo project of Blutengel female vocalist Constance Rudert. Blutengel, for those who don't know 'em, are a German electronic/industrial band that has had several members come and go. If you are familiar with the harsher sounds of Blutengel, worry not - Cinderella Effect does not offer the same sound.
All of the tracks will sound familiar as they're ALL covers interpreted with Rudert's own style, and generally incorporating familiar Steampunk instruments/sounds [strings, horns, woodwinds, piano, harpsichord, and on and on] dancing with the electronica.
My absolute favourite, and you'll have heard this if you've made it out to any of the Steampunk nights I've DJed, is her cover of VNV Nation's "Standing." An absolutely awesome version and one that constantly gets people asking me where it's come from. Here... go listen for yourself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPoumr149Yk
Coming in a close second is a very difficult song to cover well: "Zombie" by the Cranberries. A little slower, a little more... depressing... but a gorgeously done version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYqnNXbUjXc
I'm not a HUGE fan of Rudert's "Clone Your Lover", originally done by Zeromancer, nor her cover of Covenant's "Call the Ships to Port" as I find neither song fits well with the slower beats per minute, particularly during the chorus. But the layers of sound are exquisite in both cases and I still like 'em:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwIjdxNMTbM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7WrHdOT65A
And the same pretty much goes for her version of Project Pitchfork's "TimeKiller" which is all about the piano in a kind of cabaret nightclub fashion [with a touch of jazz tossed into the undertones]:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58JsoXtZ-Tk
But honestly, if there are only three tracks out of sixteen that I have any personal issue with, it's a strong album. Toss in excellent covers of "Black Hole Sun" [SoundGarden], "Isreal" [Siouxsie], "Black No. 1" [Type O Negative] and an absolutely AWESOME cover of "Butterfly Dance" [Diary of Dreams] that mixes the old and the new, the classic and the modern just... well, I shiver when I hear it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSyBEKuQdY0
You can find several [if not all] of Cinderella Effect's videos on YouTube, naturally. And there is something on this album for everyone whether you want a more pop-ish song to bounce around to or an offering that's more swirly or just a piece or three to listen to while reading.
But if you're collecting Steampunk Music, you NEED to go get this album. Right now. Go... do it. Y'know you're gonna kick yourself if you don't.
Rating: 5/5 as Rudert covers it all from sound to feel and back again, throughout the entire album. The weakest tracks are still extremely well done. This is a Steampunk Must Have!