Artist: LIV KRISTINE
Album: DEUX EX MACHINA (CD)

Year: 1998
Media type: CD

In 1995, a new star arose in the sky of Gothic Metal in the Norwegian band Theatre Of Tragedy. Dark metal and the captivating antiphony between Raymond I. Rohonyi and Liv Kristine Espenжs resulted in a mixture inspiring many bands of the genre in the meantime. With her high, clear, emotionally expressive voice, Liv Kristine was always in the focal point of attention. So it suggests itself to catch the beauty of this voice in a pure form, on a solo production. This is now available in DEUS EX MACHINA: a journey through almost ethereal seeming gothic soundscapes, but also pop music of the finest dark impression. The climax of the album, which Liv Kristine recorded together with the German soundtrack magician Gьnther Illi, is surely her duet with the Paradise Lost singer Nick Holmes in the song ”3 a.m.”. Both find their background in metal, and you can feel how much almost naive pleasure they find in this simple, very catchy pop music. Liv Kristine has let much personal emotion flow into this album. ”Portrait: Le Har ei Tulle med Шgne Bla°” is based on an old Norwegian song, which her grandmother has always sung for her. And each listener has the choice of finding his own image of the personality of the singer between joy of the melodious voice and the melancholy sound of the minor key sounding, elegiac melodies. Therefore, DEUS EX MACHINA is not only an additional bonus for Theatre Of Tragedy, but an independent work of art, which may even in turn lead some listeners, who have been bewitched by the rich atmosphere of this music, to listen to the rougher sounds of Theatre Of Tragedy. But one thing is for sure: with this, Liv Kristine has proven that she is an independent artist of high quality.

Robert Muller (Hammer), December 1997

TRACKLIST:

1. Requiem
2. Deus Ex Machina
3. In The Heart Of Juliet
4. 3am
5. Wave Of Green
6. Take Good Care
7. Huldra
8. Portrait: Ei Tulle med Oyne Bla
9. Good Vibes Bad Vibes
10. Outro

LINE-UP:

Liv Kristine Espenaes - All Female And Experimental Vocals
Gunther Illi - All Music And Instruments
Nick Holmes - Male Voices On "3am"
Stefan Muller-Ruppert - Opera Voices On "Deus Ex Machina"