| User: | ![[info]](http://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} davinci_1985 |
| Date: | 2008-08-11 12:57 |
| Subject: | QNTAL |
| Security: | Public |
| Tags: | qntal |
QNTAL is, probably, one of the most peculiar groups of music out there. But their music is enchanting, and I personally can listen to them again and again. They're a mix of grunge-medieval music with a truly amazing sound.
| About the members |
- Has been a singer with the medieval formation ESTAMPIE for 15 years now, performing successfully at home and abroad. - Important steps in her career were the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, the Heidelberg Castle Festival, ceremonial acts in Europe's culture capital Thessaloniki, the International Festival des Camino de Santiago Huesca. - Syrah is not only a much asked for soloist for 'ancient music', but has always dealt with contemporary trends in theatre music, dance and performance as well as debut performances. - Since 1993 she is QNTAL's‚First Lady'; together they recorded two concept albums and later went on a truly successful double tour with Deine Lakeien. |
Michael Popp - Studied music at the Mozarteum in Salzburg among others with Nikolaus Harnoncourt. - Together with Sigrid Hausen (Syrah) and Ernst Schwindl he founded the ensemble ESTAMPIE, that has gained reputation at home and abroad with many concerts and life acts at important festivals. - Works with ESTAMPIE and also solo as composer and musician for theaters. He participated in a number of theatre plays, performances and dance theatre performances on national stages (Burgtheater Wien, Residenztheater München, Münchner Kammerspiele) and for free theaters. - 1991-2001 member of the dark wave formation DEINE LAKAIEN. In 1993 founded the medieval electro band QNTAL. |
Fil Groth- Was born in Berlin in 1974. He studied classical piano and composition - 1989 foundation of a punk band, first experiences on stage as a singer and guitarist Afterwards musical excursions to Reggae and Jazz, however, Hardcore and Punk are always part of his musical work and he is attracted to Metal. After having tried out a number of band projects he is appealed to pure electronic music. - 1993 he buys his first synthesizer... and starts producing on his own. - 1996 his debut is published, the TripHop project 'DatKind' ... - 1998 he begins solo as Live Act with Breakbeats and Electro, followed by several assignments as remixer and producer. With the formation Dreizack he remixes bands like 'In Extremo' and 'Subway to Sally'. - 1999 he works as programmer and keyboarder for 'In Extremo - Verehrt und Angespien'. - 2000 the album 'Alphawolf' by 'X-Static' is published - 2001 programmer and keyboarder for the ‚In Extremo' album 'Sünder ohne Zügel' as well as for the band 'Substyle'. - 2002 under the pseudonym of Rispe Bands he remixes among others 'Somnambul' for the Berlin Label Stars in the Dark. - 2002 begins his work for QNTAL |
About the group
The story of the groups formation is legendary and has been told in many articles and interviews before. In 1991, Michael Popp and Ernst Horn developed the concept of combining medieval melodies and songs with electronic music. As singer they chose Syrah, alias Sigrid Hausen, who is one of the leading interpreters of medieval music. Contrary to many of her colleagues, she had the courage as well as the power for musical border crossing and therefore was very open-minded to the idea of doing Crossovers. At that time, the term crossover was used in independent music very often intending to change traditional listening habits with new musical-stilistical combinations. Thus the trio was founded but without a name yet. Shortly after Syrah joined the band, she dreamt of letters written on the wall reading QNTAL, a word that does not exist in any language, and therefore being perfect for a kind of music that did not exist so far either.
Soon afterwards, the first song was published: "Por mau tens" a song from troubadour Thibaut of Navarra in a new arrangement, strongly influenced by an unfortunately totally forgotten noise band called My Bloody Valentine. Afterwards, QNTAL lay aside for a while, because other more commercial projects came along and last not least because the reaction of so-called experts was not really over-excited.
But in 1992 time was ripe: until then Syrah had searched for more texts and tunes, one song or the other was borrowed from the repertoire of Estampie, composed and arranged by Michael Popp and Ernst Horn and, finally, in autumn the album QNTAL was released without big advertisement or promotion. It was more of a secondary project to the musicians and thus it came as a great surprise that the album was a hit in the wave-scene. But also other listeners were soon admirers and lovers of QNTAL.
The song Ad mortem festinamus has been a club hit for years now. However, it was the quiet, melancholy songs that enthused many listeners and that brought QNTAL on the same level with Dead Can Dance. In fact, the three musicians had agreed upon not going live on stage with QNTAL as they thought that the mood of the music could not be presented in a live concert. But in 1995, when the second CD was finished and Deine Lakaien were about to go on tour (Ernst Horn and Michael Popp were members of this band), the idea of a double concert was born. QNTAL as first act with smooth transition to Deine Lakaien. There were two tours held in this constellation in 1996 with overwhelming success. The Palestine Song became QNTAL IIs hit, but like QNTAL the whole CD sounds like on piece. The style has been developed further but the expression of the music and especially Syrahs voice touched the fans hearts even more than before.
Together with producer and keyboardist Philipp Groth, who has joined the band to replace Ernst Horn, QNTAL devoted themselves to the group of sagas surrounding Tristan and Iseult in 2003. An increase in sonic detail and the consolidation of the individual songs in a concept album set new standards – also in terms of commercial success: "QNTAL III" made no. 2 inf the German alternative charts. The magic of QNTAL's live shows was captured on their first DVD release, featuring footage from the Leipzig Playhouse.
"QNTAL IV – Ozymandias" saw the band expand the temporal horizon of their musical universe, setting to music a poem by the English romantic poet, Percy Shelley, including the renaissance with the lute song, "Flow", and the baroque era with Henry Purcell's aria, "Remember Me". The heart of QNTAL's style, however, has remained unaffected. Innovations have been accompanied by a refinement of old strengths, with the result that the single, "Cupido" went to no. 1 in the German alternative charts.
"QNTAL V – Silver Swan", at last, is an epic journey through another reality. A film score without a film, unless you count the atmospheric "Von den Elben" video clip. QNTAL have come very close to their target of newly created old music. But the other, the electronic side, always remains but a shoulder check away.
"QNTAL VI – Translucida" brings together past and present in two respects: Both in historical terms and in terms of the band's biography. The album with its balanced mix of reflection and innovation opens an opportunity of looking ahead or back, whichever you prefer: QNTAL continue to operate on both sides of the timeline in 2008.
The downloads
- Qntal I
- Qntal II
- Qntal - Illuminate
- Qntal - Am Morgen Fruo [Remix]
- Qntal - Ecce Gratum [Club Version]
- Qntal - Ecce Gratum [Extended Version]
- Qntal - El Sendero Hacia Monserrat
- Qntal - Entre Moi [Alternative Version]
- Qntal - Entre Moi [Single Version]
- Qntal - Nihil
- Qntal - Omnis Mundi Illuminate
- Qntal - Stella Splendens
- Qntal - Vedes Amigo Illuminate
- Qntal III - Tristan & Isolde
- Qntal IV - Ozymandias
- Qntal V: Silver Swan
- Qntal - Monsieur's Departure
- Qntal - Amis Raynaut
- Qntal - Levis
- Qntal - Von Den Elben
- Qntal - Lingua Mendax
- Qntal - Falling Star
- Qntal - The Whyle
- Qntal - Winter
- Qntal - Altas Undas
- Qntal - 292
- Qntal - Silver Swan
- Qntal(Bonus Disc Ltd. Edition) - Von Den Elben
- Qntal(Bonus Disc Ltd. Edition) - Levis (mix)
- Qntal(Bonus Disc Ltd. Edition) - 292 (A Darker Shape Mix)
- Qntal(Bonus Disc Ltd. Edition) - Veni (filthy floor mix)
- Qntal(Bonus Disc Ltd. Edition) - Rot
Note: Info extracted from Wikipedia, their Site and their Myspace
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