The beginnings of DIE VERBANNTEN KINDER EVAS date back to 1993, when Richard Lederer of the famed SUMMONING, in an effort to widen his creative possibilites, composed the first keyboard tracks that would eventually make it on DVKE’s debut 2 years later. Yet DIE VERBANNTEN KINDER EVAS, or “The Banished Children of Eve”, had quite some work before them. Richard soon enlisted the help of Michael Gregor, SUMMONING’s other half, who also began composing a few tunes for the new project and ended up stumbling across the band name in a Renaissance book, while searching for a source of lyrical inspiration. Other lyrics were taken from myriad poets, as well as written by Ray Wells, the mastermind behind PAZUZU. With the addition of Nora El Shammah and Richard’s sister Julia Lederer, who would share female vocal responsibilities, the perfect vocal mix was achieved by combining them with the Richard and Michael’s clear vocals tracks. DVKE soon released two demos, bringing them to the attention of Swiss label Witchhunt Records, who signed the band in 1995. The self-titled debut included all the tracks that had made their way onto the earlier demo tapes. Shortly following the band’s debut release, Nora and Michael left the band, leaving the two siblings on their own. It was then that Richard contacted MOS Records founder Oliver Falk, eventually opting to sign on in the hopes of a better distribution. DIE VERBANNTEN KINDER EVAS’ sophmore release saw the light of day in September 1997. Come Heavy Sleep embraced a more classically, orchestra-oriented style. The lyrics for this work were taken from the 19th Century English poet Pearcy Byshe Shelly. Not long after the release of Come Heavy Sleep, relations between Richard and Oliver Falk deteriorated enough to warrant yet another label change. The Austrian label NAPALM RECORDS, which had release SUMMONING’s albums since their 1995 debut, stepped up to the plate. In Darkness Let Me Dwell leaned more on darkwave and less on the classical styles of the previous releases. The less polyphonic approach and the replacement of Julia Lederer with Tania Borsky helped make this album their most successful to date. Yet sullen days awaited the band. Tania Borsky became complacent, losing interest in the band and causing Richard to search out a replacement for her. This was no easy task, and one that would end up causing major delays in the releases of both SUMMONING’s Oath Bound and DVKE’s current longplayer. After nearly seven years, DIE VERBANNTEN KINDER EVAS unveil their maturest and darkest release. The classically influenced compositions, the harmonious soundscapes, and the complex rhythms build the foundation on which to showcase the very emotive female vocals of Greek singing talent Christina Kroustali. Dusk and Void Became Alive invites one to dream, while enjoying intelligent, romantic, and touching Darkwave. Line-up:
Richard Lederer – Vocals, Keyboards
Christina Kroustali – Vocals http://www.dvke.info |
