Switchblade Symphony

Switchblade Symphony was a rock and trip- hop band, founded in San Francisco in 1989 by the singer Tina Root and composer Susan Wallace. The name of the band goes back to Tina Roots preference for classical music.

History

Switchblade Symphony was founded in the late 1980s in California. After the two demo cassettes Fable (1991) and Elegy (1992 ) was published in 1995 the debut album Serpentine Gallery on the U.S. independent label Cleopatra Records. Stylistically, the album moves between electro-pop, gothic and alternative rock and is characterized by the characteristic of the band faded, spherical vocals. There are also orchestral synth sounds, melodic guitar parts and a relatively hard drum machine use. Switchblade Symphony was thus able to produce a strange, otherworldly atmosphere. Music critics rated the factory positive throughout and drew comparisons to Siouxsie and the Banshees.

1996 completed Switchblade Symphony first U.S. tour with Christian Death and Big Electric Cat. During this time, George Earth came as a live guitarist and Eric Gebow live drummer to the band. In the aftermath Switchblade Symphony performed as the opening act known Gothic and Metal bands such as The Sisters of Mercy and Type O Negative on.

During another tour in the spring of 1997, published Switchblade Symphony, the limited Scrapbook EP with material from their early demo releases.

In the fall of 1997 followed with Bread and Jam for Frances, the second album, whose title was borrowed from a children's book by Russell and Lillian Hoban. While Tina Roots vocal style remained unchanged, the drum machine, the band used until then was replaced by the two drummer Eric Gebow and Ken Dewar. Not least because of their use was made on Bread and Jam for Frances the turn to trip hop.

1998, work began on the third and final book, The Three Calamities, due to a three-month tour - were interrupted - with Gary Numan. Completed shortly before release of the album Switchblade Symphony in the spring of 1999 another tour with the Canadian Electrical lineup Front Line Assembly. The Three Calamities was subsequently licensed with some bonus tracks under the title The Three Calamities and More for the German market.

In November of the same year Switchblade Symphony split because of personal and artistic differences. Tina Root then founded her solo project Tré Lux, while Susan Wallace completely withdrew from the music business.

Appeared posthumously in 2001, the remix album Sinister Nostalgia. While the song remains relatively unchanged, the remixes are significantly faster than the originals and strongly influenced by styles such as techno or drum and bass, especially in relation to the rhythm. Among the remixers include Apoptygma Berzerk and Razed in Black.

Discography

  • Fable, EP ( cassette ), 1991
  • Elegy ( cassette ), 1992
  • Serpentine Gallery, 1995
  • Clown, 1996
  • Scrapbook, 1997
  • Drool, 1997
  • Bread and Jam for Frances, 1997
  • Bread and Jam for Frances, 1997 ( Japan Edition 2 Bonus Tracks )
  • The Three Calamities, 1999
  • The Three Calamities and More, 1999 ( German Edition 3 bonus tracks )
  • Sinister Nostalgia, 2001
  • Sweet Little Witches ( live ), 2005
Electropop Gothic Rock Singing Bass guitar Rock music
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