Chandeen
Country of origin:
Germany
Type of music generally:
Gothic ethereal/ambient
Status:
Most recent release, Mercury Retrograde (2020)
See also:
Chandeen's site
Comparisons:
love spirals downwards, black tape for a blue girl
Covers/own material:
Own
General comments:
folks who like the dreamy, atmospheric stuff by love spirals downwards, black tape for a blue girl, and everyone on the heavenly voices compilation (of which chandeen was one), should take note of this band. (woj@smoe.org)
Recommended first album:
Jutland
Recordings:
- Shaded by the Leaves (1994)
- Jutland (1995)
- The Waking Dream (1996)
- A Taste Like Ginger (compilation)
- Spacerider—Love at first sight (1998)
- Echoes (2003)
- Bikes and Pyramids (2002)
- Teenage Poetry (2008)
- Blood Red Skies (2011)
- Forever and Ever (2014)
- Winter Reverbs (seasonal, 2015)
- Rogue (EP, 2018)
- Mercury Retrograde (2020)
Shaded by the Leaves
Release info:
1994—Hyperium/Projekt/darkwave
Availability:
U.S. and Europe in stores that carry indie releases
Ecto priority:
Recommended for fans of ethereal Gothic music
Group members:
Antje Shulz—vocals, backing vocals, voice
Catrin Mallon—vocals, backing vocals
Harald Lowy—synthesizers and atmospheres, piano, shortwave radio, loops, walkie talkie, bass guitar, chimney bells, drums and percussion
Oliver Henkel—keyboards, synthesizers, bass guitar, clockwork, voice loops, computer programming, delays, distorted voice
Guest artists:
Dorothea Hohnstedt—German flutes
Harald Gottschalk—electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin
Axel Henninger—acoustic guitar
Michael Schwalm—additional sampling
Produced by:
Harald Lowy/Oliver Henkel/Michael Schwalm
Comments:
Chandeen's first album is a nice mix of gothic/ethereal and borderline ambient sounds. The instrumentation is mostly synthesizer, with a few spare acoustic sounds here and there. The synthesizers create a beautiful soundscape without overusing common sounds or rhythm machines. The two female vocalists trade off for lead, occasionally singing together. Their voices have different qualities; one is youthful and mischeivous, the other more melancholy. There's not a lot of acoustic guitar, but when they do use it it's nicely featured. Not a lot of hooks here, perhaps the single "Red Letter Days", but best listened to as a whole, great rainy night listening complete with thunder sound effects. The album is a bit slow at points, but the pay off is there in songs like "Loss of Summer" with its Celtic feeling. There is one song toward the end that seems not to fit it all, with its heavy rhythms and processed male vocal. There are a couple of short instrumental bits, but mostly the album contains lots of gorgeous vocals. (julesette@mci.newscorp.com)
Jutland
Release info:
1995—Hyperium/projekt/darkwave
Availability:
U.S. and Europe in stores that carry indie releases
Ecto priority:
Recommended for fans of ethereal Gothic music
Group members:
Antje Schulz—vocals
Catrin Mallon—vocals
Axel Henninger—guitars
Dorothea Hohstedt—flutes
Harald Lowy and Oliver Henkel—all other instruments
Comments:
Chandeen's second album is more upbeat than the first. There is a more liberal use of rhythm, and possibly more structure to the songs. There are also some beautiful instrumentals which remind me of the "Days of Future Passed"-era Moody Blues, mostly because of the use of the flute which is more present here than on Shaded by the leaves. There are still plenty of melancholy moments and lyrics, though. I think I like this better than their first album. It's just as beautiful but doesn't have some of the lulls of the first. (julesette@mci.newscorp.com)A vacation in Denmark inspired this album. Beautiful atmospheric songs. (klaus.kluge@gmx.de)
Thanks to julesette for work on this entry.
