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Reviews:
Sol Invictus / Rose Rovine E Amanti / Andrew King | A Mythological Prospect
Of The Citie Of Londinium
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From Mentenebre:
(By Roberto Filippozzi)
Estamos ante uno de esos CDs de corta tirada
y casi exclusivista publicado por el prestigioso sello británico
Cold Spring Records. El hecho de ser un compartido y no un larga duración
tradicional lo convierte en una de esas deseadas piezas de colección.
El CD además fue presentado en una velada especial organizada por
Cold Spring en Londres en diciembre del año pasado, contando con
la actuación en vivo de las bandas.
El CD es atractivo desde un primer momento por contar con
la presencia de Sol Invictus, pionero indiscutible de lo que hoy venimos
en llamar Neofolk. Además está acompañado por dos
músicos activos en este momento y con los que Tony Wakeford tiene
muy buena relación: el italiano Damiano Mercuri (Rose Rovine e
Amanti) y el británico Andrew King, quien es uno de sus partenaires
en directo como así pudimos comprobar en los últimos directos
en España de Sol Invictus (o Duo Noir, como se han hecho llamar).
También llama poderosamente la atención el hecho
de que el CD sea temático y esté dedicado al reverso mitológico
de la ciudad de Londres. Pocas nociones tengo yo acerca de la mitología
londinense aunque a este respecto puedo decir que la ciudad en tiempos
romanos fue uno de los núcleos del Mitraismo, religión mistérica
de origen persa que fue difundida por el ejército romano a lo largo
del Imperio. Se de buena tinta que este es un tema favorito de Tony Wakeford,
pues de ahí viene el nombre de Sol Invictus (=Mitras), tema al
cual dedicó un interesante reportaje en su efímera revista
"On", de la que sólo fue publicada una primera edición.
Así, los tres proyectos se reparten el CD con tres
temas cada uno. El primero, el maestro de ceremonias, Sol Invictus. Dos
de sus aportaciones son temas ya conocidos de la trayectoria de la banda
presentados en nuevas versiones, tal es el caso de 'Old Londinium Weeps'
de su último CD "The Devil’s Steed" y de 'Eve'
de "The Hill of Crosses". Sin embargo el tema nuevo que presenta
es una auténtica joya: 'Down the Road Slowly', acompañado
a los coros por Andrew King; una pieza con el sello característico
de Tony Wakeford, de fuerza arrolladora, construida apenas con una guitarra
acústica.
Rose Rovine e Amanti si que nos presenta tres nuevos temas
que nos dan una idea de la buena forma que atraviesa este proyecto tras
la edición de su primer larga duración "Rituale Romanum"
(podéis leer la reseña en Mentenebre). El primero de los
temas es 'Mid Summer's Dream (After W. Shakespeare)', inspirado obviamente
en el célebre escritor británico, un grandísimo tema
lleno de lirismo, casi como una oda con un crescendo vocal en el que Mercuri
nos lleva hasta la exaltación. Este tema cuenta además con
la colaboración de Josef K. de Von Thronstahl. Citaremos también
'Roma (Fulcro Dell'Impero)', muy en la línea de su álbum,
con guitarra acústica y caja de ritmos, y por último 'S.
Michele (In Your Sword We Trust!)', que redunda en un tema cristiano como
es el del arcángel San Gabriel quién derrotó a Lucifer.
Tal vez sea este último el menos conseguido de los tres.
Y cierra la terna el cantautor y artista gráfico Andrew
King. Él se caracteriza fundamentalmente por cantar a capella,
no obstante para esta ocasión ha provisto a sus temas de alguna
suerte de acompañamiento. Así presenta un tema en directo
'When The Bells Justle In The Tower', ornamentado de campanas como perfecto
acompañamiento, 'Polly On The Shore', con una atmosférica
melodía de sintetizador y por último 'London', el tema más
armado sonoramente, con unos tambores patibularios que le confieren al
tema un aire bastante lúgubre. Es por esto este último tema
el que destacaría de la aportación de Andrew King.
Lo único que puedo decir es que el éxito de
este trabajo ha sido muy grande y que a día de hoy las existencias
en el sello se han agotado, así que serás un afortunado
si puedes rescatar algún ejemplar en tu tienda de discos o bien
buceando por la red. ¡Corre a por él! |
From Darkroom:
(By Roberto Filippozzi)
Come i più informati conoscitori
della scena neofolk già sapranno, lo scorso 2 dicembre gli inglesi
Sol Invictus ed Andrew King, assieme al progetto italiano Rose Rovine
e Amanti, si sono esibiti in concerto presso il Water Rats Theatre di
Londra, con la celebre label Cold Spring a fare gli onori di casa ed a
curarsi dell’organizzazione della serata. La stessa etichetta inglese
ha inteso realizzare, a degna celebrazione dell’evento, un CD comprendente
tre brani a testa per ognuno degli act esibitisi sul palco in quella sera
di dicembre, e del dischetto in questione è stato fatto omaggio
di una copia ad ognuno degli astanti presentatisi al concerto. Fortunatamente
ci giunge in redazione una copia fra le poche rimaste da quella (presumibilmente)
memorabile serata, sebbene sprovvista del booklet supplementare (completo
di testi) fornito a chi ebbe la fortuna di presenziare all’evento,
ed è plausibile che presto questa limitatissima e già introvabile
release diventi oggetto di disperate ricerche fra i cultori della scena
neofolk… Come già ci suggerisce il titolo dell’opera,
siamo di fronte ad un lavoro che celebra a modo suo la ‘City’,
capitale del Regno Unito, e chi meglio dei Sol Invictus del decano Tony
Wakeford avrebbe potuto aprire il disco (e chiudere il concerto del 2
dicembre)? E così “Old London Weeps”, ascoltata sull’ultima
prova in studio “The Devil’s Steed”, diventa “Old
Londinium Weeps” in questa versione dall’incipit assai più
cupo, mentre è proprio quell’Andrew King che ritroveremo
più avanti a supportare Wakeford nei cori della poetica ed intensa
“Down The Road Slowly”; ci congediamo dai Sol Invictus con
una nuova versione della più datata “Eve” (da “The
Hill Of Crosses”, del 2000), in vero anche più intensa dell’originale.
A seguire (ri)troviamo Damiano Mercuri, titolare del progetto Rose Rovine
e Amanti di cui vi abbiamo già ampiamente parlato per il recente
“Rituale Romanum” (edito proprio dalla Cold Spring): l’artista
romano porta un po’ d’Italia in questa release ‘angolofona’
col suo neofolk poetico e malinconico, come dimostra da subito “Mid
Summer’s Dream (after W. Shakespeare)”, delicata ballata nella
quale il nostro duetta con una bella voce femminile prima che il brano
si accenda, acuendo i suoi toni enfatici. Bene anche “Roma (Fulcro
Dell’Impero)”, con un notevole crescendo d’intensità
doverosamente supportato da solide percussioni e da un calzante mandolino
(e con l’intervento vocale dell’amico Josef K. dei Von Thronstahl),
mentre la ‘parentesi italica’ si chiude con “S. Michele
(In Your Sword We Trust!)”, poetico frangente neofolk presentato
- come anche gli altri due estratti - nella sua ‘London version’.
La chiusura spetta ad Andrew King, che in quella sera di dicembre fece
le funzioni dell’opening-act: l’artista inglese, noto per
il suo stile fortemente recitativo ed imperniato sulle sfumature teatrali
della sua voce, tiene fede a quanto fatto sinora con “When The Bells
Justle In The Tower” (basata su di un testo di A.E. Houseman), traccia
dai tratti minimali catturata live con in evidenza un Andrew spiccatamente
teatrale che, a tratti, infiamma il tutto con urla rabbiose. Ancor più
minimale nelle sue trame strumentali si rivela “Polly On The Shore”,
decisamente più poetica, mentre la chiusura spetta alla marziale
“London”, ispirata all’opera di William Blake e decisamente
spettrale e sinistra, fra rumori di carrozze che fuggono fra le nebbie
della Londra di fine ’800 e campane che scandiscono l’incedere
delle ore notturne, in cui le ombre sbucano fuori minacciose da ogni anfratto…
Come detto in precedenza, questo succulento e pregevole dischetto è
destinato a diventare (almeno stavolta meritatamente) oggetto di culto
all’interno di una scena che vive principalmente di cultori: buona
caccia. |
From Judas
Kiss: (By Lee Powell)
Released in conjunction with the live performance
of Sol Invictus, Rose Rovine e Amanti and Andrew King on a cold winters
night in London on December the 2nd, 2006 ‘A mythological prospect
of the Citie of Londinium’ collects together three tracks apiece
from each artists, which appeared that night at the live event orchestrated
by Cold Spring records.
Opening with a sample ‘What have I done to deserve this,
have I displeased the gods in some manner’ a line delivered with
camp pomposities by Carry on… star Kenneth Williams, Sol Invictus’
offering are exactly what you’d expect from a group that have over
the years become on the of the main forerunners and founding fathers of
the neo-folk genre. Delicately strummed acoustic guitars are coupled with
Tony Wakeford’s melancholy vocals and subtle instrumentations to
create a wonderfully passionate and hauntingly stimulating delivery of
near prefect contemporary neo-folk. With a truly timeless quality and
an underlying passion and warmth, it’s difficult not to be seduced
by Sol’s offerings. The quality of their song writing and delivery
is superb and they live up to their reputation as one of the most important
groups to inhabit the genre with great ease. Their combination of foot
tapping guitar and percussion musical backing and the lyrical content
is a wonderful compelling and its difficult not to sing along to whilst
the somewhat dark yet enlightening atmosphere that emanates from it grows
with a rousing ferocity before it gently presents itself.
Sol Invictus’ contribution is the prefect way to open
the CD up and sets the atmosphere, tempo and a very high marker for Mr
King and Rose Rovine e Amanti, whose debut CD was recently released on
Cold Spring and who appear next on this CD, to follow.
The middle section is this release, as mentioned, is given
to the most recently conceived act of this threesome, Rose Rovine e Amanti,
who produce a sound firmly rooted within the modern-day neo-folk genre.
Delicately strummed acoustic guitars are married up with string arrangements
and accompanied by interesting coupling of accented male and female vocals
to create a very pleasant and enjoyable sound. Whilst not having the depth
of sound and atmosphere of Sol Invictus, Rose Rovine e Amanti’s
sound has a gentler more relaxed but occasionally commanding edge to it
which makes the listening of their contribution almost effortless yet
still highly enjoyable. Capturing the very essence of the modern neo-folk
genre Rose Rovine e Amanti contribution carries on very nicely from that
of Sol’s whilst giving a subtly different flavour to a similar style
of music.
Drawing a close to the proceedings is the English musician
Andrew King, whose style whilst still being loosely labelled as neo-folk
is perhaps the only artist on this CD who’s sound is more akin to
traditional folk music to the other bands represented here. With a very
strong, distinctive and deep voice as the centrepiece for each of his
three tracks, Andrew seems to approach his tracks as if telling a story
as apposed to delivering a song in the conventional sense of the word.
Using his voice to convey the lyrics and pace of each track with minimal
instrumentations to accompany him, he sets an overly dark and menacing
mood, which reminds me on occasion of a more folk/traditional take on
Boyd Rice’s rants yet without quite the same venom. On initial listens
it can be quite difficult to full appreciate Andrew’s style of presentation
as it needs some work to be full absorbed. However once it has been it
fits rather well into flow and aesthetic of the album as a whole and draws
a powerful and passionate closure to the proceedings.
‘A mythological prospect of the Citie of Londinium’
offers up an interesting and absorbing look at three differing takes on
the neo-folk genre by three of the genres most respected names in one
neat little package and is well with your investigation if your tastes
are of this nature.
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From Compulsion:
(by Tony Dickie)
This split CD was originally gifted to those
who attended the live performance from these three acts at the Water Rats
in London in December 2006. Those in attendance received a complimentary
copy with a bonus lyric booklet, unfortunately not available to those
purchasing the surplus copies now available from Cold Spring.
Each act contribute three tracks each. Sol Invictus open the
proceedings with 'Old Londinium Weeps'. Taken from their The Devil's Steed
album it laments the decline of London with Wakeford's despondent vocal
hovering over cyclical guitar patterns drenched in weeping violin. This
is a more atmopsheric and alluring version but you couldn't really fault
a track that opens with the sneering tones of Kenneth Williams, could
you? 'Down The Road Slowly' is a damning indictment on modern day Britain,
with Wakeford's harrowing list of social abominations contrasted with
pagan imagery. Wakeford and King deadpan the chorus: 'England is funny
but sometimes she scares me'. Its dour sentiments fit with the dark demeneanor
of Wakeford's outfit and, along with the opening track, it's a highlight
of the Sol Invictus tracks. For their final track Sol return to the jaunty
'Eve', which originally appeared on The Hill of Crosses, performed here
in a downbeat folk manner, its skipping rhythm offset by brooding electronics.
The three London versions of tracks by Rose Rovine E Amanti
show they are something of a sophisticated outfit within the neo-fok genre.
Their romantic ballads based around acoustic guitars and voice are accompanied
by violins and mandolin giving their music something of a neo-classical
edge. Once again, the work of Shakespeare is plundered and, once again,
they are joined by the Von Thronstahl vocalist Josef K. who provides the
heavyset vocals on 'Roma (Fukcro dell`Impero)', softened by the mandolin
and harmonic voice of the Rose Rovine E Amanti frontman Damiano Mercuri.
Yet its within the powerful ballads 'Mid Summer's Dream (after W. Shakespeare)
and 'S. Michele (In Your Sword We Trust) with the rich male and female
voices that this Italian act are at their strongest forging their twin
inspirations of Christianity and Roman Culture.
Andrew King is a scholar of traditional song and folk vernacular.
Yet rather than offer simple straightforward renditions his releases have
been embellished by the musicians of the polyrhthmic industrial act KnifeLadder,
adding an exciting but unobtrusive degree of experimentation.
On the live setting of 'When The Bells Justle In The Tower'
he delivers a captivating performance of a text from A.E. Houseman. Amidst
looped bell tolls, tinkering notes from a music box, and lashing rain
King's impassioned delivery is impeccable, momentarily slipping from stern
recitation into flights of fury as drums power. The stark arrangement
of 'Polly On The Shore' is captivating in its simplicty and remarkably
affecting. King's rendition is particularly moving as it slips from solo
delivery to a congregation of voices backed by a gentle organ drone. It
recalls some of the best moments from his split CD with dark folk troubadours
Changes. His final contribution is a musical setting of poet, artist and
visionary William Blake's 'London', an atmospheric soundpiece centered
around a solemn drum beat, interspersed by the sound of galloping horses
through the empty London streets providing a portentous setting for King's
stern recitation. It's by far the most mysterious and sinister track from
Andrew King, and perhaps more representative of 1888, his latest collaboration
(which I've yet to hear) with the French act Les Sentiers Conflictuels
based on the letters of another historic London figure, Jack the Ripper.
Each of the acts represent themselves well here, so it should
appeal to veteran listeners and newcomers alike. Just don't be too aggrieved
if, like me, you missed out on the limited booklet. The music and paintings
of old London by Andrew King make this worth tracking down before it slips
into the collector market. |
From Zero Tolerance:
(by Simon Collins)
This split CD was released to commenorate
the Sol Invictus concert in London in December 2006, and features three
exclusive tracks from each of the three bands who performed. All those
fortunate enough to be there on the night got a free copy - cool or what?!
- but for everyone else, copies are available for purchase. First up,
Sol Invictus `Old London Weeps` builds from a dense collage of samples
into a typically gloomy Tony Wakeford ballad - the best track on here.
`Down The Road Slowly` features Wakeford and Andrew King tag-teaming the
vocals. Rose Rovine E Amanti`s `Mid Summers Dream` is adapted from Shakespeare.
The lyrical `Roma (Fulcro dell`Impero)` boasts vocals from Von Thronstahls
Josef K. Andrew King`s contribution includes original settings of poetry
by A. E. Houseman and the thunderously excoriating `London` by William
Blake - another highlight - along with `Polly On The Shore`, a traditional
sea shanty. All in all, a nice souvenirof a memorable evening, and no
doubt a collectots item in years to come. |
From Harvest
Home: (By Mark Coyle)
The city of London is endlessly fascinating,
wandering around it in the course of my business you feel history compressed
into every street. This album brings together Sol Invcitus, Rose Rovine
e Amanti from Italy and post-industrial traditional singer, Andrew King
on three tracks each. It is relased by Cold Spring on the anniversary
of their joint concert in London's Kings Cross. Whilst not taken from
the concert the CD is thematically linked. A bonus booklet was provided
at the concert taking place at the Water Rats Concert on 2nd December
which joins the live concert with the CD.
Sol Invictus start with an electronic tapestry launched by
Kenneth Williams from the film Carry On Cleo saying 'What have I done
to deserve all this? Displeased the gods in some manner?'. Then hollow
laughs (possibly this is even Sid James), swirling strings and droning
cacophony combine as the melody to the song 'Old London Weeps' starts.
The Kenneth Williams link is not as strange as it seems, he
lived his curiously empty life in King's Cross where the concert took
place. His flat off Euston Road near the White House hotel is still marked
by a blue plaque (which I look up to every time I pass). 'Carry on Cleo'
has the Romans in England, the 'Londinium' of the album's title referring
to the Roman name for London. Sol Invictus is of course named after a
Roman sun cult. So Kenneth Williams as Caesar connects London to Sol Invictus
and yet delightfully avoids any accusations of pomposity.
Back to the music, the rendition of 'Old London Weeps' taken
from the last album 'The Devil's Steed' is atmospheric and very well performed.
A sort of Victorian melo-dramatic folk that is both distinct from much
else around and a new direction for Sol Invictus I felt. There is a more
ethereal aspect than on the album which fans are sure to enjoy.
'Down The Road Slowly' from the first Tursa download 'These
Cold Hands EP' has flute lines woven together over Tony's guitar. When
the vocal to the song itself emerges, it has a slight Tudor aspect to
the melody with Tony (and Andrew King) singing 'England is funny but sometimes
it scares me' and lyrics such as 'the W.I. are carrying scythes'. This
fits with the paranoia of being in London recently, the unspoken unease
and the ever present threat of violence. A place where magical societies
launched in Bloomsbury and every vice can be satisfied in Soho. Where
the consumerism of Oxford Street sits over the top of pagan sites thousands
of years old. As the song builds towards its climax the undercurrent of
the sinister, of energy manifesting, of secret practices in every hidden
alley way of London becomes tangible.
'Eve' is next, originally a single back in 2000. This song
has a traditional folk sound at its base, an almost jaunty melody and
acoustic instruments put through resonant processing. The backing has
seething electric guitar sounds and an implied rhythm, a brooding sense
of menace in the ominous bassline and whispered spoken backing vocals.
Here 'Eve' is a moral redeemer, righting the wrongs and injustices, ultimately
setting the world alight. Cleansing the impure streets of London on this
most dramatic of songs.
Rose Rovine e Amanti are I have only heard a few songs by
from their highly regarded 'Rituale Romanum' album. It exists as the artistic
expression of Damiani Mercuri who merges Christian spiritual belief, rediscovery
of Italian history and a dedication to the esthetic arts. On this album
Damiani brings us three exclusive 'London' version of his songs.
The sound is quite warm being romantic folk song merged with
classical in structure. Their first song here 'Midsummer's Dream (after
W. Shakespeare)' starts intimately and then swells as its progresses.
Their emotional songs are complemented with a production that gives them
a large sound when needed without becoming overly ornate. 'Roma Cultro
del Impero' has vocals that are low in register and bear a passing resemblence
to monks with slow but heavy drums and mandolin. 'S. Michele' is a swirling
classically oriented song with multi-layered string lines and an interesting
electronic coda.
Andrew King is our final artist and one of the most consistently
interesting artists making modern folk influenced music. He combines a
journey through the industrial music of the 1980s and 1990s with a deep
appreciation and research of traditional song. His singing is focussed
on the traditional set amongst stark, minimal backings that take something
of his industrial past. Here then on the live 'When the Bells Justle In
the Tower' (with lyrics adapted from A. E. Housman) has Andrew singing
with just bells looped a few notes from a music box as accompaniment.
It starts gently enough but with Andrew we know he is not a bucolic idealist
and at points his voice bursts out for a moment in furious rage. It's
absolutely chilling, story telling in its most primal form. His brief
vocal rage is electronically looped before fading away, the traditional
and electronic harnessed together momentarily.
Next Andrew performs a unique take on the traditional standard
'Polly On The Shore' in the style of Pop Maynard. With only a simple organ
line and the sea's waves as backing, he sings both solo and with an improvised
choir. Andrew has the ability to take a traditional song and as he sings
it simply, with his ragged choir contributing, to move the listener profoundly.
He takes on the role of protagonist, living it for the listener rather
than just singing it. We can suspend our disbelief and accept his rendition
as a reenactment as much as performance, especially here.
The final song of the album and the last from Andrew is fittingly
called 'London' from the words of William Blake's poem which form the
lyrics. It's a foreboding, sinister performance with a slow drum marking
out the steps (possibly to the gallows of Newgate...). A churning drone
is the only other backing behind Andrew, sounding like the frenzied head
of some ritual. The bleak words of poet and visionary, William Blake are
adopted, himself part of London's creative and imaginery history.
Bell chimes, black coweled choirs and secretive spoken words
appear throughout. It's Andrew's vocals though that stand out, they absorb
and terrify the listener. Blakes' words start darkly and get ever more
intense from there, opening with:
" I wander through each chartered street,
Near where the chartered Thames does flow,
A mark in every face I meet,
Marks of weakness, marks of woe."
Here the album starts to link with Andrew's recent recital
of the 1888 supposed letters from Jack The Ripper. Beyond the words there
is an increasingly malevolent feeling of the hidden arts at work, the
streets of London cursed, plague returning, sorcery at the Tower of London,
cockerels slain in the British Library. Back then this extraordinarily
powerful song takes us to Euston Road, King's Cross, north London, scene
of decay, depravity, literary knowledge, renewal and the odd life of Kenneth
Williams. Blimus!
I recently asked Tony Wakeford of Sol Invictus the profound
knowledge he wished to impart in this album. He considered for a long
time and then whistpered to me in ancient latin "Nihil expectore
in omnibus". A statement as important today in London as it has always
been. |
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