Tracks:
- Indian summer | Click for one minute MP3 file
- Echoes | Click for one minute MP3 file
- A dream within a dream | Click for one minute MP3 file
- In the forest | Click for one minute MP3 file
- Drawn by the sea | Click for one minute MP3 file
- Impressions - la fruite de la lune | Click for one minute MP3 file
- Call of the banshees
- The dream
- Red blood, blue soul
- Tangled sheen Click for MP3 teaser
German Import at a Domestic Price | Chandeen began their career in the early 90's with releases on the famed Hyperium Records, which introduced them as one of the leaders of the Heavenly Voice movement, inspired in part by bands from England's 4AD label. After some line-up changes, Harald Löwy and Antje Schulz remain Chandeen's two masterminds and now present their 6th album,
Echoes!
Echoes is a shamanic journey, full of breath-taking beauty, soft rhythms, percussions, cello, guitars and wonderful heavenly voices. With this CD, Chandeen return to their musical roots; sounding authenic and unique, poetic and profound. The cosmos of
Echoes are populated with smooth piano-sounds combined with mysterious and romantic lyrics from Oscar Wilde ("In the forest"), William Blake and Edgar Allen Poe ("A dream Within a dream"). Nostalgic, Chandeen's typical soundscapes are orchestral, sometimes distantly reminiscent of Dead Can Dance; and atmosphere, full of strange, mystic, longing feelings and mysterious stories.
With Echoes Chandeen move out into the light, it is the sun which steps out after a terrible storm.
Special musical guest: Antje Buchheiser (Vocal) and Christiane Fischer(Cello) of Stoa.
A review from Ink19.com In our nonstop, frenzied world of bright lights and blaring sirens, the cool shadows and subtle romance of Chandeen's
Echoes come as a very welcome respite. Unfolding at its own deliberate, introspective pace, Echoes weaves a gorgeous tapestry of heavenly female voices and hypnotic keyboards, moody cello and rhythmic acoustic guitar. Most of the songs on
Echoes deal in mystery and magic, lost loves and waking dreams. One of my favorites is "Impressions -- La Fruite de la Lune", which brings the twilight vision described in Oscar Wilde's lyrics to dusky, jasmine-perfumed life. A meditative acoustic guitar begins the track, soon set into soaring flight by Antje Schulz's lovely, fragile, innocent voice, floating lost and lonely above the desolate landscape painted by Harald Lowy's dark synth textures. By the end, the guitar's hypnotic rhythm has almost lulled you to sleep as the shimmering synths sparkle like stars and the strings swell around you, perfectly evoking the humbling immensity of the night sky. Another standout track is "A Dream," whose synth drones and entrancing female voice fill your senses, surrounding you with liquid warmth as you float into the pleasant dislocation of William Blake's intoxicating dream-lyrics. All in all, Chandeen's
Echoes is another fine album from one of the founders of European ethereal/heavenly voices music. The only real complaint I have is that it's rather short -- just 39 minutes of shadowed romantic bliss. - Dave Aftandilian
A review from Germany's Zillo Magazine Last year, after a 4 years break, Chandeen released their comeback album
Bikes and Pyramids . And it seems that Antje Schulz and Harald Löwy are such a good team that their music comes quite naturally to them. And yet
Echoes is quite different from it's predecessor. The founders of the heavenly voices movement, with the support of both Stoa musicians Christiane Fischer and Antje Buchheiser, have created an unusual intimate mood, a very tender and dreamy album focused to the essential with minimalist musical means, with contemplation of really strong force and ripeness. The two minutes long piano intro "Indian Summer" with Antje's instrumental voices and the calm cricket-sound, presents appropriate softness to this work as it leads into the title track and continue the classical impression with the gentle instrumentation of piano and cello. But the poem of Edgar Allen Poe "A dream within a dream" will translate in a fragile beautiful way with only one acoustic guitar, just before spherical sounds bring on the dream-character. The highlights of the album are the soft rhythm adaption of Oscar Wilde's "In the forest" and "Impressions - La fruite De La Lune", a poem by Oscar Wilde as well, which is carrying a forceful hymn melody.
Echoes is a poetic masterpiece!
A review from electromeda.net I wish I could write a poem for Antje to lend her voice to.
And in it words for Harald to shape a melody from….
So many days now, I have been trying to write an analytic, objective review. Yet, as it is happening again, listening to Echoes evokes memories with feelings attached. So many flashbacks now, smiles, landscapes, words attached…
I guess you can label album as ‘good’ if it makes you feel it, if it makes you to feel. Every second of “Echoes” is, although not rich in variety of sounds, filled with feelings. Lyrics by Antje Schulz do not reach level of perfect lyrical craftmanship as Blake’s, Poe’s or Wilde’s, but they are shining sensuality and softness. Returning to original sound, stripped of experiments and rhythmic decorations, this Chandeen’s latest might even be the purest. Piano, cello (Christiane Fischer- sToa) with touch of guitars (Florian Walther ), immaculately covered by voices of Antje Schulz and Antje Buchheiser (on ‘Echoes’) air overtaking melodies, simple in superlative.
Can you sing Poe’s melancholy better than in ‘A dream within a dream’?? Can more suitable orchestration be created for Wilde’s ‘In the forest’ ??? Their words are immortal, these songs just confirm it in most pleasant way. Yes, this album does not belong in an avant-garde/alternative category, it lacks obscurity, pain. But that would have ruined tenderness and warmth that each and every song is brimming with. And yes, this album can be compared to Delerium ’s “Karma”. Finally a peer to a masterpiece. Coming from “Heavenly Voices” order, it is not a surprise. I wish Chandeen equal success to Leeb’s project. And again:
I wish I could write a poem for Antje to lend her voice to.
And in it words for Harald to shape a melody from….
A review from musicaldiscoveries.com When we first heard
Echoes , we were initially surprised to learn of Stephanie's depature. When asked if the sound of the new album is a result of Stephanie's depature, Harald told us, "Yes, maybe yes, the influence changed. Antje and I worked together since the beginning of Chandeen and we both formed the style over many years." He continued, "Antje said she felt a strong desire to work more authentic, more in our roots." When we experessed our delight that Antje is staying, Harald remarked emphatically (and we couldn't agree more), "Well, Antje is Chandeen!"
And indeed Echoes illustrates Chandeen's sound in the very best light. The arrangements are light and ambient and Antje's vocals shimmer and soar across nine of the CD's ten evocatively moody tracks. The album is not a rock or pop album nor is it new age or exactly darkwave. The material is ambient, smooth, graceful and most of all, it is a tremendous exposition of heavenly vocals as the genre was meant to be. You'll hear Antje Schulz in her finest studio performance to date. Light guitar, cello and keyboard provide the instrumental foundation but vocals are mixed way above the instrumentals right where visitors to this website love them. Cello and string sequence adds further texture to the keyboard-based arrangements. Read more about the pieces in the interview with Harald and Antje below.
For Echoes, Antje and Harald have been joined by Christine Fischer (cello), Antje Buchheiser (vocals on "Echoes") and Floran Walther (guitars). All but the opening and closing pieces are sung by Antje. The remaining bookends are instrumentals, although the opening "Indian Summer" exploits Antje's tenderly sung vocalise atop natural effects. Lyrics for several of the tracks were taken from classical texts. "A Dream Within A Dream" is by Edgar Allan Poe; "In The Forest" and "Impressions" are by Oscar Wilde and "A Dream" is by William Blake. Lyrics for the remaining four tracks "Echoes," "Drawn By The Sea," and "Call Of The "Banshees" were written by Antje. The final vocal, "Red Blood Blue Soul" was written in 1992 by Aline.
Listen carefully to Antje sing on Echoes. Her vocal work is tender, sensual sweet and evocative. Mixed perfectly both as lead and in backing harmonies, the sweet sound soars above the classically influenced instrumental arrangements, supported by keyboard-provided strings, piano and Christiane's moody cello. A fine album and one worth significant and immediate exploration, we certainly think that Echoes is a must listen!
A review from chaindlk.org Talking to Harald, the mastermind of Chandeen, on my messenger last week, he told me this CD would be a good bit more organic than
Bikes And Pyramids. So naturally, I didn’t expect another pop journey, given that and Harald’s massive palate of musical skills (hence my nickname for him, “Der PopMusikMeister”). The CD takes a much more classical approach to the Chandeen formula, yet still has that same beautiful kind of wave undertone. And Antje’s vocals are solo this time, no longer accompanied by Stephanie’s harmonious pipes. But that also helps give this CD it’s emotional edge, as the music would not quite mix in with dual vocals. It would simply overwhelm such delicate and fragile melodies, which are to be the full cast of actors, not hiding behind a curtain of vocals. Many ethereal groups make that mistake, yet Chandeen did their homework not to fall into it. Antje’s vocals have also improved, as if there was much more improvement needed! The more laid back tone of this music gives her more power to show off her real vocal talent, which is an effortless flow from key to key. It’s as if she sings scales on a wavelength rather than having to divide notes and separate them. And not one crack in her voice to be heard! Her voice is perfection, like a wine aged through centuries and centuries. Much of the keyboard work of
Bikes And Pyramids you’ll notice has been replaced by piano and guitar, with the subtle keyboard-aided backdrop breezing on by like a playful ember on a cool spring wind. It could be safe to say Harald has learned his fair share of instruments through the years, and has perfected the one man band style (well one man if you take out vocals). The style reminds me of his Lowy/Javelin project gone through a classical filter, with a touch of Opeth’s folk moments. Literary fans will notice a song version of Edgar Allen Poe’s “A Dream Within A Dream” (oh if only Poe were alive he’d be a happy 160 year old man hearing this haha), as well as song versions of William Blake and Oscar Wilde. Could this get any better??!?! Well, if Anne Sexton poems were on there, but eh you can’t ask for the world you know ;-). Plus her poems would be a bit gruesome for this. Pretty solid CD throughout, as well as any of Lowy’s works. Rating: 10. -KlingKlangBedlam
A review from Dark Star Rising Back in 1976, The Alan Parsons Project released their first album,
Tales of Mystery and Imagination. Now, in the year 2003, one of the premier Heavenly Voices bands brings us another wonderful album inspired by the literary works of Edgar Allan Poe The band is Chandeen, a trio of talented musicians hailing from Germany. This release,
Echoes. , is a departure from all previous works. Instead of the band's familiar hypnotic beats, we are presented with a more quiet, contemplative arrangement. Captivating guitar, cello, piano, and ambient electronic masterpieces accompany the magnificent voice of Antje Schulz This release is sure to please fans of the Ethereal and Neoclassic genres. But make no mistake: The music of Chandeen is never easy to categorize, always standing in a class of its own.
A review from gothicparadise.com It was quite a pleasant surprise when shortly after the release of Bikes and Pyramids it was announced that a new album would be released. The press release was intriguing because of the mention of the direction and lyrics that would be used by such as Edgar Allen Poe. Being a fan of the more emotional and sometimes darker and moodier music, I just knew that this release had to be something I would enjoy. While it's hard for Antje's beautiful vocals to delve into the darker music, the emotion and captivating spiritual essence of the music is awesome. Also included are guest appearances from Antje Buchheiser (STOA), Christiane Fischer and Florian Walther.
Without hesitation I'll delve right into the mysterious beauty of these compositions. Coming directly from the very "happy-go-lucky" feel of Bikes and Pyramids , the mood swings into what I call an emotional masterpiece in this album. From the very beginning broken piano chord to the very last soaring vocal and cello note the music is captivating and spellbinding. "Indian Summer" starts of as an instrumental introduction with soaring and beautiful vocals without lyrics form a dreamy instrument of their own. "Echoes" continues in much the same mood and style with piano being the dominating instrument and Antje's vocals and intelligent lyrics. This is also when we're treated with the beautiful classically trained voice of Antje Buchheiser. Fans of Poe will enjoy the fact that included on this album is the excellent "A Dream Within A Dream". Of course this group manages to pull it off like no other possibly could, in a dreampop fashion with a down-tempo and minimalistic mood. Also included on this album are two songs with lyrics by Oscar Wilde and another by William Blake.
While the above paragraph could easily sum up the album, I can't end this review without mentioning a little bit more about the wonderful musical compositions that Harald Lowey contributes along with the other lyrics by Antje Schulz. Many of the compositions are minimalistic, yet beautiful in nature. As a classical pianist myself, I really get taken away by excellent piano compositions and this album has it's fair share. Fans of the mystical sounds of Dead Can Dance will also really enjoy this album with the percussion and various ethnic touches that line various compositions such as "In The Forest" with it's slow and steady beat. Antje shows us once again how well she and Harald can pull together and match the excellent lyrics and vocals with the stunning compositions. A wonderful surprise and moody composition and lyrics is included on "Call of the Banshees". Again laced with a touch of slow percussion and nice minimalistic music is given it's body and soul with the vocals and lyrics. And finally wrapping up this 10-track jewel is the instrumental piece "Tangled Sheen" which seems to drift off and leave the listener drifting off not realizing it has all ended.
Overall another great work. They've proven once again how diverse they can be and manage to captivate audiences in various genres in the musical scene. This is definitely an album that "Heavenly Voices" fans should run out and pick up without hesitation.
Rating: 5/5
A review from musictap.net/ This round of Chandeen digs into the coffers of poets, pulling out pieces of deep singular introspections and mixing them with very good compositions from Antje Schulz and Harald Löwy. Lyrically, Echoes is an escalation. Using thoughts from Oscar Wilde, Edgar Allen Poe, and William Blake, these dissections of loss and remembrance are bittersweet. Each song is like a raindrop splattering into an ocean; they’re encapsulated pain and regret falling into a greater sea. The importance of a recording such as this is to create a supportive soundtrack to the very powerful imagery that arises from the use of lyrics such as are contained on Echoes. This is never easy and explains why it’s rarely done. For those who are artistically sound and who are able to effectively merge these two mediums together, what happens is an electrifying blend of emotional output, and for the listener, intake.
With the use of the soft vocals of Antje Schulz, beautifully conveying the hurt of being lost but in such a way that it becomes a lovely place to be. Like the gentle rainfall, irritatingly rapturous in its dispensing, Echoes injects splendor into self immersion. Antje’s vocals are carried by the breeze of Harald Löwy’s music as sound carries nuance and wind carries chill. So effective is this fusion that you get what is the beauty of Chandeen. Löwy's musical accompaniments to the timeless verses of poets create a mood music that is effective in its distribution. As in the lovely “Red Blood, Blue Soul” and it’s visitation of depression, Harald’s piano breathes life into a vivid Löwy’s musical talent with the piano is as fine a quality as you’re likely to find; being able to put a soul into the words that comprise the chosen lyrics.
Antje’s soaring and ethereal voice, sometimes whispered for effect, is a haunting effort. Chandeen’s evolutionary movement from pop to the depth they now explore with Echoes is breathtaking. Chandeen is the main ingredient of a dream. What remains is for you to visit. - Matt Rowe