| Aenima Revolutions |
The essence of Fado, Portugal's native folk music, is summed up in the word saudade. This term defies easy translation, but has been described by Rodney Gallop as a " ... yearning for something so indefinite as to be indefinable; an unrestrained indulgence in yearning. It couples the vague longings of the Celt for the unattainable with a Latin sense of reality which induces realisation that it is unattainable, and with the resultant discouragement and resignation." Most fado songs reflect on nostalgia, strife of life, lost love, tragedy, missed opportunity and dark destiny. The female vocalist always wears black and she sings in a throaty, passionate, emotional manner that evokes anguish and despair from deep within her soul. Is that Goth enough for ya, or what? You can see why I awaited the arrival of Aenima's Revolutions with keen anticipation. This Portugese darkwave/ethereal group has been garnering critical praise throughout Europe, particularly after their recent appearance at Germany's M'era Luna festival. My anticipation was richly rewarded, as Aenima's 1999 debut Revolutions proved to be one of the most polished and tuneful platters to hit my CD player this year. The production quality of this CD is uniformly outstanding: Paulo Carmona and Rune create a smooth, clean sound worthy of Alan Parsons or Brian Eno. The mix shows their obvious technical skill, but never becomes too slick or cold. Most important, it never detracts from Carmen's considerable vocal talents. Those talents are showcased in the beautiful multitrack counterpoint of "Haven for the Forsaken," and the high Diamanada Galas-like trills which provide an opening backdrop for "Earthlore." The instrumental tracks "Deep Blue Larvae," "Ae" and "Frail October Sun" give the other band members a chance at the spotlight, and prove that Rune's skills with a synthesizer are at least as impressive as his talent behind a mixing board. The surface influences are easy enough to spot: Cocteau Twins, Dead Can Dance, Sisters of Mercy, and other pop-Gothic bands. The sensibility, however, is pure saudade. According to Aenima's official website, the band's lineup underwent some changes in 2000. I look forward to listening to the creations of Aenima 2000 and Aenima 2001, and to seeing more studio work from Rune and Carmona. LINEUP [CD]: Carmen: Vocals, Bass, Keyboards Produced, Engineered and Mixed by Paulo Carmona and Rune.
CURRENT LINEUP: carry this CD and ship worldwide: Official Aenima homepage. |