Rating: 9 of 10
The sister companion to the Orphée compilation, Seireenia is an exceptional sibling in the family of Projekt compilations. Seireenia is dedicated to the female voice in ethereal and gothic music and presents a wide range of styles and sounds. Another perk to this compilation is that several of the tracks are either previously unreleased or are alternate mixes of previously released tracks.

Several of the groups featured on the compilation are already well-known to fans of darkwave and goth music. Projekt's flagship group Black Tape For A Blue Girl (headed by Projekt's main man, Sam Rosenthal) offers up a striking new version of their track "Overwhelmed, Beneath Me" the original version of which was previously available on their album This Lush Garden Within. Also, Projekt staple, Lycia, offer up one of the best tracks from their 1996 release, Cold, the beautifully mysterious "Baltica". Switchblade Symphony make an appearance with one of its more worthy songs, "Dissolve," from their debut CD, Serpentine Gallery.

While these scene stalwarts turn out impressive performances throughout, the most impressive songs on this release come from artists I wasn't previously familiar with. Velvet Empire Record's Frolic presents the listener with the soft and soothing track "Skin" that definitely captures the ethereal sounds of bands like Lovesliescrushing. I also really enjoyed the album's lead off song, "Rajna" by Prikosnovenie Records recording artist Rajna. Rajna's sound reminded me of Dead Can Dance's, mixed with a set of forest environmental sounds records played in synchrony. Other tracks worth mentioning are Rosewater Elizabeth's "It Swallows Me Whole," Stoa's "Maare Illucescend" and Faith and Disease's "Stray" which fall more under the "gothic rock" genre classification and are all good representations of that sound.

The compilations nears its end with an experimental tinge: "The Bounding Main" from Amber Asylum, which is minimal, yet compelling. The final track, "Shing Kee" by Carl Stone, is a fifteen-and-a-half minute epic, and relies upon minimal, lo-fi piano, found sound noises and the voice of Akiko Yano to carry Seireenia to its inevitable end. A collection of old favorites, new classics and edgy experimentalism blended seamlessly to reflect Projekt overall dark and smooth aesthetic, Seireenia is yet another fine release by the world's premier gothic music label.

The DC Comics universe is comprised of "parallel universes." These parallel universes would exist simultaneously, and occasionally cross over, but each world would have a somewhat different version of the superhero that co-existed on a different plane. Listening to this compilation, I got the strange feeling that I was suddenly in a parallel universe, where instead of Dead Can Dance, the Cocteau Twins and This Mortal Coil, there were an alternate versions of the bands. Seireenia contains many of these alternate 4AD bands, going under names like Rajna, Love Is Colder Than Death, Faith and Disease, Rosewater Elizabeth, and La Vuibre. Once one realises that this is a parallel universe, it is easy to be drawn into the siren-like charm of these groups, and sink into the beauty of their recordings. A collection of music focusing on the female voice, much like the Heavenly Voices series released by Hyperium, Seireenia brings together a diverse group of ethereal and dream pop groups that make a good argument for the profound influence of the early 4AD bands. The most original contribution on the compilation comes from Carl Stone, who creates a 15-minute piece based around sample loops of a female vocal. A wonderful glimpse into a parallel universe of heavenly voices. - David S. Faris

This is a special CD featuring ethereal female bands. A dark sensual mood radiates from this CD and will fill your world with the beauty of the female voice. "Rajna" is of Middle Eastern musical descent with soaring female voice that will take you away to another place. The music is tranquil with a nice heavy bottom. Assorted flutes and percussion make the song otherworldly. Love Is Colder Than Death's "Guesto Mostrarsi" feels like a dance club track. I absolutely love everything about the third song "Maare Illucescend." The multiple layered female voices are haunting and the European laced music pushes the song over the top. Antje Buchheiser's vocal performance is amazing.

"La Vuibre" has religious tone and Diana Huarte's has an exceptional voice. "Divine" by Mira is the first song to incorporate guitar on the album. "Overwhelmed, Beneath Me" has a nice musical platform for Elysabeth Grant to perform her silky vocals. Faith & Disease contribute "Stray," which combines dark guitar lines, flute and Dara Rosenwasser's soft voice. "It Swallows Me Whole" has a heavy percussive groove established by Rosewater Elizabeth. Melissa Mileski's voice is like a tiny spot in a vast musical space. The music Lycia makes for "Baltica" is great stuff. Tara Van Flower's exquisite voice is icing on a cake. Mostly instrumental, "Baltica" is moody and has a wide sound that seems tailor made for a movie.

The guitar rhythm Switchblade Symphony plays in "Dissolve" totally works for me. Tina Root's voice is catchy as a Venus flytrap. The percussion in the song also stands out. I like the gloomy mood of Frolic's "Skin," but I thought the music was mixed too loud to appreciate Kelly O'brien's voice. Amber Asylum's "The Bounding Main" is so subtle, it's a whisper but the song has mood in spades. It's the kind of thing moviemaker Michael Mann would use in one of his films. - Terry Wickham

Fans of Hyperium's Heavenly Voices compilations will love this new collection from Projekt. With tracks from thirteen groups -- over 70 minutes of music -- ranging from ethereal to gothic, shoegazer to experimental, Seireenia has something for anyone who appreciates the sensuous warmth or achingly lonely chill of the female voice paired with dark musics. Most of the tracks have been previously released, but several can only be found here.

Like any good compilation, Seireenia provides a mix of old favorites and new discoveries. Love Is Colder Than Death's "Questo Mostrarsi" is a perfect example of their gorgeously decadent baroque witchery, and Stoa's special mix of "Maare Illucescend" has incredibly lovely vocal harmonies and cello melodies. Black Tape for a Blue Girl's new version of "Overwhelmed, Beneath Me" washes over you with waves of guitars, synth, and violin, then envelops you completely with the beautiful sultry voice of Elysabeth Grant. The cuts by Switchblade Symphony and Amber Asylum are also outstanding.

In the new discoveries category, Rajna's self-titled track, drenched with an awesome variety of hypnotic percussion, hammered dulcimer, and flute, felt like being lost in a Middle Eastern bazaar, with Jeanne Lefebvre's wordless vocals dark and mysterious as the flashing eyes of a beautiful young woman glimpsed above her veil as she weaves her way toward you through the crowd. Frolic's desolate "Skin" sent chills up my spine, and new Projekt signee Mira does an excellent job framing Regina Sosinski's gorgeous breathy singing with strummed guitar, real drums, and synth on "Divine." -Dave Aftandilian