O Paradis CD Reinos
If you like the music of groups like Allerseelen,Coil, Novy Svet, Psychic TV, Virgin Prunes, you will soon be in love with the beautiful and mystical songs by the group O Paradis, a unique project from Catalonia, who collaborated with Allerseelen on the 7" Canco de somni/Marques de Pubol. Folklore magico, slow motion pop mediterraneo with a beautiful male voice. The brand-new CD on Aorta Serpiente de Luna, Serpiente de Sol also features a swing tinto composition written by Gerhard (Allerseelen) for O Paradis. One song also contains the voice of Juergen (Novy Svet).
This was the second album by the Spanish revelation of the latest years. Rarely we could find a project in our country with such recognition and quality, and this is a motive of joy for those who still believe that in Spain there are talents hidden somewhere. This album was released, as was the first, by the label El Círculo Records and before a third one issued by the Austrian Aorta, a review of which you will find also here in our pages. After a great debut called “Ensueños” (find a large comment on that here in SDC as well) that maybe could have been a collection of songs, I feel this second has the shape of a more proper album, more homogeneous in some aspects and with a more lineal feeling of obscurity always dealing with the wide spectrum of the project’s own world. The first disc contained several great songs, while in my opinion, “Reinos”, despite having also a few ones that stand out above some others, is more consistent and better as a whole, as an album, in one word. During the three full-length released by Ô Paradis (besides, there is another in collaboration with Novy Svet), Demian, its main and only member, has consolidated a proper and original style, mostly with slow tempo ballads that never fall in a boring continuity but grow second after second showing a variety of elements and an instrumentation sustained by a good quantity of percussion, mostly obtained from an electronic drum, and by lyrics that define the heaven and hell of the composer. The innocence that in reality hides the unpredictable danger can be deducted from the opening, “Tus Ojos De Niña”, and this great duality of two opposite faces is not found for the first time. This first song increases its background content by the placid melodies, very static and peaceful, and by the sporadic intervention of wriggling evasive flute sounds. Thus, Ô Paradis starts to show those Kingdoms (Reinos) where the imagination is endless and where all kind of dreams inhabits, real and unreal, all type of sensations that can be interpreted widely by the listener. One of my favourite songs of the project is with no doubt the next one, “Caminos”. I find essential the understanding of most of the lyrics to fully obtain the passport towards those invented worlds. Worlds created from the composer’s proper one. The convincing tone of the voice opens the gates as a perfect companion. The eastern feel of “Caminos” is a precious one, strings and wind instruments and the constant low pulse of bass and drums create the situation for the endless “paths” to walk on. “Escaleras” follows the line of magnificent pieces at this album commencement, and continue to offer a sound of a good variety for one of the best lyrics of the CD. Organs, violins and female brief chants accompany and create an emotion, a perfect one for the desperation shown later by the singer’s mood and the wide lyrics’ expressiveness (“Hate is a seed spread by the wind through my whole kingdom, and I don’t want to see how it grows”… “There is one only end for all tales and the sun warms up its grave”… “Stairs that go up and down in the kingdom of my loneliness”…). The percussion disposition marks deeply the “mechanical” process of the start and later development of “Engranajes”, as if the low rhythm wanted to be clearly evidenced, even more with the help of the cadenced way of singing. In spite of its aspect of reiteration, “Engranajes” also shows a good bunch of details and nuances, quite proper of the project way of composing. Another of the main songs of the album is called “No Hay Nadie Más”. Some strophes full of significances are opened to interpretation, in this occasion accompanied by organ melodies and a lazy percussion. This second work by Ô Paradis follows a line of continuity; all songs have a shaded form and varied sluggish pulses and in this way these elements try to put in the best perspective all sentiments, emotions and meanings, as a way of slowing down all ideas and images for a better and more dedicated contemplation. This is clear during “El Alquimista”, or the power of transformation of the world before your eyes. The solemn organ and the elusive forms of the flute give a different disposition to the percussive and sequenced sounds. “Voces Antiguas” is another of my favourite tunes, and I cannot avoid a full concentration on its soft dreamy melodies, delicate details and excellent lyrics, which in this occasion are more than essential. “Un Canto Más”, with its melodic bass and imploring chants of poetry, appeared also on the “Ducasse” compilation reviewed for our previous site update. The title track follows, presented as an instrumental piece full of Eastern references with an ethnic touch, which imprints an evocative feel with no space for words. The composer feels the need to go further in the space of his imagination and grants the listener with this journey of invented distant tales. The soft reiterative acoustic guitar spots clearly the next, “Planetas”, with its inappreciable flute and hammond-like organ melody, enlarging the soft melancholia projected by the voice and the words. “La Última Orilla” recovers a certain animosity but maintaining the deep reference of each word: “Counting up the waves that reach and die by our feet. We, here, and the infinite, there. Sat on the end of the world, playing on the last shore for the very last time…”; meanwhile, “El Bhagavân” is a place where infant memories are reflected taking the shape of sounds, mixed feelings and forms, because Ô Paradis is sometimes also a world looked or described through the eye of a child, with all the consequences that this practise may have. “Reinos” ends “The Winter of Tales” with “El Mar” (“The Sea”), a place where many hopes end as well, in this case by the procedure of a serene ballad with fragile notes and an almost imperceptible voice. I think this second album is a must have, and you should be prepared for more since the Spanish project is growing every day in all aspects. What I do find pretty important is that everything surrounding Ô Paradis may have a different interpretation for each individual. All is contained herein. All is here in a digipak that has the CD tray on the left, and a beautiful picture on the cover showing both the immensity and the void. (F. Paco González) [email protected]
Aus dem mediterranen Raum hört man in den letzten Jahren deutlicher werdende Signale. Zwei lange Tonträger (Reinos, Ensuenos) sind bislang erschienen von diesem melancholischen und atmosphärischen Projekt, das mit einer eigenen, durchaus eingängigen, wenn auch meist düsteren Mixtur aus Rhythmus, Samples, Stimme und akustischen Akzenten aufwartet. Dabei wechseln sich trancige Rhythmen mit metallischen Breaks ab und einfache, einschmeichelnde Melodien mit finster-dröhnenden Passagen. Der männliche Gesang trägt jenen unverwechselbaren 'animo', der einige der Stücke in ihrem Pathos gelegentlich in poppige Gefilde taucht, doch am Ende bleiben zwei eigenständige Werke mit geschlossener Ästhetik und Klangwelt, die ihrer HörerInnen in ein geheimnisvolles Wechselbad der Gefühle tauchen. http://www.ikonenmagazin.de/ikonenframe.htm
O Paradis kenne ich durch Gerhard (Allerseelen), der mir durch sie abermals zeigte, wie begeisterungsfähig er ist. Er beschrieb sie als Mischung aus Virgin Prunes und Psychic TV mit spanischem Charakter und selbstredend komplett spanischem Gesang. Ergänzend könnte man dem noch Crime and the City Solution (Nick Cave) hinzufügen. O Paradis haben einen unglaublich eigenen Sound erschaffen, der sich allen Kategorisierungen entzieht. Es handelt sich um sehr eingängige Musik, die es dem Hörer leicht macht. Man stößt auf eine ungeheure Vielfalt an Details, z. B. Militär-Trommeln (manchmal klingt es wie das Trommeln auf Fässern), die dem ganzen aber keineswegs einen Military-Pop Touch verleihen, sondern eher für einen rituell-meditativen, rhythmusbetonten Charakter sorgen. Verhalten nimmt man auch Naturgeräusche eines spanischen Sommers wahr, die das Ganze ideal für eine bestimmte Rum-Werbung erscheinen lassen. Nein, nicht wirklich ideal, denn als bloße Begleitmusik ist es zu durchdringend und düster. Vielleicht kennt jemand das sehr untypische, auf einem Sartre-Theaterstück basierende Cranes Album "La Tragédie d´Oreste et Électre" - in diese Richtung tendiert O Paradis vor allem mit dem großen Unterschied und Zusatz, daß in der Musik der ganze Reichtum der katalanischen Herkunft O Paradis´ hörbar ist. Ich meine vor allem den Surrealismus eines Salvador Dali, eines Luis Bunuel oder (Ortswechsel nach Mexiko) eines Alejandro Jodorowsky (Santa Sangre). Ich glaube, eine ästhetische Vorstellung der O Paradis Musik ergibt sich vor allem dann, wenn man sich mit diesen Dingen beschäftigt. O Paradis sind vor allem unglaublich dunkel, tief-traurig und ja, spanisch - und zwar genauso, wie man sich das als Klischee mit Adjektiven wie "stolz" und "sinnlich" vorstellt. Natürlich gibt es auch atmosphärische Parallelen zu den befreundeten Novy Svet und (neueren) Allerseelen, aber O Paradis sind zualererst eine riesige neue Bereicherung für unsere Musikwelt. (Dominik Tischleder/Zinnober) http://www.zinnober.net/
Fate's muses examines men hearts among the sound pictures created by this Catalan project, managed by his owner called Demian. The album is composed of deep and inspired folk atmospheres and warm psychedelic-wave frames. All is beaten and warmed by solemn percussions, which become nearly invisible bridges between reality and magic. 14 deep songs full of refined arrangement, soft reflections, mesmerized effects, fading memories, existence questioning, European scents. Female choirs often lie down on winding keyboards, shade pianos watch pale obelisks, brilliant guitars awaken forces, while oriental bells contaminate old rituals. Sounds not to lose to whom has already in his heart spiritual fortresses by Allerseelen, Thread, Tindersticks, or Sleeping Pictures. Mysticism and esoterism breathing also through the lyrics (which are all in Spanish) and the titles as well. And then we stay so to contemplate hot thoughts on the top of hermetic labyrinths. www.twilight-zone.it
'Reinos' is the second album of Ô Paradis, the Catalan project guided by Demian. Released on Ô Paradis own label, El Circulo Records, it comes after the promising first album 'Ensuenos' and the 7" 'Canço de somni', the result of the collaboration with Allerseelen and Circe. With 'Ensuenos', Demian has succeeded the feat of strength to create a particular atmosphere, tainted with sadness, solitude, and most of all poetry, accompanied by a very personal voice and music, full of magic, emotion and very uneasy to describe... A refreshing and captivating album, with that 'little something' that makes a record a special one... To describe 'Reinos' whole atmosphere, I can't find better words than those of Demian (featured on his website's introduction to 'the world of Ô Paradis'): 'Stories of kingdoms that are now only empty streets'... This is the unanimous feeling that impregnates as much the whole album as each song... The feeling of floating between dream and reality, helped by Demian's enchanting voice singing in Spanish, is also present... As it was already the case on 'Ensuenos', each song present on this new opus reveals a different musical facet: from pop, drum'n bass, medieval, to folk… Some songs are just pure jewels: 'Caminos', 'Engranajes' and its childish and repetitive melody, the cabaret mood of 'No Hay Nadie Mas', the particular sound of a music box used on 'El Bhagavân' and its sad and melancholic atmosphere, the sound of the sea and the intemporal feeling of 'El Mar'… The CD comes in a nice digipack with a beautiful cover that could represent this unreal place where Ô Paradis songs take place... This new album establishes Ô Paradis as an unique project that can definitely be placed amongst the most original, personal, captivating one can listen at this moment and a project to follow with great attention, of course... especially as a new album 'Serpiente de Luna, Serpiente de Sol' and another one 'Entre siempre y jamas...' shared with Novy Svet should soon see the light... Indispensable! Nathalie F. www.heimdallr.ch/ http://www.heimdallr.ch/Interviews/2003/O_Paradis.html
O Paradis CD Serpiente de Luna, Serpiente de Sol
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