With all the controversy and opinions flying on and on about mp3's, I came across a collection of mix tapes I have from a tape swap that was done last year on a newsgroup I'm on. We all decided to put either tapes or CDR's together for the other listees since music was a hot topic of conversation and we wanted to satisfy our curiosity about what other people were listening to.  [The first time I ever heard Glampire was on a mix taped]. I dug these out and have been listening to them again on my way back and forth to work. It kind of put things in perspective and re-affirmed my stance on mp3s (that is, if used by bands themselves as tools for promotion with their permission and blessing, are spectacular!). The old tradition of making mix-tapes for friends never killed the music industry, if anything, it promoted it and exposed new music to many ears that would have never been exposed - especially in the underground genres. Now we have this new technology and instead of dubbing tapes, we fill CDR's with mp3's or songs off of CD's themselves, we share files or send mp3 sites to one another. Again, this concept is not NEW and is nothing for the music industry to fear and I'd wager its caused many people to actually go buy a CD they might not ever have before. I bring this up because this CD is a direct result of my having taken an interest in this band because of a mix tape I got.  This one tape, made by my friend Kathryn, is loaded with bands, old and new, and many that I had never heard before. I'd have to guess I've bought at least four CD's recently because I liked what I heard on this tape and was curious for more. There's others I've yet to get but will soon.

A band from Poland, Fading Colours only had two CDs - Lie and Black Horse. Comparisons were made between them and the Mission and even 10,000 Maniacs. In Hex Files: The Goth Bible, Mick Mercer said, "its ravishing stuff, textured and haunting." 

It opens with "Black Horse." A Sister's of Mercy-ish driving bass line is the hook, but the confident female vocals are what sells the deal for me on this. Sometimes murmuring, talking and then soaring operatically on counter melody, its a great dance tune and something I've very much like to hear at a local goth night. "Lie" is my favorite on this CD with its ethnic, synth-contructed melody and powerful vocals similar to a more rockin' version of Dead Can Dance. And finally, "Love" brings up the end - a previously unreleased demo track that is mellow and dreamy reminiscent of older Siouxsie tunes like "Dear Prudence." Just wonderful - I cannot believe I didn't know about this band back in the early 90's when they first came out. But thanks to a mix tape from a friend, I've found them and am happily musing down memories of the good old days...

Highly recommended to geri-goths who are often heard mumbling, "music just isn't that same as it was back in the day..."

Tracks
1. Black Horse
2. Lie
3. Love*
4. Black Horse*
*previous unreleased demo tracks

Fading Colours was:
De Coy - vocals
Tytus de Ville - Guitars/Keyboards
Leszek Raakowski - bass
Pawel Novak - drums

Dion Fortune Records
Hospeltstr. 66 - 5082 Koln - fax: (0)221 - 54 26 20
Poland: SPV

I bought this at:

www.middlepillar.com
 

01/01/01