Genre: Ambient / New Wave

01 Asche
02 Violet Silence
03 Schattenmädchen
04 Ba-137m
05 Karla
06 2wei Sonnen
07 ...und null Sekunden

Apoptose are an interesting band. I had heard a couple of songs years ago but sort of just forgot about them. I know they are quite popular so I was fairly excited to see their newest CD in the mail to review. The packaging – as Tesco releases often are – is beautiful. Schattenmädchen consists of a nice glossy six-panel digipack with really great artwork as well as an additional eight-page booklet. Kenji Siratori who has made himself known in the “ambient” scene lately contributes some of his unique writing style to the booklet for those that might be interested. And if you haven’t read his material before, it is interesting and unique to say the least, but, on to the music.

From what I can gather, the seven songs on Schattenmädchen are all from different releases or are unreleased songs etc. So this isn’t a new album, but a collection of material from various places. Blending ambient, new wave, industrial, some darker elements and a little electronic from time to time, Apoptose certainly cover a lot of ground with the music represented on Schattenmädchen. I find Apoptose’s style to have a fairly relaxed approach and for the most part, this album is devoid of harsh jarring sounds. Schattenmädchen has a sort of futuristic / sci-fi / apocalyptic feel to it. I think this would be a great backdrop to a lot of darker movies that take place in a futuristic setting.

One of the most notable aspects on Schattenmädchen is the heavy use of voice / spoken word, however you want to phrase it. There is quite a bit, so if that is something that would really turn you off, you should probably steer clear. Personally, it’s not normally my thing. I prefer my ambient or whatever to have no voice or vocals though there are exceptions – this will be an exception. It’s not something I can really explain but it just fits the music. Apoptose’s music relies a lot on keyboards rather than dark droning sounds. I think this is what helps add to the cinematic atmosphere that pervades almost every track on the album.

At times Apoptose’s music reminds me of Desiderii Marginis (minus the acoustics which appears on their newer releases). Really, I think most people whose interest is in that area of the ambient / industrial scene would find Apoptose’s Schattenmädchen appealing. This is a good release and those who follow the Tesco label as a whole and support their artists will probably find a lot to like here. Overall? Recommended.