Variété
Bydgoszcz (1986)
~reviewed by Matthew
Heilman
Appropriately enough, you are probably
wondering who Variété is and why you have never heard of
them. I had never heard of them either, but the Furia Musica label
from Poland sent us this CD to review, and as it turns out, Variété
were a Gothic Rock band from Poland that was active throughout the late
1980’s. I don’t know exactly how popular they were during their existence,
but over sixteen years later, their plodding and heavily atmospheric music
still holds up wonderfully. I am doubly thankful that the label saw
fit to re-release this lost treasure and that they were kind enough to
share this music with us because this is indeed a rare gem. The CD
collects the band’s ten track 1986 release entitled “Bydgoszcz” and then
six extremely powerful live tracks recorded in 1989.
Variété may very well have
been the only Goth band active in Poland around this time, and were probably
influenced by imported British or German records. What’s interesting
is that they seemed to have honed in on the darkest and dreariest aspects
of Goth. The way in which they pulled all these disparate elements
together is fresh and utterly transfixing. I hate to do this, but
when I first listened to this disc, I heard distinctive elements that instantly
brought other bands to mind. If you can imagine the perfect synthesis
of early And Also The Trees, Corpus Delicti, Theatre Of Hate, Joy Division
and the vocal style of Two Witches, then you will know what to expect from
Variété.
Most of the songs creep along at a dense
and doom laden pace, with either jagged tribal percussion or punchy, unrelenting
rhythms pounding at the music’s black core. Distinctive and thunderous
bass lines appear consistently throughout the record, sometimes light and
lulling and other times, loose and plucked with slap-dash fury. The
guitars jangle with sublime eeriness. Rich, heavily flanged processing
effects characterize the more reflective passages, giving way to sharp
pinches of sonic discordance for climactic moments. Barely any synths
grace this record – instead, the band and offer spare violin passages on
a few of the album’s later tracks. But primarily, ghostly wails of saxophone
provide the additional dimensions of atmosphere throughout the majority
of the disc. Like quite a few bands at the time, there is a full-time
saxophone player in the line-up, and it works for Variété
much the same as it did for Theatre Of Hate, early Sad Lovers & Giants
and the Nephilim on their debut EP. It’s a unique sound that you
definitely don’t hear too often.
Led by heavily accented male vocals, the
voice of Variété is a stark, menacing baritone. At
times, his voice is more reserved and leering in shadow, and then as if
a man pushed over the edge, he lunges forth unexpectedly, animated with
a sudden rage, his words seething with spite and threatening anxiety.
Not quite screaming, but certainly not resting on his laurels. The
music surges forward, and a new dimension of theatricality and decadent
earnestness animates the band that reminds me of what And Also The Trees
were doing at the time this band was recording, and what Corpus Delicti
would do in only a few short years.
Even more mysterious to American ears,
is of course, the fact that all of these lyrics and song titles are in
Polish. Some might find this frustrating, but personally I found
it exotic and intriguing. For one, they could be singing about anything
our imaginations wish, and the bleak urgency of their music is not spoiled
by lyrics that may or may not well-suited for it. The deep throated
and edgy deliveries that shade the vocals perfectly match the musical backdrops,
and as listeners, the obvious and irrevocable sense of foreign alienation
only colours the experience of this disc a shade darker.
When it comes to Gothic Rock, sometimes
its those odd or secret bands as opposed to the big name acts that end
up being the most creative and interesting, and immerse themselves so heavily
in the classic sound of the genre. This is a dark and unsettling
record from start to finish. It’s cold, detached, and there is a
chilling undercurrent of tension running beneath these tracks that threatens
to boil over. The atmosphere builds with each track, culminating in the
hypnotic tribal climax of the title track and then bonus cuts from the
band’s live EP. The final six live tracks are three times as
intense as the studio performance. With a big, jarringly raw sound,
the band is at their prime of attack. The quality of the recording
is quite good though not without a few minor flaws. But most importantly,
the sheer unbridled intensity of the band’s performance is captured and
instantly apparent to the listener. The slightly grainy sound only adds
to the experience.
Variété keeps the listener
on edge, crafting the kind of claustrophobic and moldy dread that can truly
be referred to without hesitation as pure Gothic artistry. I highly recommend
this to fans of dangerous, edgy, and dark Gothic rock. It’s an absolutely
awesome collection. I suppose the easiest way to contact these guys
is via the website and links below. Drop them a line and inquire
on how to purchase this disc, as it is well worth tracking down.
Furia Musica: http://www.terra.pl/furia
Email: furiamusica@interia.pl
02/10/03