On June 13th, 2009 I finally attended Dracula’s Daughter, the NC Triangle’s longest running Goth/Industrial night,, which was held at Mansion 462 in downtown Chapel Hill, NC. This was my first opportunity to attend Dracula’s Daughter since my return to NC late last fall. Hosted by DJ’s Mouse, Mephi, and Poe, Dracula’s Daughter features “an eclectic mix of goth, industrial, ebm, synthpop, new wave, dark wave, ethereal, punk, psychobilly, 80’s and other related musical genres.”

I have already remarked upon the fantastic décor of Mansion 462, so I will not go into detail here. If I had to sum up Dracula’s Daughter in two words, I would say, with no hesitation, “friendly” and “fun”. This is the essence of Dracula’s Daughter. In this respect I am very much reminded of clubs which I attended back in the ‘80s. Like them, Dracula’s Daughter has a variety of music. There is a little bit of everything, a much wider mix than you usually hear at Goth/Industrial events. The usual fare at nights billed as “Goth/Industrial” is a scattering of classic Goth songs early in the evening, followed by hours of mind-numbing Industrial Dance, each song with an identical “doosh-doosh-doosh” beat. This is not what I remember in Ye Olde Days at all. I remember a variety of music catering to all the various sub-genres in the “dark” scene, with things like New Wave and Psychobilly thrown in. You could dance to your favorites, and socialize during the rest. No one was uptight about “packing the dance floor” from dusk ‘til dawn. Dracula’s Daughter brought back quite a few memories.

A very striking feature of Dracula’s Daughter is the sheer unpretentiousness of it all. Especially since the turn of the Millennium, the “Cult of the DJ” dominates. The DJ is publicized and promoted, but not the music. The DJ rules the booth with an iron hand, and woe be to the poor soul who is impudent enough to actually request something different. In many clubs I have been astonished by the little coteries of sycophants and scenesters waiting snobbily in the wings to genuflect to the mighty DJ when they descend from their lofty throne to mingle with a few select mortals.

Refreshingly, this is not what you’ll see at Dracula’s Daughter. I had not met DJ Poe before, yet when he finished his set I introduced my self and we had a delightful conversation about music and the culture in general. (I contrast this with a certain South Florida club which I patronized for years, without getting so much as a nod of recognition from the owner/DJ.) DJ’s Mouse and Mephi are just as approachable as Poe. It is obvious that for all these DJ’s, it is truly about the music, not about egos. The same holds true for their other event, The Clockwork Ball.   DJ Mephi led the conga line through the club after her set! 

More importantly, the patrons were just as friendly. There was none of the usual local Goth “aristocracy” sizing you up when you walk in the door and then waiting to see who you spoke with before either A) gracing you with a kind word or two, or B) snobbing you off. Everyone at Dracula’s Daughter seemed to be there to have fun, which is the whole point of a club night. In this respect, it reminded me of the famous Release the Bats in California, which I was fortunate enough to attend a number of years ago. (I spoke with Dave Bats for 45 minutes before I realized who he was!)

At Dracula’s Daughter, it was a delight to see so many people elegantly dressed, but this was not a prerequisite, as everyone mingled regardless of attire. I even wore my infamous top hat, for the first time in ages. (Thereby hangs a tale, as Long John Silver would have said.) And there were several more toppers in attendance as well. The whole point to dressing up has never been about elitism, as some critics maintain, but of putting yourself outside your day-to-day world and giving rein to your creativity and imagination. Yet, it’s your choice. Whatever you may wear, if you appreciate the music we have something in common vastly more important than fashion. Last but not least, parking is easily available. In addition to the parking along Franklin Street, there are number of places close by to park.

In summary, Dracula’s Daughter is a fine event in keeping with the original spirit of the original days of our subculture. If you are in the area, by all means come out. If you are just passing through, it is well worth a stopover. DJ’s Mouse, Mephi, and Poe amply demonstrate that they have the right combination for a most enjoyable foray into the Dark Side.

MC: I remember back in the ‘80s when Early Music, and particularly medieval music pretty hard to find. Nearly all of it was funded by Universities or Foundations. At least in the USA, in the days before the net if you didn’t live in a college town it was virtually impossible to find. In the past few years, Early Music has become much more popular. What do you think are some of the factors that sparked the public interest in this type of music?

LVCVS: Surely in the last few years the interest in early music has grown. It started back in the 60s when some classical musicians started to explore baroque and renaissance music. Traditional and ethnic music from other cultures pushed listeners and musicians towards more authentic sounds. Also, early music is easier to listen than classical music for the modern ears.

MC: It is very fascinating how the songs of LVCVS are written by Andrea, and not performances of medieval songs, and yet they have a very authentic medieval sound. What factors led you to decide not to perform medieval songs, but to compose your own?

LVCVS: The aim of LVCVS is not to play authentic medieval music. We already do this with our side-project LILIUM AERIS.    LVCVS  is inspired by Folk and Ethnic music as well as Medieval and Renaissance music.

MC: What drew you to Early Music? Do you see any correlations between earlier eras and our own?

LVCVS: A really fascinating thing about early music is that in an age when musicians explored everything, the real avant-garde seemed to be the exploration of the origins of music.

MC: Many bands that are inspired by or incorporate medieval/renaissance music also use modern electronics. What are your thoughts on this? Do you think that music with modern electronics can convey the true spirit of medieval music?

LVCVS: The mix between ancient sounds and electronics can create a really interesting and fascinating music. But we think that the true spirit of the Middle Ages can truly be reached only through the authentic and sometimes rough sound of the medieval instruments.

MC: Do you have any favorite Medieval/renaissance poets or musicians? Also, were you inspired by any of the “first generation” early Music performers such as Alfred Deller, Musica Reservata, or David Munro?

LVCVS: We really love the Italian literature of thirteenth and fourteenth century. From Dante to the “Scuola Siciliana”, Cecco Angiolieri, Petrarca. As listeners and players of medieval music we know our debt to the pioneers of early music.

MC: On your website, you refer to the music of LVCVS as Neo-Folk, as opposed to Early Music. I have also seen the term Neo-Medieval used for similar music. What is the difference between these terms?

LVCVS: We refer to LVCVS as dark-folk because our music is inspired more by folk and ethnic music, and sometimes renaissance music, than by medieval music. But it’s really hard for us to label our music.

MC: What are your thoughts on the debate in Early Music circles about the performance of the music and authenticity? Since notation was a fairly late development and what survived in writing is doubtless only a fraction of what was actually performed, can we ever really know how early medieval music sounded? Is it important?

LVCVS: We can answer to this question as medieval musicians (with our project LILIUM AERIS) not as LVCVS. It’s not easy to know how early music was performed. However beside the notation there are many Middle Age treatises and iconography, which tells us how the instruments were played and something about the vocal technique.

MC: You describe your music as a mix of Medieval and Renaissance influences, and your vision of “a faeric middle east, seen through the eyes of the medieval Europe”. This is very appropriate, since many musical elements of the Middle East filtered Medieval Europe by way of the Troubadours and Moorish Spain. (Just like how the most advanced Medieval medical techniques came from Arab physicians and medical treatises.) Was the music of LVCVS influenced by the Troubadours? Do you have any favorite Medieval poets or musicians?

LVCVS: We share with the Middle Ages the compositional spirit, the union between distant cultures, and the mix of instruments from distant places. We love the Troubadours and all Medieval music.

MC: Is your first album, Cantiones Filicatae, still available?

LVCVS: There’s just a few copies. You can ask for it directly to us, contacting us at www.lvcvs.com (lvcvs@lvcvs.com)

MC: What other music do you enjoy?

LVCVS: We love many kinds of music: classical, early, folk, ethnic, dark, metal.

MC: Why did you decide to start your own label? Has this been a difficult endeavor?

LVCVS: The record label Ars Aeterna was created in 2009 by Andrea and Serena with the aim to support not just our projects (LVCVS, LILIUM AERIS and SEPULCRUM SPEI), but also similar bands. We would like to release bands playing ancient music (medieval and renaissance but also ancient Greek, Roman and Etruscan music), folk and traditional music. We are also interested in other kinds of music, mainly acoustic. “Semen Roris” is our first CD release, and to date we have gotten good feedback from the public.

MC: Are you going to be touring anytime in the next year? Is there anything else you would like to add? Thanks so much for the interview!

LVCVS: We are organizing the concerts of the next year. In 2009 and 2010 we’ll have an intense performance schedule. You’ll find the dates on our website. Thanks to you for your support!

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http://arsaeterna.com

http://lvcvs.com

“Semen Roris” is the second CD from LVCVS, a Dark Folk group which features the original musical compositions of Andrea Tuffanelli. While their project “Lilium Aeris” celebrates Medieval music, LVCVS combines Medieval and Renaissance elements with musical influences of other lands and cultures. As their website says, the music of LVCVS invokes a “faeric middle east, seen through the eyes of the medieval Europe”.

I was thrilled to find that “Semen Roris” is performed on authentic period instruments, with none of the electronics commonly found in many Neo-Medieval/Neo Folk groups. While electronics can be used very effectively, I am touched far more deeply by period instruments. “Semen Roris” is very Medieval in character. If you did not know otherwise, you could be forgiven for believing that these are Medieval compositions! Yet there is also a hint of the Middle East, and a strong touch of the Orient in his music. From an historical viewpoint this makes prefect sense, since many of the musicians/poets of the Middle Ages were deeply influenced by other cultures. I did not fully comprehend the Oriental flavor of this CD until about the third time I listened to it, particularly on songs like “Morum Gradus”, and this illustrated how subtly and masterfully Andrea merges the various cultural elements in his music.

From the angelic vocals of Serena, counterbalanced at points by vocals from Fabio and Andrea; to the percussion and instruments such as lute, bowed psaltery, saz, and vielle. Some of my of my favorites are: The very moving “Alba Mora”, which evokes a deep sense of reflection and a longing for long-ago eras, whether East or West. The instrumental “Nox Hederate” is almost festive, but has an underlying sense of darkness. “Vanae Imagines” is majestic with alternating female and male vocals, reminiscent of a pilgrimage or monastic song. “Lux Per Hera” is very eerie, from the vocals to the bowed strings, suitably followed by the quite dark and enigmatic “Aura”.

“Semen Roris” is highly recommended for fans of early and world music, as well as anyone seeking for music that is evocative and moving. I look forward to hearing more from LVCVS.

http://arsaeterna.com

http://lvcvs.com

The Medieval period was one of my first historical interests. I did not realize there was such a thing as Early Music, until I stumbled upon some records and cassettes in my college bookstore back in the mid 1980’s. I have been a devoted fan this genre ever since.

Electronica has pervaded virtually all aspects of the music scene over the past decade or so. Even Early Music contains many bands that are a synthesis of modern electronics and period instruments. This is not necessarily a bad thing. There are bands that do it well, (Mauerbrecher, for example). But I do deeply appreciate bands who try to recreate an authentic “medieval” sound with period instruments and arrangements. Of course, we do not really know what medieval music actually sounded like. We can only try to reconstruct it from surviving musical elements.

L’Ensemble Deuxplus et Compagnie truly captures the spirit of the Medieval and Renaissance eras. Recorded live in an ancient cathedral, “Pelerinage” features a selection of pilgrimage songs from the famous Cantigas of Alphonse X and other authentic sources. I have always found ecclesiastical and devotional music from the Middle Ages to be very evocative and moving. “Peleriange” has some very fine selections which include a favorite of mine, “O Virgo Splendens”. Songs such as this require a certain level of finesse. If performed too sedately, they can sound listless and mechanical. Yet with too much animation, they lose the sense of contemplation that is at their core. The hurdy gurdy on “Mater Dei, Mater Virgo, Eius” just provides the right counterbalance to the evocative vocals. Many Early Music groups clutter their pieces with too many sounds. Pre-industrial people were unfettered by all the sensory input that we moderns are used to. For example, to the medieval ear, five people singing would probably have sounded positively sonorous. L’Ensemble Deuxplus et Compagnie clearly understands the principle that “less is more”.

“Fuggit Amore”, composed by Giovanni Domenico da Nola in the 1500’s, has excellent layered vocals and harmonies. “Bizzare d’amore, Furioso” is a fine Braoque dance song by Negri Cesare. “Cunctie Simus Concanentes” is one of my absolute favorites, a very danceable tune with fine vocals and percussion. The vocals on “Laudemas Virginus” are stunning, and the piece is enhanced by lute and percussion. Recorders and organ on ReCercar by Francesco da Milano (who was the personal lutenist in Rome to Cardinal Ippolito de Medici), are very moving. I had always heard this as a lute piece, but the version here truly does de Milano justice as well. “Chi Passa per sta Strada” is a stately, regal piece. A secular madrigal from Italy, it combines lute, vocals, percussion, and strings. Girometta Senza Te is a captivating love song by Azzailo, We move to the Brarogue for “Tres en Petits Mouvements”. Another stately piece with viols and harpsichord. Finally, the CD ends with “Homo Fugit Velut Album” a tarantella written 17^th century, usually associated with Stefaon Landi, begins very pensively with viols, which suddenly breaks into an energetic, almost joyful set. Thereafter, the song alternates between the two.

I have not mentioned every song, but I leave the rest for the listener to discover. One of the nice things about ‘”Pelerinage” is that the CD provides varied selections from the Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque eras.  “Pelerinage” demonstrates that L’Ensemble Deuxplus et Compagnie has the right combination, inspiring reflection and a sense of longing for another time.

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http://deuxplus-et-cie.blogspot.com/

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