The seeds for Poets To Their Beloved were sown in 2003 when musicians Saskia Dommisse and Marcel Schiborr first met at a Brendan Perry (Dead Can Dance) workshop in Ireland. A musical connection was made and once they returned home (The Netherlands and Germany respectively), not even the physical distance between them was enough to slow down their creative spark. At the end of 2006, after writing songs for four years, they finally had the material ready to begin recording their debut disc Embrace The Fool which was eventually released on Equilibrium Music late in 2007.
It doesn't take long for this celebrated musical union to start bearing fruit because as soon as the acoustic guitar and pulsating percussion work kick in to accompany both Marcel's lead vocals and Saskia's ethereal background vox on the title track, it's clearly evident that something magical is in the air. This track has a distinct Arabic feel as far as the basic rhythms go and it's this influence which also permeates the third song "Ecstatic Dance", as both Marcel and Sakia's vocals weave in and around each other perfectly. By the time the fourth number "My Moments Of Tranquility" comes around the duo's mission of seducing the listener into a perfect velvet cocoon, dreamlike state is complete. Marcel's voice on this song bears a strong resemblance to that of Depeche Mode's chief songwriter and sometime vocalist, Martin Gore. In fact his languid vocal style is the perfect companion to Saskia's beautifully rich and soaring voice.
Some of the sounds on Embrace The Fool are comparable to Dead Can Dance, however Poets To Their Beloved's style is much closer to Neo Folk. The lush and haunting melodies which permeate each song are primarily created using just acoustic guitar and piano, as well as djembé, hammered dulcimer and some very nice cello work, which is performed by guest Sjanneke van Herpen on six tracks.
Embrace The Fool is a superbly crafted disc from start to finish and one which you will want to listen to all the way through each time you reach for it. You can't ask for much more than that.
Track Listing
1) Embrace The Fool
2) Love
3) Ecstatic Dance
4) My Moments Of Tranquility
5) The Disillusioned Nihilist
6) Ode On Melancholy
7) The Golden Cage Of Fateful Emotions
8) Traveller Of Stars
10) Innate
11) I Drowned In You
13) Soul Friend
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