14 FEBRUARY 2012 | PT | PORTO | HARD CLUB | 22:00 | 17€/20€
Alcest – that is music from another world, a world that is real, but that exists beyond ours and cannot be grasped by our senses. A world where all appearances – trees, glades, streams – emit a pearly light and where a faraway and celestial music fills the air like sweet perfume. A world inhabited by infinitely benevolent and protective beings of light, communicating in a wordless 'language' directly from one soul to another. A world where the soul knows neither pain nor sickness nor sorrow, but is filled with a deep peace and an ineffable bliss. A world that lies 'before' and 'after,' 'beside' and 'behind' our world and the awareness of which stills mankind's fears of death. This world is no dream and no fantasy. Neige, the creative mind of Alcest, knows it – he has experienced it and keeps memories of how it revealed itself to him in the form of esoteric experiences in his early life. Alcest is his medium to come to terms with these memories and to share them with others.
venue: Hard Club | Porto | Mercado Ferreira Borges
doors: 22:00
info: swr_inc@hotmail.com | +351 961958558 | +351 919895651
ALCEST
Country of origin: France
Location: Bagnols-sur-Cèze, Languedoc-Roussillon (early) / Paris, Île-de-France (now)
Status: Active
Year of creation: 1999
Genre: Black Metal (early), Black Metal/Shoegaze (later)
Lyrical themes: Winter (old); Melancholy, Nostalgia, Beauty (now)
Current label: Prophecy Productions
Solo project of Neige. As a child, Neige had dreams about a "Fairy Land", "a place with colours, forms and sounds that do not exist here." The music of Alcest is highly influenced by these dream experiences.
Starting out playing raw black metal, Alcest soon evolved into black metal with strong post-rock and shoegaze influences.
Discography
Tristesse Hivernale Demo 2001 3
Le Secret EP 2005 11
Souvenirs d'un Autre Monde Full-length 2007 17
Aux Funérailles Du Monde / Tristesse Hivernale Split 2007
Les Discrets / Alcest Split 2009
Écailles de Lune Full-length 2010 11
Le Secret EP 2011
Autre Temps Single 2011 1
Les Voyages De L'Âme Full-length 2012 Type:Full-length
Release date: January 6th, 2012
Label: Prophecy Productions
Fursy Teyssier Artwork
Andy Julia Photography (cover art for the vinyl version)
Line Up
Neige All Instruments (1999-present), Vocals (1999-present)
See also: Forgotten Woods, Lantlôs, Old Silver Key, Empyrium (live), ex-Amesoeurs, ex-Phest, ex-Celestia, ex-Mortifera, ex-Peste Noire (live)
Winterhalter Drums (2009-present)
See also: Bahrrecht, Phobos, ex-Amesoeurs, ex-Peste Noire, ex-Hexenauge (live)
Les Discrets
Created in 2003 by Fursy Teyssier besides his old band Phest, Les Discrets (originally called Enfance) is the musical approach of Fursy Teyssier' s artistic research. Originally illustrator, Fursy tends to evoque the same in both music and animation/illustration: contemplative and esoteric atmospheres, feelings, fears and sensations related to our life and world. His paintings, music or lyrics are mostly about Nature, the feeling of Love and his fear of Death.
The name "Les Discrets" is actually a platform gathering music and art with which Fursy explores both of these concepts. Music helps to make pictures, pictures help to make music. The goal of Les Discrets is to link them in one single thing: an album.
In 2009, Les Discrets sign with Germany based record label Prophecy Productions for a five-album contract. The first album "Septembre et ses dernières pensées" recorded in french Drudenhaus Studio and produced by Neb Xort ( Anorexia Nervosa, Ultravomit, ...) gathers songs that were composed spanning the past from 2003 to 2009.
In January 2011 Les Discrets entered the Drudenhaus Studio again to complete their second full lenght album called "Ariettes oubliées...". It is expected to hit the stores in February 2012. More informations below.
Since 2011, Fursy Teyssier plays with Custom 77 guitars
split 2009
prophecy.cd
Released in December 2009.
Strictly limited to 1.000 copies (CD) and 500 copies (vinyl).
Whom The Moon A Nightsong Sings
YEAR: October 2010
Various Artists Compilation released on Auerbach Tonträger
Les Discrets participated with two songs:
prophecy.cd
Septembre et ses dernières Pensées
Release dates:
March 26, 2010 (Germany, Austria)
March 29, 2010 (rest of Europe)
prophecy.cd
Les Discrets - Arctic Plateau
SPLIT YEAR: September 2011
prophecy.cd
Ariettes oubliées...
YEAR: To be released on February 2012
Tracklist: Soon to be announced.
The only track available at the moment is "Le mouvement perpétuel"(click the link to stream the whole release on Youtube), or below, on the split with Arctic Plateau above.
prophecy.cd
Line Up
Fursy Teyssier - Guitars, bass, vocals, visuals
Winterhalter - Drums
A.Hadorn - Vocals
SOROR DOLOROSA
Formerly from Toulouse (southern France), SOROR DOLOROSA was originally founded in 2001, with Andy (Nuit Noire, Mutiilation, Peste Noire, Celestia, Darvulia, Fornication) on drums, Franck (ex Funeraell) on guitar, Herve (ex Funeraell) on bass, and Christophe Guenot (ex Funeraell) on vocals.
Herve came up with the name of SOROR DOLOROSA because of a novel titled "Bruges-la-morte" by Georges Rodenbach, a Flemish symbolist writer from the late 19th century. A novel marked by symbolism of nostalgia and mourning. SOROR DOLOROSA means "Sister Pain" in Latin, one could almost translate it as "lovers of pain" in a more Baudelaire way...
The band recorded an unpublished demo, then the line-up changed in 2003 with the arrival of Emey (ex Contrast, Unscarred ...), who replaced Franck on guitar. Subsequently they recorded a second unpublished demo and did some gigs until they split in 2005.
In August 2007 they reformed with the present line up. A month later , based on songs written by bassist Carles Hervé, the band recorded a third unpublished demo whose content sounds definitely Gothic Rock and Death Rock, influenced by groups such as Christian Death , Bauhaus , and The Sisters of Mercy .
From that time, Soror Dolorosa ' s style became more personal and they found an own identity as a band. The songs were now written by the four members together, though still mostly based on the bass guitar. They took on a Cold Wave colouring, more in line with bands such as The Cure or Human League , but also with hints of 70's rock like Deep Purple or Black Sabbath and retaining the Sisters of Mercy- like Gothic Rock influence .
When the third demo was out on myspace, the group was contacted to release an EP through the British label Todestrieb Records. This 6 track EP, entitled " Severance", wasn't released until August 2009 due to production delays and is being distributed through underground ways, while the band promoted it with successful live performances all over France.
Some time in 2009, through the help of Neige (Amesoeurs, Alcest), the band came in contact with Northern Silence Productions, who offered to release their upcoming albums on their newly founded sublabel Beneath Grey Skies, and subsequently produced the debut full length " Blind Scenes " , recorded in August 2010 at Drudenhaus Studio.
To use the band's own words : " The album is quite cold, with misty blue moods. 'Blind Scenes' would rather be perceived as scenes unseen, that is to say, out of time and out of the real world. As a state of grace overshadowed by the inevitability of everyday life. The lyrics are heartfelt and talk about regrets, coldness, alcohol abuse, as well as forfeiture, but mostly nostalgia, hence the blue color of the music."
That's also why they chose "Drudenhaus Studio" (CNK, Alcest, Les Discrets, Varsovie, Necroblaspheme), recommended by Neige, who described it as an ideal place to record their music. On the one hand because the studio is analog, and on the other hand because it is located in Brittany's countryside, isolated from the rest of the world, with compulsory rain in August. It was produced by Benoit Roux "Mr. Xort" (ex Anorexia Nervosa), who recorded additional keyboards.The album artwork & layout was done by Metastazis, who is one of the best illustrators/designers of the underground scene and worked for Alcest, Anathema, Antaeus, Enthroned, Forgotten Woods, Gorgoroth, Immolation, Secrets of the Moon, Taake, Listenable Records, Osmose Productions & Warner Bros.
So, that's how Soror Dolorosa appears today, which is quite a feat, knowing their respective influences. Andy, as a drummer, has been marked by Black Metal and Metal in general but also by the likes of Human League, Fields of the Nephilim or Ulver ' s latest albums. Herv e is a big fan of The Cure, Depeche Mode and Christian Death. Emey is somewhat influenced by Metallica, Satriani, Vai, but also Blues & Movie Soundtracks. Franck listens to bands as diverse as Iron Maiden, Bon Jovi or The French Variety, as well as Reggae, although he is primarily a Beatles fan. However, since the basics for their songs often come from bass riffs, the colour of the music naturally goes into the direction of Gothic/Death Rock and Cold Wave.
SOROR DOLOROSA is :
Andy Julia : Vocals
Hervé Carles : Bass Guitar
Emey : Guitars
Frank Ligabue : Drums
