Some bands run out of creative steam after a period of time. This isn’t the case with Kirlian Camera who have been developing their ideas over 33 years and through umpteen albums.
I often receive albums which are described as “cinematic”. I’m not always convinced. As I listened to “Black Summer Choirs”, I could picture a series of developing, flickering images shot using an old cine camera. The overall ambiance is darkwave and gothic but to leave it there would be vastly over-simplistic. The gloomy, atmosphere-laden tracks are punctuated by four so-called “final interviews”. These “interviews” are spoken tracks, each with dark and apocalyptic messages. I don’t know who the narrator is but the diction is that of an English speaker with an affected accent. This is no Robert Calvert or Shakespearean actor. This could only have been made more sinister if the words had been uttered in German. This is not an unknown concept for Kirlian Camera, who have collaborated with Wumpscut in their time.
Musically, it is dark and melancholic but there is also a strong exotic flavour. Sometimes a piece of music can stop you in your tracks because it is unusual or imaginative. The haunting gothic strains, enriched by a multitude of styles and moody shades, made me sit up and listen, starting with “Silencing the World”. Its synthetic heart beat remains constant. Elena Alice Fossi’s distantly wispy voice enters our psyche. Gloomy orchestral tones ring out in the background. It’s cleverly done as Ms Fossi seems to appear from the back of figurative dark clouds to reinforce the melancholic scene which is being played out. Her quiet yet powerful voice is like a gothic version of something between Edith Piaf and Eartha Kitt. Electronica then provides the backdrop for more orchestral work. Ms Fossi sings evocatively. A choir adds to the dark and dusky atmosphere of “Black August”. It’s all measured and gloom-laden. The narrator issues a threat, and we carry on with an electro beat which would be worthy of Euro Pop. Ms Fossi is on hand to neutralise “Heavens” with her emotional edge. A dreary ballad follows, in which Ms Fossi sounds worryingly like Bonnie Tyler. “We shall tenaciously work to finish it off” warns the narrator in a tone which suggests The Final Solution. In contrast, soft beats, electronic soundwaves and the lady’s lush voice follows. “My Kids Kill” develops into a chilling track with an equally chilling choir in support. I’m starting to shiver at this steely-steady and whispery track. Curiously, the next track “Words” is more like an acoustic hippie sing-a-long. But it’s a decent hypnotic folk song, with the violin again adding sadness to it. “It is obvious that we shall scatter the opposition” states the narrator, adding “Any aspect of comedy will soon take leave of your mind”. You may gather there hasn’t been any laughter around here recently. A trip hop beat strikes up. Added to it are extra helpings of electronic darkwave gloom. It stops. Even Ms Fossi is reduced to the spoken word. The choir resounds. “Barren Cornfields” is bathed in mystery and terror. The end is appropriate in tone. The orchestral strains of “Stranger in the Abandoned Station” convey an atmosphere of foreboding. It’s like a retrospective look on snapshots of death, decay and destruction. Weighty, ponderous and indicative of a sad, sad scene, there’s an overwhelming sense of mystical distance and alienation surrounding this musical picture of devastation and sounds of winds whistling through wastelands.
“Black Summer Choirs” is certainly an interesting album, in which Kirlian Camera extend their musical range to portray a very black picture. Just don’t expect to be cheered up and you’ll be alright.
(7.5/10 Andrew Doherty)
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