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Cindergarden

Underground Light Machine

2006 | Looking Glass Records | LGR00101

CD

This album should not be here.
Tracks:
  1. One By One
  2. Medicine
  3. Mask of Silence
  4. Stranger
  5. Ubiquitous
  6. Wasteland
  7. Sad Eye Doll
  8. Dirty Ritual
  9. Disintegrate
  10. Bad Dreams
  11. Dying Kind
  12. The Big Reveal
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Cindergarden's debut album, Underground Light Machine, plants a seed whose twisted vines stretch from the roots of imagination into the corners of our darkest dreams. Working from a diverse palette of industrial, trip-hop and electrogoth, the band pays homage to these genres while retaining a refreshing approach that breathes life into a scene in dire need of resuscitation. Lush synths and broody beats echo through the walls of this complex machine as the listener is guided through dimly lit corridors by the haunting voice of songwriter, Jaymie Valentine. Her lyrics forge a path through mazes of the mind, unlocking cryptic passages to realms long forgotten.

The Cindergarden live show shatters the fourth wall and unfolds into a multi-dimensional experience for the eyes and ears though the cast of talented live musicians. Tony Lamantia brings an experimental bass approach invoking an unmatched atmospheric resonance. Percussionist, Nick Liberator unleashes fierce rhythmic attacks along with tight mechanized beats to complete the synergy of the Cindergarden stage show.

Cindergarden's popularity has spread like wildfire. Tracks like "Medicine", "Dirty Ritual", "Dying Kind" and "Mask of Silence" have achieved widespread radio and club play almost overnight . As a completely independent project, Cindergarden has already begun to lay fertile ground for wicked things to come.

A review from Grave Concerns:
There's at least a touch of Skinny Puppy in Jaymie Valentine's past. It comes through in subtle ways on her debut album, in the slow electro beats of "Mask Of Silence" or the simple synthesizer arpeggios of "Stranger." Valentine's Cindergarden project, however, is ultimately less about industrial terror than disquieting dreams; there's a dark surrealism throughout her music that perfectly matches the whimsical but creepy album art. Think Rasputina with keyboards instead of cellos, or perhaps a dreamier, more languid version of the psychotic dolly imagery of Switchblade Symphony and Jack Off Jill. It's all lovely stuff, ranging from synthpop-influenced dance tracks like "Ubiquitous" to softer pieces like "Sad Eye Doll," with tinny electric pianos on "Bad Dreams" and music box chimes on "Wasteland" giving things a particular feeling of nostalgia that evokes Victorian ghost children languishing in dusty attics. "Dirty Ritual" is also a stunning track, with fuzzy vocals contrasted by crisp, lacy harpsichords. Valentine delivers most of her vocals in a sort of breathy whisper that's quite suited to the album's moods, but the rich harmonies of "Dying Kind" show a voice that's arrestingly pretty when she wants it to be. Underground Light Machine is a stunning debut, and presages great things to come. Valentine has already discovered her artistic voice; the only question left is what she will say with it next. -Matthew Johnson
A review from Lunar Hypnosis:
It's nice to hear a resurgence of what made 80s and 90s Goth/electronica/industrial great; not only that, it's a relief to find it's a true resurgence, not just derivative mimicry. Flattery as that may be, it just wouldn't hold water. As it is, I halfway expect some kind of Gothic Lollapalooza or Ozzfest type tour sometime in the near future, with the likes of Bauhaus, Love & Rockets, or Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds at the helm.

Furthermore, Courtney Love has left the image of the alpha shemale lacking a face and a band name. Unless one is a Diamanda Galas devotee or an Ani DeFranco hippygirl, there is distinct lack of proudly broken, disfigured and dysfunctional women. Where have all the RiotGrrls gone? Whatever happened to Switchblade Symphony, Sneaker Pimps and My Ruin? (Well, actually, My Ruin are going strong, by why the bloody hell don't these bands enjoy any coverage while we're all still being force fed emo-"metal"?) Where's the freakin' VH1/Fuse/MTV2 special on Otep, Lacuna Coil, and Kittie? Or Lydia Lunch Exene Cervenka and Patti Smith for that matter?

I'm not ready to say Cindergarden are the Second Coming of the Angry Woman, but this album definitely draws inspiration from and creates an argument for the necessary reintroduction of the dangerous woman as a potent agent for cultural destabilization.

I truly hope "underground light machine" is a portent of what will become a longtime long-term well-oiled and beautifully threatening vehicle for the talents of Jaymie Valentine, Anthony Lamantia and Nick Liberatore. The musicianship is strong, the vocals are impeccable, and the lyrics ain't bad either. Standout songs for me were "Medicine", which kept running in my head for hours after I listened to the CD, and the glorious "Dirty Ritual". Good luck, Cindergarden. Knock 'em dead!


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