Priscilla Hernández
Country of origin:
From the Canary Islands and now lives in Spain
Type of music generally:
Ambient ethereal, New Age, Gothic
Status:
Most recent releases, a series of singles from 2012 to 2022 are available on bandcamp; most recent full-length release, The Underliving (2012)
See also:
Priscilla Hernández's sitePriscilla Hernández's MySpace page
Comparisons:
Louisa John-Krol, Enya, Bel Canto, Sarah Brightman, early Kate Bush
Covers/own material:
Own
General comments:
Priscilla Hernandez is an illustrator, and her fantastic images fill the pages of her debut CD package Ancient Shadows. They are images of fairy women in flowing gothic gowns against ominous landscapes. In a sense, her music is really an extension of her paintings. View it as a sort of interactive storybook. Hernandez has a light and airy soprano that suits her gothic-new age compositions well. These are orchestrated with ambient synth and string washes and the occasional guitar and bass. Her melodies are surprisingly catchy, given the high concept nature of the work. It's close to Sarah Brightman's pop-classical territory, but it maintains an edge. Her lyrics are fairytale inspired, reminiscent of Australian Louisa John-Krol's work. At times, though, Hernandez becomes more Andrew Lloyd Weber than Andrew Lang, when she adds '70s guitar squalls and spoken/whispered passages. I prefer her darker material, especially when she sings in her native Spanish; a rich, dusky tone appears in her voice. (ethereal_lad@livejournal.com)
Recommended first album:
Ancient Shadows is the only one we've heard so far
Recordings:
- Ancient Shadows (2006)
- The Underliving (2012)
Ancient Shadows
Release info:
2006—Yidneth—YID0001
Availability:
See Priscilla Hernández's site
Ecto priority:
High for lovers of ethereal pop
Group members:
Priscilla Hernández—lead vocals, backing vocals, keyboards, piano, recorder, flute, whistle
Guest artists:
Héctor Corcín—percussion, sequences
Carles Reig—backing vocals on 2 tracks, recorder flute, whistle on 1 track
Catherine Duc—keyboards on 1 track
Francina i Turon—cellop
Gastón Iungman—electric guitar on 1 track
Daniel Durán—acoustic guitar on 1 track
Sebastian Tuefel—acoustic guitar on 2 tracks
Ramón Mendigorri—acoustic guitar on 1 track
Produced by:
Priscilla Hernández
Comments:
See general comments above.
The Underliving
Release info:
2012—Yidneth—YID2
Availability:
See Priscilla Hernández's site
Ecto priority:
Recommended
Group members:
Priscilla Hernández—lead vocals, backing vocals, piano, keyboards, harp, mountain dulcimer, baritone duclimer, hammered dulcimer, psaltery, Koshi Chimes, kantele, jouhikko, double oarina, glass harp, singing bowls, recorders, flute, Irish tin and low whistle, bansuri, chalumeau, sound effects
Héctor Corcín—percussion, electronic drums, synthesizers; piano (4); Oscar Tribalthunder drum (4, 6); additional arrangements
Biel Fiol—lead cello
Guest artists:
Louisa John-Krol—additional vocals (15, 17); sansula (15)
Kelly Miller Lopez—harp (12, 17)
Gaston Iungman—electric guitar (2, 10)
Maria Montes—violin (1, 2, 6, 12)
Svetlana Tovstukha—lead cello (7, 12, 4), cello (5)
Richard Waters—waterphone (7)
Totonike Nova—random creepy sounds
Student children from Kimberly Steele music class—additional vocals (17)
Produced by:
Priscilla Hernández and Héctor Corcín
Comments:
Spanish composer/singer/multi-instrumentalist Priscilla Hernandez's new album, The Underliving comes with an intricate illustrated booklet, full of her elaborate, fanciful paintings of beautiful sylphs and and sinister and seductive fairy creatures. This is, indeed, a gothic concept album, a song cycle that serves as a soundtrack to her graphic novel. From the liner notes: "The Underliving is a supernatural world that exists side by side with us casting their influence through our dreams and thoughts...The great majority of people will never perceive but glimpses of them...and "Yidneth" was one of the chosen ones. A curse...or maybe a gift...to be able to see through a gate half ajar into a world unthinkable and extraordinary." The album loosely follows Yidneth's adventures through this twilight world. Hernandez has a light soprano—Sarah Brightman would be reference point, as would early Kate Bush. The music she writes is misty, Celtic-tinged pop. Synths, cellos, and harps, and dulcimers (much of it played by Hernandez herself), all augmented by electronic keyboard effects form the instrumental backdrop. Whispers and echoes are woven through this darkly romantic music. "The Underliving" is very much a song cycle, and the songs tend to blend into one another, as if they were the soundtrack to a fantasy movie. Which, in fact, it is. In many ways, it the album is the musical counterpoint to the myth-punk movement championed by authors like Catherynne M. Valente or the dark fairytales of Patricia McKillip. Recommended to fans of early Kate Bush and Louisa John-Krol. (ethereal_lad@livejournal.com)
Thanks to Craig Gidney for work on this entry.
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