The dark alternative music scene has had a myriad of new bands emerge during the last decade but very few have stuck around. Even fewer have consistently released interesting and genre-bending music. Bestial Mouths started in 2009 and hit our radar a few years later after the release of ‘Hissing Veil’. 14 years later, they are one of the most visually and sonically interesting bands to follow, not only because they defy any categorisation but because the quality of their releases is quite remarkable every single time.
Interview- Bestial Mouths
Posted: 22nd October 2023 by blaue-rosen in Live reviews,InterviewsTags: Bestial Mouths interview 2023, dark alternative music, independent music, interview 2023, Lynette Cerezo interview 2023, Negative Gain Productions, new bands interview, underground music
Live Review: The Black Delta Movement, Taigen Kawabe, Oliver Marson live at The 100 Club
Posted: 15th May 2023 by blaue-rosen in Live reviews,InterviewsTags: live music review, live review 2023, London gigs 2023, Oliver Marson live in London 2023, psych rock gigs in London 2023, stage photography, Taigen Kawabe live in London 2023, The 100 Club London gigs, The Black Delta Movement live in London 2023
I can’t really trace my journey between The 100 Club and the conjunction of four tree trunks in an ancient wood in North London, but this is where I chose to start writing this review. It might have something to do with the fact that it’s been three years since I found myself in this mindset again, almost as long as it has been since I was last in The 100 Club.
ATARAXIA-Interview Pt.2
Posted: 27th February 2023 by blaue-rosen in Live reviews,InterviewsTags: ATARAXIA interview 2023, ATARAXIA Pomegranate-The Chant of the Elementals, ethereal music, interview 2023, music interviews, new music
This is the second part of our interview with the band ATARAXIA. You can read the first part of this interview here.
Blauerosen: I find the connection you have made at so many levels (aesthetics, subject matter of the album) between the four stages of magnus opus and the four elements fascinating. I find it enlightening that you talk about this album as the journey of a hero through the four elements. I sense that the word ‘hero’ is not accidental. Can you expand a little bit about how you perceive all this?
ATARAXIA-Interview Pt.1
Posted: 27th February 2023 by blaue-rosen in Live reviews,InterviewsTags: ATARAXIA interview 2023, ATARAXIA-Pomegranate, ethereal music, interviews 2023, music interview, neoclassical band interview, The Chant of the Elementals 2023
ATARAXIA, an all-time favourite band of ours from the neoclassical/ethereal spectrum of the dark alternative scene, released a beautiful album towards the end of 2022. This album featured in our playlist of favourite albums of September 2023, as we loved everything about it. The visuals and the video press release intrigued us further at a deeper spiritual level so, naturally, we wanted to catch up with the band and learn more about how they are and what inspired them this time. In this interview we talk about their inspiration, their collaboration with Insetti Xilografi, the role of nature and of memory in triggering moments of inspiration and much more. This interview is published in two parts.
Interview with Nick Carlisle
Posted: 14th January 2023 by blaue-rosen in Live reviews,InterviewsTags: BFI season of Horror films, Haxan centenary 2022, Haxan soundtrack 2022, horro films, interviews, movie about witches, music interviews, Nick Carlisle interview 2022, Queen's Film Theatre Belfast
“ I would rather be a witch“- Nick Carlisle
We were delighted to carry out an interview with the talented Nick Carlisle two years after our previous interview with Katy and Nick. This time, Nick is talking about his new score to celebrate the centenary of the unique movie Haxan. The film, originally created in 1922, tries to make sense of witch trials and witchcraft in general. A second version of it, with different music and with voice over from William Burroughs, was produced in 1968. In 2022, the film was presented live at Queen’s Film Theatre in Belfast as part of the BFI’s ‘In Dreams Are Monsters’ season of horror films, with new score composed by Nick Carlisle.
Naturally we wanted to know all about the process of composing music for this hybrid genre of movie but there was also talk about ghosts and monsters. You can watch the interview below and you can buy the album here.
Interview-Misfortunes
Posted: 26th November 2022 by blaue-rosen in Live reviews,InterviewsTags: band interview, best post punk albums 2022, darkwave band, darkwave music, interviews, Misfortunes interview, new band, post punk band, post-punk music
“Misfortunes can act as driving forces to pursue something better or to drag you down with them. I like that contradiction.”
It is quite hard to describe the feeling of coming across a band that reminds you of the qualities you value so much in music and which are somehow, lately, been set a little bit aside but most bands. This was the feeling since we came across the latest release by Misfortunes entitled ‘Brilliant Endings‘. This is a band that shines bright in the gloomy synthwave sonic universe. In fact, we were so touched by the melancholic melodies and the poetic lyrics that it became imperative that we talked with the musician behind this brilliant project, Ioakim Vasiliadis.We talked about the band’s beginning, the songs, the collaborators and the future.
Live review- hackedepicciotto at New River Studios 2022
Posted: 25th November 2022 by blaue-rosen in Live reviews,InterviewsTags: Dead Chamber Music live in London 2022, experimental music, gigs 2022, hackedepicciotto live in London, hackedepicciotto tour 2022, live music 2022, London gigs 2022, London live gigs, neoclassical music 2022, New River Studios live gigs 2022
Dead Space Chamber Music — A sonic trip through dark forests and ancient castles
We have started going back to gigs – yes, with other people around us – no longer restricted to an experience on a screen. As a new situation seems to be developing in which many bands do not include London in the tour schedule, we are delighted to turn up in person to those who do to demonstrate our gratitude to bands whose creative work deserves more than a device.
Live Review-12 Years of Chaos at The Black Heart, Camden 2022
Posted: 1st March 2022 by blaue-rosen in Live reviews,InterviewsTags: Alice Karveli live in London 2022, Black Arrows live in London 2022, Black Helium live in London 2022, Chaos Theory gigs 2022, Chaos Theory gigs in London, Colossal Squid live in London 2022, E y e live in London 2022, experimental music, hardcore punk bands, Heronnoreh live in London 2022, live reviews 2022, London gigs 2022, Maud the Moth live in London 2022, Mountainscape live in London 2022, psych rock bands, punk rock bands, Rad Pitt live in London 2022, Shooting Daggers live in London 2022, stage photography, The Black Heart London gigs 2022
It made perfect sense to choose a celebratory gig by a favourite promoter as our first gig for 2022. It made sense because we are absolutely thrilled that Chaos Theory hung in there during covid and has now come back. This mini festival was both a celebration of 12 years of presence in the London alternative scene and a showcase of musicians that Chaos Theory has and will continue to support in the future. Over eight hours, we were taken on a musical trip that had meditational, ceremonial, psychedelic, noise, lyrical, angry, melancholic and solemn moments.
Live Review-New Model Army 40th anniversary tour 2021
Posted: 24th December 2021 by blaue-rosen in Live reviews,InterviewsTags: 2021 live reveiws, 40 years NMA, 40yrs New Model Army, Ceri Monger, Dean White, Ed Alleyne-Johnson, gigs 2021, Justin Sullivan on stage, live music 2021, live photography, live review, London gigs 2021, Mark Feltham, Michael Dean, New Model Army live at the Roundhouse 2021, New Model Army live review 2021, rock gigs 2021, rock music gigs 2021, Roundhouse gigs 2021
A sonic trip through the decades
Where were you the past 40 years? How many things changed in your life while New Model Army were releasing 20 albums? Which of these albums hit a nerve? How many of their gigs have you attended over the years? What does their 40th anniversary mean to you? How did you experience the streaming of this gig last year during lockdown? No matter what the answers to these questions are, I am sure that you have found (or are planning to) your place in the audience at one of the gigs celebrating their 40th anniversary this year and next.
Interview-MADAM.
Posted: 1st June 2021 by blaue-rosen in Live reviews,InterviewsTags: Gallery 46, MADAM. interview 2021, Nick Trepka, Pirsohka, Sukie Smith interview 2021
The world might still be in shock while the pandemic is developing or even approaching its next (less menacing) phase, but artists have kept their creative minds on alert. Sukie Smith, a multifarious musician whom we have met through her band MADAM. is a artist who has always approached the world, sound and the audience in truly open, always thought-provoking, dynamic and passionate ways where an exchange of energies and ideas is happening with honesty. We caught up with Sukie Smith following her appearance in the four-day long multimedia event on Gallery 46, curated by Johny Brown in February ahead of the release of Band of Holy Joy’s new album ‘Dreams Take Flight’. We talked about art, about future plans and about this unbelievable year!