...reviews and things...
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~Sentimentalia review from Dead Angel
It's rare (or it used to be, anyway) to hear experimental music based on traditional, even folk, instruments -- but that's the strategy at work here on Atlanta, Georgia artist Amelia Peel's third release on her own label Kittenwhip. She recorded the album's sixteen songs at home on a four-track over a period of years, and the result is a dreamlike series of fractured and heavily processed neo-folk interludes. It's not just a neo-folk record, however; while she employs traditional instruments (most notably acoustic guitar), the heavy use of reverb and other efx transforms what would have been largely straightforward tunes into haunting, surreal journeys through a mysterious and disjointed landscape. She's also not afraid to throw in incidental sounds (squeals, squeaks, pops and shrieks, snippets of conversation, and jarring flanged noises), and as a result it frequently sounds like a hapless folk singer pleading her cause from the bottom of a well as unidentified objects rain down from above. It's a dark and creepy sound, probably informed as much by Current 93 and Death in June (or maybe even Jandek) as much as any traditional folk artist. Even the packaging is unusual -- the cd-r is swaddled in a folded, printed sheet of stiff paper approximately the size of a cd, with artwork by Peel in addition to the liner notes. Prepare to be mesmerized by the haunting, subterranean, and frequently hypnotic tracks on this disc, and be ready to expect the unexpected.
-rkf
~Sentimentalia review from Boilingpoint
Ambient experimenting of Ethelscull by: Jorn van Heesch
That lets influence itself much link by the musical heritage should clear be. Stromingen within music are in the proportion of themselves in a type of conjuncturale movement where is insufflated each seven years one of old a new life. Such as we now for example the work of Editors, interpol and Colder can reduce to Joy Division or can bring back that of Franz Ferdinand, Blocparty and Arctic Monkeys to the punkfunk of pace or Four. This type revivals and processing of influences from former times takes along the auditor on a musical travel in the music history. A return to the years of the darkest new wave speaks however less for itself in this time in which more dance influences in music have been processed. Toch there a large group gelijkgestemden proves be which looks up each other in all kinds of forums on the Internet and share their music with each other. One of it Ethelscull, a type singer-songwriter experimenting are behind which art ares Amelia Peel go schuil. Recently the third album appeared of her, Sentimentalia to which them two has worked years to complete it. Rather already Thanatos (2002) appeared and Ribbons into Hysterics of Ethelscull (2003). Moreover them on its own label some experimental compilatie-cd's have brought out Kittenwhip. Sentimentalia, such as it has been said, very dark; it breathes the environment of Siouxsie and the Banshees and Bloody Valentine thanks to the use of heavy minor agreements and stemmige a song. Entirely ambient provide perspective on in which Ethelscull take along you to the krochten of its soul. Itself says them about that: "Lots of love and loss have made these songs, and these songs I felt are worth sharing... Never wanting to give up while almost giving up are another... Sentimentally Yours..." This type music has not been put aside for everyone and also not for each moment, but when the time is before ripe, it can exercise a beneficial functioning. Amelia peel play the different jet ear parties themselves and complete these with context sounds which give entirely gruizige a cargo. The sixteen numbers on Sentimentalia have incorporated them in its house in Atlanta on its viersporenrecorder. This self-sufficiency does strongly think me of Cat Power which has also proved that an a man link can produce rich arrangements. Beside Ethelscull peel participates also in a project under the denominator Dead folk society that them with Neddal van The Does has started up. Inexhaustible productivity that peel spreads out tentoon in its musical experimentings also shows them in the hoeveeelheid drawings which she makes. Not only the artwork of the different album covers know a serene beauty, also the art work of woman portraits (similar with the cos-ordination from Corpse Bride of time Burton), landscapes (photograph) and kaleidoscopische examine collages, is worth it. Also in this she uses again of several material, which indicates that peel multi-purpose an artist who we will come in the future still more often against, is.
~Sentimentalia review from Gothtronic
An in depth biography on Amelia Peel I couldn't find on the web, so I'll stick to the musical part of this self-released CD-r.
'Sentimentalia' counts 16 tracks, mostly recorded over a period of 2 years. The cover doesn't reveal anything more then it being recorded on 4 track and all music, lyrics and art were done by Amelia herself. If she is the same girl as on the picture, she looks really young and because of that fact I foresee a larger future for her ...
Musicwise the release lies somewhere between Heavenly Voices and LoFi stuff like Low or Catpower; maybe even a bit like Cocteau twins. The atmosphere in the tracks stand quite strong and reminds of the shoegazing 80's. But reviews are about honesty and therefore I must also say that the production isn't good at all. Fans of real LoFi material will be able to listen through it, but I can't.
My advice to Amelia would be "Never quit doing music, you are on to something for which is a definite place in the music business. Find a few people around you to form a band and some others to help you out making your recordings a bit more transparant and worthwhile".
My advice to people who want to hear music which very likely might be released in 20 years as "early recordings" by a then much better known and appreciated artist, support Amelia and buy this CD-r from her (check her website for the how to). And - as stated earlier - if you like shoegaze, early 80's and LoFi you should order it too.
Band: ethelscull(int)
Label: Eigen beheer
Genre: indie (indie / new romantic / (post)rock / pop / lofi / shoegaze)
Type: cd
Grade: 6.9
Review by: Bauke
..written by E.Victor.C
~Much is encoded in these symphonies of darkness, which incorporate directly elements of atmospheric music such as keyboard undulation over ritual drone beats and dynamic intensity flares for transition, as well as a conception of black metal that would influence many others within the European black metal underground: the steady motion of Bathory made fluid and flexible in its ambiguity, like Sarcofago on some kind of At the Gates recombinant melody avantriff trip. For the truly alienated headspace in early modern black metal, Ethelscull is worth immersion.
~Thanatos review from Neo-Zine
22 tracks here, nothing much over 3 minutes. On the edge of doom and despair, this strummy experimental guitar recording causes an audio tension that gets in the head and drills holes in the last nerve. Slow moving and somewhat ethereal, yet more tense. Kind of reminds me of something you’d play in the background of a shark attack movie. Haunting in places, lonely and desperate in others, but always apprehensive.
~Ribbons Into Hysterics review written by Eric.M.Place
Kind of old-school post-rock / psych / goth / ambient / and some post-punk thrown in for good measure. A delightful and rich brew of musical mellifluousness. Really reminds me of some of my own compositions. Great female vocals! Swirling and melodic guitars and bass with all the great old-school effects. I'd like to hear it all properly produced, but the raw quality is actually a nice touch - It's definitely keeping it real! I know this CD will get repeated listens, even within my gigantic collection!
~Ribbon Into Hysterics review from Gaz Webzine
Lo fi ethereal experimental. Ribbons into hysterics contains improvised musical amusements recorded at home on four track. The album is bewitching, dreamy and melancholic. It has a lot of sonorous and reverberating sound details. I am fascinated by the depth of the instrumentation and intonation. The guitars hover above landmarks of gloomy, drowsy and creamy. Ehelscull's voice is simply enchanting and precious. Her voice is an indispensable part of of the album.
The 20 tracks contained in the album differ in sensation and mood. Some tracks are uplifting while some are listless and slow. There are tracks that are dark and restless, while other tracks are assuring and comforting. Think of day dreams and nightmares. Ethelscull weaves an atmosphere hat will embrace a listener tightly. Generally, this is an effective album. I enjoy listening to this CD.
~Ribbons Into Hysterics review from AVERSIONLINE
6/10 - [self-released]
Here's some interesting experimental dark ambient from this one-woman project out of Georgia. The music seems to be largely derived from stringed instruments and effects with the occasional use of vocals mixed deep in behind the music (some whispered, some in a nice monotone singing voice). Some tracks are obviously more structured than others, and a few hide the use of stringed instruments well. I don't mind the more improvisational pieces, but I definitely enjoy the songs that feel structured more than the others. "Perishedinfits", for example, with its excellent singing vocals layered behind some acoustic guitars and possibly bass. I really like the vocals, I think they add a darker and more personal dimension to the compositions that is very much needed. A perfect example is the minimal and spacious "Destruction", which uses nothing but distant vocals (quite beautiful) and a simple repetitive chord progression for its duration. "Impracticality" even uses some programmed beats, which comes as a huge surprise to close out the disc. Considering that this entire effort was recorded on a 4-track it sounds pretty good. Some moments can be a little bit raw, but not in a bad way. My only minor complaint is that a lot of the tracks fluctuate in output volume, so you have to adjust your volume settings accordingly quite often. Not a huge problem, but something to consider. The CD-R comes in a slim jewel case with a transparent green tray and a simple onecard insert that folds over halfway on the back. The front cover has an abstract, blurred photo on it, and the back flap has the tracklist and some recording information. It looks like the cover was printed from a decent color printer and then color xeroxed, and the CD-R is a TDK CD-R with the band name and stuff handwritten on top of it, so I'd be lying if I said the presentation didn't leave a lot to be desired, but… this thing sells for a very fair price ($4, I believe), so I can let it slide. There are a few potentially minor issues here that, with a bit of work, could have an enormous impact on the power of this music. For one, instead of lots of short songs I would love to hear a few longer, more developed songs, because tracks like "Perishedinfits" really hint at potential brilliance. I also don't like the way that some of the shorter pieces just cut to an abrupt close, because it leaves things feeling like unfinished thoughts or ideas rather than fully developed pieces, and the musical nature of this work should be embraced rather than denied, so concrete structures shouldn't be shunned. Those two minor elements, along with the addition of more vocal work, could make this project an enormous success in my opinion. Not that this effort isn't very well done, but under the right circumstances I could see an incredibly bright future for this project. Good work. I very much look forward to hearing more…
Running time - 41:03, Tracks: 20
[Notable tracks: Perishedinfits, Atrocity Commit, Neversay, Destruction, Tell the Truth]
~Ribbons Into Hysterics review
By Andrea Zerilli (Oryx Incruentus)
Some music has the ability to generate a visual context as the listener absorbs
it.
An imaginary room, if you will, which has a certain colour to the walls, texture
to the floor, and temperature to the air. Occasionally, whilst listening to an
album, the room changes... abruptly. Drastically. And leaves the listener
confused for a moment. Such changes in tempo or instrumentation are indeed
acceptable... but sometimes, one may wish to stay in the same room the entire
time.
Ethelscull's twenty-song CD, "Ribbons Into Hysterics," turns out the light, and
locks the door.
Imagine a damp, cold, and spacious room with puddles of water on the floor and
dripping from vinaceous walls. Perhaps a small window letting in a meager amount
of blue-gray light. Becoming locked in such a room... is a meditative, halcyon
endeavour.
Track 1, titled (appropriately!) "A place to yourself" is an ambient soundscape
which is musically less complex than the rest of the CD. A fine introduction,
which evokes the feeling of "Where am I? What will become of me here?"
Track 2, "Rake," introduces the fluid, chantlike voice of Amelia Peel. From that
moment on, you realize where you are. Sit down, close your eyes, and absorb.
The main instrument used throughout the CD is guitar, run through a reverberant
effects pedal. Often, the guitar sounds like chimes or bells. As far as
comparison goes, "Ribbons Into Hysterics" reminds me of early Cocteau Twins,
blended with Aphex Twin's "Selected Ambient Works." Categorically, Ethelscull's
sound is "Lo-fi etheral experimental," as referred to by Amelia Peel herself,
and accurately so. Recorded on a four-track, one would expect a grainy, static
background. I was surprised to hear that it was recorded in this way, because
the reverberation is unaffected. Lo-fi, yes, but not unprofessionally so.
In conclusion, "Ribbons Into Hysterics" is a fine work and listening experience,
which will leave you with a quiescent chill.
~Ribbons Into Hysterics review from Splendid E Zine 6/26/03 by Ryan Smith
Liberation and freedom are the twin heartbeats of the DIY aesthetic. Release from the confines of Corporate America and the independence of personal expression are its lifeblood. Its folly, however, is overindulgence and uninspired gluttony. Ribbons Into Hysterics is a brazen DIY adventure all the way down the line: laser-printed graphics adorned with little star stickers, wrapped around a burned TDK CDR featuring 20 tracks of melancholy-fueled bliss from somewhere in the dark haze between Slowdive and The Cocteau Twins.
More specifically, Ethelscull will inspire an overwhelming longing for Hope Sandoval's hyper-seductive drawl and David Roback's mesmerizing guitar work. Hints of the magical Mazzy Star arise here, but are never fully realized; the vocals are buried too deep in the mix, and that mix is a bit to scattershot to really grab your attention. Over the course of 20 tracks, that's a significant flaw -- an excess that lends itself all too quickly to monotony. With a bit of restraint (hint: you don't have to fill the CDR!) and a smidge more focus, Ribbons Into Hysterics could be an intriguing little platter, especially when coupled with some illicit narcotics. If you're reading this, Ethelscull, rein in your earnest excesses and you'll have something truly promising.
~Ribbons Into Hysterics review from Ambientrance
Recording "bass guitar, electric guitars, acoustic guitars, pedals, toys, white noises, toy accordion, quiet sounds, distortion, viola, vox , feelings and guts" with her four-track, Atlanta's ethelscull (a.k.a. Amelia Peel) takes the lo-fi road to homemade experimental/ephemeratronic sounds... Find a place to yourself in the resonance of hovering plinks and slow-motion strums of the instrumental opening track. Amelia buries soft vocals within minute-long strum/drone rake. Distant wails top the muted, mesmerizing churn-and-plink expanse of persihedinfits. Livelier jangling and a mechanicalish rhythm give surreal somethings a relatively "perky" vibe. destruction's electric riffs may be time-worn, but submerging them in misty swirls of indiscernible vocals adds new shadows and lights, besides revving up the otherwise vague flows. Acoustic fingering and reverb-laden crooning give grace + favors a lilting (yet still melancholy) quality. impracticality entwines choppy chords, voicestreamers and chimier tones into finalizing strands. These nocturnal dreamscenes (20 in 41 minutes) fall into an alternarock-meets-gothereal niche. I gather that Amelia Peel isn't "like the other girls", and I mean that in the best possible way. Expressive do-it-herself collages display a definite knack for creating immersive murk/rock. B
~Ribbons Into Hysterics review from Neo-Zine
20 tracks of guitar improvisation with some low dreamy vocalizations. This is a big improvement from the last CD I heard from Ethelscull. It portrays ambience and character much more efficiently this time. Its still an experiment, and some of the tracks work much better than others. Most songs are under two minuets, so even the less tolerable ones go bye quickly. The vocalist saves the CD. Without her, you’d pay much more attention to the improvisational noodling of the guitar that often sounds like the vain attempt of a child to play.
~Ribbons Into Hysterics review from Demorama
With 20 tracks, “ribbons into hysterics” by ethelscull appears to work best as an album listened to in one sitting as the volume seems to increase of its own accord. Indeed, the first track is so faint it can hardly be heard at all, however it still succeeds in raising the hairs on your neck.
The CD insert says this album was made at home on a four-track – hence the extensive use of layering – which gives the songs a rough feel and murky sound (oh and then there is one time where you can actually hear her hit the stop button). However, as the sole member Amelia Peel appears to have gothic and ambient tendencies, the distortion is part of the attraction.
I imagine this album would be good background music while someone is writing in their journal by candelight, the shades drawn against the afternoon sun. In fact, by listening to “ribbons into hysterics,” we are probably looking over Amelia’s shoulder as she writes in hers. [Vanessa Moore]
"The Darker Side of Underground"
Written in 2002 by Alfirin Kirinki for an online zine but was never published.
*the Pale-Mother releases never materialized.
Ethelscull is the brain-child of Amelia Peel. Brought up on a mellifluous diet of Throwing Muses, the cure, the smiths, and riot grrrl bands, she wrote fanzines based on depression and was always destined to create music of her own, but in the Atlanta suburbs in which she grew up, finding potential bands mates was far from easy.
"I attempted to find other girls to start a band up, but nothing ever happened with it - I had a hard time finding people who either cared or shared my enthusiasm; it was depressing. Around the same time I purchased a four-track, which was very inspiring - I now had the means to record my own music without the need of others. I finally had the way to do it."
But it took Amelia a long time to bring her experimentation to a level at which she was comfortable presenting it to other people. She worked hard, determined to create and publish the music she wanted to write, whatever it took. The DIY ethos of the bands that inspired her encouraged her to pursue her aspirations, and despite finding solo work "boring at times" she realized that working alone was the best way. Amelia describes what she creates as ‘Improvised Mood Music’, writing stirring one-off pieces on which she plays all instruments herself and which she admits she could probably never recreate live.
"I can connect with people who enjoy the darker sides of underground music - experimental and lo-fi. I've always enjoyed experimenting with the four-track. I've got a lot of tapes with ideas and noises on them. When I purchased a new four track last year, I created a bunch of things that seemed to flow and work really well together. Everything I had recorded was improvised, recorded right there on the spot. Starting off with a bass line or some guitar, I use any instruments I have - toy piano, recorder, glockenspiel, viola - and just building on to it as I go. Most of the songs on the first ES cds sent around were not planned out very well and that results in no intentions of playing those songs live. Certain songs, if played together with a band, would be terrific, but a few of the instrumentals were quite off the wall and I probably couldn't."
Having suffered from depression for several years, Amelia talks openly about it and how it has affected her. The subject features heavily on her website and her music is exceptionally dark, at times giving the sensation of walking through a bleak landscape in the recesses of someone else’s subconscious.
"I want to identify with others who are depressed, and those who have a hard time dealing with things. Some songs I've created are extremely meaningful to me and have captured specific feelings and thoughts for me. I suppose, someone could listen to my songs in a dark time in their life and relate to those feelings. That would be touching, yet I would never know."
Amelia is about to spread her wings and is working on more music to be released later this year. A 7" vinyl release on the indie label, Pale Mother Recordings*, is in the near future while Thanatos, which was released in the summer, is available from the ethelscull website.
"This music has become the soundtrack to my life. I don't know what will come out of this really, but I know my happiness in making music is there and that when people tell me they like what I am doing it is the biggest inspiration. I will continue making music for myself regardless."
~Ribbons Into Hysterics review by Mike Misiak from Southeast Performer Magazine Jan.2004
Amelia Peel would really like to be on Projekt Records. And who could blame her? For well over a decade, the famed label has released some of the most emotionally potent and delicately sculpted darkwave and ambient rock. Artists like Lycia, Love Spirals Downwards, and label owner Sam Rosenthal's own Black Tape for a Blue Girl made some of the most memorable albums of the nineties of any genre. Unfortunately, as with many of the greatest rock bands, these acts were frequently dismissed as goth: the kiss of death for any artist trying to be taken seriously. And it wouldn't be surprising if the same label were attached to Amelia Peel's project Ethelscull. There's no denying the artwork adorning Ribbons Into Hysterics along with song titles like “perishedinfits” and “neversay” are highly reminiscent of one Projekt band in particular by the name of Lovesliescrushing. But the music Peel makes is far removed from the fuzzy drones for which that group is best known. Adopting a defiantly lo-fi aesthetic, Peel molds minimalist soundscapes that have more in common with early Joy Division than the warmly treated guitars that dominate most ambient rock. She also largely forgoes the typical ethereal female vocals for an icy and penetrating style that fits perfectly with the intimidating atmospheres that emanate from the recording. Ribbons Into Hysterics is simply lovely. It's a sonically cathartic and enjoyably abrasive nightmare of an album that bleeds out of the speakers. It might actually be too frightening for Projekt, especially considering their trend towards releasing more accessible dream pop the label's most recent signings would suggest. But this four track recording practically demands attention, and it could possibly only be a matter of time before Peel has a chance to show what she can do with a real budget.
~Ethelscull: Shy and DIY by Mike Misiak from Southeast Performer Magazine July.2004
You write music, you record music, and you play live. Any musician making original material has heard this mantra hundreds of times. Since the second half of the twentieth century, this has been the accepted way to go about making music and sharing it with others.
But the rise of home recording equipment and software has created thousands of bedroom and basement artists who would never consider playing live. Amelia Peel, who records as Ethelscull and runs her own label, Kittenwhip, doesn’t quite fit this description. Crafting her own brand of goth-tinged improvisationalambient rock out of her home studio ,Peel would like to eventually play with others. But her main preoccupation for now is to continue making her own music and putting out the work of artists she admires.
“I just put out a compilation called Mood-Swing Theatre. It’s got artists from all over the world, some who just sent in submissions and some who I met on the internet. But I haven’t been able to do much promotion for it, because it’s just me running the label. But it’s something I’ve always wanted to do.” The compilation features submissions from Buddhahead, Critical Theatre, Icecake, and Professor Vast among other dark ambient/experimental artists, and is available from the Kittenwhip website at www.angelfire.com/mi3/melancholia/frustration.html.
“I’ve been recording for a long time. I’ve had numerous four-tracks. Ethelscull came about in 2000 when I got a slightly smaller four-track, and it sounded really good. And I thought I’d just record my own stuff instead of waiting around for someone to be in a band with. So I just recorded it, made my own website and promoted it.” In addition to appearing on various samplers, Ethelscull has release the full-lengths, entitled Ethelscull, Thanatos, and Ribbons into Hysterics, all of which can be ordered from Kittenwhip Records.
Peel is cautious when discussing the possibility of a future Ethelscull performance. She is open to the idea but isn’t in a rush to bring her bedroom compositions to a venue. “I was supposed to play with someone on one occasion, but it just didn’t happen. I would love to play live. I nervous and I’m shy, and [performing as Ethelscull] would just be me, but I know how I could incorporate playing my instruments in that setting, but I just record in my bedroom. It’s really laid back. But I would like to play with other people, and there are lots of my songs that I would like to play live.”
~
