小简介
Collection d'Arnell-Andrea， 也算得是法国DarkWave/Heavenly Voice里的元老级人物了,来自卢瓦尔河畔一个名为 Gien小镇的三位青年：Chloé St Liphard、Jean-Christophe d'Arnell和Pascal Andréa于1986年组建了CDAA，但在乐队的处女秀之前,Pascal Andréa就已离队。1988年时，CDAA被一家英国厂牌Valotte看中,在其下发表了首张录音室作品，这张收入四首单曲的EP--"Autumn's Breath for Anton'sDeath" 第一次向人们呈现了CDAA的神秘气质。
起首一曲"Anton's Death"已然来得不同凡响，Wave式幽暗电声暗示着当日的年代；背景里带有异域色彩的男声咏唱与扬琴击弹，前台男女歌手的吟和对唱，这些搭配颇让人想起早期Dead Can Dance 某些PostPunk/Goth化的幽暗之作， 但质感上较之 DCD要轻盈欧化许多。接下来的" Comme Un Marbre
De Roses"、"Automne Et Long Silence"又全然是一副歌特摇摆形态，其中女主音Chloé 的演唱令人印像深刻。因为相比于那些承袭Siouxsie、Gitane Demone、Eva O 等经典路数的Goth女歌手,Chloé的嗓音与演唱显然要纤细、轻柔许多，但这并不妨碍她用那原本音感甜蜜的法语捕捉住一份阴柔的Goth
氛围，更另僻蹊径地经营出一份颓败的浪漫情意，
"歌特香颂(Gothic Chanson)"？最后的Collection无疑要算起头的一段钢琴弹奏吸引到人，不难窥出这短短一分钟内的音乐已颇有日后NeoClassic流派的意识形态。
这张令人称赞的EP现在已经极难觅到，好在他们的处女大碟中收入了这张EP中的作品，故我们仍能有幸得闻。
秋天在CDAA的音乐中是个不断被提及的主题，因此1989年Collection d'Arnell-Andrea签约法国独立厂牌 New Rose旗下发表的首张专辑就名为 Un Automne à Loroy。不同于EP里的多面尝试,处女大碟有如一篇秋日葬礼上的致辞:Un Automne àLoroy
里呈现的已是一套独立成熟的音乐语言了，这令许多法国和其它国家的乐评人仕感到吃惊：呜咽的大提琴、管钟似的键盘与沉重粗陋的鼓机配搭出另一番沉郁高贵的摇摆风范，虽然只是初试啼声，但从"Al'AuroreAssassine"、"AuxMortes Saisons"、
"Au Delà Des Lierres"、"Aux Aurores"等曲目上均可看出，他们对这种非传统的器乐编排已经把握得相当纯熟圆滑，并已然形成了某种套路，这样虽不可必免地令歌曲略显雷同、程式化，甚而有些沉闷；但对一支新晋乐队而言，又并不完全是件坏事：至少，这种独树一帜的套路能为歌曲烙上专属于CDAA风格的标识。要强调的是，虽然大提琴与仿交响式的键盘是乐队器乐的主力军，予人的感觉却绝非任何NeoClassic式的沉稳风范，相反的，颇具有粗砺狂放的歌特摇摆味道，但在大提琴低痛的弦音下，倍显沉恸而迷离。最受瞩目的当然是 Chloé秋天般哀怨的歌声，特别在钢琴与弦乐伴奏的新古典主义式作品"Aux Glycines Défuntes"里，Chloé凄冷得像一个折翼的天使、或者一片飘零的秋叶；而在"Aux Sources De Gel"里的军鼓与键盘烘托之下,又仿似一声带着悲剧色彩的长叹。
紧跟着在1990年,第二张专辑Au Val desRoses问世，新碟在风格上与首张专辑并没有太大的差别。八首新作均是将Collection d'Arnell-Andrea神秘沉重的音乐个性进一步固定下来。无论是典型CDAA式低调摇摆路数的"Une Trêve Prodigue"，还是交织着 Chloé 的多重合声与仿古典高音唱咏的 "Une Attente Douleur",以及军鼓、大提琴与人声完美搭配的"Un Parc,Une Tonnelle"都已算得是乐队的代表曲目。
作为乐队音乐的灵魂,Chloé的演唱无疑吸引走了大多数的注意力，与上张专辑相比，虽然仍带着浓浓的法式香颂味道,但Chloé学会了更多地利用她悠扬缠绵的高音咏唱将音乐的情绪慢慢舒展开，使这些情绪缓缓渲染至听者的心灵深处，予给人更多的思索与回味。另外值得注意的是，随着Xavier Gaschignard的加入,此番大提琴的表现要比上张专辑愈显成熟与细腻，像起首的"Un Horizon De Lune"和"Aux Cordes Eternelles"里，大提琴的地位就倍受强调；而末曲"Un Tiède Reposoir",就完全是由大提琴独奏的一阕悱恻挽歌，沉恸悲泣的弦音加上背景里回荡的钟声，宛如深秋墓地里弥漫的迷雾，在听者的头脑慢慢盘旋散开，直到沉至每根神经的最末稍......
Les Marronniers,他们的第三张专辑，在1992年绽放。开首曲"Kedves"昭示了CDAA在音乐上带来的惊喜：带出悬疑气氛的弦乐编排令人耳目一新，于是男女合声竟也显得有些戏剧色彩，背景里多了些精巧细致的音响修饰，就是歌曲本身的铺陈功力也颇显迂回曲折。接下来的"Une AttenteFragile"
同是如此，弦乐与敲击成为最抢耳的出采之处，旋律编排上层次递进、张弛得当，细节上更比从前要精巧讲究。这些都说明此时CDAA的音乐已经有了个质的突跃--冲破已往歌曲创作上的套路化和略显单薄的简单性，依凭对固有风格的明确与自信，使乐队开始尝试着用更多的心思来充实变换自己的音乐纹理。
在新专辑里，CDAA对音乐细节的处理都显得丰富又精致,再由于吉他/贝司手Franz Torrès Quévédo的加盟，使得音响效果上自然要丰满许多；也能感受到音乐铺展上更加复杂与含蓄；此外弦乐的力量得到加强，怨钟般的键琴大为减弱，这让乐队的音乐不再一味徘徊于低调幽深的黑暗之地；而作为新变化之一，钢琴的出现更让乐队的音乐增多了几分轻灵的古典气韵："Le Pre Dormant"乃是一首写给钢琴与大提琴的协奏曲，温馨深情的氛围是乐队以往的音乐中从未得见的；"Les Temples Eleves"
里，钢琴与大提琴，女声与男声，四者相应的对答唱和，更是乐队前所未有的尝试，而效果又是如此优雅感伤、出尘脱俗。绝对是我最爱的CDAA作品之一。Chloé的演唱愈发成熟迷人,全面投向高飘的调质，以她漂亮的高音为基础，将其假声所独具的缠绵悱恻的阴柔之美发挥得淋漓尽致，像"LesChants De Peine"、"Kergal"、"Les Marronniers"等曲目都是仔细体味她带着浓浓伤感的富有浪漫主义色彩的歌特式香颂的绝佳机会。 凡此种种，均让 Les Marronniers有资格获选成为Collection d'Arnell
-Andrea最优秀的专辑之一。
1994年算是个特殊的年份,首先是由于NewRose的倒闭，Collection d'Arnell-Andrea换了家新唱片公司---Last Call。做为在LC的首张专辑，CDAA发表了以 1914 - 1918年第一次世界大战为主题的Villers-aux-Vents (Février 1916)。由于此次音乐主题的要比往次都沉重，他们需要一位懂得如何用吉他加强音乐的力量，而又不会抹杀乐队本身的气质。于是他们找来了著名的音乐监制 -- Gilles Martin，最后的结果证实他们的选择是正确的，新专辑显然要比以往的作品更有力度、摇摆味更为强烈，但同时仍能让人一耳听出是CDAA的独家制造。
"Les Cendre~Lisieres" 起首那段吱嘎扭曲的音响绝对是一个意外，但就在你新奇不已的时候，Chloé一开口更让你吃惊不小,虽然主线歌声仍是以往的柔美悠扬，但二线配唱部分完全摒弃了那香颂式的优雅，毫无故忌地扭曲成奇奇怪怪的模样，这般古怪的表演以往只有在 The Breath Of Life 的Isabelle Dekeyser口中才能听到,难道是由于同一个监制的原因？此外,器乐中首次由吉他唱了主角，虽然吉他演奏本身没什么独特之处--寻常的噪音路数，但效果却不错。做为入选HeavenlyVoices的单曲"L'Aulne Et La Mort"自然是不俗的，爽利的节奏衬上同样爽利的吉他，再加上纷繁的弦乐、大提琴,还有 Chloé富于变化、非比寻常的真假声演唱，来得甚有冲击力。
接下来的作品都是惊喜连连，"Le Chemin Des Dames"中紧张的弦乐、 "Les Hauts De Meuse" 和
"Les Parvis Deserts"里带有异国风情的敲击与旋律、"Le Ravin Des Fontaines"密不透风的颇有拉丁色彩的吉他拔弹、还有长号低鸣、出征序曲般的
"L'Orniere"竟有些杀气腾腾、而"Deaf Or Crazy"
完全能算作CDAA最具流行潜质的劲爆摇摆作品吧，这些都是随手拾来的出彩之处.至于Chloé的演唱技巧更比以往拓宽许多，除了用上大量的假声，她开始大胆使用更具流行趋向的唱法及一些非常规的运腔方式， 这让她的嗓音比从前 更富戏剧性和表现力。Gilles Martin的监制功力的确非同寻常,他使乐队学会完全用另一种更为开阔的眼光来审视、创作自己的音乐，不再仅仅锢困于从前的阴暗情调，于是Villers-aux-Vents (Février 1916)就成为乐队最具流行色彩、最易于接受的一张专辑。
1996年,乐队的第五张专辑Cirses des Champs发行,这也是他们与Gilles Martin合作的第二张大碟。也许是受到英美Indie Rock兴旺繁盛的影响，与前四张作品相比，新碟算得上是CDAA摇摆味最强烈的一次演出了，且大玩时兴的电气摇摆套路，或者求新之心对乐队来说并不是件坏事，但这次他们似乎做得有些过了头，热闹的曲风一路扫下来令人略感身心俱疲，无疑把他们原有的浪漫气质削弱了太多.不过就单曲而言,"L'Andain"、"L'Ivraie"、
"Le Cirse Des Champs"、"LesPreles"等都是激烈的吉他配上同样激烈的大提琴还有沉重急进、紧紧逼迫的电气节拍，再佐以流畅的旋律和略显魅惑的女声演唱，着实来得奔放抢耳、气势千钧，甚为时髦漂亮，完全能让偏爱英美HardRock、口味较重的乐迷大呼过瘾，这也成了CDAA在音乐上的新套路--12首作品均是这般大同小异的劲道，不能不微笑这乐队在音乐创作上着实有些狡黠。程式化的好处是全碟风格整齐划一 ， 吉他、贝司手Franz Torrès Quévédo虽然自第三张专辑起就加入乐队,且在上张专辑里表现不俗，但只有在这里，电吉他才盖过大提琴，成为器乐里的领头戏，为乐队的新乐风涂抹着浓墨重彩；不过乐队乖张暴戾的个性仍是由大提琴与弦乐挥描而出,像"Le Cirse Des Champs"的颠狂古怪、"L'Armoise"里的痉挛抽搐、"L'Ortie"的妖异惊悚,都是比往次更为疯狂的精彩演出。Chloé 人声方面，此回演唱更趋于流行化，那些漂亮高音的运用大大减少，合声部分被大量电气化，这使得她的演唱颇染上一层某些英美 Indie女歌手炫酷的妖魅、甚至有些挑逗色彩(抱歉想不出可比的名字，因为纵使神情相似,但Chloé音软声甜的法式香颂韵味仍保持了她的独立性)，听着热情、性感起来的Chloé，却也不失为另一幅赏心悦目的风景。
这张专辑后，在接下来的几年里，CDAA进入了休眠状态，除了1998年由 Last Call发行的双张精先辑Coll AGE 1988-1998外，乐队未有任何新作问世，虽然有些但心乐队的音乐生涯会不会就些划下句号，但好在时不时的演出通告仍说明Collection d'Arnell-Andrea这个名字仍然活着。
今年初，法国厂牌Prikosonovenie证实：久违的Collection d'Arnell-Andrea即将在他们旗下发行乐队六年来的首张全新大碟，另据知此次乐队将以全新的古典主义风格出现，这个消息着实让我兴奋了一阵，皆因今年包括 Stoa、 Chandeen、 Bel Canto 等在内的几支元老级女声乐队都相继传来发行新碟的消息。而就在前两天，终于收到了这张名为Tristesse des Manes的新专辑。
的确,此次CDAA虽然阵容增至六人,但器乐上却精减至仅以大提琴、钢琴和人声为主，除开七首新作，另外七首歌曲是重新编排后的旧作，如 " Aux Glycines Défuntes"、 "Au Sacre Des Nuits"、
"Les Temples Eleves"等。没有了从前纷繁落地的偏激锐气，全碟贯穿始终的是那法兰西式的忧郁、朴素和沉静，这种手法与气质,不禁让人回想起Les Marronniers 时期的那几首新古典主义作品，实际上， 整张专辑听上去起来就像是以 "Les Temples Eleves"为蓝本进行的衍生创作： 男声、女声、钢琴、大提琴、弦乐...久别重逢的Chloé不再去作怪扮酷，回归到她最始的本来面目，用她最本色、最纯净的嗓音安安静静、悠悠然然地咏唱着悲伤与失落。
抹去了沉重迷离的摇摆感觉后，换来是如斯素颜，CDAA的新作犹如一幅淡雅的风景画，沉醉在无尽感伤的诗意里......也许，又会觉得CDAA这个样子让他们显得只是个精巧的NeoClassic乐队，丧失了以往那剑走偏锋、沉恸而热烈的浪漫气质；但这一刻，我真不知道乐队的这种改变是得是失，也不知道自己是悲是喜:耳边这个Collection d'Arnell
-Andrea已朦胧成一片湖水色的光影,仿似稔熟，又如初识......
Noticed in 1988 by the English label Valotte records, the band Collection d'Arnell-Andréa, reduced at this time to the founder nucleus (Chloé St Liphard & Jean-Christophe d’Arnell), records the 4 tracks of its first 12” entitled Autumn's Breath for Anton's Death. This record, unobtainable today, presents a musical atmosphere particularly deep and bewitching, that, at once appealed to both sides of the Channel.
Coming out in 1989, Un Automne à Loroy, real funeral oration, coloured by the Autumn, in which stands out Chloé’s wonderful voice and the long sob of the cello, has a warm welcome from the press, in France and abroad. The music of Collection d'Arnell-Andréa is original because it realizes the perfect assimilation of instruments a priori antinomic: on a background of a minimum and metronomic rhythm composer, blend, the bass guitar, the cello, the simply or symphonic layers of the keyboards, and at least the voice, real instrument too. As for the lyrics, they have certain similarities to symbolism Poetry, arousing pictures of quiescent residences, pond under snow and old memories, lost in the foggy mornings of the bygone days…
Hoped by more and more fans, the new record of Collection d'Arnell-Andréa, entitled Au val des Roses“ comes out in Autumn 1990. The 8 tracks of this record may seem different from each others but in fact, they all join in the “deep and tenebrous unity” of what we have to name from now on: the proper style of CDAA.
“This music is both impassioned and ravishing. Entrance me to the end of love”
Melody Maker (GB)
“The style of this French combo could almost be categorised as a form of chamber music in which they add droning bass, drum machine and the ethereal vocals of Chloé St Liphard to violins and cellos”
For The Record (USA)
At the beginning of 1992, Collection d'Arnell-Andréa unveils Les Marronniers, a genuine album with 11 tracks. This third album remind these introspective journeys that charm and change anyone who enters into them. A “search” where the sincerity is omnipresent, immortalizing in this way, a strange universe of nature, memories, fears and dreams. Then, the emotions follow one another, from beginning to end, and bunches of cellos, pianos and voices come from more classical constructed songs.
The fourth album, Villers-Aux-Vents , recorded in 1994, is a solemn promenade into the dark universe of the first world war (1914-1918). Soldiers, buried victims, crosses, muddy shadows in the trenches… This music is pure Collection d'Arnell-Andréa, but perhaps more tense than ever, with saturated guitars evoking the tragedy of the fights. The opening track of this album is the famous dark hit : “Les Cendre-Lisières”…
New album for Collection d'Arnell-Andréa in 1996: Cirses des champs. A pastoral stroll, a rural madrigal with bunches of songs that one can leaf through like an herbarium. Stories of plants, memories of past childhoods… The music is as ever bewitching… sometimes surprising with a dance tempo. Listen to the song’s strong and sure melody and get into an impressionist and chlorophyll-flavoured universe… but beware! In a field of poppies and cornflowers, always grow and hide wild armful of nettles…
Five albums tinged with poetry, spleen and eternity… which have succeed in moving Californians, Chinese journalists of Taïwan, or many radios from Brazil, Portugal, Belgium and somewhere else… a French music that proves that “Collectionism” is an universal language…
1998: "Best Of" Coll AGE, a double CD compilation with 2 periods 1996-1992 and 1992-1988.
2002: Tristesse des Mânes 14 songs, composed in the spirit of the French classical musicians of the end of 19th century. These “neo-classical” compositions (pieces for cello, piano, viola and voices), the poetry of the lyrics, present more emotion than ever, and Chloé’s heavenly voice evokes a very dark and deep romantism, as if time didn’t exists anymore…
“This band remains one of the best and most original parts of the gothic scene! Simply brillant”
Side Line (B)
2003: Villers-aux-Vents new edition in digipack CD (re-mastered + bonus track + multimedia track, including 2 videos)
“The album has touches of X-mal Deutschland, Dead Can Dance or Cocteau Twins, yet remains something totally different in many ways, especially with the themes of the songs. Although the tone of the album is heavy and dark, the mood tends to be uplifting and powerful…”
Darklife (B)
2004: Un Automne à Loroy new edition of the first album of the band, in digipack CD (re-mastered + bonus track + multimedia track including videos from first concerts)
2004: The Bower of Despair. The beautiful and very dark artwork of the luxuous black digipack announces the main concept: feelings, memories, and thoughts of a man who knows that his end is near…The songs are very dark and powerful, mixing acoustic instruments like cello, viola, voices, with electronic keyboards, and all the power of guitars….with no doubt, their “darkest” album!
“gothic masterpiece reminiscent of Siouxsie, Faith & the Muse, Sister of Mercy…In fact the band releases their better album ever done and furthermore a mythic CD for the dark cold wave scene. Music starts smoothly with Chloé’s voice, violin and guitar rising gradually in beats’ trance with distorted guitars. The track “Wild trees” is a real “chef d’oeuvre” of black softness, with symphonic melodies, ethereal voices and a deep feeling of nostalgia.”
Projekt (USA)
2005: Au Val des Roses new edition in digipack CD (re-mastered + bonus track + multimedia track including 1 video and pictures)
2007: New album ! Exposition – Eaux-fortes & Méandres. To create the music and the lyrics of their 8th album, Collection d'Arnell-Andréa have taken inspiration from eleven paintings coming mainly from the 19th century. This very dark album integrates many influences like: Nine Inch Nails, Cocteau Twins…
“Musically this album met my tastes as it contains electronic arrangements, upbeat rhythms, passionate vocals. The band blend post punk inflkuences (sometimes I heard also echoes of Virgin Prunes), strings orchestrations, electronic layers (see the bassline of “The monk on the Shore” or “Into Flowers”) and theatrical vocals that will convince you in no time. Since the opening “Les sombres plis de l’âme” I was hypnotized by the string line that recalled me some parts of Velvet Underground’s “Venus in furs” . Perfect!”
Chaindlk.com (GB)
The rare concerts of Collection d'Arnell-Andréa bring an additional access to this original universe, with the projection of movies, and pictures on a large screen, on the back of the stage, during the performance….behind the 7 musicians.
Line-up (current)
Jean-Christophe d'Arnell
He is the main writer and composer (with very few exceptions). He's also playing piano, keyboards, metal keys, and percussions.
Chloé St Liphard
She is the main singer and makes Collection d'Arnell-Andréa sound so distinctive with a touch of melancholy.
Xavier Gaschignard
He's playing cello since Au Val des Roses.
Franz Torrès-Quévédo
He's playing guitar and bass guitar since Les Marronniers. He's also playing in O Quam Tristis, another French band, who released a first LP in 2000.
Carine Grieg
She's playing keyboards and also singing on some titles. She's also playing on some titles of another French Band, Opera Multi Steel.
Thibault d'Aboville
He's playing Viola (Alto) on Tristesse des Mânes. He's also playing in another band called Gantök.
Vincent Magnien
He's playing electric guitars on the album The Bower of Despair.
For more information about collaborations with other bands, see "Related Works" topic.
Former musicians
Peter Rakoto
He was playing bass guitar on the first 2 albums Un Automne à Loroy and Au Val des Roses.
Stephan Kehlsen
He was playing bass guitar on Cirses des Champs.
Charlotte
She's just quoted as playing cello on Un Automne à Loroy.
Thierry Simonnet
He was playing keyboards on Un Automne à Loroy.
Pascal Andréa
He's the "mysterious man"; he was also a co-founder of the band (this explains the name) but left the band just before the first show according to Jean-Christophe d'Arnell.