Kirlian Camera – The Ice Curtain

One of the best sounding compilation that I have , with great choice of songs from 1980 till 1998.

Never sure whether such a large collection would be a good starting place to explore an unknown group, but if you are familiar with KC, you'll probably want to get hold of this album.
KIRLIAN CAMERA have talent. Simple statement, but from the opening track on the first disc they set about proving it. the 'long' version of "The Desert Inside" is a steady fast electronic backing against which the voice - here sounding like a slightly digitised hybrid of MARTIN of ATTRITION and MICHAEL GIRA - rich and deep. A distinctive hooky track, managing to be robotic and dehumanized throughout the verse and emotional through the chorus. "Solaris IV/A" follows a similar, although larger theme. It reminds me of the sci fi mechanical-but-dramatic music of DARK STAR, especially on the album with ED KA'SPEL - very similar. "The Icy Dawn" is a steady medium-paced piece, a gentle waking dreamsong. "Eclipse V4" picks up the pace a little but still retains the dreamy drift state of filter drift set against what can be a muted Hardcore Electro backing - kind of EBM tamed by a rich but pert female voice. This sounds like POESIE NOIRE with a tint of Irish Folk Rock permeated into it. An 'alternative mix' of "Erinnerung" takes things another step towards Techno with the relentless metronome kick beat. This almost sounds like a completely different group with the vocals in harsh German tones. This is followed by a live version of "In The Endless Rain", losing none of the rich tonal quality of this heartfelt song in the less controllable environment. This is one of their more beautiful songs, juxtaposing warm emotional female voice against the cold clinical drum machine and harmonic keyboards. "I Am The Light ('97 Mix)" follows this in much the same mood, only with the male voice muted to almost distortion. The words seem to be wrenched from within, almost angrily sad. "Ascension" is taken from one of the most beautiful periods of their existence - dreamy sadness set against clumpy drums seems odd at first but once it's got under your skin it totally seduces you with a kind of naive wonder and, strangely, fills you with an optimism about life. Typical of the "Pictures From Eternity" period - big chords, a drifting, floating diaphanous atmosphere filled with emotion from the heart. "Sea Of Memory" has a similar beauty - being both sad and beautiful, set to a mostly acoustic guitar backing. There's something wonderful about hearing your mother tongue sung - perfectly it must be said - as a second language. Not always, but here it has an innocent seductiveness and fragility which is almost sexual. "Fields Of Sunset (Days Of The Scythe)" - title sounds like something the DEATH IN JUNE school might write, and indeed this acoustic sound with the minuscule male voice has a certain other-worldliness. "Twilight Fields" has both a bright beauty and a distant black tension - a wonderful hybrid of emotions. "Drifting", taken from the album of the same name sounds as if me old mate MARTYN BATES were singing backing vocals against a structure more mechanical than the previous few songs on this disc, but no less atmospheric. Again a dreamy drift with a curiously semi-spoken voice which sounds just slightly drugged and half awake but effective for that! "Heldenplatz" is another sweetly melancholic piece of drama, contrasting EMILIA LO JACONO's fresh-as-springwater voice against darkly moody string washes. It touches you within, caresses your heart with the softest of fingertips. "Memories Are Made Of This (Veronika Voss)" closes the first disc - always a lighthearted song anyway, and EMILIA's warmth fails to take anything away from it. Damn odd choice for a more or less straight cover, though.

The second disc fails to let the quality drop. Indeed the extended version of "Blue Room" takes me back a while to younger days when I used to listen to early ULTRAVOX in a small cold bedsit. The female vocalist sounds on this very much like JOHN FOXX with more Classical pretentions. "Eclipse" I have to say makes a bland background of chugging sequencer for the vocalist, but is perfect for her tonally strong and clear voice (which brings to mind a slightly more mature POESIE NOIRE at their best). "Nightship 451" has one CHARLIE MALLOZZI on vocals and is more cumbersome but more a spoken word story set to chugging sequence. The 'Full Metal Mix' of "Austria" has a (sampled) orchestral pomp giving it an immense sub-martial sound which, with BERGAMINI's hard flat voice is a lot harder than many of the tracks on this album. "Tor Zwei" has a timeless drama to it - somehow akin to a film soundtrack theme and reflects another, gentler side to KIRLIAN CAMERA. Somehow both depressing and beautiful. The 'edit' version of "Celephais" acts as an apt coda to the previous track. Things come back to the 20th Century with "News" - a surprisingly sit-up-and-beg piece for them - racking my brain I can only think of it being akin to an early GARY NUMAN filler track or something from (again) JOHN FOXX's early solo work, although the vocals are more akin to the former - colder, more Dalek-like. "Rays" could be an analogue electro demo by THE CURE with some early HUGH CORNWELL inflection. "Still Close" retains the general late 70s / early 80s feel of the music, less ridiculously isolationistic and clinical, complete with edgeless snare and flangy synths. "Memories Of A House" take us in a more dramatic, theatrical direction, reminding me again of late 70s / early 80s - this time of the TOYAHs and HAZEL O'CONNORs which appeared around that time. Things get more on line with the extended version of "Edges" which manages to be nimble and quick-paced while retaining an adrenaline-rush feminine sense of angry drama. It certainly makes up for the retro lacklustre of the last few tracks. This disc and indeed the album closes with an extended version of "Ocean" which is again a much more rich and mature music - and actually quite appealing to my maturing taste. Strangely enough, even away from the retro electro tracks, it reminds me of JOHN FOXX, only with the huge beauty of tracks like "Your Dress" and even later recordings. I kinda feel there's too much coincidence here for him not to have been an influence somewhere along the line. This track would definitely be their bid at the National charts (and they deserved the success!).

Overall their career has been changeable enough to make this an uneven but worthwhile album. For me the first disc is definitely worth the money, with the second being patchy, but at least it lets you see where they have come from.

I'm not really convinced this is intended as a 'Best Of...' compilation as they have left quite a lot out. Guess it's a hearty slice of what they have been up to in recent years. If you're interested in hearing their music, this is probably the best album to start your search from.

Originally reviewed for Soft Watch.

I think it dont needs any comments on this great Italian Band, one of the pioneers of the electronic synth, italo music !
i think every italo freak like me , who likes sometimes a little bit darker ,
will have in his pvt collection , all the stuff of this great band.and the voice from Elena Alice Fossi is amazing, so clear , powerfull one of my favourites female vocals!
one of my favourite bands!!!!!