Press Info (older stuff)

If the term „experimental-pop“ wouldn ́t lead to that many nonpoint and serious associations, the music of FANTAS SCHIMUN would be described by it pretty good. The artist who is living in Vienna (and from time to time in Berlin) has been creating sounds for years now. They reflect the hopes and fears as well as the utopias and illusions of our time. This is an achievement that you can hardly expect from pop-music theses days.

FANTAS SCHIMUN carries the bitter-sweetness of blues and jazz through dusty-hot industrial-halls, with the attitude of punk- curiosity and determination; Jeff Buckley, John Cale, Ma Rainey and Big Mama Thornton act as referees but also The Fall, The Residents and Negativland.

FANTAS SCHIMUN does everything on her own, still supported massively by musicians like Doc Schoko, Hermann Halb or Sandra Schulte, she works acoustically and electronically/she uses acoustic sounds as well as electronic ones; there are pieces of sounds and scenes that seem to be from a crazy alternate reality and then all of a sudden a song appears with a stunning theme and vibe. If you give yourself into this harmony created by her music you gotta be prepared for the demolition, if you are excited about disruptions and distortions, be aware that moments of pure beauty will strike you. And both vibes will stay, when the music has stopped.

Until now only pieces of her music were published (for instance on the ZickZack-compilation “What ́s So Funny About” or “Bis Auf Weiteres Eine Demonstration”) and her shows were rare. Now finally there is a great and adequate introduction to her universe: a double-album/record released 8.1.2010 on ZickZack.

“Variationen über die Freiheit eines Anderen“, the title of the first record/album, developped since 2002 surprises by voice and vibes. Chirping birds, running trains and voices from way of the other side linger. An exciting and bold mixture of the most varied musical elements. “Der Himmel ist Blau - Ein Alptraum in Stereo“, the current album/record offers next to an absurd, fictional radio play with pitched voices of cult series-actors lots and lots of music. You can even feel a whiff of the Balkans, listening to the song “Eia Eia Weg” (which was already released on ZickZack). Two people sitting in a formular one car switching seats, Donald Duch becomes co-driver. For everyone this is becoming too much, “Herztropfen”, a song or more a collage of heart-nearly-shot- down is highly recommended!

2010/06/07

ox-fanzine_03_2010

Wien bescherte uns im vergangenen Jahr melancholische Songwriterinnen in Form von GUSTAV oder SOAP & SKIN. Mit Fantas Schimun kommt nun die Dritte im Bunde zum Zuge. „Variationen über die Freiheit eines Anderen“ bietet zwar melancholischen Songwriter-Pop, der aber in seiner Eingängigkeit immer wieder von wachrüttelnden, experimentellen Passagen gebrochen wird.

Schimun singt auf Deutsch und Englisch, gefällt mir aber deutlich besser, wenn sie Letzteres tut. Da erinnert sie gar an Björk oder PJ Harvey in ihren ruhigen Momenten, mit denen sie neben der Melancholie auch der Kontrast zwischen Melodie und atonalen Klangexperimenten verbindet.

Auf CD2 befindet sich das musikalische Hörspiel „Der Himmel ist blau – ein Alptraum in Stereo“, das zwar als vollwertiges zweites Album gedacht ist, aber über den Status von Bonusmaterial nicht hinauskommt.

Dafür sind die Songs auf CD1 viel zu gut.

Jan-Niklas Jäger

© by Ox-Fanzine / Ausgabe #88 (Februar/März 2010)

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